6 winter team building activities you won’t find on other lists

There’s a good reason why winter holidays hold such a special place in our hearts. They’re heartwarming. They’re different. They’re anything but mundane. 

‍

And that’s precisely what you’d expect a winter-themed team building to be like.

‍

Unfortunately, if you already did a quick search online, you’ve probably seen that most websites follow the same formula: 

‍

1. Take an everyday team building activity.
2. Label it “winter team building”.
3. There’s no step 3. 

We’re here to put an end to this injustice. 

‍

As the year comes to an end, you'll also find these articles helpful:

• ‍5 Christmas team building activities that spark joy‍
• 9 fun and festive virtual holiday team building activities
• Our team’s 7 favorite thankful team building activities
• 14 gift ideas to show your employees you care

‍

1. Play Holiday Spirit

Winter score: ❄️❄️❄️❄️

Remote friendly: Yes

Time needed: 15-20 minutes

‍

As the end-of-year season approaches, why not get in touch with your team and find out what makes this time special for them? Holiday Spirit is a trivia-like activity that has everyone guess holiday facts about each other. It's a great way to learn more about each other - from their favorite traditions to anything they particularly dislike! This game is sure to get everybody into that holiday spirit. Holiday Spirit is now free to try on Gomada – happy chatting.

‍

‍

2. Play a holiday-themed trivia with an Emmy Awards host, Scott Topper

Winter score: ❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

Remote friendly: Yes

Time needed: 1 hour

Get ready to spread some laughter and festive cheer this holiday season! If you're searching for an entertaining virtual Winter Christmas Holiday Themed Team Trivia event, look no further than Scott's one-of-a-kind and delightfully silly virtual Christmas team trivia experience. Wear your most outrageous ugly holiday sweater, grab a cup of eggnog, and get ready to immerse yourself in an interactive and inclusive trivia extravaganza.

You can book your holiday-themed trivia with Scott here.

‍

3. Reflect with Memorable Moments

Winter score: ❄️❄️❄️

Remote friendly: Yes

Time needed: 45 minutes

‍

With Memorable Moments, you take a stroll down memory lane to cherish all the wonderful moments you shared throughout the year. From laughter-filled conversations, meaningful reflections, and ambitious goals - recognize your accomplishments as a team and feel proud of how far you have come! Try it for free.

‍

Here's what you can expect:

1. Start by setting the mood with a fun energizer
2. Share favorite moments and learnings with the team
3. End the session by creating a photo memory wall

‍

‍

4. Join an ice sculpting workshop

Winter score: ❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

Remote friendly: No

Time needed: 1.5-3 hours

‍

This fun winter team building activity is guaranteed to bring some festive spirit even to the teams located in the warmer climates. Team up with your workmates for a brand new experience and practice invaluable soft skills together, such as collaboration, creativity, and problem-solving. 

‍

You will need a professional instructor to provide supplies, explain the process, observe and curate your experience, and monitor safety guidelines. Fortunately, there are plenty of vendors there, such as:

• Techne Ice (US)
• Icebox (UK)
• Ice art (Europe)

‍

5. Get together for a quick DIY session

Winter score: ❄️❄️❄️❄️

Remote friendly: Yes

Time needed: 1.5-2 hours

‍

Nothing says “team building” better than a DIY project you’ve completed alongside your colleagues! Use your creativity to source the ingredients, work together or organize a small competition, and turn dated winter team building activities into an exciting experience you could be looking forward to! 

‍

Some of the things you could be working with: 

‍

• Bring an average sweater and turn it into the Christmas Ugly Sweater;
• Craft and send out handmade winter-themed postcards;
• Decorate your doorway with a DIY winter wreath with your company’s colors.

‍

Take your online team building to a new level with these resources:

• ‍The complete list of virtual team building activities for remote teams‍
• Must-have apps for an exciting team building

‍

6. Prepare a winter feast with your team 

Winter score: ❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

Remote friendly: Could be

Time needed: 2-3 hours

‍

Winter holidays are almost synonymous with food, so why not do your winter team building the traditional way? Choose some of your favorite winter recipes (think: gingerbread cookies, turkey, casseroles, cinnamon buns, etc.) and get to cooking! 

‍

The best part is that this sort of winter-themed team building is suitable for virtually any team: 

• If you all go to the office, you could prepare dishes at home at get together for a festive potluck party;
• If you work remotely, you can choose the same recipe and cook online together to later share the meal with your loved ones; 
• If you operate on a hybrid model, you could always get together in the office (or rented) kitchen and experience all the ups and downs of a festive dinner, from selecting the ingredients through the cooking mayhem to the actual feast. 

‍

Check out this article for more food-related ideas for team building.

‍

7. Play winter team building games and sports

Winter score: ❄️❄️❄️❄️

Remote friendly: No

Time needed: 1-3 hours

‍

If the weather allows it, opt-in for a fun day packed with outdoor winter team building activities. This would be an excellent opportunity for you to reconnect with your inner child, exercise, and see your colleagues from a brand new perspective. 

‍

Some of the team building activities you could try in winter are:

‍

• skiing;
• snowboarding;
• ice skating;
• snowmobiling;
• snowshoeing;
• and more! 

‍

Make sure every participant is familiar with the sport or is accompanied by a qualified instructor to avoid accidents. Have fun responsibly!

‍

Or play it safe with these evergreen activities

Winter score: ❄️❄️

Remote friendly: Yes

Time needed: 15+ minutes

‍

Of course, you could say that whatever team building activity you try in winter can be considered a winter team building activity. And even though we encourage you to go all out with your winter team building, you’d be absolutely right! After all, you may not want to spend too much time on the events that will accompany you throughout the season.  

‍

So if you seek some evergreen ideas on how to spend some quality time with your team this winter, here’s what other companies do:

‍

• Organize your very own game-show extravaganza team building
• Keep yourselves warm with unconventional office Olympics 
• Improve your problem-solving in an online escape room 
• Host a quick safe-for-work teambuilding session
• Meet online for free virtual team building
• Strengthen your team dynamics with communication-based team building games
• Kick off the new year by working on your leadership skills

Stay warm, stay tight, stay awesome!