Team building events are intended to boost collaboration in a fun setting, outside of work. While all team building activities involve teamwork, the format can influence how that collaboration unfolds. Competitive events break teams into smaller groups that face off against each other. This friendly rivalry pushes participants outside their comfort zones, fostering communication as they strive to achieve the best results. In contrast, collaborative team building events focus on the entire team working towards a larger goal. Here, competition takes a backseat to pure collaboration, encouraging a sense of shared purpose and teamwork to achieve a collective outcome.
At GOTO Events we have a wide selection of team building and collaboration events that aim to unite everyone towards a common goal. While groups will be split into smaller teams, each team collaborates internally on a sub-section of the bigger objective. The magic truly happens when these smaller teams need to collaborate with each other to achieve the final outcome. The end result is a powerful “aha” moment: even though teams worked separately, their collective effort made the impossible, possible. This experience strengthens team dynamics, boosts motivation and creates a lasting sense of accomplishment that translates back to the workplace.
Here are 15 collaborative team building activities that will unite your team towards a common goal and inspire a deeper sense of purpose.
Best 15 Collaborative Team Building Activities
- Masterpiece Team Building
- Charity Bike Build Team Building
- Putt For a Purpose Team Building
- Paws For a Cause Team Building
- Living Wall Sustainability Workshop
- Charity Bake Off Team Building
- Operation Supply Drop
- Bee Hotel Sustainability Workshop
- Birdhouse Sustainability Workshop
- Community Clean Up
- Foraging Experience
- Duck Herding Team Building
- Survival Island Team Building
- Kidnap Your MD Team Building
- Chain Reaction Team Building
1. Masterpiece Team Building
In Masterpiece team building event, participants unleash their creativity to collectively create a giant masterpiece, section by section. Ideal for both small and large groups, teams are tasked with painting individual canvas tiles without knowing how the overall picture will look like. This setup encourages collaboration as teams must work together to replicate a given image as accurately as possible. Plus, to get access to art supplies, teams participate in fun team building challenges.
Once all tiles are painted, they’re joined together to unveil the final masterpiece – a stunning showcase of your team’s creativity and teamwork. The Masterpiece collaborative team building event not only unites your team but also physically joins their contributions to produce something truly beautiful!
2. Charity Bike Build Team Building
Unite your team for a meaningful collaboration project to build bicycles for children and young people in need. In the Bike Build charity team building event, participants are divided into smaller groups, each focused on assembling a bicycle. Teams earn the necessary bike parts by engaging in fun and challenging activities, fostering collaboration across all groups.
Once the bikes are finished, teams personalise them with heartfelt messages for the recipients. The event culminates in a celebratory parade, where everyone comes together to applaud, celebrate and admire the collective achievement, knowing their efforts will positively impact the lives of children in need.
3. Putt For a Purpose Team Building
Combine fun with a meaningful charity initiative in this unique, collaborative team building event. Participants are divided into teams, each tasked with building a mini-golf hole using food bank supplies like boxes, cans and packs. Starting with the provided base, teams must creatively design and construct a unique yet functional mini-golf hole.
Once each team completes their hole, the entire golf course comes to life. All teams navigate the course, putting at every hole in a friendly mini-golf competition. At the end, our team will dismantle the holes, packing and donating all the food bank items to the chosen charity.
Putt for a Purpose is an incredible activity where teams collaborate to create a unique mini-golf course, demonstrating that teamwork can achieve great things, all while being motivated by a worthwhile charitable cause.
4. Paws For a Cause Team Building
Engage in a team collaboration activity designed to benefit animals in need by creating equipment that will be donated to local animal shelters. Divided into smaller groups, each team will work on a project, guided by our expert facilitator, to build essential equipment for animal enclosures. From feeders and furniture to agility toys, teams will create items tailored to the needs of various species, enhancing their environments.
With each team working on separate projects, the collective outcome is significant, resulting in more equipment being donated. After the event, the equipment is packed and delivered to the chosen animal charity. Shelter staff will install the items and capture photos and videos of the animals enjoying your team’s creations. This delightful content will be shared with your team, allowing you to see firsthand the positive impact on animal welfare through the Paws for a Cause event.
5. Living Wall Sustainability Workshop
The Living Wall Sustainability Workshop is a hands-on collaborative team building activity that unites your team to create a functional living wall for your office. Guided by an expert, your team will explore sustainability, learn about the environmental benefits of living walls both indoors and outdoors, and understand how they function.
After engaging in fun, themed challenges, your team will collaborate to follow instructions and build the wall, plant by plant. Together, you’ll decide on the design and patterns for the foliage and flowers, building a truly unique creation.
Once the living wall is complete, our team will install it in your desired office area. This beautiful centerpiece will serve as a lasting reminder of your collective effort, improve air quality and transform your workspace with its vibrant presence.
6. Charity Bake Off Team Building
Put on your aprons for a cause and support families and individuals in need in your local community. This team collaboration activity promises a fun, hands-on experience for your team and brings smiles to those who will receive your delicious creations.
Guided by a Michelin star-trained pastry chef, your team will engage in exciting baking challenges. Using a variety of provided ingredients, tools and equipment, you will collaborate to create delectable cakes and sweet treats while learning practical baking tips. Most importantly, the goods from Charity Bake Off will be packed and delivered to charity by our team on the same day.
All necessary kits, including mobile kitchen equipment are provided, and the event adheres to strict health and safety practices to ensure the quality of the donated items.
7. Operation Supply Drop Team Building
Give your team a meaningful mission with the Operation Supply Drop collaborative team building activity, where they assemble care packages for communities in need. Your group will be divided into smaller teams, rotating through a series of army-themed challenges designed to gather the necessary items for the care packages.
