Team building boosts workplace wellbeing: creative activities that build stronger teams
In recent years, Italian companies have shown increasing interest in innovative and engaging team building activities, recognising the role these play in improving internal collaboration, productivity and employee satisfaction.
As organisations become more aware of how workplace culture impacts performance, team building has emerged as a key strategy for strengthening interpersonal relationships, encouraging creativity, and boosting morale. Far from being simple leisure moments, these experiences are now carefully designed to simulate workplace dynamics, develop soft skills and promote emotional connection among colleagues. From creative challenges to culinary experiences, companies are redefining how teams bond outside the office.
Innovative formats that bring teams together
One of the most popular team building formats adopted by Italian firms is the car building challenge using real cardboard. Teams are tasked with building a full-sized car from scratch, using only cardboard and creativity. Once the cars are built, they must complete a relay-style course where both speed and design originality are judged.
This activity mirrors the complexity of managing a real project. It encourages coordination, strategic planning, resource allocation and team spirit. Moreover, it highlights the value of combining technical ability with presentation and storytelling — a skill relevant in many business scenarios.
Another trend gaining traction is “ice cooking” — team building through gelato-making. Participants are guided by expert gelato makers who reveal the secrets behind perfect texture and flavour. But it’s not just about following a recipe. Each team must invent its own flavour and present it creatively, with judges evaluating originality and taste. Ice cooking taps into multiple layers of soft skill development: collaboration, time management, innovation and communication. It also creates a relaxed and inclusive setting that allows colleagues to discover new facets of each other while working towards a common goal.
Few activities are as immersive as the team building musical format. In this unique experience, teams are challenged to create and perform an original stage show. Tasks are divided: some write the script, others design costumes, choreograph dances or build the set.
This format is a powerful metaphor for any workplace project. It promotes a high level of coordination, adaptability and collective vision. It also pushes participants out of their comfort zones, unleashing creativity in unexpected ways. And when the final performance is delivered, it provides a moment of shared achievement that strengthens team identity.
Why team building drives real organisational value
While these activities may seem playful on the surface, their value runs much deeper. Studies consistently show that employee wellbeing is directly linked to team cohesion and communication. When teams trust each other, collaborate effectively and feel emotionally connected, workplace stress decreases, innovation increases and productivity improves.
In this context, Italian companies are embracing team building not just as a perk, but as a tool for sustainable growth and long-term engagement. Team building today is no longer about “mandatory fun.” Instead, it’s becoming a strategic lever for cultural change, helping companies build healthier, happier and more connected teams. The growing adoption of creative formats in Italy reflects a shift towards workplaces that value human connection as a key to success. Investing in team building is investing in people. And that, ultimately, is what drives companies forward.