Corporate Team Building Activities & Events

Check out 30+ corporate team building activities and events for work, available anywhere in North America. All of these exercises can help you build employee engagement, boost staff morale, and enhance camaraderie.

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The Olympiad Challenge

Step onto the world’s biggest stage to compete for gold alongside your colleagues in an Olympic-style challenge based on the ancient athletic games.
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Bridge Builders

Collaborate with your colleagues to design and build a sturdy, fully-functional, free-standing bridge!
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Domino Effect Challenge

Build a gigantic “chain-reaction” machine and set it in motion with this collaborative team building activity.
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Charity Bike Buildathon

Build, decorate, and donate bicycles to a local children’s charity.
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Happy Hour Trivia

Step inside Hamish McDuff's pub from the comfort of your office or meeting space, and experience this hilarious pub owner's legendary happy hour trivia game.
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Team Pursuit

Play to your team’s strengths as you take on four types of challenges – mental, physical, skill, and mystery.
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Time Machine

Trivia Time Machine

Take a trip through pop culture history and transform your office into your very own game show experience - featuring a witty game show host, scoreboard, buzzer, and all!
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Beach Staycation

Ever wish your office was located on a tropical beach? With Beach Staycation, you can transform your office into a tropical beach destination where you'll engage in a series of social and trivia-style team building activities. 
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Hollywood Murder Mystery

An up-and-coming actress has been found dead in her hotel room the morning after an awards show. Now, you and your team need to channel your inner detectives as you review the evidence, assess potential suspects, and determine the method, motive, and murderer in the crime.
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Friendly Feud

Gather your colleagues and take part in your very own virtual Family Feud-style gameshow that fuses high-energy competition with engaging social mixer activities.
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City Chase: Scavenger Hunt

Embark on the ultimate scavenger hunt with your colleagues in City Chase! Explore your city like never before and compete to complete city-themed challenges around your neck of the woods.
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CI: The Crime Investigators

Use your detective skills to find evidence, uncover clues, and solve a deadly crime.
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Do-Good Games

Compete to see which team can perform the most good deeds before time runs out.
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Random Acts of Kindness

Compete to see which team can perform the most good deeds before time runs out.
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Picnic Party Games

Head outdoors with your team and let the Picnic Party Games begin!
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Minute to Win It

Tackle fun, 60-second challenges with this exciting activity based on the popular TV show.
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Military Support Mission

Support the troops with a charity activity that directly benefits military personnel serving abroad.
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Jeoparty Social

A high-energy Jeopardy-style competition infused with a fun social twist between rounds. Jeoparty Social is the perfect activity for groups that are looking to flex their trivia knowledge, share some laughs, and get to know each other better.
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Wild Goose Chase

Explore your city with a budget-friendly scavenger hunt.
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Code Break

Solve puzzles, riddles, and trivia in this team building competition.
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Clue Murder Mystery

Can your group solve who had the means, motive, and opportunity to commit a deadly crime?
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Wheelchairs for Charity

Build and test wheelchairs for individuals in need, and give back in a meaningful way with your team.
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Corporate Escape Rooms

Try one of our “escape room” experiences designed especially for corporate groups.
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School Supply Scramble

Complete fun challenges to earn school supplies and backpacks for local children in need.
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Corporate Castaways

Transform teammates into tribemates with this activity inspired by the “Survivor” TV show.
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Cardboard Boat Building Challenge

Challenge your team to build boats out of nothing but cardboard and tape.
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Campus Goose Chase

Explore your campus with this exciting photo scavenger hunt for students or faculty.
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Hardware Harmony

Use tools, parts, and hardware to create musical harmony.
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Game Show Extravaganza

Play in a game show-style competition and tackle photo and trivia challenges covering everything from pop culture to politics.
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The Amazing Chase

Go out and explore your city with this interactive race, based on the popular TV show.
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All of our events are fully customizable to ensure that we meet the unique needs and desires of your group. To get started, Get In Touch with one of our team members.

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Over 14,000 corporate groups have partnered with our team because our solutions are recommended, flexible, and fast.

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Choose from 30+ Flexible Options

Select an activity or program that fits your budget, location, and group size, available anywhere in North America.

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Our activities and programs have been rated “10/10” by thousands of organizations, including Microsoft, Google, and Coca-Cola. You can check out more recent feedback by visiting Why Customers Choose Us.

What Is Team Building?

Put simply, it’s anything you do with your team to build bonds and bring people closer together. While the phrase is traditionally applied to corporate or work groups – any group of people can participate in a team building activity!

When employees spend time together, they will inevitably get to know each other better and develop better working relationships. Whether your company leaders are organizing an event for staff to mingle and socialize, or employees take it upon themselves to get together and do something fun – team building can really happen anytime, anywhere. Even when you least suspect it!

In fact, you’re probably already doing some form of it already. It can be as simple as a staff potluck lunch that you organize in your office breakroom, or a movie night that employees decide to attend after work.

