Small Group vs. Large Group Activities: Pros and Cons

As a business owner or leader, you are responsible for facilitating teamwork and fostering a positive workplace environment. Many employers choose to use corporate retreats and events to help accomplish these goals. But what's the best way to organize these events and team-building games?

Should you organize large group activities that accommodate all of your employees at once? Or should you divide your workforce into smaller groups and plan separate events?

Small Group Activities

In general, small group activities are those meant for ten or fewer people. Most organizations are much bigger than ten people, so you'll need to devise a way to divide people into groups.

You may decide to keep it simple and form groups based on existing departments within your organization. But hand-picking people from different departments and grouping them together allows people who might not usually interact to get to know each other. Such an activity encourages the cross-pollination of ideas.

Advantages

Small group activities create a more close-knit feel and can help foster meaningful personal connections between employees. These activities also tend to be more engaging. You don't run the risk of having employees fade into the background and disengage.

Additionally, it's easier to find an activity that interests everybody when you're planning for just a few people.

Disadvantages

The only disadvantage of small group activities is the need to coordinate the planning of several activities at once if your organization is very large.

Fortunately, we take care of all the little details to make planning multiple activities at once a breeze.

Large Group Activities

Large group activities are ideal for groups of ten or more people and tend to be just as educational as they are fun. Large group activities allow your entire organization to participate and enjoy the same activity so that nobody will feel left out.

Advantages

One of the biggest advantages of large group activities is that they provide more networking opportunities. Rather than conversing with just a handful of people, the entire organization is encouraged to network and get to know one another.

Additionally, planning a single event — even for 200 people — is generally easier than coordinating several different activities at once.

Disadvantages

Large group activities come with a higher potential for employee disengagement. However, this problem is remedied when you choose a fun, hands-on activity that requires every person's participation.

Comparing and Contrasting Small Group vs. Large Group Activities

Both large and small group activities encourage employees to sharpen their communication and problem-solving skills.

If you want to include all of your employees in one place, small group activities are great for startups and small organizations. Large group activities are better suited for all other organizations.

However, it's important to note that large group activities can cause familiar faces to stick together rather than getting out of their comfort zone and actually networking. Breaking your organization into smaller groups can help force people to get out of their comfort zones and collaborate with new people.

The Best Team-Building Activities for Small Groups

There are lots of fun corporate activities for small groups that can encourage teamwork, communication, and collaboration. Some of the best activities for small groups include:

• Paint Nite
• Themed Trivia
• Musical Bingo
• Collaborative abstract art
• Create a Ukelele
• Digital Escape Room
• Virtual Murder Mystery party

All of these activities require active employee engagement and encourage employees to make lasting connections and memories.

The Best Team-Building Activities for Large Groups

When planning a large group activity, picking a crowd-pleaser is essential. Some of the best team-building activities for large groups include:

• Motivational speakers
• Winning Opinions game night
• Casino night
• Plant Nite
• Sweater Weather Virtual Mixology workshop

When planning for a large group, it's essential to consider everybody's beliefs. If you opt for a mixology workshop, but some employees don't drink, make sure to have a non-alcoholic alternative. The last thing you want is for anyone to feel singled out in a large group.

The One-Stop Shop for All Your Corporate Team-Building Events

Corporate events that are actually fun can help increase employee satisfaction and contribute to a positive and collaborative work culture. At Yaymaker, we are proud to support organizations of every size by providing all the supplies you need to pull off an unforgettable corporate event.

You can get started by browsing our wide selection of corporate events to find the perfect activity for your team. And don't forget to check out our new small group packages.