Looking for ways to help your teams connect?
Team-building activities are an excellent way to improve your employees’ communication and collaboration skills — all while expressing your appreciation through a fun, company-sponsored event. NYC offers a wide variety of team-building activities and unique events for every occasion.
This guide covers 18 of the best team-building activities to choose from in New York City. From delightful culinary experiences and NYC team-building events that focus on food to scavenger hunts, group activities, and fun team-building activities, this guide provides you with all the resources you need to plan an exceptional team get-together.
Here are 16 ideas for team-building in NYC:
1. cityHUNT Scavenger Hunt in Central Park
cityHUNT Scavenger Hunt offers corporate team-building activities and scavenger hunts for that are perfect for corporate events. They offer a scavenger hunt in Central Park that is perfect for team building in an environment that is completely different from the office. Outside of Central Park, they also offer hunts in other areas such as at the Empire State Building, Times Square, the financial district, and many more.
These highly interactive scavenger hunts help to boost your team’s morale while simultaneously enabling greater exploration of New York. Whether you are training new hires and helping them adjust to their new environment, traveling with a team for work, or anything in between, a cityHUNT scavenger hunt is the perfect way to build team spirit and encourage team bonding.
- Location: Central Park, New York City & other locations
- Rating: 5.0/5.0 stars
- Customer Testimonial: “cityHUNT gave us the opportunity to explore our city in ways we would have never imagined. The creativity and originality of our challenges (and our own innovation) far exceeded our expectations. It was a great event for our summer associates, and one that we will look forward to again next year.”
2. Private Cooking Party at Home Cooking New York
Home Cooking New York offers private and corporate cooking parties, allowing your team to have a hands-on experience preparing delicious recipes and entrees. Every event is three hours with instruction from a professional chef teaching your group clever tips and tricks in the kitchen.
Cooking classes foster collaboration and allow for bonding over a delicious meal made by the team. When it comes to team-building events, this is the tastiest around.
- Location: 158 Grand Street, between Lafayette and Centre Streets in New York City’s SoHo neighborhood
- Rating: 5.0/5.0 stars
- Customer Testimonial: “We love cooking classes and this ranks amongst our favourite. We took the southern-style bbq and can’t wait to try the recipes in our own kitchen. Highly recommend for an afternoon away from the hustle and bustle of NYC.”
3. Improv Workshop at The Magnet Theater
What better way to teach your team to be proactively creative than with a Magnet Theater improv workshop. This hands on workshop offers improv and musical improv classes led by an experienced instructor. This is a unique and engaging team building activity that strengthens teamwork and communication skills.
An improv class is also a great way to encourage employees to come out of their shell and build a stronger feeling of company culture.
- Location: 254 W 29th St, New York, NY
- Rating:4.7/5.0 stars
- Customer Testimonial: “I’ve taken their classes in improv, musical improv, and storytelling, and all were great experiences!”
4. Adventure Untamed
Take your next team-building activity outdoors while hiking, rock climbing, or kayaking at Adventure Untamed’s guided outdoor adventures. Offering both single-day and multi-day trips, Adventure Untamed has an incredibly broad range of outdoor activities to choose from, allowing you to select the adventure that best aligns with the wants, needs, and abilities of your team.
- Location: 447 Broadway 2nd floor, New York, NY
- Rating: 4.7/5.0 stars
- Customer Testimonial: “These folks organize fantastic hikes. They offer a great mix of locations and routes of varying intensity. The guides are all excellent, making sure that all participants have a great time. Excellent organization!”
5. Foods of New York Tours
Embark on a culinary adventure through NYC’s diverse neighborhoods with a food tour by Foods of New York Tours. As one of the top NYC team-building events, these tours are designed to promote team bonding by bringing colleagues together for a shared food experience. Operating in the city for more than 25 years, Foods of NY Tours takes you on a wild ride of tastes and culinary imagination through the Big Apple.
- Location: 9 Barrow St, New York, NY
- Rating:4.9/5.0 stars
- Customer Testimonial: “I booked a NYC Food Tour Greenwich Village for a company outing and Mason was so friendly, accommodating, and efficient with our booking process. Rick, our tour guide was enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and so hospitable to our group. The tour itself was great since it was a nice number of foodie destinations peppered with historical knowledge. The staff at each location was so well prepared for us and made the tour seamless and super fun. Would highly rec for any group or just a fun NYC outing for a visitor or local!”
6. Mixology Class at Liquor Lab
Learn the art of cocktail making and mixology from expert bartenders at Liquor Lab’s interactive classes. Liquor Lab’s private mixology classes are ideal for a fun corporate or team-building event, accommodating small teams of between 8 to 25 guests and larger groups of 25 to 500 guests. This team-building event is perfect for holiday parties, birthdays, or Friday nights to celebrate a week of hard work.
