Team-building exercises are ideal for promoting bonding within a group, but many of the most common activities inspire groans instead of excitement. Instead of the same old icebreaker challenges, why not set up some physical activities that get their adrenaline flowing and require cooperative efforts to complete?

Scavenger Hunt

Create a timed scavenger hunt and break your group into teams. You can set it up in a designated area as big or small as you want. Use clues instead of naming items, and be sure to include some that are ambiguous so teams have to work together to agree on their interpretation.

Tug-of-War

Tug-of-war is pretty basic and lets each team adjust their tactics in real time to beat their opponents. Have each team decide the placement of their members before beginning, and give them time to discuss their strategy.

Capture the Flag

This is a fast-paced game that requires collaborative efforts to win. Divide the group into two teams and place them at opposite ends of a designated area. This is their base and should have that team’s flag pinned somewhere. Teams have to advance to their opponent’s base to find the flag and bring it to their own base. Captured opponents must go to a penalty area until a teammate frees them. The first team to capture the other team’s flag wins. You can even add an extra flag for each team to increase the challenge.

Commercial Adventures

If setting up team building exercises isn’t your thing, you can take advantage of physical challenges available in your area. White water rafting requires synchronicity and communication. Paintball fights encourage communication and delegation. Escape the Room adventures require group problem-solving, time management, delegation and critical thinking. Check your local area for group activities that can challenge your team to work together in new ways.

For a company to run efficiently, coworkers should work and communicate well with each other. Physical team-building exercises are a great way to help employees bond, instill trust and determine the strengths and weaknesses of each team member. The result is a team that knows how to work together to get the best results for your company.