It’s no secret that getting along with your colleagues is great for business. In fact, a study conducted by The Harvard Business Review found that having close friends at work increases employee productivity. Of course, it can be hard to bond with your coworkers between deadlines and meetings, which is why team-building activities are such an important part of the corporate culture. 

While team outings and events are great for employee morale, they can also be really expensive. Especially for smaller companies who aren’t rocking with the same type of budget that larger companies have at their disposal. For example, many corporations do company picnics at local amusement parks. While a day at the theme park is certainly fun, such an event can cost tens of thousands of dollars. Not to mention, it’s pretty impersonal given that apart from lunchtime, most people just spend the day walking around with their own family, so there’s not a lot of team building going on there. 

So, how can you put together a fun event that strengthens your team and doesn’t break your budget? Here are 6 tried and tested ideas your employees will love.

A Day at the Pumpkin Farm

Fall is finally here, so between now and Halloween is a great time to plan a fun employee outing to your local pumpkin patch. Many offer discounts for company events, and the bonus is that you are also supporting local farmers who are struggling to get back on their feet after the pandemic.

Pumpkin farms are great for employee events because everyone can bring their family, but it’s a small enough locale that everyone is still able to interact. And the best part is that many pumpkin farms offer activities like hay rides, corn mazes, food trucks, and more, so there are plenty of ways to have fun and enjoy a perfect fall day with your team. 

Host a Trivia Night

Everyone loves a good trivia night, so host one at a local restaurant or pub that employees can attend after work one night. Doing it on a weeknight is far cheaper than on weekends, and you can save even more money by serving cocktails and appetizers rather than a pricy sit-down meal. 

In terms of the trivia questions, a quick Google search will turn up tons of fun ideas, though some of the most popular topics are sports, pop culture, and even 80s movies and music. 

Escape Rooms

When it comes to team building, the escape room is the G.O.A.T. It teaches people to work together and shines a light on individual strengths while building team spirit. In terms of cost, it may sound expensive, but this is an activity you can do for about $30 a head. Pricing is also different according to time and day, so if you want to save money, plan your outing during the work day as opposed to the weekend, which will undoubtedly be more expensive. 

Seasonal Office Activities 

Office bakeoffs and decorating contests are all fun and cost-effective ways to get people in the holiday spirit so they enjoy coming into the office. Some popular ideas are pumpkin carving contests, Halloween costume contests, and even a holiday baking championship where people submit their treats anonymously before an impartial panel that picks the winners a la Food Network.  

Monthly Birthday Celebrations

Everyone loves an excuse to eat cake, but paying for one each time an employee has a birthday can get really expensive. So instead, have a monthly birthday party for all employees having a birthday that month. You can order a sheet cake or two from a local big box store like Costco or Sam’s Club, or better yet, work out a deal with a local baker to provide a few different cakes for each monthly celebration. Planning one celebration a month in advance gives employees time to connect and chat over a tasty treat while only having to sing “Happy Birthday” once. 

Virtual Activities for Fully Remote Companies

If your company is fully remote and your team is scattered across the country or even the world, there are still lots of activities you can plan to help everyone connect no matter the distance. Virtual trivia tournaments and more structured games like Codewords are a great way for employees to bond and flex their brain muscles virtually. If you’re looking for something a little more exciting, Tee K.O. is a fun design game that lets players create different drawings and slogans to create hilarious tee shirts they can then order and wear. This game gained popularity over the pandemic, and for good reason; as many will tell you, it's an absolute riot! 

A few other tips: 

When creating your event, put together a planning committee with employees from each department, so it's not just one person making all the decisions. The more ideas and perspectives, the better. 

Also, if you plan your event right, it’s tax deductible. Yes, you read that right. Check with your tax specialist for details, but in most cases, if your event is for the benefit of regular employees and their families, you can write it off 100%.

Talk about a way to improve morale!