Shared New Experiences Fast-Track Closeness and Belonging in Any Group

You notice that the group—whether your own family, a group of friends, or even a classroom—keeps falling back on the same activities. It's easy, but something feels stale. So one day you muster the courage to suggest something outside everyone’s comfort zone: a morning visit to view a rocket launch at a nearby base, or a trip to a foreign cafe to try unfamiliar foods. Some roll their eyes; others are uncertain. But everyone agrees to try—a blend of excitement and anxiety soon buzzing around.

The day comes. Everyone’s a bit sleep-deprived or a little lost on the drive, but the air is alive with energy. In one micro-moment, the group collectively gasps as the rocket blasts off, or when the first bite of an unusual pastry lands like a firework on someone's tongue. There’s giggling, high-fiving, and a feeling that’s hard to name but instantly recognizable: belonging.

Decades of research on group dynamics highlight that new shared experiences, especially ones that tap into curiosity and mild risk, bond people at a psychological level. Novelty releases dopamine—the brain’s pleasure hormone—and when those moments are shared, they become the glue of group history, breaking down cliques and hierarchy. The best teams, families, and classrooms don’t just do what’s comfortable: they seek out a little bit of newness together, again and again.

Gather those you care about or mentor—siblings, friends, coworkers—and generate a list of fresh, untried experiences, keeping the bar for entry low and excitement high. Let everyone vote or propose their favorites, with an extra nudge for the ideas that generate the most curiosity or nervous laughter. As you try it, let yourself anticipate, marvel, and then circle up after to notice how everyone feels—you've just added a memory that fast-tracks connection. Make this a regular practice and watch your group chemistry change for the better.