These high-energy tasks will test participants’ problem-solving skills and include physical games, all with a fun twist, while keeping the charity cause at the forefront. After assembling the care packages, all teams will unite for the final challenge at the launch site for the drop-off.
Our team will then deliver the care packages to the nominated charity, ensuring they reach individuals in need across the nation.
8. Bee Hotel Sustainability Workshop
The Bee Hotel Sustainability Workshop is a fantastic way to enhance your corporate social responsibility efforts while offering a fun team building experience and supporting solitary bees by creating bee habitats.
Teams will each be tasked with building bee hotels, following step-by-step instructions and guided by our expert facilitator. No prior experience is necessary – you’ll learn DIY skills, discover the importance of sustainability and understand how bee hotels contribute to bee populations and biodiversity. Plus, you’ll have the opportunity to unleash your creativity by decorating the bee hotels to reflect your team’s unique style.
Working in smaller groups, all teams share the common goal of creating a tangible outcome that supports the bee population. Upon completion, the bee hotels can be taken home and installed in gardens to attract and benefit bees.
9. Birdhouse Sustainability Workshop
Man-made birdhouses in our outdoor spaces provide shelter for birds and support their reproduction and survival. Why not involve your team in a worthwhile DIY project to build birdhouses and aid bird conservation? Birdhouse collaborative team building event for employees features fun challenges where teams earn the materials needed for their birdhouses.
Guided by our expert facilitator, participants will learn practical DIY skills as they assemble beautiful and functional wooden birdhouses. They’ll also have the opportunity to get creative, decorating the houses to match their personal styles. This team effort results in multiple birdhouses, which individuals can take home to install in their gardens or hang in a communal outdoor space at work.
10. Community Clean Up Team Building
Join us in London for a collaborative team building event focused on enhancing a green space for the benefit of the local community and environment. Get hands-on with your team as you dig out weeds, plant flowers and trees, prune and compost. Guided by our expert horticulturalist, you’ll learn valuable gardening skills while engaging in fun team building activities.
By the end of the Community Clean Up event, your collective efforts will have completely transformed the space, providing a beautiful green area for local residents and contributing to improved air quality and sustainability in the city.
11. Foraging Experience Team Building
With multiple locations available throughout the UK, join us for an expert-guided foraging adventure that will teach your team how to sustainably gather plants, fruits and mushrooms from nature.
Together, you will collect a variety of edible and tasty wild foods, gaining insights into biodiversity and the natural environment. After the foraging trip, your team will head to a local restaurant where chefs will use your gathered ingredients to create special dishes.
Enjoy these delicious meals together, reflecting on your foraging experience and savouring the fruits of your labour. The Foraging Experience will bring your team closer to nature and strengthen your bond as you share this memorable experience.
12. Duck Herding Team Building
Experience a truly unique collaborative team building activity that will surprise and delight your team. Picture a lively group of ducks being released into an outdoor venue, with a skilled sheepdog standing by for your team’s instructions to guide them back into their pen.
Guided by our expert sheepdog handler, your team will learn the commands necessary to direct the dog and navigate the ducks through an exciting obstacle course. While our expert will be there to assist, it’s up to your team to tackle the challenge.
Together with a trained dog and a flock of ducks, this activity promises laughter, fun and lasting memories. Get ready for Duck Herding, an event filled with unexpected twists and teamwork that you’ll cherish for years to come!
13. Survival Island Team Building
Nothing brings a team together like facing a life-and-death situation. Our Survival Island event is a team building activity for collaboration, where participants are immersed in simulated survival challenges that push them to work together.
Guided by an expert with firsthand survival experience, participants will undergo a resilience and survival training program. Divided into teams, they will tackle exciting challenges designed to provide real-life survival skills and knowledge. These challenges include lighting fires with basic materials, building shelters, administering first aid, constructing stretchers, tying essential knots and creating water filters from sand, gravel and charcoal.
Although not a real survival scenario, we provide high-quality equipment and training to fully immerse your team in the experience. Survival Island team building event not only equips them with valuable skills but also strengthens their bond as they work together towards the shared goal of survival.
14. Kidnap Your MD Team Building
The Kidnap Your MD collaborative team building event kicks off with a dramatic scene: your MD is kidnapped by masked individuals. This can be either a live enactment or a pre-recorded video. The spotlight is now on your team to figure out what happened, why, and how to rescue the boss.
Your team must collaborate to investigate the clues left behind by the kidnappers. You’ll interact with various witnesses, suspects and police informants to gather crucial intelligence. Teams will also engage with real-life forensic zones, where they can examine fingerprints, analyse fibres from the crime scene and digitally create e-fits of potential suspects.
Work together with your team to solve the mystery, bring the perpetrators to justice and save the day!
15. Chain Reaction Team Building
Chain Reaction Team Building is a captivating activity where your team will build a massive mechanical structure for a marble to travel through without stopping. It’s all about teamwork and creativity as different groups build their own sections while making sure everything connects perfectly.
At the end, everyone comes together for the big test. You’ll all be on the edge of your seats as the marble starts its journey from the top, rolling through loops, obstacles and turns until it reaches the finish line.
This team building and collaboration activity creates a real sense of unity, showing how every part and every person’s effort is crucial for the whole chain to work. It highlights the power of a shared goal, encouraging everyone to support each other and communicate effectively.
Looking to put some collaboration in your team building activities?
Our expert team is here to give you personalised recommendations and ideas for a truly unifying collaborative team building event. Get in touch today for a free venue finding service and free, bespoke proposal in less than 45 minutes.