We offer a few different types of activities that you can choose from if you’re looking for a more structured team building experience. These exercises are designed by professional event coordinators and business experts to be fun for employees:

    • Indoor – Activities and exercises that you can do right in your office or meeting space.
    • Outdoor – Activities and challenges that will take your group outside, either to a nearby park or into the streets of your city
    • Charity & Philanthropic – Special events that can help your group build bonds as they give back to a local charitable organization.
    • Scavenger Hunts – Corporate scavenger hunts are a great way to strengthen bonds between colleagues, increase collaboration, and stimulate problem-solving skills and strategic thinking.
    • Budget – Activities that you can run yourself using the help of the Outback Team Building & Training smartphone app.

These aren’t “traditional” or “boring” team building exercises either. These are fun corporate group activities and team building ideas that get employees to full-on belly laugh as they complete outrageous challenges. There are no trust falls here! Your group will be amazed at how much fun they’re having and impressed with the person who made it all happen.
Here are five ways we can make sure your next corporate team building activity will actually be fun:

  1. Choose from 30+ team building exercises for large groups or small corporate teams.
  2. Focus on fun challenges that will entertain and engage your colleagues.
  3. Customize your activity to include meeting agenda items, event goals, or staff dynamics.
  4. Get flexible pricing options, no matter what your budget is or where you’re located.
  5. Bring in a professional, on-site event coordinator to engage your team.

All our events are scalable and available 365 days a year, anywhere in North America. Regardless of your goals, budget, group size, time frame or location, we’ll have an outstanding event solution for you and your team.

Why Is Team Building Important?

These are the types of questions that we hear all of the time: What does team building actually do? What are the benefits? Do these activities really make a difference?

Unfortunately, there are no easy answers to these questions. The truth is that if you’re looking for a direct link between an activity and your bottom line, you may be disappointed. A simple activity will not fix all of your workplace problems or help your sales team make more money. It isn’t some magic bullet solution that can transform your organization overnight, either.

What team building can do is have a direct impact on how your team feels about their work. By regularly organizing bonding events at your company, you can help to build a more positive workplace culture and improve the happiness levels of your coworkers. This can help to reduce staff turnover, build morale, and boost employee engagement levels.

If you’re looking for proof that team building actually works, check out these statistics:

    • Organizations with highly engaged employees achieve 2.5X more revenue compared to organizations with low engagement. (Hay Group Study)
    • Organizations who increase their employee engagement by just 5% typically experience revenue growth of 3% the following year. (Aon)
    • 46% of professionals found work friendships to be an integral part of their overall happiness. (LinkedIn )

The Benefits

So what skills can team building help your staff improve? Results will vary depending on the type of activity you choose and what areas you decide to focus on. In general though, it’s been linked to the following areas of employee skill development:

    • Communication – Bonding exercises often involve employees having to communicate in new and exciting ways. It’s a great way to test and develop how well they speak and listen to each other under pressure.
    • Creativity – When employees are stuck at their desks all day, they can eventually also feel like they’re stuck in a rut. A team activity can be just the break they need to try something different, take ownership over a project, and explore their artistic abilities.
    • Leadership – Every great team needs a leader, and these activities can be one of the most effective ways to develop those leadership skills. Most exercises will break groups into small teams of five to six people, which means team leaders will have to be careful and deliberate with how they delegate.
    • Problem Solving – How well does your team put their heads together to solve a problem? Oftentimes, employees get so caught up in their own tasks that they don’t think to collaborate to tackle a tricky challenge. Team building can help to show your colleagues that there are benefits to working together.
    • Collaboration – You may think it goes without saying, but one of the biggest linked skills is collaboration. These exercises are designed to get team members working together in new and unique ways.

 

Why Do Some People Think Team Building Exercises Don’t Work?

If you say the phrase “team building” around most people, they tend to roll their eyes or immediately start making negative comments. These are the type of people you’re worried might speak up at your event, and say something like, “Why are we even doing this? This is stupid. What is the point of any of this?”

That’s why our number one priority whenever we put together a new corporate team bonding event is to make sure that it is actually fun for your colleagues, first and foremost. In fact, employees usually end up having such a blast that they don’t even realize they are team building at all!

The negative stigma around team activities comes from a lot of bad past experiences and exercises. People think of corny icebreakers, such as trust falls, or going around in a circle and having everyone say one fun fact about themselves. These are the types of exercises that give “team building” a bad name.

What Are the Best Team Building Strategies?

Here are a few ways that you can make sure your activities actually serve their purpose:

    • Learn What Your Coworkers Like – Every team is different. While one corporate group might enjoy participating in an athletic outdoor scavenger hunt, another group might prefer to tackle an escape room indoors. Choose an activity that fits what your team likes to do in their spare time, and they’ll be less likely to think the experience is “cheesy.”
    • Define Your Goals – If you don’t have a goal for your event, then employees may think you are just wasting their time. Define a clear purpose for your event, and make sure you tell everyone why it is they’re participating. Sample goals might include practicing new skills, encouraging coworkers to meet new people, or making a difference in your community.
    • Mix Up Participants – During your activity, don’t just let employees gravitate towards the colleagues who they spend every day with! Encourage people to mingle with other departments to make the experience more memorable and unique.
    • Add A Little Competition – Looking for ideas to make your team building exercise more engaging for employees? Adding a bit of competition into your activity can help make it a lot more exciting.
    • Include Time for Socializing – Try not to overwhelm participants with too much “forced” bonding throughout the event. Include lots of breaks and free time so staff can get to know each other better more naturally.

