Mid-Year Slump? Try these 5 Fun Team Building Activities for Under $20!

Throughout the year there can be times when things start to get a bit dull and repetitive at work. That's when it's the best time to spice things up at the office with a fun team building activity! We know that many companies don't build team-building activities into their annual budget, so we've put together a list of fun and employee engagement activities that you can do for under 20 bucks!

1. Marshmallow Challenge

The Marshmallow Challenge is a classic teambuilding game that combines strategy, teamwork, and fun. The rules are simple: break into even teams and see who can build the tallest tower using the given supplies in 2 sessions of 9 minutes. The marshmallow must be on top. 

Here's what you'll need to get started for each team: 20 Sticks of Spaghetti | 1 Yard of Masking Tape | 1 Yard of String | 1 Marshmallow

2. Enneagram Test

The Enneagram test is a super interesting exercise that can actually help you and your colleagues work better together as a team! The Enneagram test is designed to help you determine your personality type and teach you how to most effectively leverage your strengths and overcome your weaknesses.

Here's a guide to the Enneagram test that you can copy, paste, and send out to your team:

1. Take this free assessment (the “Classical enneagram test” version that is listed first).
2. Read the descriptions of your primary and supporting personality types.
3. Read the rest of the types (described here, click through 1 through 9).
4. Read this overview of the Enneagram Type in Business.
5. Do some self-reflection on your results, so you are prepared to share the following:

• What are your primary and supporting personality types?
• What is your favorite thing about your primary personality type, that you try to “lean into” as a strength?
• What is your least favorite thing about your primary personality type, that you might consider your “Achilles heel”?
• What from your primary profile does NOT sound like you (if anything)?
• Any other thoughts/comments? Does your primary or your secondary personality profile sound more like you (or another one altogether)?

3. Office Game Leagues

We’re not suggesting that you gather your team and head to the local rec center every day! There are a ton of fun and easy games and single/ two-player sports that you can fit into your office. Here are some ideas for office games that won’t break the bank.

• Ping Pong (2 Players): another classic game that doesn’t take long to play. Don’t have a ping pong table or a place to put one? Don’t worry, there are adjustable and retractable table tennis nets for under $20 that can turn your conference room or lunchroom table into a ping pong table!

• Cornhole / Bag Toss: everyone’s favorite lawn game! Cornhole is easy enough for everyone to play and games typically don’t last for more than 10-15 minutes. If you don’t already have a cornhole set, you could either build your own set or take up a notch and order some custom boards with your company logo!

• Jenga / Giant Jenga (2-6 Players): everyone has played Jenga before, so there’s no need for explanation. Who knew a simple wooden block could contain so much suspense and pressure?

• Connect Four (2 Players): no game is more adequately summed up by its title than Connect Four. Games are quick, easy, and you can play just about anywhere.

• Chess or Checkers (2 Players): test your wits against your co-workers in one of these classic board games to prove that you’re the top strategist in the office.
• Cribbage (2-6 Players): another classic board game, but this one can accommodate a few extra players. Cribbage games typically last around 30 mins and a cribbage board can be as cheap as ten bucks.

League Formats

One way to do it is to set up a round-robin schedule, so every person or team plays each other at least once before a playoff. This is a great way for employees from different teams to get to know each other! You can also set up your league so that each person plays just one game a day for a nice break to your day that doesn’t hamper productivity too much.

4. Scavenger Hunt

An office scavenger hunt can be either onsite or offsite! For onsite scavenger hunts, you can create a list of unique items that could be found around the office, or you could set it up as a list of fun tasks to complete (ex: find out the CEO's middle name, take a photo with someone that doesn't work there).

For an offsite scavenger hunt, you can give teams clues or riddles directing them to a nearby location in town. When they arrive at the destination they will find another clue directing them to the next goal and so on. First team to finish wins! 

5. Office Trivia

Here's a group activity that you can do for free! Well, unless you want to provide a prize for the winning team, which you totally should do! There are tons of fun trivia games that you can find online, and there are even trivia games for just about every specific category you can think of. Just nominate a moderator, split into even teams, and show off how smart you are.

Other Activities and Events

Looking for some more awesome company party or corporate event ideas? Check out our Event Planning Guides for helpful tips on how to plan company events that your whole team will love, including planning office holiday parties, corporate golf outings, company picnics, 5K race events, and more!