Team Building Ideas for Work: 20 Activities in the Office, Outdoors or Remote

At a glance: 20 team building ideas and who they suit

Team building ideas for the office or an offsite

These activities happen indoors: in your offices, a meeting venue, a hotel. They are what most people mean by "indoor team building games", because they depend neither on the weather nor on travel.

1. An on-site escape game with a Game Master

A Game Master comes to your offices or offsite venue with one case per team: a tablet and physical clues to handle. Teams have to search, cross-check leads and split the puzzles between them. The Game Master moves from table to table, nudges teams that are stuck and announces the ranking at the end.

• Why it works: nobody can complete the mission alone. Mixed teams make colleagues who don't know each other talk, and quieter people quickly find their place (the one who spots the detail, the one who links two clues).
• Who it's for: up to 100 participants at once. All you need is a room with one table per team.
• Length and budget: 1 h 30 including the welcome, on average €80 excl. VAT per participant, travel included. We run sessions in Paris and the Île-de-France region, Nantes, Rennes, Lyon, Bordeaux, Lille and Rouen, and elsewhere in France on request.

SCOR chose it for an offsite with 60 employees at a Châteauform venue. Discover our on-site escape game for companies.

2. A mystery or murder party

A fictional crime, suspects, clues: teams investigate, sometimes with actors. Very immersive and ideal for an evening, but longer to set up, and some employees don't enjoy playing a character. Choose a format where people investigate without having to dress up.

3. A building challenge

The best known is the "marshmallow challenge": in teams of four, build the tallest possible tower out of dry spaghetti, tape, string and a marshmallow that must sit on top, in 18 minutes. The materials cost a few euros, and the debrief is rich: who planned, who tested, who listened. Perfect for kicking off a meeting or an offsite day.

4. A cooking class

A chef runs the class and the team eats the result. Very friendly, but limited to small groups and expensive if you need to hire a professional kitchen.

5. A hosted quiz or music quiz

Easy to organise and effective over an hour, especially with a host who keeps the pace up. Add questions about the company and colleagues so it is more than a general knowledge game. The catch: the same people tend to answer every time.

6. An improv workshop

An actor leads short exercises: listening, building on someone else's idea, being fine with getting it wrong in front of others. Very useful for communication, as long as you warn participants beforehand: the exercise makes some people uncomfortable.

7. A mural or creative workshop

Painting, graffiti, mosaic: each team creates part of a shared artwork, then hung in the office. The activity leaves a visible trace that recalls the time spent together.

8. Board games and party games

Cooperative games, speed games, party games: a well-chosen selection is enough to liven up a break or the end of a day. Favour cooperative games, where the whole table wins or loses together: they build more connection than games where players knock each other out.

Outdoor team building ideas

When the weather allows and the team is in one place, getting out of the office changes the whole dynamic.

9. A treasure hunt or city rally

Teams explore a neighbourhood, a town or an offsite estate, with puzzles to solve at each stage. Ideal for discovering a place, as long as you have a plan B if it rains.

10. A team sports day

Sack races, tug of war, relays, skill games: a series of short challenges, often with a provider who brings the equipment and runs the day. This format works for large groups, but think about colleagues who can't run: include thinking or skill-based events.

11. An outdoor or sports activity

Kayaking, treetop adventure, hiking, sailing: pushing yourself together bonds a team. These activities do require a good level of fitness and easily leave part of the group out. Always offer an alternative.

12. A volunteering day

Nature conservation work, helping a charity, a collection drive: the team acts together for a cause chosen in advance. A great way to give team building meaning and tie it in with the company's CSR approach.

Remote and hybrid team building ideas

Part of your team works from home, or from another site? These formats bring everyone together with no travel. For more ideas, our article 43 virtual team building ideas goes into detail.

13. An online escape game, hosted live

A Game Master hosts the game live on Teams, Zoom or Meet. Players are split into teams of 3 to 5, each on their own screen, and have to pool what they see to move forward. The mission lasts one hour and the ranking comes at the end. There is nothing to install.

• Who it's for: 8 to 500 participants at once, in English or French. Ideal for remote teams or teams spread across several sites.
• Budget: from €25 per person.

Two missions to choose from, Secret Agents or Mad Scientists: discover our online escape game for companies.

