30 Outdoor Team Building Activities for Work

30 Fun outdoor team building activities

Outdoor team building ideas for work colleagues

This article features 30 outdoor team-building activities, from fun days, games and parties to gardening events, sports, outings and much more!

Building strong and cohesive teams has become more important than ever, and we get there by fostering collaboration, creativity, and productivity. We do this year-round through conferences, offsites, retreats, and the warmer months bring a unique opportunity: outdoor team building activities. We can take advantage of the warmer weather and longer days, and get our teams bonding, having fun, and connecting through fun parties, classes, and outdoor activities!

1. Outdoor field day

An outdoor field day is an excellent opportunity for in-person teams to bring the whole company together, including their families! You can dedicate a day to fun, lighthearted experiences and invest in fun entertainment, activities, and catering for your team.

• Family Fun Day: The best way to guarantee a successful family fun day is to provide activities everyone can enjoy, from the very little to the very grown! To keep all the little people entertained and happy, turn to classic party entertainment like a bouncy castle, face painting, balloon animals, etc. For the big kids, organize a themed treasure hunt or scavenger hunt, as well as sports tournaments, and set up some cool prizes to incentivize everyone! You can also bring in a host: our in-person team building events, like Feud Night and Music Bingo, travel to your location with setup and cleanup included.
• Sports Day: Does your team have a notorious competitive streak? Invite them to the ultimate sports day! A sports tournament can inspire friendly competition and is a great way to encourage team bonding and trust building. You should include classic summer sports activities like ring toss, relay races, tug-of-war, hula hoop competitions, football toss, and obstacle courses!
• Pro Tip: To ensure this experience includes all abilities, reach out to your team in advance to give them a heads-up! You could include a sports tournament as part of your company field day, so there is still plenty of diversity activity-wise. Opt to have some low-impact sports like spoon relay, frisbee golf, bean bag toss, mini-golf, and yoga/pilates.
• Team Picnic/BBQ: Host a great picnic or BBQ for the team, giving them a chance to come together and hang out while enjoying some delicious food. You can reach out to a corporate catering company to provide a delicious menu and send everyone home with a special BBQ-inspired gift like a BBQ rub, marinade, or hot sauce. For smaller or more close-knit groups, a potluck could be a fun way to learn more about each other’s culture and background, so invite them to bring along their favorite summer dish. To elevate this experience, you could even write a team cookbook: colleagues can share their favorite recipes and learn from one another!

2. Outdoor beach party

Whether you live by the coast or not, you can bring the beach to the office this summer with a fun beach party! An outdoor party will be a great way to wrap up a busy week after a major deadline or project and give your teams something to look forward to. Find out how to incorporate all the best elements of a beach party, minus the messy sand!

• Summer Icebreakers: Kick off your event with a fun icebreaker like a get-to-know-you question, would you rather or this or that question. These fun icebreaker questions can help your teams feel more at ease, and provide an opportunity for cross-department team members to get to know each other in a lighthearted way.
• Summer Playlist: Ahead of the event, invite your team to send along requests for their favorite summer hits. Then, build the ultimate summer playlist full of classics, and your team’s favorites. This will encourage them to sing and dance, and connect over shared taste in music. To turn the music into a game, book Music Bingo: a host plays the hits while everyone marks songs off their bingo cards, and our hosts bring it to your location in 17 US cities.
• Photo Booth: A photo booth is a great addition to any party. Build a ‘wardrobe’ full of summer props like hats, glasses, beach gear, and fun backgrounds. A photo is an opportunity to be silly and goofy and have fun with all your props! You can create an event hashtag, so your whole team can see photos from the event on social media, or have a Polaroid wall so everyone can take a memento home!
• Beach Swag: Swag is always a fun gift idea, so why not turn it up a notch with some cool beach swag? You can send everyone home with a summer gift like a cooler or a beach tote and throw in a few fun goodbyes like a pocket fan, a reusable water bottle, or a foldable picnic blanket. You can customize these in fun summer or company colors, and include a note wishing your team a great summer!
• Ice Cream Truck: Treat your team to the ultimate summer dessert: ice cream! You can partner with a local ice cream truck, or reputable source of your choice, and have them on-site giving out delicious and nostalgic treats like ice cream sandwiches, drumsticks, or strawberry shortcake bars. To include everyone, make sure your provider offers options for those with dietary restrictions and personal preferences before booking your ice cream truck. Check with the vendor to ensure they provide vegan, Kosher, gluten-free, and dairy-free options.

3. Nature Outdoor Team Activities

 Summer is an awesome opportunity to connect with nature, so invite your team to discover to get their hands dirty this season!

• Gardening Club: A company gardening club can be a great way to foster a sense of community, promote wellness and help your team develop a new skill. Form a core team of gardening aficionados, and determine the goals of your club: growing flowers, vegetables, herbs, or a combination of all. Discussing your approach will help determine your approach like being environmentally friendly and sustainable among other things. You could also choose to be a ‘pollinator-friendly garden’ and even become certified by the National Wildlife Federation!

• Nature Scavenger Hunt: Challenge your team through a fun and competitive nature scavenger hunt! Colleagues will unite, and race against the clock, and each other to find as many of the assigned natural features. You can choose a park, a botanical garden, a nature center, or whatever location you have access to. Remember, when in nature, we want to avoid removing anything from the natural environment that is supposed to be there, so a photo scavenger hunt and bingo card is a great alternative! Remind your team to be respectful of the habitats they are entering and focus on the competition element of the challenge. A scavenger hunt is a great opportunity for teams to develop problem-solving and teamwork skills.

