Looking to break away from the traditional team building exercises and inject some fun into your workplace in 2024? Look no further! We’ve rounded up the most exciting and engaging corporate team building activities that are guaranteed to bring your colleagues closer together and create lasting memories.
Say goodbye to boring, unimaginative stereotypes and hello to thrilling events, competitive scavenger hunts, and adrenaline-pumping outdoor adventures. So get ready to ditch the monotony and embrace a new era of team building activities and corporate experiences with Team Tactics.
Jump To Section:
- What Are Team Building Activities and Why Are They Important?
- Team Building Exercises For Smaller Groups
- Team Building Activities For Larger Groups
- Quick Ice Breaker Games and Energisers
- Simple Team Building Ideas for the Office
- Team Building Treasure Hunts
- Innovative Team Building Activities From Team Tactics
What Are Team Building Activities and Why Are They Important?
Team building activities are purposeful exercises, experiences, or games designed to improve teamwork, communication, trust, and collaboration among a group of people, often within a corporate setting. These activities aim to foster a sense of unity, enhance interpersonal relationships, and boost overall team performance.
There are numerous benefits of team building, including improved communication skills, enhanced collaboration among team members, increased productivity, boosted morale, and much more!
It’s important to understand that “team building” isn’t just a buzzword; it plays a crucial role in the success of any organisation. In today’s fast-paced and competitive work environment, companies need teams that can collaborate effectively and achieve common goals. Team building not only improves the hard and soft skills of employees but also helps businesses achieve organisational goals by contributing to a positive and efficient work environment while reducing employee turnover.
Team Building Exercises For Smaller Groups
When it comes to professional development, building relationships, and collaborative skills, smaller groups benefit from a more intimate and tightly-knit approach to team building. Here is our handpicked selection of indoor and outdoor team building activities for small groups perfect for improving leadership skills, and nurturing team cohesion and trust among colleagues:
It’s a Rat Trap
Group Size: 10-70 People
Duration: 2 Hours
Location: Mobile Across the UK
It’s A Rat Trap is an exciting corporate team building event that emphasises collaboration and problem-solving, placing a unique spin on the popular board game. Participants work together to build a series of full-size Meccano-style contraptions that create a chain reaction, to drop a one-ton weight onto the troublesome rat! This activity develops communication, leadership, and teamwork skills. Groups must work together to determine the correct sequence of parts and assign roles to work effectively.
ARTrageous Graffiti – Graffiti Workshop
Group Size: 10-100 People
Duration: 2-3 Hours
Location: London
When it comes to team building, infusing creativity into your activities can lead to truly memorable and stimulating experiences. If you and your colleagues are looking to flex your creative flair, then you can’t go wrong with ARTrageous Graffiti! Learn all about street art and its “famous players” before you are taught how to create your own piece of graffiti art! Work with colleagues to create authentic street art, guided by experts.
Corporate Cooking
Group Size: 10-50 People
Duration: 3 Hours
Location: London
Corporate Cooking is a team building activity which offers a range of cookery classes suitable for all skill levels in London. These classes provide a fun and social alternative to team building where participants can learn new culinary skills and enjoy networking opportunities with industry professionals. The classes are designed to inspire and encourage creativity in a relaxed setting, and cooking delicious food is a great way to reward staff or entertain clients! Teamwork and creativity are strongly encouraged, and participants will learn new skills and develop confidence in the kitchen.
Canal Clue Quest
Group Size: 10-100 People
Duration: 2-3 Hours
Location: Kingston, Birmingham & Paddington
With Canal Clue Quest, escape the city for a unique outdoor team building activity where you can drive your own team boat in a treasure hunt along London’s canals! The eco-friendly boats are made from recycled plastic bottles and sustainably sourced wood. Choose from three London locations: Paddington, Birmingham, or Kingston-upon-Thames. On your search for the treasure, enjoy as you cruise past popular London landmarks such as Little Venice, Regents Park, The London Zoo, and much more!
Order! Order!
Group Size: 10-100 People
Duration: 1.5-2.5 Hours
Location: Mobile Across the UK
“Order! Order!” is an innovative team building activity that teaches participants the skills and confidence to win arguments and debates as a team. Guided by an expert event manager, participants will learn the foundations of an effective argument, going head-to-head on the latest hot topics. The event culminates in a Final Showdown where teams challenge each other on a hot topic and a vote decides the winning team. This event is accessible and inclusive, making it suitable for conference delegates or as a memorable team building activity.
