8 team away day ideas for your next company event
If a company retreat is out of your budget, hosting a team awayday is the perfect low-cost alternative. Much like a company retreat, a successful awayday allows employees to take a well-deserved break from the office and spend quality time with colleagues outside the work environment.
Here at Basejam, we're big believers in the benefits of taking teams away from the corporate bubble to spending time together in nature. According to research by McKinsey & Company, spending time in nature drastically improves cognitive functioning, boosts connections, and is a catalyst for personal and team growth. So why not let nature be the inspiration for your next team awayday?
If you’re looking for the perfect nature-based venue to host your company event, Basejam can help ease the process. We have a carefully selected database of company retreat venues – all you have to do is filter the settings according to your team's requirements.
What is a team awayday?
A team awayday is a day spent away from usual work activities, to inspire and connect your team away from the everyday working environment.
An awayday provides the perfect opportunity to host team-building activities and focus on the bigger picture. If done right, they can be ripe for improving teamwork, strengthening connections, and inspiring new ideas within your team.
Why is a team awayday important?
Enhance team relationships and communication: Hosting an awayday allows your employees to step outside their day-to-day responsibilities at work and interact with colleagues in a whole new light, especially those that they don’t usually see or interact with in the office.
Build morale and lift spirits: It’s no huge revelation - going to the office every day to sit and look at a computer can feel monotonous, and at worst, quite depressing. Adding something completely different to the mix can lift employees’ spirits and overall morale.
Improves employee well-being: awaydays provide an opportunity to relax and break the cycle of work-related stress. Away from the daily demands of work, your employees can improve their well-being by engaging in wellness activities such as yoga or outdoor sports.
8 team awayday ideas
Basejam venues are the perfect backdrop to host unique, non-cringe teambuilding activities. While each of our venues offers its own activities which you can view on our website, here are some of our tried and tested favourites.
1. Intuitive painting 🎨
Intuitive painting is painting how you want to, unguided by rules, designs or formulas.
It's all about thinking creatively and being able to explore new ideas without fear of judgment or self-criticism.
When we are so used to judging ourselves and our abilities, the opportunity to get creative juices flowing without consequence can be hugely beneficial to employees' mindset - in and out of the office.
2. Foraging 🍄
A team foraging trip is a wholesome and low-cost way to get your team out into nature and work towards a common, non-work-related goal. Use this handy app to identify your Funghi findings. Alternatively, find a local foraging expert (these exist even in dense cities!) to take your team on a foraging adventure in nature.
3. Scavenger hunt 🕵🏼
For an engaging team-building activity that encourages co-workers to network, a scavenger hunt is a great option.
Participants venture outside to gather a series of peculiar or amusing objects chosen by the organiser; the winner is the team or individual that returns with all the items first. And remember, purchasing them isn't an option, so time to get creative..
4. Connect with nature at an old millhouse in the Devon countryside
If you think your team could benefit from a real immersion into nature, spend your team awayday among the woods and meadows of this Devon millhouse.
Spread across the secluded grounds for wellness retreats, woodland immersions and even wild swimming. With an art forest, a veg garden and ample space for workshops, you can make your awayday exactly what you’d like it to be in this adaptable nature-filled venue.
Old Millhouse with cottages in the picture-perfect Devon countryside →
5. Cooking class 👩🏾🍳
Cooking is known to be incredibly therapeutic, where cooking within a team can strengthen relationships among employees and show them how to collaborate to achieve incredible (and tasty) results.
6. SUP boarding 🏄
Stand-up paddle boarding gives you all the adrenaline benefits of going surfing but is accessible and enjoyable for all.
It can be learnt quickly within a team setting and gets your team out into nature and away from the city slog. It's likely that many of your team haven't tried SUP boarding before, offering a sense of shared experience of getting out of your comfort zone together.
7. Wild swimming 🏊🏽♂️🏊🏻♀️
Wild swimming checks all of the boxes for building connection: it's in nature, out of your comfort zone (but not unachievable), and has an array of scientific benefits for health.
In our experience, getting slightly out of your comfort zone around team members is a shortcut to creating meaningful connections. Doing this in nature breaks the typical mental loops we find ourselves in day-to-day when working at home or in the same office environment.
Some of our venues have wild swimming ponds and others offer local activity providers who will facilitate a wild swimming activity for your team.
8. Guided breathwork 🧘
Time spent practising conscience breathwork can do huge amounts for our mental clarity, as well as supporting healthy sleep and boosting immunity.
At its core, guided breathwork calms the immune system and allows your teammates to check in with themselves.
An opportunity to learn the basics of breathwork can have long-lasting effects on your team's ability to manage stress and anxiety.
Book a venue for your team's awayday
Whether you want to recognise and reward your team for their hard work or invest in boosting relationships within your team, an awayday at the perfect venue can do wonders for team morale and creative juices.
Ditch the awkward escape rooms and treat your team to time in one of Basejam’s wonderful venues. Each venue offers unique awayday activities, simply categorised on our website.
Find your perfect venue, send an enquiry, and start planning your itinerary with no booking fees. Browse team awayday venues with Basejam.
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