10 fun training activities for your next training session

The best way to guarantee employee retention is to promote a culture of continuous learning. If you’ve been sold on the idea that training and fun are mutually exclusive, it’s time to reconsider that thought.

With the help of workplace learning tools, you’ll never have to worry about boring training. Spruce up your lessons and engage employees with these ten fun training activities for your next session.

What are training activities?

Training activities are designed to upskill employees by introducing new skills and abilities essential to the job. These are tailored to the team’s specific needs and pose many benefits for growth. The top ones are increased productivity, higher retention rates, and a better work environment.

If you’re looking to introduce changes in the workplace, make sure to keep your training activities fun. A study reveals that it enhances the learning experience, allowing learners to experiment and self-reflect freely.

Foster high-performing teams that’ll hit weekly goals. Get started with our list of ten fun activities for training sessions.

1. Icebreaker

Before getting to the serious part of your training, it's important to warm up the mood first. Icebreakers are the way to go! They help facilitate smoother introductions among the team, helping everyone get to know each other better.

You can also use this time to set expectations and give a preview of your training session. While encouraging participation among remote teams can feel tricky, there’s no need to worry. Use an all-in-one learning platform like Mitti (by SafetyCulture) to perform all the heavy lifting. Add some spice to your Q&A sessions with its matrix, chat, categorize, and multiple-choice question templates.

Customize fun training activities for your team. Join Mitti today.

2. Human bingo

Up next is human bingo, an exciting avenue for interaction. This activity-based learning requires earlier preparation, as every participant must have a 5x5 card. Fill in its boxes with fun and interesting human characteristics, hobbies, and life experiences.

Your team must look for people whose traits satisfy the information in each slot. A signature is necessary for every person they’ve interviewed. The first participant to fill all the boxes wins.

3. Buddy system

Help the new hires feel right at home with the team. A buddy system is an effective way to orient them to the job’s day-to-day responsibilities. Assigning a teammate to guide them guarantees a smoother transition. Examples of buddy activities include giving them a tour around the office, introducing them to the rest of the team, and initiating lunch outs.

As a manager, you can formally document the process by outlining the new hires’ weekly deliverables. Another benefit is that a workplace buddy empowers the new hires to share confidential information about their adjustment at work.

4. Quizzes

Test your team’s knowledge post-training with engaging quizzes. This lets you identify which topics were quickly absorbed and which need further review. To encourage active participation, incorporate gamification into your training.

Treating each session like a game helps you crush your team’s mental barrier to workplace learning. Mitti’s gamification system is perfect for your virtual training activities. Choose from 80+ templates to customize to your liking.

5. Two truths and a lie

Next on our list of training ideas for employees is two truths and a lie. This simple activity encourages self-expression, as everyone must write down two truths and one lie about themselves. The entire team has about 30 seconds to guess what the lie is. After everyone has made their guess, the original person must reveal which one of their statements was a genuine lie.

Spark friendly competition using leaderboards to track which members are the best guessers. You can also boost participation by rewarding top employees with incentives or certificates.

6. Lunch and learn

One of the best employee retention strategies is to cultivate a close-knit team. Through lunch and learn, members can get to know each other outside of work. The company often sponsors the meals, so every member feels included. Since this happens during lunchtime, it doesn’t chip away at everyone’s productivity.

Aside from non-work matters, you can discuss company policies, organizational changes, or potential job openings. There’s less pressure for the team to open up, as you aren’t in the office.

7. Cross-training

Another fun training activity is a cross-training program. This is a popular choice among our tips to improve training sessions. Cross-training lets your employees assume roles and responsibilities outside of their core jobs.

This produces a win-win situation for everyone involved. It promotes flexibility, boosts employee morale and productivity, and yields a high return on investment. You no longer have to rely on outsourcing extra tasks, as cross-training programs foster competent teams.

8. Role play and simulations

Encourage your team to develop an open mind through this unique training activity. Role play and simulations hone their creativity and critical thinking, requiring them to portray different characters and act out scenarios within a limited timeframe.

These activities are great for implementing scenario-based learning as they break down complex topics using interactive means. It’ll also stir up a few laughs and playfulness among the team.

9. Scavenger hunt

Test everyone’s collaboration and resourcefulness with a scavenger hunt activity. This is a thrilling way to bring members of different departments together, as it promotes teamwork and gives them a chance to interact with various employees.

Distribute the participants into equal teams to give everyone a level playing field. Your scavenger hunt can be a series of challenges or puzzles related to the training topics you’ve prepared. Aside from fostering teamwork and resourcefulness, this also cultivates their time management and problem-solving skills.

10. Show and tell

A show-and-tell activity is a fun way to get to know your team’s interests outside of work. Just like in kindergarten, ask your teams to bring an item that best represents them or is something they’re proud of. Give each member a few minutes to explain their choice to the rest of the team.

It’s important to remember that your team has a life outside of work. More than hitting weekly goals and meeting deadlines, giving them a space to share their interests helps bring your members closer together.

Another great thing about this activity is that it can be done in and out of the office. Employee engagement software like Mitti works seamlessly with hybrid or remote teams. You can use its live training feature that integrates with popular conferencing platforms like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or Google Meet for your show-and-tell activity.

Deliver effective training activities with Mitti

With the right platform, you can say goodbye to boring training sessions and low engagement. Make sure to find one that’s customizable, secure, and user-friendly. If you’re on the hunt for the best user-friendly platform, look no further than Mitti.

To get you started, here’s a rundown of the platform’s best features:

• Editable course library

• AI-powered creator tool

• 80+ game-based templates

• Reporting and analytics

• Game-based assessments

• Powerpoint converter

Upskill your employees with fun training activities. Use Mitti today.