A recent study by FlexJobs shows that over 60% of employees leave their current jobs due to a “toxic company culture.”
To keep employee morale high, many companies are already enjoying the benefits of a team outing.
Team outings are a fun way to boost engagement, morale, and new skills, and today, we are going to show you the best 15 company outing ideas to try with your team.
Are Team Outings Effective?
Both local businesses and large corporations face comparable challenges, as each team member within their organizations is a human being dealing with fears, doubts, stress, and worries.
But why are team outings important to combat this? Engaging in a team building activity has proven to bring many benefits to different teams, such as the following:
- A study by Gallup shows that 70% of US employees don’t feel engaged in the workplace. Team outings can boost employee engagement and improve the mental and physical well-being of team members.
- Remote employees tend to suffer from isolation more frequently than in-office team members (SHRM). Company outings help both in-office and remote teams to boost morale, strengthen relationships, and combat isolation.
- Going out together as a group helps the whole team reduce stress, have some fun, and take a break from workplace-related anxieties (McKinsey). Exciting activities done outdoors can bring great benefits to the entire team, whether we talk about bigger or smaller teams.
15 Company Outing Ideas
Choosing the right team building events provides companies and team members with several benefits in the short and medium haul.
However, planning company outings is a process that needs to be carefully done, as it is important to consider the needs and desires of the team.
These 15 team outing ideas will help you find the ideal fun company outing that your team members can enjoy together.
1. Movie Night
Movie nights are as old as movies themselves. Watching a movie together, and then making comments about that movie, improves team bonding and brings the team closer together.
You may go on an outdoor movie night if you have an in-office team, or organize a virtual movie night that includes remote employees.
When teams watch movies together, they encounter themselves in a relaxed environment that makes them forget about work-related stress and professional duties.
- Activity Duration: From 2 to 3 hours.
- Group Size: Small and medium-sized groups.
- Materials Needed: Choose a movie that everyone likes and find a place to watch it together. Alternatively, let Teamland handle this team building exercise with the Movie Night Experience.
2. Board Game Tournament
Board games are fun, engaging, and can improve critical thinking and problem-solving skills, depending on the game you choose.
There are several board games that everyone loves, such as Monopoly, Scrabble, and chess.
Choose a board game that everyone likes, and play games together while engaging in a healthy competition against each other.
- Activity Duration: From 1 to 2 hours.
- Group Size: Small and medium-sized in-office teams.
- Materials Needed: Choose a board game that the whole team enjoys and have a fun day together.
3. Sandcastle Wars
Creating a light-hearted atmosphere on a beach trip can be achieved by engaging in a fun Sandcastle War.
Sandcastle Wars, an experience provided by Teamland’s experts, consists of dividing the same team into smaller groups and making them build the most awesome, tallest, or unique sandcastle.
As teams collaborate with each other, teamwork and leadership skills are fostered.
The winning team gets a prize, which turns Sandcastle Wars into a very fun, friendly competition that takes the stress away from the minds of your team members.
- Activity Duration: From 2 to 4 hours.
- Group Size: All types of in-office groups (small, medium, and big).
- Materials Needed: Teamland’s Sandcastle Wars.
4. Go Kart Racing
Go-karts are always fun to enjoy as a team. Find a local go-kart track in your city, get some fresh air, and engage in a friendly go-kart competition.
There are many go-kart tracks inside video game arenas, which are actually indoor tracks, but they can be very fun as well.
This simple yet highly engaging company outing activity can be the perfect game to play with your in-office team.
- Activity Duration: From 1 to 2 hours.
- Group Size: Medium-sized in-office groups.
- Materials Needed: A local Go-Kart track.
5. City Scavenger Hunt
Scavenger hunts motivate team members to work alongside each other to solve the mystery that lies ahead.
Many of us haven't fully discovered many parts of the cities we live in, but this is about to end with Teamland’s City Hunt.
City Hunt is a tailored scavenger hunt where teams of all sizes can participate in a massive, fun, and entertaining activity while also going outdoors and clearing their minds from work-related stress.
- Activity Duration: From 1 to 3 hours.
- Group Size: All group sizes (in-office teams).
- Materials Needed: Teamland’s City Hunt.
6. Find an On or Off-Site Workshop
Participating in workshops is a great way to learn new skills, grow professionally, or have fun together while also engaging in a new activity.
There are tens of different on-site or off-site workshops to participate in. Some examples include candle-making workshops and terrarium-making workshops, both hosted by Teamland’s professionals.
However, remote teams can also participate in this company outing activity, in case you decide to engage in a remote or hybrid workshop.
- Activity Duration: From 1 to 2 hours.
- Group Size: Small and medium-sized groups.
- Materials Needed: Find a workshop that the entire group likes and learn a new skill together.
7. Around the World Cooking
Cooking classes are always entertaining team building activities that help teams collaborate with each other and enjoy a nice meal afterward.
Nonetheless, instead of cooking the same classic dishes over and over again, try the Around the World Cooking experience by Teamland.
Around the World Cooking is a hybrid cooking class (it works as a virtual cooking class for remote teams as well) that celebrates the diversity of the flavors, dishes, and cultures of our world.
If you run a multinational team, getting to discover dishes from their countries while learning how to prepare them with the help of professionals can be one of the best company outings to try together.
- Activity Duration: From 30 minutes to 1.5 hours.
- Group Size: Small and medium-sized hybrid teams.
- Materials Needed: Teamland’s Around the World Cooking.
8. Go play Laser Tag
Laser tag is a game that most people love. Instead of staying at home playing video game shooters, find a local laser tag venue and engage in a friendly competition against each other.