Corporate Cocktail Masterclass
Group Size: 10+ People
Duration: 2-3 Hours
Location: Venues Across the UK
Perfect for an afternoon or evening celebration with your colleagues, our Corporate Cocktail Masterclass is designed to test your skills as a mixologist! Learn how to make your favourite cocktails together as a team (and taste them too!). Kick back, relax and enjoy spending time socialising with a drink in hand.
Team Building Activities For Larger Groups
Are you planning a corporate team building activity for a large number of people but feeling unsure where to start? Don’t worry, because we are here to help! It can be difficult to organise effective and impactful corporate events for hundreds of people. Here is a curated selection of unique and exciting team away days perfectly tailored for larger groups:
The Bigger Picture
Group Size: 20-300 People
Duration: 2-3 Hours
Location: Mobile Across the UK
The Bigger Picture is a popular team building activity and conference icebreaker that encourages teamwork and communication through art creation. By using all their talents, teams work independently to recreate a work-of-art or bespoke design with very limited information. The activity emphasises the importance of communication between teams, as they work together to create small individual pieces of artwork. At the end of the session, each group’s work is assembled to see if it fits the bigger picture! The final product can even be kept to remember the day.
Around the World in 80 Minutes
Group Size: 60-500 people
Duration: 80 Minutes
Location: Mobile Across the UK
Around The World in 80 Minutes is an interactive team building game that takes participants on a virtual journey around the world. It has been updated with new challenges and can now be played outdoors! The game promotes teamwork, problem-solving, and creativity.
Participants are split into teams with iPads for a treasure hunt challenge. Using interactive maps and scoreboards, teams visit countries, answer trivia, complete challenges, and earn points. Bonus challenges can be completed for extra points! The team with the highest score wins.
The Haka
Group Size: 60-500 people
Duration: 30 Minutes – 1 Hour
Location: Mobile Across the UK
With permission from authentic Maori tribespeople, The Haka, a traditional tribal dance, can be used for corporate team building and conference energisers! During the event, delegates are surprised by the sudden performance of the Haka, followed by a high-energy workshop where they learn and perform together as a team. The routine adds excitement and a memorable feature to the event and can be customised to incorporate the company’s message
Robot Wars
Group Size: 20-500 people
Duration: 2-3 Hours
Location: Mobile Across the UK
The Robot Wars Team Building Challenge is a thrilling event inspired by the BBC Robot Wars series! Competitors are briefed on building their robots and then work together to construct and customise their machines before competing in three challenges. These include Football, Defend the Base, and Battle Royale. The event is guided by a former UK Robot Wars Champion and takes place in an authentic arena. The most successful robot overall will be crowned Robot Wars champion!
Circus Skills Workshop
Group Size: 10-500 people
Duration: 1-3 Hours
Location: Mobile Across the UK
The Circus Skills Workshop offers participants the opportunity to learn new unique circus skills and improve communication abilities in a fun high-energy environment. Juggle, tight wire walk, stilt walk, and spin top your way through the session as you enjoy plenty of laughs with your colleagues! The workshop is suitable for all ages and genders, with options for both half-day and full-day sessions. The event can be held at the Covent Garden studios in Central London or as a mobile event throughout the UK. Team Tactics can help find a suitable venue.
Quick Ice Breaker Games and Energisers
To get started, let’s explore a collection of quick and engaging games and energisers designed to break the ice, boost team spirit, and inject some energy into your group activities. Whether you’re hosting a meeting, or workshop, or just looking for ways to liven up a gathering with your colleagues, these games are perfect for getting everyone involved. Use these activities in groups of between 3-10 people to kick-start conversations, build connections, and create a positive atmosphere among your team!
Balloon Pop
Duration: 15-20 minutes
In this game, participants will write questions on pieces of paper that they’d like people in the group to answer. Questions are inserted into balloons which are then blown up. Participants then take turns to pop balloons, answer questions, and share with their responses group. This activity is great for colleagues meeting for the first time to get to know each other better.
