A memory wall is a fun and engaging team building activity that helps build camaraderie and foster team spirit, communication skills, and problem solving skills among team members. Participants are given sheets of paper and a time limit to create their memory wall by drawing or writing down positive memories or happy moments they have had as a team. This can be an entertaining way to share stories and continue team bonding after participating in the Great Gotham Challenge.
A memory wall exercise helps teams boost collaboration and teamwork while allowing participants to reflect on fun memories and appreciate each other's contributions and accomplishments. Creating a memory wall as a team promotes pleasant memories, team spirit, and constructive interactions while also developing communication.
A memory wall team exercise is simple but still requires some preparation. Before conducting a memory activity, ensure you have enough supplies for everyone and a set time limit and rules.
You need only a few simple supplies to conduct a memory wall team exercise. Participants will need sheets of paper, markers or pens, tape or adhesive putty, and a large empty wall or whiteboard.
The sheets of paper will serve as the canvas for participants to create their memory scenes. Participants can draw or write down their fun memories using markers or pens. The tape or adhesive putty will secure the sheets of paper onto the wall, allowing for easy display.
The large empty wall or whiteboard acts as the focal point for the activity, where all the memories will come together. It provides a space for participants to showcase their creations and fosters a sense of team spirit and build camaraderie.
The memory wall exercise typically takes 15-20 minutes to complete. This time frame strikes a balance between allowing participants enough time to create their memory scenes while keeping the activity moving at a brisk pace to maintain the team's energy and engagement.
Rules may include guidelines on how groups should pick and represent their memories, the size of the illustrated scenes, the use of specific materials, or any themes that need to be incorporated into the scenes. The only rule you must have is for each person to include their memories.
To start, divide the team into groups, with each group given a sheet of paper. Each group will work together to create a memory scene on their paper. The memory scene can be anything from a happy memory to a story collection, depending on the activity's objective.
Provide clear guidelines, rules, and expectations for the participants. Team leaders should encourage active listening and collaboration among participants during the activity. Team leaders can provide support and guidance when needed, fostering a sense of trust and teamwork.
Allocate a few minutes for each participant in each group to reflect on their shared experiences while working together. Encourage them to think about a few memories that brought them joy, laughter, or a sense of accomplishment. These memories can be related to successful projects, team outings, or any other memorable team activity.
Once the participants have reflected on their stand out memories, instruct each participant to use the remaining time to take their positive recollections and draw them on a sheet of paper. They can create abstract representations of the memory scene using symbols, illustrations, or even words that capture the essence of the memory.
To further enhance the activity, ask participants to enlist the help of their partners who shared the same recollection. This collaboration adds a layer of camaraderie and teamwork to the experience, fostering stronger relationships among team members.
Once each participant has completed drawing their memory representation on paper, it's time to bring all these memories together. Allocate a designated wall space where participants can arrange their assembled memories. Make sure it is easily visible to everyone on the team.
Instruct participants to take turns describing their memory representation before placing them on the wall. Open the floor for others to suggest where the memory should go on the wall to create a visually appealing memory scene. For example, participants may want to group similar memories or create a timeline like arrangement, starting from the earliest memory to the most recent.
The memory wall team activity can be customized and adapted to suit each team's specific needs and preferences. Here are some variations of this popular team activity that can add a unique twist and strategy to the game and enhance the overall experience for participants.
The memory wall team exercise can be adapted for remote teams, allowing them to engage in this fun and interactive activity and build camaraderie even when working from different locations.
Instead of using physical sheets of paper, each team member can create a digital memory wall using online collaboration tools like Google Jamboard, Miro, or Microsoft Whiteboard. These platforms allow participants to add text, images, and drawings to their virtual walls.
To share their memory walls, participants can take turns presenting their creations through video conferencing tools like Zoom or Microsoft Teams.
In this variation of the memory wall, team members will create a list of items representing memories or significant moments in their lives instead of creating a wall with memories and descriptions. This version allows for a more concise and focused representation of personal experiences.
Each team member can be given a sheet of paper and a set amount of time to create their list. After the time limit, participants can take turns sharing their lists with the rest of the team, explaining the significance of each item.
This variation provides a quicker and more structured approach to sharing personal memories. It also allows team members to exercise their problem solving skills as they strategically select the items that best represent their positive experiences.
The Great Gotham Challenge is an immersive puzzle adventure that combines puzzles, food, theater, history, and technology to create memorable team bonding experiences. Teams solve puzzles and bond over interactive clues, exploring the world's rich culture and history.
Our customizable experiences, whether virtual or in-person in New York City, can help teams enhance cooperation, foster innovative thinking, and create memorable shared experiences. Contact us today to learn more.
Our recommendations for the best team building activities
Team Building Activities
In this ultimate guide, we will take you through NYC's best corporate events.
Corporate Events In NYC
"We had high expectations and they were far exceeded. The challenges were difficult, extremely creative, and completely customized to our group. Suffice it to say our group couldn't have possibly had more fun. Thank you for making me look great!"
"I'm always very skeptical of these "team-building" events, but this one was over the top. They successfully handled our 120-person team, with puzzles that were really challenging. The whole experience couldn't have been more engaging!"
"One of our directors told me it was one of the best organized online challenges they've done."
"[The challenge] shattered any expectations I had. For a fully remote event, I expected a bit of cheesy fun, but the production quality is unbelievable. I absolutely recommend everyone to try it."
"To quote one of my teammates: "This [challenge] was mean and hard, and resultantly perfect." Thank you for the stellar experience, service, and fun."
"For a few hours, you get to feel like a secret agent as you traverse the mundane real world with a VIP pass for curated wonder."
"A mixture of live actors, custom puzzles, and clues built around pre-existing and famous structures in lends the event a sort of glam DaVinci Code energy."
Great Gotham Challenge is a once-in-a-lifetime event that starts at $2000 for our most basic, 2-hour in-person experience. However, most of our events are several times that scale - If you're dreaming big for a custom event, so are we!
For advance notice on public events and other special early bird discounts, please sign up for our communique below:
