A team day brings variety into the workday, helps colleagues get to know each other better, and is also a genuinely good team building measure. Plenty of good reasons, then, to spend a day together regularly and have a great time. Since a team event can take so many different forms, we've gathered lots of ideas to help spark inspiration. Whether indoors, outdoors, or even virtual, there's an exciting activity for every team size and setting.

What is a team day?

On a team day, an entire company, or more commonly a department, spends several hours or even a full day together. A company outing is one example of such a day, but it can also be held in the office or even virtually. There can be a specific occasion for the team day, such as a successfully completed project or winning an important pitch, or it can be held as a regular team building measure. Different goals can be pursued with a team day, and the activities held on such a day are correspondingly varied.

22 team building ideas for every budget

Don't worry, team events don't necessarily require a big budget. From DIY team building activities to organized days run by professional providers, there's a wide range of ideas for small and large teams, for indoor, outdoor, and virtual team days, for a small or larger budget. You're sure to find inspiration for your team building event in our suggestions.

9 ideas for an outdoor team day

As soon as it gets warmer, we love spending time outdoors (watch out for potential allergies!). The weather needs to cooperate, which is why the months of May through August are especially suited for an outdoor team day. Still, you should always have a backup plan ready in case it turns out too rainy or stormy for your outing.

City rally

Time for a group outing with an adventurous twist! Together, you rediscover your city while solving small tasks and puzzles. Just as interesting for longtime residents as for newcomers. Depending on the occasion and season, a themed city rally is a great fit for a team day. Afterward, you might reward yourselves with a meal at a special restaurant or a cocktail at a bar.

Archery

A sense of adventure and physical activity. Trying something new, with a friendly competitive edge. That's what archery brings together. As long as everyone is physically fit enough, it's a great, exciting idea for a company outing or team day. Whether Robin Hood or elven warriors, everyone connects something different to archery. Maybe a good opportunity to give your team day a special theme?

Raft building

Why not get really active together and build your own raft? Raft building is genuinely one of the classics in team building: everyone contributes according to their own abilities, until under guidance a raft is built that the brave might even venture onto the water with. Pairs nicely with a beach party and matching summery music, food, and drinks, since after raft building comes the raft ride.

Climbing park

Movement often falls short, especially in office jobs. If everyone is sporty enough and enjoys physical activities, a climbing park is a welcome break from the daily grind. Climbing parks challenge employees to push their limits and climb to new heights together, which strengthens not only individual courage but also collective team trust. In the safe environment of a climbing park, teams can prove their problem-solving skills and willingness to cooperate across various courses with different difficulty levels.

Bike tour

Most people can ride a bike, and bikes can be brought along or rented easily, including e-bikes depending on fitness level. Pick a particularly scenic or historically interesting route that matches the group's ability level (best to ask beforehand). The destination can be another highlight of the team day, whether a good meal, a bar, a club, or a boat tour.

Team challenges

Professional providers offer a wide range of different challenges for your team event. Overcoming challenges together has a strong team building effect and promises excitement and fun. The challenge could be building something, solving a technical task, or cracking a puzzle.

Filmmaking

Is your team active on social media, and is it time for a new image film for your company? With the right know-how and equipment, the team day's task could be: shoot a short film for the company. The best film gets a prize, or maybe all the results get shared on social media, helping give future applicants an impression of the company. Even without a company connection, filmmaking is genuinely exciting and offers a fun, creative change of perspective. From concept and script to execution, the teams handle all the tasks themselves and present the result to the other teams at the end.

Sailing or raft rides

Even without a self-built raft, most people love being on the water. A sailing trip for beginners, a rented (party) boat, a small or larger house raft or houseboat, there are many exciting locations for a team day on the water. Maybe everyone brings something to eat, and someone with DJ experience makes the day extra special. If no one on your team fits that role, musical entertainment and catering can conveniently be booked too, depending on the provider.

Attending a sports event

Does your company have a connection to sports, or are many on your team sports enthusiasts? Perfect conditions to attend a home team's game together! Whether football, basketball, or ice hockey, cheering on a team together might be an unconventional team building measure, but it can be a lot of fun. One caution though: opinions on sports differ, so this idea isn't for everyone!