Human Knot
Duration: 5-10 minutes
Participants stand in a circle, each holding hands with two people across from them. They must work together to untangle themselves without letting go of each other’s hands. It can be a tricky task, but this game is a fun energiser to lift the mood and set the tone before meetings and workshops.
Two Truths and a Lie
Duration: 20-30 minutes
This simple but enjoyable game is a classic for a reason! Each participant shares two truths and one lie about themselves, and the others work together to guess which statement is the lie. This game always sparks interesting conversations and a lot of laughter.
Name that Tune
Duration: 15-20 minutes
One for the music fans and passionate office playlist curators! In Name That Tune, the gamemaster plays snippets of popular songs, and participants guess the song title and artist. Each correct answer earns a point, and participants/teams compete to earn the highest score.
The Memory Wall
Duration: 15-20 minutes
In The Memory Wall, participants share a photo from a memorable moment in their life and share the story behind it with the group. This is another simple but effective activity to help colleagues learn more about each other and build relationships.
One-Word Story
Duration: 10-15 minutes
Participants take turns adding one word at a time to create a collective story. The group can decide on a theme for the story or just improvise – the results can be quite unpredictable and often hilarious!
Simple Team Building Ideas for the Office
Occasionally, we all deserve a refreshing break from our daily routines. These funny, light-hearted team building games and activities offer a delightful diversion from the demands of work, providing a wonderful opportunity to bond with your colleagues and build camaraderie.
Complete Personality Tests
Discovering more about your colleagues’ personalities can lead to better communication and collaboration. Consider having everyone in the office take a personality test like the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) or the DiSC Assessment. Once the results are in, team members can discuss their personality types and explore how these insights can help improve working relationships and teamwork.
Host a “Show and Tell”
Hosting a “Show and Tell” session in the office can be a fantastic way to get to know your colleagues on a more personal level. Each team member can bring in an item that holds sentimental value, represents a unique hobby, or simply sparks a funny/interesting story, and present this to the rest of the group. This activity not only allows everyone to share a piece of themselves but also encourages active listening and fosters a deeper connection among team members.
Baby Photo Guessing Contest
Bring nostalgia and laughter to the office by hosting a baby photo guessing contest. Ask each team member to provide a baby photo of themselves, which will be displayed without names. Colleagues can then try to match the baby photos with their adult counterparts. This game is almost guaranteed to get teams laughing, start conversations, create memorable moments, and strengthen the bonds between colleagues.
Play Board/Card Games
Inject some fun and competition into your office environment by organising board or card game sessions. Widely enjoyed games like Scrabble, Monopoly, Uno, and more can provide a great opportunity for team members to relax, unwind, and engage in light-hearted banter. These games also encourage strategic thinking and teamwork, making them an ideal choice for team building.
Team Building Treasure Hunts
If you and your colleagues love to get out of the office and explore new places, then a team building treasure hunt could be perfect for you! Using the latest GPS technology, these London treasure hunts take you to famous landmarks and hotspots whilst you work together to search for your goal. Compete against other teams and come out victorious!
London Game of Zones
Group Size: 10-500 people
Duration: 2-3 Hours
Location: Tower Bridge or Westminster
London Game of Zones is a team-based competition where participants travel across London zones, answering questions and completing Mystery, Mental, Skill, and Physical challenges to gain points. Teams use an app to navigate London, message opponents, and potentially even distract them to gain a competitive edge!
Examples of challenges include riddles, anagrams, maths tasks, and observation rounds. Skill games test accuracy and expertise, while physical games involve interactive challenges with photos and videos. Mental games include numerical and analytical challenges, and mystery games encompass general trivia and secret tasks.
Bright Lights of London
Group Size: 10-500 people
Duration: 2-3 Hours
Location: City, Southbank, and Covent Garden
Bright Lights of London is a popular treasure hunt that allows participants to explore iconic landmarks in London. Participants will answer trivia questions and complete photo and video challenges at locations around the capital. Teams will have to work collaboratively and come up with creative solutions to earn as many points as possible. A live scoreboard and chat system increase competitiveness and encourage banter among teams.
The Olympic Challenge
Group Size: 10-500 people
Duration: 2-3 Hours
Location: The Olympic Park, Stratford
The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London: home to The Olympic Challenge treasure hunt! Teams work together to explore the park with interactive maps, cracking clues and earning points in an Olympic-themed adventure. Take in the fantastic sites that The Olympic Park has to offer whilst building teamwork and communication skills with your colleagues!
