Creative Team Building Ideas in NYC

Whether you want to bring together a group of friends, family or employees, New York City is full of activities that encourage team bonding. When we plan an outing for a company, we first focus on what the group might be interested in. And to do that, we look at 4 buckets:

1. Culinary
2. History
3. Art & Maker Culture
4. Social Impact

From these themes, there are a wide variety of activities to choose from. We selected some of our favorites that we have done with companies over the years:

Exploring Culinary Treasures as a Team

Embarking on a food tour is like embarking on a gastronomic adventure, where colleagues can discover unique flavors and culinary traditions. Encourage teams to explore various food stalls, local markets, or restaurants known for specific delicacies. This shared experience allows team members to engage in conversations, share their preferences, and develop a deeper appreciation for different cultures. The exploration sets the stage for teamwork, creating an atmosphere of excitement and anticipation.

Food & History Based Trivia

Trivia is a fantastic team building activity that combines fun and competition while promoting collaboration and knowledge sharing among team members. On a tour with us, your tour guide is a wealth of information so we can easily craft moments of fun, engaging trivia throughout the tour. Also, we love to reward winners with sangria, additional food, and more! We are happy to work with your team to determine prizes.

Historical Debates

History tours often offer a wide variety of historical facts and events. Utilize this opportunity to engage teams in collaborative analysis and discussion exercises. Assign each team a particular event or era to analyze and discuss together. Encourage them to debate causes, effects, and significance, and provide constructive feedback. This activity promotes teamwork, communication, and the ability to appreciate different perspectives. Additionally, it cultivates a sense of openness to new experiences and enhances participants’ historical knowledge.

Historical Treasure Hunt

Divide participants into teams and provide them with a list of history-related challenges or items to find within a designated timeframe. For example, teams could be tasked with finding a specific artifact, locating a historical plaque, or capturing a photo with a historical reenactor. This activity fosters creativity, problem-solving, and collaboration as teams strategize, communicate, and work together to complete the challenges. The friendly competition adds an element of excitement, driving engagement and bonding.

Collaborative Graffiti Painting

Learn about the history of and try your hand at one of New York’s most famous styles of art. This team-building activity is a great way to foster creativity and collaboration among team members. Following a lesson by an established graffiti artist, each participant contributes to a large sized artwork, which can be themed around company values, mission, or just a fun, abstract concept. This activity not only encourages teamwork but also allows individuals to express their creativity and ideas. The final product can be displayed in the office as a reminder of their collective effort and achievement.

Governor’s Island Exploration

This team building activity involves a tour of Governor’s Island where teams can choose from learning about the social impact initiatives of GrowNYC, Billion Oyster Project, and Earth Matter. These organizations are involved in urban farming, oyster restoration, and composting respectively. These activities provide opportunities to understand the importance of sustainability and environmental conservation.

Volunteer Gardening

This hands-on team-building activity involves volunteering in gardening tasks, contributing to the community’s beautification. It’s a great way to promote teamwork and foster a sense of accomplishment as teams see the fruits of their labor. We facilitate gardening experiences in multiple neighborhoods for a shorter or full day experience.

Art & Artisan Products Scavenger Hunt

This activity involves organizing a scavenger hunt in a local art gallery, museum, and/or an artisanal market. It’s a fun and interactive way for team members to learn more about art, artists, and artisanal products. The scavenger hunt can include finding specific piece of art or handmade product, locating a unique material, capturing a photo with a local artisan, answering questions about process, exhibits, or completing tasks related to the artwork within a designated time frame. This activity encourages teamwork, critical thinking, and problem-solving.

Other popular experiences:

Sustainability in Harlem

This team building activity offers a new way to see Harlem. The tour visits Black-owned businesses and highlights the rich culture of the neighborhood. It’s a great way to learn about the social and economic impact of these businesses and the importance of supporting local communities. Each organization visited has a unique approach to sustainable practices. The tour financially contributes to several grass-roots non profits and can include an opportunity to volunteer at all or several of them, depending on the time allotted. 

Tour Industry City:

We take groups behind the scenes at this state-of-the-art design, tech, media, food and beverage hub. Built by the same developers as Chelsea Market and Essex Market, this is truly a mecca of creativity. We customize visits to various types of maker studios, with demonstrations and talks by the owners. We can also include food and of course lots and lots of locally made alcohol options!

Tour Williamsburg:

Williamsburg is one of Brooklyn’s most vibrant neighborhoods. Foodies trek there for some of the best eats in the city while others go for the buzzing breweries, art galleries, third-wave cafes, and unique vintage shops. We have several tour options for groups looking to explore Williamsburg. There’s such a wide variety of things to do in Williamsburg that even residents of the neighborhood frequent our tours.

The Sustainable Brooklyn Tour is unique and led by a resident sustainable fashion designer with a ton of knowledge and great perspective.

For “foodie” focus groups the Williamsburg Bites Tour is a great fit. Taste award-winning BBQ, artisanal chocolate, the BEST NYC pizza and more. The best part of the tour (besides the food of course) is learning about the Brooklyn street art scene while walking past beautiful large scales murals between restaurants. 

Whether you’re looking to explore Brooklyn or Manhattan, our tours are customizable and can accommodate most group sizes and a wide array of interests. Learn more about our corporate tours HERE.