8 ideas for an indoor team day

During the cold season, which many find a bit bleak and gloomy, a team day might be especially important. Alongside the holiday party, the winter months of a new year need a highlight to spark anticipation and break up the everyday gray. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to spend a varied indoor team day. Here are our highlights:

Escape room

In escape rooms, your team embarks on a race against the clock to solve puzzles. What used to be a single room that could be escaped by completing individual tasks is now often several very differently designed rooms and themed worlds that put your problem-solving skills to the test. Whether Harry Potter, the roaring twenties, or a horror theme, escape rooms have become hugely popular both privately and for companies, so there's now a huge range of different rooms and settings to choose from. Various difficulty levels make the experience adjustable to each group. That said, escape rooms aren't exciting or manageable for everyone, so be sure to check beforehand. This also works not just as a company outing, but as a virtual version too (see below).

Cooking school

Learning to cook better is a goal for many people, and preparing and enjoying a meal together is a popular team building measure for good reason. Options range from a self-organized cooking event in the office kitchen to a cooking class with a Michelin-starred chef. Just remember to consider everyone's allergies and dietary needs in advance, so everyone can join in and enjoy the food they've cooked.

Dancing or karaoke

If you can agree on a music style or a club, singing or dancing together is guaranteed to be a break from routine. Tastes vary quite a bit here, especially if your team has a diverse age range. An alternative is a short crash dance course, maybe you've always wanted to learn hip hop or rock 'n' roll?

Art workshop

In the right setting and with guidance, anyone can be creative. Especially at innovative companies with new ideas, it's a great move to encourage employees' creativity on a team day. Painting something together, creating sculptures, or crafting other things with your hands is also a great break from screen work.

Murder mystery dinner

Food and theater are a fantastic combination, especially when you're actively involved and need to solve a criminal case. From casual to elegant evening wear settings, there's a matching event for every occasion. Investigating and feasting together is fun and something completely different!

Team building seminar

Here the company's benefit is at the forefront, but that doesn't mean participants can't have fun. Varied tasks and professional guidance ensure the seminar doesn't feel like just another workday, but a welcome change that fosters communication within the team in a purposeful yet relaxed way.

Shared office design

You want to feel good at your workplace. Maybe your office could use new colors or design elements, or the seating arrangement needs a change. Designing your workspace together to be friendlier and more inspiring can be a very productive form of team building. The result of the team day: an office where everyone feels comfortable and finds optimal working conditions. It's best to gather ideas in advance about what changes employees would like to see.

Improv theater

Foster communication through play. Being spontaneous, embracing something new and unplannable, taking on new perspectives. Improv theater can be a special idea for a team day, helping you get to know each other better and boosting creativity. Check with local improv theaters about special offers for teams.

5 ideas for a virtual team day

Does your team work fully remote, or are some employees based elsewhere and unable to travel for a team day? A virtual team day can also be a huge win for wellbeing, better communication, and team building.

Virtual escape room

The escape room is so popular as a team building measure because it combines fun with challenges. Employees need to work together to escape the room, requiring creativity, logical thinking, and communication. The virtual alternative is an online escape room. Various providers with different specialties are now available on the market.

You'll find a selection of online escape rooms in this article.

Virtual quiz show

A quiz show can be organized yourselves, maybe with a connection to your company or industry, or booked from a professional provider. Working in teams or individually, questions are answered and points collected. There might even be a small prize at the end.

Virtual cooking event

Cooking together is fun for many people, but what if everyone works from different locations? The solution is a virtual cooking class, where everyone prepares a delicious meal in their own kitchen under guidance. An even simpler option is a cooking box sent to all teammates in advance, then prepared together. You can also organize the cooking event yourselves, for example everyone cooks their own favorite dish (keeping a time limit in mind), and afterward the best-looking dish gets a prize. If someone on the team is a great cook, you can also teach each other.

Virtual cocktail tasting

In a virtual cocktail tasting, everyone receives a cocktail box with ingredients in advance, with or without alcohol depending on taste and preference. You can try your way through the drinks under professional guidance, or prepare them yourselves and learn valuable background information along the way. This also works as a virtual wine or whisky tasting!

Virtual karaoke

Karaoke bars are a matter of taste, but many people love them. Thanks to dedicated platforms, karaoke can be sung virtually too, solo, in a group, or as a duet. To add a competitive edge, the best performance can win a prize, and accessories and backgrounds are of course part of the show!

You'll find more virtual team building ideas in this article

Planning and organizing your team day in 8 steps

The larger the team and the more elaborate the program, the more effort is involved in planning your team day. To help you keep track of everything, we've written down the most important steps you can work through and check off during planning.

1. Set a goal

Why should the team day be held, and what outcome should it have? Is it about rewarding employees, should it be a casual team building event, or should concrete results be developed or problems solved? Expectations and goals should be clarified as a first step, since the type of activities, suitable dates, and budget all depend on this. How much time is needed, is there a specific timeframe when the team day must take place, and how much lead time is required?

