Shifting the Perception of Play
From time to time, we receive enquiries from prospective clients who dismiss the notion of “fun” team sessions because they involve “play.” They say they are looking for serious results, not games. It’s a reaction we encounter occasionally, and it’s based on a fundamental misunderstanding: that play is frivolous or juvenile.
In reality, team play is one of the most powerful tools we have for adult learning, trust-building, and innovation, not to mention it improves morale and is just straight up fun. Backed by neuroscience and behavioural research, we know that strategic play unlocks engagement and transformation in a way conventional workshops rarely achieve. We know for a fact, people learn better by having fun rather than being talked at for hours on end.
Play Rewires the Brain for Better Learning
Neuroscience confirms what great educators have long known: our brains are wired for play. When adults engage in playful, hands-on experiences (like fun team building events), their brains release dopamine, the neurotransmitter associated with motivation, focus, and memory retention.
According to the National Institute for Play and a 2025 interdisciplinary review by the International Journal for Flexible Methods in Research (IJFMR), play supports neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to form new connections and adapt to new information. This makes play a powerful enhancer of executive function, critical thinking, and emotional resilience in adults.
Play isn’t a break from learning. It’s how the brain prefers to learn.
Psychological Safety Starts with Play
High-performing teams require psychological safety, not to mention it’s a legal requirement. It’s a climate where people feel safe to speak up, take risks, and admit mistakes without fear of embarrassment or punishment. All great leaders know they need their team to take risks, think big and speak up. Without Psychological Safety, teams can never do that to their full ability
In a 2024 study published in the Journal of Organisational Behaviour, researchers found that spontaneous group-based play (like taking part in physical problem-solving challenges and creative word games) significantly improved trust, communication, and risk-taking among diverse teams. Participants reported feeling more connected and willing to share after engaging in these structured, playful exercises.
Play dismantles hierarchy and ego. It encourages vulnerability, openness, and belonging; the bedrock of effective collaboration. When leaders are on the same level as their team, they’re able to recognise new strengths and opportunities within their team.
This is the power behind the result-driven team building events by Premier Team Building. With focused, targeted, creative play, we see impactful change and growth within organisations.
These aren’t just games, they are programs designed using Psychology, empathy, focus and care.
Serious Play Drives Serious Results
Let’s not mince words: we’re not talking about party games. We’re talking about serious play methodologies designed to surface ideas, align values, and build strategy.
For example, LEGO® Serious Play® (LSP) is a globally recognised method that uses tactile modelling and structured reflection to improve creative confidence and team communication. Studies from Azusa Pacific University (2018) and a 2024 Springer conference found that LSP workshops:
- Improve idea-sharing and empathy
- Encourage deeper reflection and engagement
- Foster a safe space for creative exploration
Neuroscientific analysis shows that hands-on building triggers reward pathways in the brain, boosting motivation and insight. That’s serious ROI. That’s Result Driven Team Building.
Premier Team Building uses LEGO® Serious Play® Methodology as part of many Leadership Workshops or stand-alone sessions. One of the many tools within the toolbox of Premier Team Building’s coaches.
Play Builds Cognitive Flexibility and Innovation
Play is a sandbox for exploration. It fosters creativity by encouraging experimentation without fear of failure.
The late, great Mihaly Csikszentmihályi’s concept of flow shows how playful immersion can unlock deep focus and performance. Combine that with group play, and it leads to psychological resilience, lateral thinking, and faster problem-solving, all essential traits in today’s agile workplaces. Who wouldn’t want those skills developed within their team?
Be it through improvisation, role-play, or scenario simulation, serious team building methods expand what teams believe is possible and prepare them to adapt to change.
Play Is a People Strategy. Not a Gimmick
Let’s put to bed the myth that play undermines professionalism. Done right, play is intentional, inclusive, and aligned with strategic outcomes.
At Premier Team Building, we don’t include play for novelty’s sake. We use it to:
- Break down silos and build trust
- Surface unspoken team dynamics
- Enhance learning retention and engagement
- Enable authentic communication
- Build new interpersonal connections
- Showcase new and emerging skills
We don’t do play for the sake of it. We do it because it works.
Rethinking “Professional”
If your image of play involves party hats, lawn bowls and balloons, it’s time for a reset. Play is how we explore, connect, and evolve. In true team development, it becomes the bridge between knowing and doing, between roles and real connection.
So next time you hear “play,” think: trust-building, engagement, insight, and innovation. Because the smartest teams aren’t afraid to play; they know it’s how adults learn best.
Ready to unlock serious results through smart, strategic play?
Check out bespoke team building programs or chat with us about how we design play-based experiences with real business impact.
It’s time you experience Team Building Done Right.
