It’s the end of the year, which means we’ll be ringing in the new year before you know it. The turn of the new year, for many, represents new beginnings, refocused goals, and positive changes both personally and professionally. What does the new year mean for you? What does it mean for your team? If you don’t know, ask them! It’s essential for your team to feel a part of the big picture, foster trust and camaraderie, and zero in on working through problems together. These things can be achieved through team-building activities. So today on the blog, our dental practice consultants share five team-building activities perfect for the holiday season. That way, your practice can ring in the new year, feeling a sense of togetherness and more goal-oriented.
Snowflakes are falling
This activity requires listening skills and focuses on the importance of communication and how to share instructions clearly.
- What you’ll need: A white piece of paper for everyone. This activity is ideal for small or large groups.
- The Gist: One person is designated to give instructions. Everyone else receives one piece of paper. You will speak multiple instructions, step-by-step. With their eyes closed, participants will follow your instructions without asking any questions or talking.
Here’s what you’ll say:
- Fold your paper in half.
- Fold it in half again.
- Tear off the top right corner.
- Fold your paper in half length-wise.
- Tear off the bottom left corner.
- Rotate your paper.
- Fold it in half again.
- Tear off a piece from the middle.
Once you’ve given the final step, let everyone know that their snowflakes should all look exactly the same so long as they followed each step correctly. Now, ask them to open their eyes and spread out their snowflakes to compare with everyone else. Ask team members to share their observations.
Icebreaker Spectrum
This is a fun game that lets everyone get to know each other a little better. You will not need any props for this activity, other than something (two chairs, pieces of paper, or magazines) placed at opposite ends of the room. These markers indicate the spectrum that relates to the questions you will ask. For instance, you might ask your team, “Do you prefer traditional food for Christmas dinner, or do you like to try something new and different every year?” Then, participants decide which end of the spectrum best fits their answer. They may fall somewhere in the middle because half of the time they prepare traditional dishes on Christmas, while the other half of the time they try something new. They can stand anywhere between the two markers to indicate their response.
Here are some ideas for other holiday icebreaker spectrum questions
- Gift wrap or gift bags
- Give gift cards or thoughtful gifts
- Travel or stay at home
- Christmas music before Thanksgiving or after
- Real or artificial tree
- White or multi-color lights for holiday décor
- Christmas cocktail party of a self-care day
- Christmas in the mountains or at the beach
- Cookies or pie for dessert
- Chevy Chase’s Christmas Vacation or White Christmas movie
These are only some suggestions. Perhaps if your team wants to continue playing a bit longer, they can take turns sharing other fun spectrum questions related to the holidays.
Christmas Stocking Scavenger Hunt
Can you really call it a team-building activity without a good scavenger hunt? This activity is fun, and it creates excitement for team members. Plan ahead by making a list of items found inside your office (or perhaps you bring a few things from home or cheap items you’ve purchased from the dollar store and then hide them around the office. Assign points to each item, marking harder-to-find items with a higher value. It would be festive to provide everyone with a Christmas stocking, which can be purchased for cheap at the dollar store as well. But if need be, you could just use plastic bags or even inexpensive holiday gift bags. Make copies of your scavenger hunt sheet, set a timer, and let everyone start their hunt! The one with the highest points wins. It’s up to you if you’d like to provide a reward for the winner, whether that is something fun like a gag gift (appropriate items only, of course), something practical, or an inexpensive gift. You could also reward the person that found the oddest or largest item or come up with your own ideas for “winners.”
Holiday Travel Game
Don’t worry. No one will actually be traveling anywhere today! Use a large room, set aside any furniture. The idea is to pretend the floor has a map of the U.S. and designate the North, South, East, and West. This should give everyone an idea of where they want to stand, according to your questions.
You can use questions from our idea list below or come up with some of your own
- In what state were you born? (For example, if the person were born in Florida, they would stand in the room in the area that best represents that state).
- Where’s your favorite place to spend the holidays?
- If you could go anywhere on New Year’s, where would you go?
- If you could take a vacation for Christmas, where would it be to?
- Where is the last place you’d ever go for Christmas?
Team building activities aren’t just a waste of time. They bring teams together, foster creativity, and help teams realign together. Try out these holiday-themed team-building activities, and let us know how it turns out! You can also incorporate some of your own ideas if you prefer. Learn more or schedule a consultation by contacting Bryant Consultants at (877) 768-4799. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
