Fun Team Building Activities and Events for Summer Interns
Summer internships are a great way for students to gain valuable work experience and explore potential career paths. But it’s not all about work! To make the most of their time, you should provide interns and associates opportunities to unwind, bond with colleagues, and have fun. Here are 11 fun activities for summer interns to enjoy.
Benefits of Organizing Team Building Activities for Interns
Organizing team building activities for interns can offer huge benefits for both the interns and the organization. You’ll help interns feel more engaged, motivated, and connected to their colleagues, ultimately improving their overall experience and performance. Team building activities can also provide valuable learning opportunities, allowing interns to work on their communication, problem solving, and leadership, and to get to know your company culture. Team building activities for interns can accomplish any and all of the following:
- Boost morale and create a positive work environment.
- Foster a sense of camaraderie and collaboration among interns.
- Provide valuable learning opportunities for interns to develop new skills.
- Improve intern engagement, motivation, and performance.
- Lead to increased retention rates and a more cohesive team.
1. Cultural Attractions
Organize a group visit to a museum or aquarium. You’ll skip the weekend crowds, tour an interesting location, and spend time with colleagues in a very different setting than you usually would. If you need ideas for fun and unusual ways to see your favorite museum, aquarium, or zoo, here are 7 museum team building activities for interns—and anyone else—to try.
2. Outdoor Adventure
Take advantage of the summer weather by organizing an outdoor adventure. This could be as simple as a hike or something more complicated, such as a camping or rafting trip. If you’re located near a beach or lake, plan a day trip. Enjoy swimming, sunbathing, beach volleyball, and perhaps a beachside barbecue. Those are all great ways to relax and have fun outside the office.
3. Team Building Scavenger Hunts
Few activities combine a good time with quick thinking, creative problem solving, and fast-paced communication the way team building scavenger hunts do. We should know—we’ve run them for more than 20 years here at Watson Adventures. One of the great benefits is that everyone on your team can contribute equally, because you don’t need any particular athletic skills, artistic talents, or prior knowledge. You all just put your heads together and have a fun day.
Our most popular types of team building scavenger hunts and games include:
- Murder Mystery Games: Solve different sorts of murders in many different settings, such as botanical gardens, neighborhoods in cities around the country, or just about anywhere else!
- Food Tours: Snack your way to victory while answering tricky questions on our food-centric Munch Hunts in New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, and more.
- Trivia Games: Enjoy a wide array of trivia games just about anywhere—in the office, a rented ballroom or restaurant space, at home, or Zooming in from multiple places at once. And with audio and visual components, scavenger hunt rounds, and creative photo challenges, as well as many different themes, these aren’t run-of-the-mill pub-trivia games anyone could throw together.
4. Volunteer Work
Encourage interns to give back to the community by organizing a day of volunteering. This could involve working at a local food bank, participating in a beach or park clean-up, or helping out at a community center or animal shelter. It’s a rewarding way to spend a day and make a positive impact.
5. Sports Day
Take advantage of the sunny weather and head to the nearest beach or park for a day of friendly competition. Organize various team-based games like sand-castle building, beach volleyball or pickleball tournaments, soccer, frisbee, and relay races. You can also arrange an Office Olympics in your office or another space, though with less volleyball. It’s all about collaboration, teamwork, and a healthy sense of competition in a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere.
6. Food Focus
Arrange for a cooking class where interns can learn to make a local or international dish. It’s a fun and educational activity that can also help interns develop new culinary skills.
Alternatively, set up a potluck where interns and associates can show off their skills and tastes. After all, summer team building activities can really work up an appetite! A food-focused outing in the park or a backyard barbecue offers a great chance for summer interns and colleagues, especially those who have gone hybrid or fully WFH, to catch up and unwind without the pressure of more structured events.
7. Creative Workshop
Organize a creative workshop where interns can learn a new skill, such as painting, pottery, or photography. Or set up a paint-and-sip event, where it’s less about learning a new skill than about spending time together and having a good laugh over your range of skill levels and creative thinking afterward.
8. Movie Night
Host a movie night where interns can relax and enjoy a film together. You could even set up an outdoor movie screening for a unique experience. Set up a projector and screen in a park or the office courtyard, and screen a popular movie or a classic film. Provide blankets, popcorn, and drinks for a cozy and enjoyable evening.
9. City Tour
Show off your neighborhood to help interns and associates explore their new surroundings. We offer plenty of ways to see your corner of town anew, or to explore a favorite historic neighborhood. You can visit the giant troll on the Freewheeling Fremont Scavenger Hunt. Dig into history and find surprises on the Secrets of Savannah Scavenger Hunt. Or simply celebrate the spirit of such cities as Boston, Chicago, and New Orleans.
From New York City to Los Angeles, you have hundreds of neighborhood scavenger hunts to choose from. And whichever you pick, participants will get to know your city and their colleagues in a fun way they couldn’t replicate themselves.
10. Networking Event
Hosting a networking event for summer interns can be a valuable opportunity for them to connect with professionals in their field, build relationships, and gain insights into the industry. These events often include networking sessions, workshops, and panel discussions. You could also set up a speed networking session, allowing interns and associates to meet a variety of professionals in short, focused conversations. To wrap up, a casual mixer with icebreaker games and refreshments could provide a relaxed setting for deeper networking.
11. Farewell Party
Finally, organize a farewell party to celebrate the end of the internship. This is a chance for interns and summer associates to reflect on their experiences and bid adieu to their colleagues.
Find More Fun
Contact us to learn more and start planning your summer team building scavenger hunt or virtual game today.
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Image credits: picnic photo by Lee Myungseong on Unsplash; all others by Watson Adventures
