07 June 2021

Updated: January 2024

7 Outdoor Team Building Activities Your Team Will Love

In today’s fast-paced corporate world, fostering a harmonious and collaborative work environment is paramount for success. Gallup’s latest State of the Workplace report reveals a concerning statistic: 85% of employees are either unengaged or actively disengaged in their work. This highlights a significant issue in workplace engagement. 

In this blog we will explore the range of team building activities for work, and innovative ways to strengthen the bonds among your team members, all while basking in the beauty of the great outdoors. 

Why Choose Outdoor Team Building Activities?

Team building activities have long been recognised as a powerful tool for enhancing employee engagement, boosting morale, and improving overall productivity. When it comes to reinvigorating your team spirit and rekindling the spark of camaraderie, outdoor team building activities stand out as an exciting and dynamic choice.

Whether you’re a manager seeking to encourage a more cohesive team or an employee eager to connect with your colleagues, the world of outdoor team building activities has something for everyone.

Our Team Building Partner, OffLimits

At Yarnfield Park, we’re very fortunate to work with the team at Off Limits as our wonderful partners offering team building activities and evening entertainment. They’re the perfect option for all of your team bonding games!

Off Limits specialise in organising indoor and outdoor team building games for businesses, offering something different than the usual sports day or obstacle course.

Their creative teams work tirelessly to ensure that your group gets the very best experience. Whilst I’m sure we can all come up with indoor team building activities, OffLimits can offer exciting opportunities for both indoor and outdoor team exercises.

The outdoor team building activities listed below showcase excellent ideas provided by OffLimits, and they also serve as options that you could potentially organise within your own business.

Exciting Outdoor Team Building Activities

1) Scavenger Hunt

Get ready for a spectacular adventure. It’s always fun, especially when you get to solve riddles along the way. Take your team on a whirlwind outdoor activity adventure around your nearest city! This outdoor team building game will take your team to brand new heights as you solve clues, follow hints, and scramble to figure out what comes next.

Team building companies can set up premade scavenger hunts in your area, as well as host virtual team building events so that no team member feels left out. This is an ideal team building activity for work because they can incorporate office trivia and inside jokes, as well as customise the route you take so you only take a set amount of time, just so that your scavenger hunt feels like it really is just for your team. This will really test your team’s communication skills!

2) Totally Wiped Out 

If you and your team are big fans of the classic television show Total Wipeout, then this crowd-pleasing teamwork game is guaranteed to put a smile on your face! Just one of the many team-building events and outdoor team building activities that Off Limits offers, Totally Wiped Out is a fantastic twist on the traditional show that you and your team are invited to compete in.

While standing in a circle, come face to face with the dreaded Sweeper Arm, try and dodge the fists of fury when facing the Punch Wall, or prepare to go flying when attempting everyone’s favourite: The Big Red Balls! This outdoor team building activity is the perfect way to bond with your team because nothing brings people closer together than laughing… and mutually shared embarrassment.

3) Beach Day Outdoor Team Building Activity 

Picture this: it’s a beautiful sunny day, and you’re stuck inside your office. The air conditioning isn’t working as well as it should, and your team doesn’t seem too happy about it. You’re trying to think of a fun outdoor activity to do to get some fresh air, but you still want people to work hard. Jigsaw puzzles won’t cut it, and you’ve done every single ice breaker in the book.

Now, picture this: it’s a beautiful sunny day, and you and your team have taken a trip to your nearest beach (which you’ve found using Beach-Finder)! There’s a burger or two on a BBQ, and everyone’s having a great time. Which one do you prefer? 

This outdoor team building activity requires very little expense and is guaranteed to bring your team a lot closer together. As long as you remember to bring the BBQ, a lot of sun cream, and a freezer stocked with ice cream, you’re set to have the best Beach Day ever! And don’t forget your swim trunks; some things are impossible to live down!

4) Outdoor Team Building Soap Box Derby 

If your team likes to live fast and furiously, then buckle your seatbelts: the Soap Box Derby is yet another fantastic outdoor team-building exercise from the team over at Off Limits!

Described as what happens when “Robot Wars meets Wacky Races”, having your team compete in a Soap Box Derby is the perfect combination of silly and serious. Using random objects, sheets of paper, and a long list of items you’d never have expected to craft a vehicle has never sounded so fun!

For those members of your team who love the thrill of competition, this will be their time to shine. You might see a side to them that you’d never have expected, one that they might be able to keep very well hidden at work! The Soap Box Derby is also a great opportunity for your team’s individual skills to shine, as those creatives among you will enjoy building the vehicles, whereas others will thrive when behind the wheel.

5) Camping Outdoor Team Building Activity

It’s a given: some of your team members just won’t be the ‘outdoorsy’ type, and probably won’t enjoy a night out in the wilderness as much as others. However, the opportunity to escape from the everyday routine doesn’t come around very often, and exploring nature with very little phone signal could turn out to be more of a blessing than you might initially expect. 

If your team is filled with survivalists and nature experts, feel free to camp the old fashioned way: just you, a fire, and a tent in the woods. However, if your team likes the idea of camping just without the ‘camping’ part, there are lots of places in the UK to go Glamping. 

This way, you get to experience nature, just without all of the scary bits! Whether you have a small group or a large group, you might even be able to do both with this outdoor team building activity!

6) I’m An Employee…Get Me Out of Here! 

Are you a thrill-seeker or an avid fan of I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here? Then, look no further as we have the perfect challenge for you – a real Jungle Experience!

Participate in I’m An Employee…Get Me Out Of Here and aim to earn as many stars as possible for your team. Split into two groups and compete in numerous daunting trials. Throughout the competition, your team will be challenged with various creepy crawlies in order to secure victory. Although this may seem like a nightmare to some, we guarantee that you and your team will have a blast. Don’t just talk the talk, put your words into action and experience the ultimate outdoor team building activity.

7) Outdoor Team Building Yoga or Meditation

Meditation has taken the world by storm in recent years, with lots of people beginning to see the benefits that daily meditation or yoga can bring to the human body and mind. 

Practising outdoor yoga or meditation as a team-building activity can help bring some peace, unity, and harmony to your workplace. Workplaces are often hives of activity, where more often than not, no one can bring themself to look up from their computer screens or even take a deep breath every once in a while.

So, choose a day when the sun is set to shine, purchase a few yoga mats, or hire a professional yoga instructor for the day: the choice is yours! Just make sure that your team is focused, calm, and zen. 

Bring Remote Teams Together with Team Building Activities 

Would your team want to test your nerve by taking part in some icky-sticky trials? Or would your team prefer to live the true luxurious Escape To The Country experience by glamping in the woods? Whatever activity you choose, we hope you have fun creating unforgettable memories with your team and grow stronger because of it. There are so many benefits to organising team building days including a better company culture and improving communication amongst teams and across departments. 

7 Team Building Activities Outdoor, Recap

1. Scavenger Hunt
2. Totally Wiped Out
3. Beach Day Outdoor Team Building Activity
4. Outdoor Team Building Soap Box Derby
5. Camping Outdoor Team Building Activity
6. I’m An Employee…Get Me Out of Here!
7. Outdoor Team Building Yoga or Meditation

Looking for Team Building Problem Solving Activities? Read the ultimate list here on our blog post!

Hosting Your Outdoor Team Building Day

If you’re looking for somewhere to host your outdoor team building activity day, then look no further than Yarnfield Park. Based in Staffordshire, Yarnfield Park has over 20 acres of outdoor space that is perfect for almost any activity you have planned. From charity fun days to corporate days out, Yarnfield Park has just the facilities you need to throw the best event ever.