2. Idea generation

The goal is defined, which activities and events fit it? If there are no rigid requirements (for example, if a specific seminar is already set), involve the team in the idea generation process, for example by motivating everyone to submit their ideas by a certain date and then voting on the suggestions. You can also offer a selection of ideas to vote on.

3. Finding a date

Where possible, take vacation periods and holidays, birthdays within the team, and general school holiday periods into account, so that as many people as possible can attend the team day. You can offer several date options in a survey and ask everyone to weigh in, in order to find the best date.

4. Book service providers and catering or a restaurant

Once the activity and the day are set, you can start looking for service providers, both for the program itself and for catering, and possibly for hosting the event. The more flexible you are in your choices, the more likely you'll find someone suitable on short notice. If you have very specific ideas in mind, you should book as early as possible. Locations and caterers in particular can get booked up quickly during certain periods.

5. Send invitations

Definitely send a "save the date" as soon as the date is set, so everyone can block off the day in their calendars. Depending on the occasion, you can send the official invitation virtually or by mail once all the details are known.

6. Icebreakers on the team day

Once the day arrives, remember icebreaker activities or games, especially important if individual participants don't know each other very well yet, for example when different departments come together that don't usually interact much. Icebreakers create a good, trust-building foundation right from the start of the team day.

7. Have fun

The most important thing: everyone should have fun! Make sure everyone is included and feels comfortable. During the team event, you can also make a (mental) note of what's working well, where participants are having particular fun, or what isn't landing so well, to take into account for the next team building day.

8. Follow-up

After the team day is before the team day, the next event is sure to come, and there's always room to improve. To keep the memory alive for everyone, you can share a selection of photos after the team day, so that anyone who couldn't attend gets a sense of how the day went too. Don't forget to thank all participants and ask for feedback. A survey tool is great for this, allowing different components (program items, catering, etc.) to be rated and giving you valuable insights for planning the next team day.

If you'd like more ideas on organizing: you'll find a very detailed article with lots of tips for planning a corporate event here. Many of the tips and steps also apply to a team building day.

7 success factors and tips for your team day

What makes a team day successful? Subjectively speaking, when everyone had fun and all participants were brought closer together through team building. Objectively, success is harder to judge and depends on the goals you set for yourselves.

Our top tips for making the team day an unforgettable experience for everyone:

1. Consider all participants' requirements or limitations. For example, a sports activity isn't a great idea if there are colleagues who can't take part due to age or disability. During idea generation, you can ask which activities aren't wanted or aren't possible.
2. Involve participants in the idea generation process. Everyone should have fun on a team day. Employees feel seen and appreciated when their ideas and opinions about the team day are taken into account. You can gather ideas in advance and then hold a survey to vote on what to do. If there's a fixed program, such as a seminar, you can involve participants by, for example, letting them vote on the type of catering or how the day should wind down afterward.
3. Clarify expectations and goals for the team day in advance. It helps if everyone is informed beforehand about the reason for the team day and what expectations the team lead or management has. If you survey all participants in advance about what they want or expect, you can factor that feedback into your planning and check how it aligns with company expectations.
4. Get out of the office, into a different environment. There are good reasons why a change of scenery does us good. New impressions and unfamiliar surroundings foster creativity and let us forget the daily grind. A team day can also be very fulfilling and successful within the office, but regular activities outside the familiar walls are still important.
5. Overcome challenges together. Team building thrives on activities that require teamwork. Facing challenges together and practicing collaboration, including with teammates from other departments. We've compiled various ideas for that above, some of which also work virtually.
6. Have your team day hosted. If there's a fixed program, a seminar, or other challenging activities, external hosting can be a good idea, guiding the team day with expertise.
7. Gather feedback from participants after the team day. How successful the team day was should also be judged by those who attended. An anonymous survey is a good way to learn what should definitely be repeated next time, or what could be improved. With a strong basis of trust, a one-on-one conversation can also provide insight into how the activities and the day were experienced.

Have an exciting team day with heycater!

No matter where or how you want to spend your team day, heycater! supports you along the way. Our event experts know the best locations and service providers, and for your team building day at the office, our caterers provide you with delicious, healthy food, from sandwiches for a breakfast break to a lunch buffet to a mobile cocktail bar to wind down the day. Planning a virtual team event? In our Marketplace, you'll find a selection of online experiences and cooking boxes to keep everyone well fed. Feel free to reach out with any questions!