Team bonding activities that are perfect for your group of 5
“Team bonding” are two words that can strike fear into the hearts of any introvert in the corporate world, especially if it involves crazy competitions and other ra-ra physical team bonding activities.
And after months of only seeing each other on a screen, perhaps it’s about time to reacquaint face-to-face while keeping to the max of five pax for Phase 3 (Heightened Alert). If you’re planning any upcoming team cohesion, check out these introvert-friendly activities instead of having the usual goal-setting session over soggy pizza in the meeting room.
These activities are also perfect for catching up with your friends or a hens night that ain't too crazy! With all of them located conveniently around Orchard Road, it's easy for everyone to get there and back.
1. Solve a mystery together in an Escape Room
Being trapped in an escape room with your colleagues can sound claustrophobic, but trust us when we say that it’s an experience that will bring your team together in an hour or less. We had a go at escaping from a cordoned ward at a mental hospital over at Trapped Singapore, and we lived to tell the tale.
Our team of four was given 60 minutes to break out after being trapped in by who-knows-what, and the creepy photos plastered on the walls did not help our anxiety. Still, we combined our brainpower and some assistance from the hotline to escape the room with over 15 minutes to spare. If there was more time, we would have also attempted the hardest challenge – Escape From Pulau Tekong.
The escape room challenged us to play to our strengths, whether it was translating from code, listening out for strange melodies, or figuring out patterns in images. It also helps build quick and efficient communication as there’s no time to be bickering and procrastinating when you only have an hour to beat the room.
2. Make aesthetic Bath Bombs for your next staycation
For those that prefer an activity that’s more relaxing, you can arrange a bath bomb making workshop for your team. We went for a session at Soap Ministry and came out of it with a couple of bath bombs perfect for our next staycation with a bathtub.
The materials used at Soap Ministry are all-natural and suitable for even the colleague that’s always flustered by his or her eczema. Over the 1.5-hour-long workshop, you’ll learn the ins-and-outs of what makes a bath bomb and how the different colours mix together to make pretty pastel shades.
We were allowed to pick three colours and one scent to make our bath bombs. If you want more variety for your own bath bomb colour- or scent-wise, take the opportunity to bond with your fellow colleagues by either swapping the spare colours you have or experimenting with how different fragrances work with each other.
3. Go for a round of cosmic-themed K Bowling
Who said bowling alleys had to be a drab, boring space? K Bowling Club’s cosmic bowling alley is one of the coolest bowling alleys in town for a post-work hangout. The hip and Zouk-esque ambience was a big contrast to the fluorescent lights and dreary walls in our office, and in no time we had on our bowling shoes, ready to knock down some pins.
The cosmic vibes tone down the competitiveness that we usually see in the traditional bowling alleys, so even noobs who only throw gutter balls don’t have to worry. You can now grab package for five pax that includes one-hour of usage of one bowling lane, socks, and shoes rental on Klook.
4. Take a Pottery Class and bring home your own creation
Pottery and ceramics have been trending up over the past couple of years, and Taoz Ceramics lets you and your colleagues jump in for a quick class to learn the art of moulding a lump of clay into either a cup, bowl, or vase. Beginners who have never gotten their hands dirty before are also more than welcome to participate in the pottery class.
Each 30-minute session will have one pottery instructor to two students so your creations will always have another set of eyes to jaga in case it loses their shape. They’re also the ones that can help take any group photos because you wouldn’t want to get any sticky clay onto your new smartphone.
Do take note that each class is not inclusive of the firing of your clay product – it’ll cost an additional $10 plus a wait of at least six weeks.
5. Craft your own Silver Ring Jewellery
A silver ring-setting workshop might sound unorthodox, but trust us when we say it’s a lot more fun than it seems. A couple of us went for a workshop at Artisan8 Studio led by the founder Shan, and coming out with our own personalised bling is not something we can say happens every day.
The workshop takes about 2.5 hours, but the time passes in a breeze. From picking out the design for our sterling silver rings to manually hammering in the patterns, Shan patiently guided us through even though we were all on different steps.
Seeing the designs that our colleagues picked out also told us about their different personalities. This was definitely one of the more interesting team bonding activities that we’ve gone for, and the best part is you get to keep the ring at the end of the workshop, too.
6. Unleash your creativity by Art Jamming at a Parisian-themed cafe
One way to destress after a week of staring at excel sheets is to go for a therapeutic art jam session at Café de Paris. Unleash your inner Picasso on a blank canvas and show that we can be creative with words and a brush.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a Van Gogh-in-training or someone who has never touched a brush before as Cafe de Paris provides reference pictures and guides to follow. Or you can start work on your masterpiece if you already have an idea.
What sets art jamming aside from painting at home is that you don’t have to worry about cleaning up the mess after. You’ll also get a complimentary drink at the cafe. Their desserts like the fruit bonbon are also prepared on the spot, making them a fresh and tasty snack for when you need a break from all the painting.
7. Relieve your stress at Bounce Trampoline Park
Yes, you are allowed to sweat it out on a company cohesion, and jumping on trampolines at Bounce Singapore lets you simultaneously burn calories and have fun with your deskmates. You’ll see the ex-gymnasts flexing their jumps and the clumsy ones (like us) struggling to stay balanced.
The way the trampoline park is laid out lets you attempt different challenges with your colleagues that’s not as competitive as your monthly KPI. There’s a slam dunk area to channel your inner Michael Jordan, and a dodgeball court to find out which department is the best.
8. Make your own Perfume at Scentopia
Image credit @tifffhung
Enjoy a fun perfume-making experience at Scentopia Singapore, where you can customise your own perfumes! Be spoilt for choice with the wide array of scents and available - but worry not, you will do a short quiz to find out what suits your personality best before you embark on your scent-crafting adventure.
You and your team can also bond via Scentopia's 'Therapy with Aroma', a free downloadable guided meditation suitable for each aroma personality profile - just contact the Scentopia team in advance and they will gladly conduct it for you and your team!
You can find out your aroma personality profile here!
With over 6,000 scents to choose from - you can definitely leave knowing that the perfume you created is uniquely yours!