14. A video call quiz

Quizzes translate well online, with a live voting tool. Keep it short (45 minutes at most) and have people play in small teams in breakout rooms: in a large group, many stay behind a switched-off camera.

15. A connected fitness challenge

Steps, kilometres walked or cycled: each employee logs their activity and teams compete over a few weeks. Add a collective goal (covering a distance together) so the less sporty can contribute too.

16. A multi-week photo challenge

One theme per week (your desk, your commute, your coffee break), a dedicated channel, a vote at the end. Free and very simple, this challenge keeps people connected between meetups. In December, our Christmas escape game in episodes works on the same principle: 15 minutes a week, played whenever suits.

Free team building ideas you can run yourself

No provider, almost no budget: these ideas rely on one or two motivated organisers. They work very well alongside a main activity.

17. The "two truths and a lie" icebreaker

Everyone makes three statements about themselves, one of which is false; the others have to guess which. Twenty minutes is enough to learn surprising things about your colleagues. Perfect at the start of an offsite or with a new team.

18. Mixed lunches

Once a month, a random draw creates tables of four people from different departments. No preparation, and conversations that would never have happened otherwise.

19. A skill swap

Each week, one employee shares a passion or a skill in 20 minutes: photography, a language, cooking, a software tool. It showcases hidden talents and sparks conversations beyond work.

20. An in-house tournament

Table football, pétanque, video games, chess: a fixture list over a few weeks, mixed teams and a final in front of everyone. A friendly rivalry that gets people talking well beyond the players.

How to choose your team building activity

Ask yourself four questions, in this order.

1. What is your goal? Getting to know each other, strengthening cooperation, celebrating a success, launching a project. An icebreaker helps people meet, an escape game makes them cooperate under pressure, a volunteering day lets them share values.
2. Where are your teams? If everyone can be in one place, an on-site format creates a real highlight. If part of the team works remotely or on other sites, choose an online format, or those absent will feel left out.
3. How many of you are there? A cooking class or improv workshop suits around fifteen people. Beyond 30, you need a format where several teams play in parallel, with a host. Our guide to team building for 50 to 500 people covers the formats that scale.
4. What budget and how much time? Do-it-yourself ideas are free, but they take an organiser's time. A turnkey format costs more, but everything is handled: you play with your team instead of running the session.

Finally, think about everyone: an activity that is physical, alcohol-heavy or requires performing in front of others always leaves someone out. The best team building ideas are the ones where everyone can contribute something.

On-site or remote team building: which to choose?

The two are not mutually exclusive: many companies keep one or two on-site highlights a year, with shorter online formats in between. That is the idea behind our corporate team building page, which offers the same escape game online or on-site.

Frequently asked questions about team building at work

What is team building?

It is a group activity organised by the company to strengthen relationships between employees: getting to know each other, cooperating better, sharing a memorable moment. It can be a game, a workshop, a sports or charity challenge, in the office, outdoors or remotely.

What is a good indoor team building activity?

The most effective are those that force people to cooperate: escape games, mysteries, building challenges, cooperative games. An on-site escape game can be played in an ordinary meeting room, with one table per team, for up to 100 participants.

How much does team building cost?

It depends on the format. Do-it-yourself ideas are almost free. A hosted online escape game costs from €25 per person, an on-site escape game about €80 excl. VAT per person, travel included. Activities involving venue hire, meals or sports equipment often cost much more.

How long should team building last?

One to one and a half hours is enough for a real shared moment, if the activity is well hosted. A half or full day suits an offsite, as long as you alternate highlights and breaks.

What team building works for a large group?

A format where several teams play in parallel, guided by a host: escape game, sports day, treasure hunt. On-site, our escape game welcomes up to 100 participants; online, up to 500 at once.

How do you run team building when part of the team is remote?

Choose an online format for everyone rather than an on-site event that remote colleagues follow from afar. Our online escape game is played on Teams, Zoom or Meet, each person at their own desk, with a live Game Master.

Plan your team building with The Wokies

More than 350 companies and 50,000 employees have already played our escape games, rated 4.73 out of 5 on average. On-site with our cases, or online with a Game Master on video: tell us how many of you there will be and we'll suggest the right format.

→ Discover the on-site escape game

→ Discover the online escape game

Further reading

• 43 virtual team building ideas to bring your remote team together
• Team building for large groups across multiple sites
• Christmas team building: 12 ideas for your teams