Intentional Fun & Nature
Play & Connection
We don't stop playing because we grow old.
We grow old because we stop playing.
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George Bernard Shaw
Team Building
There are many different vehicles that can be used to further the building of relationships and drawing out peoples talents and qualities. Here are a few suggestions that I offered in the past and are tried and true. These are suggested in order to help fuel the creative process. Most of the team builders I designed came from brainstorming with clients which was half the fun as the organization enjoyed being involved in the design. Please note that team builders can be designed so that in-house personnel can operate them if budget and restrictions are in place or staffing can be provided.
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competitive games
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in ballroom experiential leadership task oriented team building
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scavenger hunts
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ice breakers
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First Nations team builder
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Search and Rescue
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Golf team builder (and ski racing)
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giant board games
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winter/summer mini Olympics
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Improv games
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Fundraising team builders
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drumming and music circles
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Family Yoga Fun
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Nature walks with Animal Totem Discovery (Nature as Teacher)
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Culinary team builder
Certainly all the vehicles suggested for team building are equally as effective for inviting people to be more playful and joyful which helps to make them happy but also more receptive to learning and connection. Play is a human need and it helps to remind us to take ourselves lightly and see that an open heart helps to open closed minds and heals relationships which may have been damaged due to stubbornness, perfectionism and many other negative qualities that oppose our team spirit and motivation. Here are some suggestions that I used in the past and again are meant to fuel discussion and the creative process to determine a benefit-oriented experience. Play heals the "inner child" in all of us.
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art therapy
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kite building and racing
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line dancing workshop
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softball games with vendors/fair
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earth/wind/water racing regatta
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photo scavenger hunt
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teepee building contest in nature
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wacky Olympics
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role reversal (step into my shoes role playing)
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campfire sing a long with musical instruments
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movie making with playback at dinner
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paint jet with interactive story built in
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create the next best ridiculous product showcase
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positive feedback exercises
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Totem pole making with personal symbol discovery
EcoTherapy/Wisdom
Nature is not only our Teacher but it is also our Healer. This truth is becoming more accepted now as we spend more time going for walks, listening to the primordial sounds of the wind rustling in the trees, the trickle of a stream, the sound of birds chirping and the of sunsets and sunrises that make us catch our breath. People are getting wiser to what nourishes and what harms and as a Meditation and Mindfulness teacher that helps people heal from trauma, stress and anxiety, I feel that the workplace needs to benefit more from Mother Nature's healing properties. Our mind and our being require less meaning making in order to be replenished and nature therapy is all about healing whereas nature's wisdom is all about learning about who we are. For nature reflects our qualities when we are willing to observe and learn.
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primordial sound meditation next to a river
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forest walk to discover symbols of the self for reflection and sharing
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healing the heart from toxic interactions through immersion in nature
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creating a receptive mind through listening to nature for genuine sharing experiences
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heart mapping in a natural setting
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learning to listen to "silence" to experience the benefits of healing
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discovering edible plants in nature
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active meditation in nature such as Yoga/Miindful Walking
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Mindful walking in a garden
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Creating a walking labyrinth at work
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playing musical healing instruments in nature or in the workplace that recall nature sounds