• Environmental Cleanup: As your team’s charitable or community event, you can support your local community this summer through an environmental cleanup! Choose a nearby park, beach, or natural area that needs cleaning and provide gloves, trash bags, and any necessary equipment. By removing litter and waste, you will help local wildlife and prevent further pollution. Clean-ups can instill a great sense of pride and ownership in their community, and foster a sense of shared responsibility and social bonding.

4. Outdoor team building events

 If you are looking to treat your team, why not leave the office behind and go off for a real summer offsite? You can gift your team an awesome day out with a fun activity or game, and lunch for the team! Enjoying the outdoors will be a great break from the day-to-day routine, and you may even introduce a new hobby to your colleagues.

• Mini Golf: Mini-golf is a great team day out, and you can even set up a competition among teams, especially if you are bringing colleagues from different departments together. It will be fun to keep score and race against the opposing teams while getting to know colleagues and their skillset. Plus, who doesn’t love mini-golf?
• Outdoor Film: For a super laid-back experience, treat your team to the ultimate watch party. Send an invite and have your teams vote on a classic summer movie they want to see. You can elevate this experience by providing a concession stand with delicious film treats like popcorn, candy, and drinks; your team will love it!
• Outdoor Meditation/Yoga: We know summer can be hectic, and sometimes unwinding is just what we need! Invite your team to an outdoor yoga or meditation class and give them the tools they need to handle whatever life throws them. Being out in nature and practicing mindfulness is an incredible combination!

5. Outdoor team building games

Lawn games and field games need little more than open space and a bit of gear, and they get everyone moving. Mix competitive games with a few low-key ones so everyone can find something to enjoy.

• Capture the Flag: Split into two teams, each guarding a flag on its side of the field, and race to bring the other team’s flag home without getting tagged. It rewards planning, quick communication and a bit of daring.
• Kickball Tournament: Kickball is easy to learn and needs only a ball and four bases. Mix departments on each team and play short games so several teams get a turn.
• Ultimate Frisbee: Teams score by catching the disc in the end zone, and players can’t run while holding it, so everyone has to pass and communicate. Play a relaxed, low-contact version for mixed abilities.
• Water Balloon Toss: Pairs toss a water balloon back and forth, taking a step back after each catch. The last pair with an unbroken balloon wins, and everyone cools off along the way.
• Minefield: Scatter soft objects across an open area, then have one partner guide a blindfolded teammate through the “minefield” using only their voice. It’s a simple, memorable exercise in trust and clear instructions.
• Egg Drop Challenge: Give each team a raw egg and a few supplies, like straws, tape and paper, and challenge them to build a contraption that keeps the egg intact when dropped from a height. Test the designs together for a big finish.
• Lawn Game Tournament: Set up stations for cornhole, giant Jenga, bocce and ladder toss, and rotate teams through them on a timer. Keep a scoreboard and hand out a trophy at the end.
• Picnic Trivia: Bring printed trivia questions to your picnic and have teams answer from their blankets, with a prize for the winners. For a hosted version, Team Trivia and Blitz-Speed Trivia also come to your location in 17 US cities.

6. Outdoor outings and adventures

If you are planning an offsite, an outdoor outing gives your team a shared experience they will talk about long after the day is over. Choose options that match your team’s fitness levels, and share the plan ahead of time so everyone can prepare.

• Group Hike: Choose a scenic trail with an easy and a more challenging route, so everyone can join, and finish with a picnic at the top or the trailhead.
• Kayaking or Canoeing: A few hours on the water with a local outfitter is a relaxing way to explore together. Paddling in pairs builds coordination and plenty of laughs.
• Ropes Course: Many adventure parks offer group sessions on ropes courses and team challenges, with trained staff guiding the group. Colleagues cheer each other on as they tackle heights and obstacles.
• Bike Tour: A guided bike tour lets your team explore a city, a park or a coastline together at an easy pace. Look for companies that provide bikes and helmets.
• Fruit Picking: Visit a local farm to pick berries in summer or apples in fall, then share what you gathered. It’s relaxed, family-friendly and easy to pair with a picnic.

7. Creative outdoor activities

Not every outdoor activity has to be a competition. These calmer ideas give quieter team members a chance to shine and leave everyone with something to take home.

• Outdoor Painting Class: Set up in a park, on a patio or on a rooftop and paint the view together. For a guided class, our in-person Canvas Painting session brings a premium 12 x 16 inch canvas panel and all the supplies for everyone, and the host travels to your location in 30 US cities with setup and cleanup included. You provide tables, chairs and access to water.
• Sidewalk Chalk Mural: Give each team a section of pavement and a theme, like your company values, and let them draw a mural together. Everyone votes on their favorite, and the photos make great keepsakes.
• Photo Walk: Send small teams out with their phones and a list of photo prompts, like “something blue” or “the best view”, then share the results over lunch. It works in a park, a neighborhood or around your office.

Planning an outdoor day for a team in a big city? Our hosts bring in-person team building events to your location with setup and cleanup included. See what runs in New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, Boston and Washington DC, or browse all in-person team building activities.

Did you enjoy this article? Check out our other seasonal team building posts!

• Summer Team Building Activities
• Summer Icebreaker Questions
• Summer Trivia Questions
• Fall Team Building Activities
• Winter Team Building Activities
• Spring Team Building Activities