What’s better than working at GetPhound? Taking a break from work once a month for a team-building activity!

Team building is an important part of our office culture, not only because it’s fun, but also because it’s a great way for us to stay connected. Plus, who doesn’t want to spend a Friday afternoon jumping on trampolines or dangling from a zipline?

(Okay, some of us weren’t too keen on that last one.)

After five years of team building, we thought it’d be fun to share each of our favorite activities. Here’s what the GetPhound team likes to do.

  Who doesn’t love a trip to Dave & Busters ? Throw $20 on your Power Card, place an order for the Boss Chicken Club, and the next two hours will be pure bliss. Pac Man, Mario Kart, and Guitar Hero, oh my! Years ago the mission was to dump the truck with all of the coins to release hundreds of tickets, allowing for the redemption of a plastic spoon with a D&B logo and a candy bar (if lucky). Now it’s all about the thrill of beating your opponent in whichever game you play. One of the hardest decisions is which location to go to… the more convenient one in Plymouth Meeting, or the larger, original location in Philadelphia. I’ll leave that decision to you.

Before visiting for the first time with my coworkers, I had trouble imagining what an escape room entails. It’s a crazy concept! During my first moments locked inside Expedition Escape, I learned that an escape room is basically a bunch of people running around a small room, overturning objects and shouting out numbers and letters. Also, the room has to have a ridiculous theme (ours was medieval). When you find 500 clues at once and have no idea how they fit together, teamwork becomes essential and team-building is inevitable. We had a blast and escaped with only a few minutes to spare.

What’s the best cure for sitting and staring at a screen all day? Sitting and staring at an even bigger screen for 90+ minutes! Agreeing on a movie can be a challenge for our group, but whether it’s a comforting classic like Beauty and the Beast or a stressful horror like A Quiet Place , we always have a good time at the theater. You may be thinking this is a very  passive  team-building “activity.” Well, yeah. But to me, it is a beautiful thing to recline like lazy beasts together in a dark, quiet place. Balm for the soul!

My favorite event was the ropes course. I faced my fear of heights during this adventurous challenge. Ziplining was the easy part; walking across a tiny rope 50 feet above the bison was terrifying. Although I was much slower and shakier than my colleagues, I finished with pride. It’s not an activity I’m dying to do again, but it will always be there when I’m ready for a psychological challenge.

Here’s a challenge for you; try to jump on a trampoline and not smile. Yep, it’s impossible. This is one of those activities that really makes you feel like a kid again. Although, I will say that I think my cardio was better as a kid because it’s SO tiring. Literally a half an hour and you’re exhausted. The trampoline park is definitely one of my favorite events and I highly recommend it to any small business looking for an event to lift company spirits. JUST DO IT!

The Greater Philadelphia area has a ton of great organizations that work to serve our community. So when it comes to choosing a place to volunteer as a team, there are plenty of options. One of my favorite organizations in particular is Cradles to Crayons , a nonprofit that provides kids in need with essentials for school, home and playtime.

There are a couple ways to help out at their West Conshohocken location: quality checking donation items, sorting and packaging clothing, or hosting a drive of your own. Because we’re known for our style here at GetPhound, the obvious choice for us was to help put together school-appropriate outfits and package them up to be given to kids who need them!

I am young at heart, so anything that resembles recess fills me with glee. When the GetPhound team goes to the park, we like to eat giant sandwiches, toss a Frisbee and generally frolic in the green space. Is it as flashy as Dave & Busters or exhilarating as ziplining? Certainly not. But the park offers the simple pleasure of being outside and makes me feel like a 4 ^th -grader set loose. I’m not sure that romping around in the grass does much for my professional image, but it’s always fun, and the team bonds over falling off park equipment not intended for adult-sized people.

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