Pub Pit Stop Challenge
Group Size: 10-500 people
Duration: 2-3 Hours
Location: City, Southbank, and Covent Garden
With the Pub Pit Stop Challenge, travel across London and enjoy landmarks such as Leicester Square, The London Eye, St Paul’s Cathedral, and more as your team competes in this fun GPS treasure hunt with a twist! Compete in trivial, photo, and video challenges, whilst stopping off at numerous traditional London pubs for a pit stop where you can pick up even more points. Enjoy a few drinks with colleagues, build relationships and strengthen team bonds with this fantastic activity.
Cab Clue Trail London
Group Size: 10-200 people
Duration: 2-3 Hours
Location: Central London
In Cab Clue Trail, participants must solve riddles and find hidden clues across London in this test of creative thinking and problem-solving. However, each team will have an ace up their sleeve – their own personal London Cab Driver to transport them around the capital! Score the most points to win and earn bragging rights in the office with this innovative London treasure hunt.
Charity Team Building Activities
Combining team building and charity can be a powerful way to bring teams closer together, whilst also having a positive impact on the community. Provide support to people who need it the most by taking part in these charity and corporate social responsibility team building activities:
Give a Helping Hand – The Hand Project
Group Size: 12-500 people
Duration: 2-3 Hours
Location: Mobile Across the UK
Giving A Helping Hand – The Hand Project is an event where groups work together to build prosthetic hands for those in developing countries. The activity improves morale, communication, and problem-solving skills while making a real difference in people’s lives. The event starts with a video showcasing the impact of prosthetic hands-on real people’s lives, helping you to see the positive impact the prosthetic hand you build will have on someone’s day-to-day life, enabling them to work and function without limitation.
Build A Bike For Charity
Group Size: 10-500 people
Duration: 2-3 Hours
Location: Mobile Across the UK
In Build A Bike For Charity, participants work in teams to complete various tasks and build bikes to be donated to a charity of their choice. Team tasks include reusing old tires to make bike parts, blindfolded 3-wheeled bike courses, and more! After the event, a drinks reception or dinner can be arranged for your team to talk about their efforts and discuss the positive impact they have made together.
Wheels for Walkies
Group Size: 12-300 people
Duration: 3 Hours
Location: Mobile Across the UK
Wheels for Walkies is a team building event where groups work together to make canine wheelchairs for dogs who have had accidents or those with disabilities, such as paralysis, arthritis, degenerative diseases, and more. As a team, you will build highly durable, and lightweight wheelchairs from scratch. A challenge of course, but well worth the effort! Help dogs enjoy their lives to the maximum by giving them the help they need to walk, run, and play like they used to before.
The Apprentice Charity Treasure Hunt
Group Size: 12-500 people
Duration: 2-3 Hours
Location: Mobile Across the UK
Based on the task from the popular TV show, The Apprentice Charity Treasure Hunt tasks team members to plan and work together to buy as many items on their designated list as possible within a budget! Teams that find and buy the most items will win. At the end of the event, all items purchased will be donated to the homeless to improve their quality of life.
Build a Wendy House for Charity
Group Size: 20-100 people
Duration: 2-3 Hours
Location: Mobile Across the UK
With provided parts, paints, tools, and a flat-pack playhouse, work with your colleagues to build and decorate your own Wendy House for charity! This activity allows your team to have fun and be creative, whilst giving back to the community. Enjoy a sense of pride and accomplishment once you have worked hard to complete your Wendy House, with help from professional event managers.
Innovative Team Building Activities From Team Tactics
Team building events need to engage people in the right way. By ditching those overdone and cliché team bonding exercises, as a company, Team Tactics have reinvented traditional team building methods by creating thrilling activities that are highly effective at bringing people closer together.
Help your colleagues build rapport and positive relationships by allowing them to connect in a setting outside of the office. Explore a city, collaborate in exciting team building games, or work together as a group to make a difference for charity.
With Team Tactics, the opportunities for stimulating corporate experiences are endless! If you are interested in organising a corporate event, team building activity, conference energiser, or hospitality experience, please contact our experienced team. We can take your brief and turn it into a reality with our huge portfolio of events. Enquire today and let’s get started!
