Research shows that a positive attitude helps increase creativity, motivation, productivity, and overall work satisfaction. That said, positivity doesn't always happen automatically, and it’s a lot trickier to get the whole team feeling upbeat and optimistic. This is why team activities designed to boost positivity are important.
Related reading to improve the mood in your team:
- The best problem-solving activities to overcome challenges
- 8 team building event companies to help you build your best team
- Science-backed ways to approach conflict resolution
- Exercises to make your team feel affirmed and appreciated
In-person positive attitude activities
These activities help improve the team attitude in the office.
1. Office makeover
Best for: Putting together a fun, creative project
Price: $30-80
An office makeover is one of our favorite team building activities for work because it gives employees the chance to revamp their workspaces. This activity will have a positive effect on their mental health, morale, and motivation. More than that, it’ll promote teamwork and creativity.
To execute this workplace makeover, you’ll need to divide your team into smaller groups that will be responsible for specific areas of the office. Have each group come up with a list of pocket-friendly items to decorate the office with. A few ideas to include:
- Indoor potted plants
- Wall art
- Desk organizers
- Pencil holders
- Motivational wall plaques
- Personal photographs
Once you’ve gotten your items, give the groups an hour to do their thing and watch as the aura around the office improves.
2. Photo finish
Best for: Promoting cooperation
Price: Free
Photo finish is a positive attitude team activity that helps improve collaboration and communication. To play this photo finish team building game:
- Separate your teammates into groups of 8 to 12 people.
- Mark out a straight line with tape, a rope, or cones.
The goal of this game is for the entire group to cross the line at the exact same time. As simple as this sounds, it can be quite a challenge to achieve. For the group to accomplish this task, they’ll need a lot of planning, communication, and accurate timing.
This activity can also help you recognize leadership qualities in some of your teammates, as these will usually be the ones thinking strategically, organizing the group, and leading the communication.
3. Team birthday lineup
Best for: Quick team activities
Price: Free
For this activity, teammates will need to arrange themselves in order of their birthdays (only considering the month and the day). Sounds pretty easy, but there’s a fun twist – participants cannot speak to each other.
This means they’ll have to figure out a non-verbal way to determine their birthdays and organize themselves. Set a 15-minute timer and watch your team work.
This game is great because not only does it improve the energy around the workplace, but it also helps teammates work on their communication skills. As a bonus, you'll be reminded of everyone's birthdays and can prepare gifts for their special day in advance. This is a sure way to bring some positivity into your workplace.
Virtual activities to boost morale
Some easy virtual team activities to keep the positive attitudes up.
4. Online fitness club
Best for: Fitness lovers
Price: Free
If you’ve got exercise and fitness enthusiasts on your team, an online fitness club might just be the virtual team activity to get your teammates feeling positive.
An online fitness club allows you to participate in each other’s fitness journeys and motivate each other to achieve fitness goals. You can make use of social fitness apps like Strava or BikeMap.
These apps track all your physical activity and connect you with friends and colleagues. They also provide personal analytics for your workouts as well as a feed that lets you keep up with your teammates’ physical accomplishments, which you can like or comment on.
5. ‘Post your pet’ Slack channel
Best for: Improving the mood of the team
Price: Free
When it comes to online team building, you’ve got to think ‘simple, but creative’, and that’s exactly what this virtual team activity is.
A ‘post your pet’ Slack channel provides a space for teammates to share cute and funny pictures of their pets. A channel like this is a sure-fire way to boost your teammates' morale, even from miles away. It requires very little effort but is effective at injecting some positivity and lighthearted fun into the team. And the best part? It’s a completely free team building idea!
6. Scheduled coffee breaks
Best for: All teams
Price: Free
Coffee breaks are a super-easy way to improve the energy around the office. They allow people to de-stress after an extended working period and provide the perfect environment for teammates to bond and form friendships. Scheduling daily coffee breaks of between 15 to 20 minutes can also help employees feel more alert and focused.
This activity isn’t just limited to in-person teams. If your team is remote, you can set aside some time to have your coffee breaks over your preferred virtual conferencing platform.
Positive attitude team building activities - a morale booster
Whether you’re working from home or in an office, the everyday work schedule can get a bit monotonous, and this can dampen the mood and affect motivation in the workplace. So if you notice that the morale of your teammates is a little low, feel free to try out any of these activities for a positivity boost. To keep morale and motivation high in the long run, you should check out apps and software that specialize in team building.
.svg){kind=small}