 

You can find more tips in our blog post, How to Plan a Team Building Activity That Isn’t “Corny.”

Need more helpful resources and links? Maybe you’re not looking for an actual activity, you’re just looking for quick and easy tools and ideas to help you boost your team’s morale and make your office a more pleasant place to work. Check out the Outback Team Building & Training Blog for tips and insights to help you build a better team, and our Downloadable Resources page for free workbooks and guides on topics related to team building.

How Do You Plan a Team Building Activity?

If the responsibility of planning your next team activity has fallen upon you, you may feel unsure about where to start. Don’t worry! Even though planning an event can be overwhelming, our team is here every step of the way to help you plan a fun and memorable experience for your group.

We’ve helped plan thousands of team building events for companies like Google, Microsoft, and Coca-Cola. If you’re interested in planning an activity, follow these four steps to make the planning process easier.

    • Set Your Timeline – When it comes to planning a team building activity for work, give yourself some time to prepare to make things easier. Our experts recommend you give yourself at least six weeks to plan an activity for a small group, or six months for a large event.
    • Create a Budget – Figure out how much money is available for your team event and try to set expectations based on that budget. Make sure you leave some space for unexpected expenses!
    • Choose a Venue – The right venue can make all the difference for your next activity. You’ll want to find one that is big enough for your entire group to move around comfortably, but isn’t too far away from your office or meeting location.
    • Pick an Activity – The final step is to choose the right activity for your group. You can choose between indoor, outdoor, and charity-themed options. If you need help picking a the right group activity for your work event, get in touch with our Employee Engagement Consultants for a free consultation.

For more tips and step-by-step instructions, check out our blog post, How to Plan a Successful Team Building Event in 9 Easy Steps.

When Is the Right Time for Team Building?

There’s never going to be a perfect time for an activity. Getting everyone away from their desks and phones for a few hours can seem like a big ask, especially if your colleagues are customer-facing, or working on commission. So, how do you decide when is the best time to try a team building activity?

Scheduling may be a challenge if participants have busy calendars or important roles within your company. If you have key stakeholders who need to be at the event, ensure that those individuals are free before you commit to a day and time. Depending on the activity you choose, you may be able to run your work bonding event over a few hours or a few days to accommodate more people’s schedules.

You can also plan to try an activity outside of normal company hours. This can be a great way to ensure that it does not negatively impact your business – but it may make it a harder if you’re asking employees to sacrifice their free time in the evenings or on the weekends!

Here’s the good news: the majority of our team building activities can fit into any agenda or timeline. Whether you are looking to plan a full day of activities, or you have only one hour with your group – our Employee Engagement Consultants can help you find a solution that works for you.

Do you have even less time than that? You can also ask us about our “Express” activities, which are perfect for groups who have less than an hour to team build. These are fast and fun ways to boost the energy of your group and get them working together.

What Are the Best Team Building Activities?

The best activities for work groups are really just the ones that are the right fit for your group. You should take into account your team dynamics, preferences, and athletic abilities before making a final decision.

With that being said, here are some of the top activities you can choose from:

    • Wild Goose Chase – An exciting scavenger hunt that will have your group running around the city as they complete wacky photo and video challenges.
    • Charity Bike Buildathon – A philanthropic team building event that has your group competing to build, decorate, and present the ultimate children’s bicycle for charity.
    • Minute to Win It – An interactive team building exercise inspired by the TV gameshow, this activity is perfect for boosting the energy levels at your next meeting or conference.
    • CI: The Crime Investigators – Looking for more of a problem solving challenge? This team building activity for work is great for brainy coworkers who think they have what it takes to solve a mystery.
    • Cardboard Boat Building Challenge – Make a splash at your next corporate event with this wet and wild activity! Teams will have to use their creativity and leadership skills to build and race boats made out of nothing but cardboard and tape.

Get the team building help you need today!

Our Employee Engagement Consultants are happy to discuss your specific needs and assist you in choosing the best activity for your upcoming event.

Event Categories

Top Activities

Looking for popular team building ideas for your next corporate event? Here are our top fast, flexible, and recommended group activities that inspire camaraderie and teamwork.
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Scavenger Hunts

Scavenger Hunt Team Building activities are a great way to strengthen bonds between colleagues, increase collaboration, and stimulate problem-solving skills and strategic thinking – all while exploring your surroundings in a new and exciting way. Choose from a variety of options that can be run anywhere in North America.
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Indoor

Check out 20+ indoor team building activities that you can run in any conference room, office, or hotel venue. Choose from options that can be run in a variety of indoor spaces and fit budgets big or small.
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Outdoor

9 outdoor team building activities that are engaging, entertaining, and can be run anywhere in North America.
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Charity & Philanthropic

6 charity team building activities that are engaging, give back, and can be run anywhere in North America.
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Budget

Your group can have an amazing team building experience while staying on budget. Use smartphone technology to make your next activity more exciting, fun, and affordable.
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