This classic game works to improve teamwork skills, as teams are divided into smaller groups to win the laser tag challenge.
As simple as this sounds, playing laser tag is one of the most famous team building exercises practiced by companies from all over the world.
- Activity Duration: From 1 to 2 hours.
- Group Size: Small and medium-sized in.
- Materials Needed: A local laser tag venue.
9. Take a Unique Art Class
Art inspires our hearts and makes us create something truly wonderful. Unleash the local artists who live inside your team members by participating in art classes together.
Teamland offers two different art classes: Canvas and Cookies, or Sketch and Sangria.
Do your team members prefer to have some cookies while painting light-hearted drawings, or do they prefer to drink some sangria while learning how to draw sketches? Leave the decision in their hands and break the routine with this company outing activity!
- Activity Duration: From 1 to 1.5 hours.
- Group Size: Small and medium-sized teams.
- Materials Needed: Teamland’s Canvas and Cookies or Sketch and Sangria art classes.
10. Karaoke Night
Ready for some karaoke? Not everyone knows how to sing beautifully, but most of us don’t mind reading and singing the lyrics of a song to have fun together.
Karaoke nights sound like the type of activity you would do with your colleagues on a Friday night.
Instead of inviting your friends, gather your team members, and test your karaoke skills in this simple yet highly effective company outing activity.
- Activity Duration: From 1 to 2 hours.
- Group Size: Small and medium-sized in-office teams.
- Materials Needed: A place to participate in karaoke activities.
11. Escape Room
Escape rooms create the ideal environment for enhancing your team's collaboration and problem-solving abilities.
Given the challenges of their roles, employees often feel isolated and disconnected from team dynamics.
An escape room experience by Teamland will serve as a refreshing company outing for everyone involved.
Immerse yourselves in a room filled with mysteries, and collaborate to escape this enigmatic setting before time runs out.
- Activity Duration: From 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Group Size: Small and medium-sized teams.
- Materials Needed: Teamland’s Escape Room.
12. Go to a Sporting Event
Is your team into soccer, basketball, or baseball? Go watch a game together! Locate a local park or stadium where your local team is playing and have a nice evening with each other.
A recent study by Anglia Ruskin University shows that attending sports games improves mental health and well-being.
You might get to play some team sports before or after the game, such as beach volleyball or soccer - nothing is off limits in this interesting company outing idea.
- Activity Duration: From 2 to 3 hours.
- Group Size: All in-office group sizes.
- Materials Needed: Find a local sporting event to attend together.
13. Trivia Night
Trivia nights are classic company outing ideas that help clear our minds and test our knowledge against our coworkers.
Teamland’s Trivia Time experience enables remote and in-office teams to participate together in a trivia adventure like no other.
Test your knowledge about general culture, sports, worldwide history, and other topics to win points and claim yourself as the trivia winner.
Trivia games improve team bonding and promote cooperation among teams, so besides having a fun time together, it is also possible to enjoy the benefits of playing trivia.
- Activity Duration: From 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Group Size: Small and medium-sized hybrid teams.
- Materials Needed: Teamland’s Trivia Time.
14. Community Volunteering
Helping your local community by volunteering together builds a sense of camaraderie and purpose among team members.
There’s always someone who needs our help, and by locating an activity where team members feel like they are doing something for their community, it is possible to make a difference in the world we live in.
There are many local places that accept volunteers. For example, Teamland’s Help Bus helps you find worthy cases to support without leaving your own team’s community.
- Activity Duration: From 4 to 5 hours.
- Group Size: All team sizes (in-person teams).
- Materials Needed: Find a local charity or community to support as a united team.
15. Custom Team Event
Do you have a specific team building event in mind, but can’t find the resources to make it real?
Don’t worry about it - Teamland can materialize your ideas into an engaging, fun, and worth-attending outing event.
If you don’t know where to start, or if you are looking to break the routine with specific activities, then creating a custom team event with the help of professionals might be the perfect solution you are looking for.
- Activity Duration: Depending on your requirements.
- Group Size: All group sizes and types.
- Materials Needed: Teamland’s Custom Team Event.
Summary: Best Outing Team Building Activities
You are ready to plan your next company outing activity - choose one event or activity that suits your team, and go outside together.
These are the best 15 company outing ideas to try out:
- Movie Night - Enjoy a movie together to foster team bonding and relax for a while.
- Board Game Tournament - Play board games together to boost critical thinking.
- Sandcastle Wars - Participate in a friendly Sandcastle competition.
- Go Kart Racing - Go on an adrenaline-filled go-kart race as a team.
- City Scavenger Hunt - Discover new parts of your city while finding items to complete the scavenger hunt.
- Workshops - Participate in a workshop to learn new skills and foster camaraderie.
- Around the World Cooking - Discover the flavors of worldwide cultures together with the help of experts.
- Play Laser Tag - Engage in a friendly laser tag competition with your team.
- Take Art Classes - Participate in a group painting class to have fun and learn a new skill.
- Karaoke Night - Forget about work-related tasks by having some drinks and singing to the rhythm of music.
- Virtual Escape Room - Take remote team members into an Escape Room adventure to test their problem-solving skills.
- Go to a Sporting Event - Attend a local sports event together to foster well-being and feel closer to each other.
- Trivia Night - Test your knowledge in classic (or not-so-classic) trivia questions.
- Community Volunteering - Help the community together to make a difference in your local area.
Custom Team Event - If none of these company outing ideas seems to fit your team well enough, ask Teamland to create a custom team event for you.
