Life in Austin is thriving, with a considerable population increase from 2020 to 2023, mostly due to the massive growth of its tech sector. But that’s not the only reason people love Austin.
Austin has amazing dining options, fun nightlife, and a long list of outdoor and indoor recreation. This makes ATX a great place to hold team-building activities.
If you’re looking for fun activities to help your team build stronger relationships, here are a few places and activities you can try.
1. Game On! ATX
Everybody loves a good game show. Imagine how fun it would be to have the entire team experience what it’s like to join one! Game On gives a complete game show experience, with survey games, word puzzles, and more happening on a custom-built stage.
2. Axe Escape Austin
Feeling a lot of stress from work? Release all of it by letting your team enjoy an axe-throwing experience at Axe Escape! It’s not just about throwing axes at a single target; this gamified experience lets you play exciting games like Tic Tac Toe, Duck Hunter, and Line Up Four to make it even more challenging.
3. Ghost Pepper Glass
Take arts and crafts to the next level by joining a glass-blowing class at Ghost Pepper Glass! Team members get to take home their unique works of art, so how about letting them create something they can bring to their workstations the next day? These pieces could serve as a memento from the day they played with their creative juices as a team.
4. Lone Star Ranch
Enjoy the beautiful outdoors at the Lone Star Ranch, where the entire team can enjoy fishing, trap shooting, dove hunting, and more! You can go on ATV-guided tours or learn a rodeo trick or two. Do your team members have a competitive streak? There’s armadillo racing, too!
5. Corporate Rock Stars
You might be rock stars at work, but how well could you perform on a stage with spotlights aimed straight at you? Corporate Rock Stars is a team-building program by Groove Labs where your team works together towards one common goal — producing the performance of a lifetime. From writing songs and choreographing the performance to playing onstage and winning amazing prizes, it’s definitely going to be an unforgettable bonding experience for the team.
6. Freda’s Kitchen
Are you ready to show what you can do in the kitchen? Freda’s Kitchen holds Iron Chef competitions for teams, providing a chef who guides team members through each course. With 60 minutes on the clock and much room for dessert, it’s the perfect way to bring out each team member’s competitive streak while guaranteeing a full tummy after the activity.
7. Zip Lost Pines
Another great way to enjoy the beautiful outdoors around Austin, Zip Lost Pines offers team-building packages that include taking a short hike, crossing three sky bridges, and climbing spiral staircases. You can also have a competitive element to the activity by racing across the Big Zipper Ride.
8. Comedy Sportz Austin
Laughter isn’t just the best medicine; it’s also one of the best ways to bring a team closer. So why not get your entire team to Comedy Sportz? Every show is different because it’s up to the audience how they want each skit to turn out. It’s the perfect way to end a stressful week or perk up the spirits of a team on the edge of burnout.
9. Austin’s Boat Tours
Explore Austin from a different perspective by going on a boat tour. Austin’s Boat Tours usually take 2 to 3 hours, taking your team around Lake Austin and Lake Travis. Perfect for those hot Texas days, let your team members come in their swimsuits and jump into the water for a refreshing dip.
10. Barton Creek Greenbelt
Here’s another excellent option, especially for teams that love rugged activities like biking, rock climbing, hiking, and more. Barton Creek Greenbelt covers over 12 miles of trails, with access points all over the city. Depending on the difficulty level your team is willing to take on, you can choose how to conquer these trails. End the day with a quick dip at Twin Falls and Sculpture Falls to make the trip more enjoyable.
11. Urban Adventure Quest
Although scavenger hunts have been around for ages, their appeal as an effective team-building activity never wanes. Especially in a city like Austin, where there are endless nooks and crannies to explore, going on an Amazing-Race style of hunt with Urban Adventure Quest is the thing that could help your team become closer and stronger as they solve clues and complete challenges together.
12. Secret Food Tours
If there’s one place where you shouldn’t miss a food tour, it’s Austin. Known for its fantastic food scene, taking a trip around some of the local favorite dining spots is the best way to experience the culture unique to this place. You can also get a taste of Austin’s history by signing up for the Cultural/Historical Tour by Secret Food Tours, which has specialty dishes that will bring you back to the city’s Aztec roots.
13. COTA Karting
Sometimes, an adrenaline rush is all you need to lift your team’s spirits. A trip down COTA Karting could do the trick, with its F1 track fitted with hair-raising turns that amp up the thrill. Once the race is done, get the chance to experience how pros do it by having your team picture taken at the podium.
