Regardless of the size of your team, engaging in team building activities has big returns. Fostering work relationships can increase motivation, morale and productivity. Research shows that finding common ground outside the office environment results in better communication between staff and departments.

VisitCape put together some fresh ideas for how to create a fun activity to encourage each other and boost company morale. For example, how about doing yoga with cats? Southeast Missouri Pets has a beautiful new facility with a community room where you can practice your downward-facing dog with kittens nuzzling up next to you, in their Cat Yoga Program. Or, schedule to take part in their “Business Buddy Program” where your team can pet puppies for a stress-relieving activity – either at your office or on location at SEMO Pets.

For something a little more project-based, how about working toward a common goal to break out of an interactive escape room at Outer Edge Escape Games. Escape rooms have become popular for team building with a time crunch. If your team is large enough to be split into two teams, this activity is a great way to create healthy competition – see who can escape the fastest!

If you do have a competitive group, consider Cape Parks and Recreation Department’s annual Corporate Games where teams from local businesses compete in a variety of sports. Pick from flag football, tug of war, darts, kickball, pickleball, soccer, volleyball, softball, trivia, washers, billiards, horseshoes, basketball, golf, trail relay, dodgeball, disc golf, bowling and/or cornhole. Contact Dianne at [email protected] for more information. The games start this fall!

For an activity with a different reward, sign up for a cooking class with a delicious meal at the end! At Gabriel’s Food and Wine in downtown Cape, team building happens during your group’s pasta-making class while enjoying wine and appetizers. Then, you get to sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor! Lots of laughs are sure to happen during this activity as everyone has different levels of cooking ability. This is also a fun activity to do with co-workers and their spouses!

For a philanthropic twist, how about volunteering as a team?  The Southeast Missouri Food Bank is always happy to have help with tasks such as sorting canned goods for the many families they serve, packing senior food boxes, cleaning produce in the warehouse or preparing for a food drive.

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