Insights
Most team away day activities are booked for the same reason: get everyone out of the office, change things up, do something fun, call it a win. The trouble is, fun and engaging aren't always the same thing. An afternoon spent go-karting can be a great day out and still leave your quietest team members standing at the back, and your most social people doing all the talking.
If you want a team away day that actually improves engagement for the long haul, not just morale for an afternoon, the activity can be the most important part. This guide breaks down the types of team away day activities that get people involved, how to match them to your team, and what to check before you book.
What Actually Makes a Team Away Day Activity Boost Engagement
Before you look at ideas, it's worth being clear on what "engagement" means here. It's not just enthusiasm on the day. It's whether the activity:
- Gives everyone a role. Activities that rely on one or two confident people to carry the group tend to overshadow quieter team members. Look for formats with built-in individual tasks or opportunities to break into smaller groups.
- Mixes up the usual groups. The best team away day ideas put junior and senior staff, often from different teams, on equal footing, so the activity is decided by skill or luck rather than job title.
- Has a clear structure. Just adding time in people’s diaries for team building isn’t going to cut it. Structured activities with a start, middle and end keep everyone in the room and provide people with a clear timeline of when things are happening.
- It isn't only about drinking. Activity bars and pubs have their place, but they can exclude anyone who doesn't drink or doesn't enjoy loud, alcohol-led socialising. If you’re leaning towards booking an activity bar, make sure you offer non-alcoholic drinks and make it more about the activity than the drinking.
- Matches your team's actual dynamic, not just what looked good on Instagram. A super competitive activity can backfire on a team that's already dealing with internal tension.
With that in mind, here's how the main categories of team away day activities stack up.
Team Away Day Activities By Type
Competitive and Game-Led Activities
Go-karting, mini golf, darts and shuffleboard venues, and esports-style simulators (golf, F1, football) are consistently popular because the format does the work for you: small teams, clear scoring, natural banter. They're strong for engagement because everyone gets a turn, and skill level rarely matters.
Best for: larger teams, sales and client-facing teams who already thrive on a bit of competition, and groups who've done "standard" team building before and want something with more energy.
Worth knowing: these venues are popular for social activities which means they can get quite busy after work. If you’re looking for an exclusive hire just keep in mind that the price might be higher. Semi-private hire is often the better value option for under 40 people.
Venues we love: Puttshack for interactive crazy golf and great vibes. And if you’re looking for something a little different, TOCA Social, is great fun if you love football and delicious food.
Problem-Solving and Collaboration Activities
Escape rooms, treasure hunts, and hackathon-style challenges force small groups to actually work together rather than just stand near each other. This category tends to produce the most talked-about away days, because people remember solving something, not just attending something.
Best for: teams that work cross-functionally day to day, new teams still building trust, and anyone who wants an activity that mirrors real workplace problem-solving.
Worth knowing: group size matters more here than in any other category. Most escape rooms cap at 6 to 8 per room, so a team of 30 should probably skip it.
Companies we love: GOTO Events is our go-to choice for team building activities from the Betrayers to Crystal Maze and Wildgoose creates interactive scavenger hunts. Both companies can work across the UK.
Creative and Hands-On Activities
Cooking classes, cocktail masterclasses, and pottery or craft workshops work well because they're low-stakes. Nobody's expected to be good at it, which takes the pressure off and tends to get even the most reluctant attendees talking.
Best for: smaller teams (usually under 30), teams that have been through several "high energy" away days already, and mixed groups where you want something everyone can genuinely opt into.
Worth knowing: these are naturally more inclusive of dietary requirements and non-drinkers than a bar-based activity, but book early. Good cookery schools and workshop spaces have limited capacity and get snapped up during busy seasons.
Venues we love: Enrica Rockery Cookery School is a great choice if you’re looking to get your teams cooking together. If you want something a little less formal, Pizza Pilgrim offers great pizza masterclasses.