14. Sweet Tooth ATX
How about combining your artistic side and your sweet tooth? Sweet Tooth ATX offers cookie and cake decorating classes, allowing the team something yummy to look forward to once the class is over. Want to add more team spirit to it? Here’s an idea — create a team logo and put that design on your cookies!
15. Museum of the Weird
Weird is a lifestyle in Austin, as proven by the city’s tagline, “Keep Austin Weird.” Stay true to this ideal by bringing the whole team to the Museum of the Weird, where you can see everything from shrunken heads to freaks of nature. Though the museum is smaller than usual, it’s definitely gonna give your team a lot of things to talk about around the water cooler.
16. Blazer Tag Adventure Center
If there’s an activity that lets you build teamwork, develop strategies, and have some friendly competition, it’s laser tag. A few rounds at the Blazer Tag Adventure Center will give you that adrenaline rush as you run, dodge, and shoot away at opponents at the biggest laser tag arena in Texas. They also offer packages for team-building events, with drinks and pizzas you can feast on.
17. Mylo Obstacle Fitness
Get your team’s blood pumping by completing obstacle courses at Mylo Obstacle Fitness. The physical and mental challenges are a perfect way to improve communication and team spirit. Plus, owner Mylo Villanueva is a trusted leadership coach who could teach your team a thing or two about accountability, goal setting, and more.
18. Double or Nothing Two Step
When you think about it, a regular work day is like a dance routine, with each step team members make contributing to the entire performance. So why not join one of Double or Nothing’s dance classes as a team and take that coordination straight to the dance floor? In true Texas style, you can explore your line dancing and two-step skills and show the world what you can do in the office and on the dance floor.
19. Bull and Bowl
Bowling, billiards, arcade games, and mechanical bulls — this combination never disappoints, especially if you have the entire team with you! Hang out at Bull and Bowl and enjoy those activities while enjoying your favorite cocktails and quick bites.
20. Central Machine Brewery
Sometimes, a round of drinks and a bonfire is all it takes to get your team out of a rut. You can do this at Central Machine Brewery, where you can hang out at their Beer Garden. Their menu offers everything from pizzas to charcuterie, giving you a lot of options if your team members have diverse palates.
21. Hipside Peddler
They say biking is good exercise. But nobody ever said you couldn’t party while you’re pedaling away! Hipside Peddler allows you to explore the best of both on their sightseeing bikes, where your team members can give their legs a good workout while sipping on some wine. You can stop at different bars and restaurants around the city, making the trip even more enjoyable.
22. Scubaland Adventures
If your team can make it underwater, you can make it anywhere. Get scuba courses at Scubaland Adventures and learn some diving fundamentals, like communicating using hand signals and more.
23. Kinfolk Lounge & Library
There was a time when alcoholic drinks were considered illegal, giving rise to the numerous speakeasies around Austin where people could gather and drink in secret. Experience what that era felt like at Kinfolk Lounge & Library, an intimate space built into a historic cellar from the 1850s. Not only are the drinks legal, but you can also pair them with a wide variety of locally sourced chocolates, cheeses, and charcuteries.
24. Smash ATX
Ping-pong isn’t just a regular sport anymore; now, it’s something you can enjoy with the entire team over food and drinks. Visit Smash ATX and experience this interesting mix where hitting a ball to and fro with a paddle can now be part of your nightlife.
25. Vintage Villas
Sometimes, staying at a beautiful villa with amazing views is the only thing you need to strengthen your bond as a team. Vintage Villas offers this, with its villa-style hotel overlooking Lake Travis. Once checked in, you can enjoy the grounds and hire a facilitator like teambuilding.com to guide you through some team-building activities, or you can check out the nearby attractions, like the floating obstacle course at Waterloo Adventures.
Bonus: Remote Team Building Ideas
In addition to these in-person activities, you can also enjoy online team-building events. Let’s Roam, for example, hosts virtual games, which are an excellent way for everyone to have a great time while bonding online.
Not interested in hiring someone to facilitate an activity for you? That’s okay. You can jump into a Zoom or Microsoft Teams meeting and get a team member to host a trivia night for you.
You can also use CoffeePals' Coffee Maker feature and answer thought-provoking questions in the team channel. It’s a great way to hear different perspectives from your teammates.
Virtual coffee chats, on the other hand, are perfect for building trust among team members. CoffeePals matches team members and schedules them for casual conversations over coffee, serving as a virtual version of the usual water cooler chats.
Add CoffeePals to Microsoft Teams now and start making a difference in your team dynamics.
