9 Healthy Team Building Activities for Dry January & New Year’s Resolutions
Summary
Healthy team building activities provide inclusive opportunities for those participating in Dry January. This post includes activity ideas, Dry January tips for work, and the benefits of Dry January at work.
Updated on January 14, 2025
Ringing in New Year offers a fresh start— a chance to make this year better than the last and reset for new challenges. It’s also a great time for some healthy team building events to bring your group together to kickoff the year. Since many of your team members might be participating in Dry January or have other health-conscious resolutions, you’ll want to plan some healthy team building that can bring the whole team together. While we love a virtual happy hour, these activities will have you and your team feeling focused, mindful, and build community.
Table of Contents
9 Healthy Team Building Activities for Dry January
1. Taste Waters Like Fine Wine
Gotta stay hydrated! Water tasting is a healthy team building idea that checks off two boxes: drinking more water and appealing to those participating in Dry January. Water might not seem like the obvious choice for a tasting event, but trust us when we say the world of water is much more nuanced than you think. A Certified Water Sommelier (yes, that’s a real job) will walk you and your team through a professional tasting, with glass bottled waters from around the world. It’s a unique team building activity we guarantee your team hasn’t done before!
- Virtual Water Tasting: Live sommelier-led tasting with kits shipped to guests
- In-Person Guided Water Tasting: A hands-on water sommelier-led event at your location
- Self-Guided Water Tasting Kits: Flexible kits with pre-recorded video from water sommelier
2. Host A Fun Run
A team race is an exciting, healthy team-building activity to raise awareness for a charitable cause, promote fitness, or bond while running together. The best part is that it can be organized at any location, whether it’s a local park, trail, or even your office parking lot. You can set the race day for the end of the month to give your team something to train for, or hold one at the start and end of the month so participants can work on improving their times.
3. Practice Group Meditation
Mindfulness in the workplace has many benefits from reducing stress and anxiety to increasing creativity. A group meditation practice is a great way to help your team relieve a little stress and remind them to take a moment out of the day for themselves to reconnect with their surroundings. We recommend launching a meditation program and practicing on a weekly basis to really see the benefits. You can either play a pre-recorded mediation for work audio or hire a mediation expert.
5. Take A Plant-Based Cooking Class
Eating healthier or more sustainably is sure to be a resolution for many. And after a busy holiday season, we welcome a delicious plant-based meal! Whether the goal is to eat more plant-based on regular basis or try something new, learning how to make a plant-based meal from a professional will definitely improve cooking skills and take the fear out of preparing those types of meals. Cozymeal offers cooking classes for teams both in-person and online.
5. Shift Your Perspective with Flavor Experiments
Get ready for a fun and perspective shifting team activity with Avital’s Tongue Twister Tasting! Delivered to your team’s door, this experience features a series of quirky, flavorful experiments paired with unique snacks. Think flavor tripping with magical berries from West Africa, Buzz Button Electric Dust lollipops, and practicing your poker face with jellybeans! Whether you’re fully remote or a hybrid team, it’s a great way to bring everyone together for a laughter-filled, memorable experience!
- Virtual Tongue Twister Tasting: Live Avital-hosted event with kits shipped to guests
- Self-Guided Tongue Twister Tasting: Flexible kits with pre-recorded video from Avital Host
6. Start A Book Club
If #BookTok has taught us anything, it’s that reading brings people together. Bonding over a book leads to the exchange of ideas, respectful discussion, and the chance to explore new themes through literature. While your book club can focus on books related to work or self-improvement, there’s also the opportunity to escape from the work day by diving into some fiction. Reading is an enriching, healthy team building activity perfect for the New Year.
7. Plan A Self-Care Day
Encourage your team to participate in a self-care activity that makes them happy and/or is related to their New Year’s goals. This could range from hitting the gym, doing a hobby they enjoy or learning a new one, taking a walk, etc. Have them share what they did the following week. Self-care days don’t need to be much more than doing what makes you happy, as long as you actually set time aside to do it! Letting your team members know that there’s room for self-care at the workplace shows that you value their well-being.
8. Team Wellness Challenge
Set up a month-long wellness challenge that includes goals like staying hydrated, practicing mindfulness, or getting 10,000 steps daily. Teams can log their progress, share tips, and celebrate wins together. This activity fosters camaraderie and supports healthier habits in and out of the workplace.
9. Get Hands-On with an Interactive Meal
Avital’s Interactive Meal is a hands-on team building activity perfect for Dry January. This experience features a multi-course meal paired with interactive foodie activities that can all be make alcohol-free. The meal takes place at the restaurant of your choice, within Avital’s vast network of partners. Guests will make their own mocktails, go head-to-head in themed trivia, and take their tongues on a trip with Avital’s signature flavor finale experience. It’s a fun, inclusive way to build connections while celebrating wellness.
Dry January Drinks
Dry January is a great time to explore creative alcohol-free beverages. Here are some fun drink ideas for team building or office events:
Taste Water Like Wine
Compare different types of water, such as sparkling, mineral, and flavored, to see how unique water can taste.
Make a Mocktail of Your Favorite Cocktail
Transform classic cocktails into mocktails by replacing the spirit with still or sparkling water. For example, use soda water in place of gin in a mock G&T.
0% Beer Tasting
Try a variety of alcohol-free beers, from IPAs to lagers. Pair them with salty snacks for a complete tasting experience.
No ABV Spirits
Explore the growing world of zero-alcohol spirits like Seedlip or Lyre’s to mix into creative mocktails.
Kombucha Flight
Sample different kombucha flavors to discover new favorites while enjoying their health benefits.
Benefits of Dry January at Work
Dry January can positively impact your team by fostering healthier habits and creating a more inclusive workplace. Here are some key benefits:
- Improved Focus: Employees may experience better concentration and productivity.
- Better Health: Alcohol-free living can lead to improved sleep and energy levels.
- Enhanced Inclusivity: Offering alcohol-free options ensures everyone feels included.
- Team Bonding: Participating in a shared challenge like Dry January strengthens team connections.
Dry January Tips for Work
Supporting Dry January in the workplace is easy with a few simple adjustments. These tips can help your team succeed:
- Create an Alcohol-Free Zone: Stock meetings and events with exciting non-alcoholic options.
- Encourage Participation: Position Dry January as a fun, voluntary challenge for all.
- Set Goals Together: Align activities with wellness goals, like mindfulness or physical exercise.
- Celebrate Progress: Recognize milestones to keep the team motivated throughout the month.
Book Your Dry January Team Building Event
Take the stress out of planning by booking a curated Dry January team building experience. Whether your team is remote, in person, or hybrid, Avital Experiences specializes in creating interactive experiences—with or without alcohol!
All Locations
Guided Water Tasting
Virtual
Virtual Water Tasting
All Locations
Water Tasting Kit
Virtual
Virtual Tongue Twister Tasting