- Location: 79 Madison Ave #17049, New York, NY
- Rating: 5.0/5.0 stars
- Customer Testimonial: “Parker and his team were phenomenal! Our client and company team members had such a wonderful time at the mixology class and the happy hour. The event was a huge success thanks to the professionalism, support, attentiveness, and creativity of Liquor Labs! The drinks were delicious and perfectly matched our creative visions. I absolutely cannot wait to work with them again on our next event!”
7. Virtual Reality Experience at VR World NYC
Immerse your team in virtual reality games and experiences at VR World NYC for an unforgettable bonding experience. VR World NYC offers one of the largest VR entertainment facilities in North America, with more than 50 VR experiences to choose from, including multi-player games, films, art exhibitions, and more.
- Location: Midtown Manhattan
- Rating: 4.5/5.0 stars
- Customer Testimonial: “I’m a big fan of VR and have always enjoyed any experiences with it so far so I was really looking forward to this visit and I certainly wasn’t disappointed.The staff in this place are exemplary, their passion and love for their job and more importantly their passion for making sure you enjoy your experience is one of the best experiences I have ever had in any field of service.”
8. Murder Mystery Dinner at The Dinner Detective
Solve a thrilling murder mystery over dinner with interactive comedy shows hosted by The Dinner Detective. Guests can partake in solving the “crime,” with the culprit placed somewhere within the crowd for attendees to find and identify. Even guests themselves can be suspected as the Prime Suspect! Through a little collaboration, you and your team can clear your names and find the true murderer.
- Location: 22 Warren St Downstairs, New York, NY
- Rating: 4.8/5.0 stars
- Customer Testimonial: “We had a fantastic night. The show is hilarious, and even if it was more comedy than mystery, there are still clues to follow and mysteries to unravel. I highly recommend the “Suspect Package” if you’re going with a significant other and your table is the “interactive” type. You’ll have so much fun!”
9. Practice Archery Gotham Archery
Engage in friendly competition at the indoor archery range at Gotham Archery. Challenge your team to put their best foot forward and shoot their best shots — you can even tie in the importance of focus as a central theme for this excursion. Archery is a great way to promote team bonding, as it encourages communication, support, and camaraderie among participants.
- Location: Brooklyn & Manhattan
- Rating: 4.8/5.0 stars
- Customer Testimonial: “Super fun! Super safe! Instructor was very informative, nice, and extremely funny. This is a great location and entertaining time. Can’t wait to go back for the larger target area. This is a must try NYC. The prices are cheap and your time is not wasted. After the 1st class you can return and shoot arrows all you like and no need to do the instructor class again. Love it.”
10. Governors Island Day Trip
Plan a day trip to Governors Island as a team outing filled with outdoor experiences like biking, picnicking, and team-building exercises against the backdrop of the NYC skyline. Enjoy the fresh air as you explore the island, relax, and take in the open spaces. To reach Governors Island, you will need to take an NYC Ferry, which lasts around eight minutes to complete.
- Location: Governors Island
- Rating:4.5/5.0 stars
- Customer Testimonial: “Could not recommend this more. Such an easy and cheap trip over. Simple bike hire. Breathtaking views. The view from the port was rivaling any on a boat trip. This place is not advertised enough.”
11. Sailing Excursion with Classic Harbor Line
Relax and bond aboard a classic yacht with a sailing excursion organized by Classic Harbor Line. At Classic Harbor Line NYC, you can purchase a ticketed cruise, architecture tour, or a full-scale private charter to really treat your team to a blissful day on the water.
- Location: Chelsea Piers at Pier 62 & North Cove Marina in Battery Park
- Rating: 4.9/5.0 stars
- Customer Testimonial: “We went on an architectural boat tour around Manhattan. The boat tour was 2 hours and 45 minutes of incredible scenery and information about the buildings, neighborhoods, and history of the city settlement. Our guide was a licensed architect and very knowledgeable. He did a great job telling stories of the builders of NYC. We LOVED this experience!”
12. Photography Tour with NYC Photo Journeys
Capture lasting memories of your team exploring NYC’s iconic landmarks while improving your personal photography skills on a guided tour with NYC Photo Journeys. On this tour, you will be paired with a local guide who doubles as a professional photographer, ensuring you get the full inside scoop about all things photography in NYC.