Wellness and Low-Pressure Activities
Breakfast with a yoga or meditation session, a guided walk, or a shared lunch with a facilitated (not forced) conversation. These rarely make "top 20" listicles because they're not flashy, but they're consistently the highest-rated option among teams who are burnt out or who've said, in feedback, that they don't want another loud, competitive day out.
Best for: teams coming off a stressful project or period of change, and any company genuinely trying to signal that work-life balance matters, not just say it.
Worth knowing: pair this with something social, even something small, or attendance drops. A wellness-only away day with no social element tends to get treated as optional by the exact people who'd benefit most.
Venues we love: Horizon22 is an amazing location for an early morning sound bath (we know, because we’ve gone to one) and if you want to get out of London, Rockwater in Brighton is right on the beach and is perfect for a yoga class followed by lunch.
Outdoor and Adventure Activities
Ropes courses, hiking, watersports, and team sports like rounders or football. These build trust in a way that's hard to replicate indoors, largely because they involve a bit of shared discomfort (weather, effort, mild risk) that flattens hierarchy fast.
Best for: teams looking for a full day out, and companies whose culture already leans active or outdoorsy. This is great no matter what your budget, head to a local park to keep things cheap or find a venue that offers a cool activity.
Worth knowing: always have a wet-weather or indoor backup, and check accessibility requirements before you book. This is the category most likely to accidentally exclude someone.
Purpose-Led Activities
Group volunteering, charity fundraising challenges, or a shared community project. These score well on long-term engagement, specifically the sense that the company's values show up outside the office too, even if they're less "fun" in the traditional sense.
Best for: companies with an existing CSR programme, and teams who've specifically asked for something that isn't just a party.
Worth knowing: partner with an organisation that's used to corporate groups. A well-run charity day builds goodwill; a badly organised one just feels like a wasted day for everyone involved.
How to Pick the Right Team Away Day Activity For Your Team
There's no single "best" team away day idea. The right pick depends on a few practical factors:
- Team size. Activities that rely on small-group dynamics (escape rooms, workshops) get expensive and logistically messy past about 30 people. Above that, competitive/game-led venues with exclusive hire tend to work out better.
- Budget. Wellness, outdoor, and purpose-led activities are usually the most affordable per head. Competitive and creative activities sit in the middle. Full exclusive-hire venues for 100+ people sit at the top end.
- What you've already done. If the last three away days were all activity bars, switching category (even to something quieter) tends to land better than another version of the same thing.
- Remote and hybrid teams. If your team rarely sees each other in person, prioritise activities with built-in interaction. This is where you get the most engagement return for the budget.
- Who's opting out, and why. If certain people consistently skip away days, ask why before booking the next one. It's often solvable with a different activity category, not a bigger budget.
Planning a Team Away Day: Quick FAQs
What's the difference between a team away day and a company retreat?
A team away day is usually a single day, focused on one activity or a short programme, for one team or department. A retreat tends to run over one or more nights, covers the whole company or a larger group, and mixes structured sessions with downtime. If you're planning something longer, our Ultimate Guide to Company Retreats in the UK covers that in more detail.
How much should a work away day cost per person?
It varies hugely by category and city, but as a rough guide, budget activities tend to run from around £30 to £60 per head, while competitive and creative venues with exclusive hire can range from £75 to £150+ per head once food and drink are included.
How often should we run team away day activities?
Many companies will run them quarterly for smaller teams, with something bigger company-wide once or twice a year. If you do them more than that, they risk becoming routine rather than a real break from the day-to-day.
Do team away day activities work for hybrid or fully remote teams? \
Yes, and we’d say they probably matter more. Prioritise activities where the larger team splits into smaller groups - ideally not with the people they usually work with.
Need Help Planning Your Team Away Day?
Choosing the right activity is half the job. The other half is finding a venue that fits your group size, budget and location without weeks of back-and-forth. If you're planning something in London specifically, our top team away day activities in London roundup has 20 venue-specific picks.
Get in touch with our VenueScanner for Business team and we'll help you find the right fit, fast.