- Location: Dependent on the tour – custom tours available
- Rating: 5.0/5.0 stars
- Customer Testimonial: “Highly recommend Jessie for a fantastic NYC photo shoot experience! Her expertise in capturing memorable moments and extensive knowledge of scenic locations made the tour truly exceptional. Jessie’s flexibility with scheduling was super convenient. A pleasure to meet, and her Tenement Museum recommendation added a special touch to my solo trip.”
13. Broadway Workshop at Broadway Dance Center
Experience the thrill of Broadway with dance workshops led by professional instructors at Broadway Dance Center. Along with in-person classes, you can also take online classes at Broadway Dance Center, making this a great team-building activity for in-office and remote teams alike.
- Location: 322 W 45th St, New York, NY
- Rating: 4.3/5.0 stars
- Customer Testimonial: “Easy to book. Took my first class and was very impressed! Will be back!”
14. Karaoke Night at Karaoke City
Let loose and showcase your vocal talents during a karaoke night out at Karaoke City. Karaoke night is a classic team event and one of the most fun activities you can enjoy with colleagues. Nestled in the heart of Manhattan, Karaoke City is a great place to spend your evening or an excellent stop to add to your nightlife itinerary with your team in the city.
- Location: 22 W 32nd St 7th Floor, New York, NY
- Rating:4.1/5.0 stars
- Customer Testimonial: “Had a great experience here with a lot of friends. The music selection is very good. The staff is very helpful and the environment really welcoming 10 out of 10 would recommend.”
15. Bike Tour with Bike and Roll NYC
Put your team’s biking skills to the test at Bike and Roll NYC. This team outing is a perfect group activity for colleagues looking to bond while exploring NYC’s neighborhoods and attractions on two wheels with a guided bike tour, or simply rent bikes for your entire team and set off on an adventure of your own creation! Enjoy the fresh air as you ride through iconic spots like Central Park, making the most of outdoor experiences in the city. Bike rentals are a great activity to combine with a city scavenger hunt to keep the day moving quickly and your team entertained.
- Location: 557 12th Ave, New York, NY
- Rating: 5.0/5.0 stars
- Customer Testimonial: “Good bikes, good prices and friendly staff.”
16. Pizza Making at Pizza School NYC
Learn the art of pizza-making from scratch at Pizza School NYC, where teams can customize their pies and compete for the best creation. Pizza School NYC offers both in-person and virtual pizza cooking classes, making this a great choice if some or all of your staff work remotely.
- Location: 371 Grand St, New York, NY
- Rating: 4.9/5.0 stars
- Customer Testimonial: “I recently had the pleasure of attending the NYC Pizza School with my coworkers, and I must say, it was a great experience. I recommend arriving with an empty stomach because, before diving into the pizza-making process, your team will be treated to some pre-made pizzas with delightful and unexpected toppings. Additionally, the school offers a wide selection of drinks to complement your pizza creations. All in all, I recommend this experience to everyone who wants to learn to make the classic NYC pizza.”
17. Escape Room Challenge at Mission Escape Games
If your team thrives under pressure and loves a good challenge, Mission Escape Games is a must for your next team outing. Mission Escape Games offers multiple immersive escape room experiences. Your team is “locked” in a themed room and must work together to solve puzzles, crack codes, and uncover clues before time runs out. It’s the ultimate test of teamwork, communication, and problem-solving skills.
- Location: 265 W 37th St Suite 802A, New York, NY 10018, United States
- Rating: 4.8/5.0 stars
- Customer Testimonial: “We had so much fun playing end of days! For some of our group it was their first time so it was a great experience for them to be able to beat it! The guides were able to give us really helpful hints when we were stuck on one part of the puzzle for too long.”
18. Axe Throwing at Bury the Hatchet
If the team needs to burn off some steam, Axe Throwing at Bury the Hatchet is the perfect spot for your next team outing. At this spot, they have axe-throwing experts who will teach your whole team the right technique. They also have a great bar to enjoy drinks after and discuss who the best axe thrower is on the team.
- Location: 25 Noble St, Brooklyn, NY 11222, United States
- Rating: 5.0/5.0 stars
- Customer Testimonial: “Had an amazing time at Axe Throwing! The staff was super friendly and made the experience even better. The games were creative and kept things exciting, definitely not just your average axe throwing spot. If you’re looking for a fun and unique outing, this is the place to be. Highly recommend parking is easy to find on a Friday night down the block since it’s in a dead end street.”
Final Thoughts: Why Employee Team Building is Beneficial
In the hustle and bustle of New York City, connecting with your team can be hard.
The team-building activity ideas discussed in this guide give you an excellent opportunity not only to connect better with your team but also to give each of your employees the chance to explore their workplace relationships and collaborations further.
