5 New Team Building Games for Your Next Outdoor Corporate Field Day
Every year we test new games in the field, and only the ones that actually land (the ones that get a group of coworkers genuinely competitive) make the cut. Here are five new ones for this season.
If you're planning an outdoor corporate event, these are the team building games for adults we're most excited to run right now. They range from all-out physical to strategy-first, so there's something here whether your group wants to sprint or sit and think.
(One quick note on timing: September and October are the best two months of the year for this. The summer heat has broken, the days are still long enough for some evening fun, and you're ahead of the Q4 calendar crunch.)
1. Teamshot — the giant three-person slingshot
Teams race the clock to launch velcro balls from an oversized three-person slingshot while teammates retrieve, reload, and maneuver moving bullseyes, racking up as many sticks as possible before time runs out.
What makes it work as an outdoor team building activity is that nobody can do it alone. One person aims, two people load, and other players are chasing the target around the field. This one channels the same joyful chaos as a water balloon fight on a hot summer day.
• Activity level: 6/10
• Builds: Teamwork, agility, timing, hand-eye coordination
2. Mah-Jog — mahjong meets quick dashes
Mahjong’s having a moment right now, and we couldn’t resist putting our own spin on it. Teams sprint out, collect tiles, and strategize their way to a winning hand. All without needing to know the real rules.
This one's our favorite answer to a common problem: half your group wants to run and half wants to strategize. Mah-Jog needs both, so nobody sits out. It's become a go-to when we're building creative team building activities for a mixed-ability group.
• Activity level: 4/10
• Builds: Strategy, teamwork, pattern recognition, decision-making under pressure
3. Mind Meld — pair up and out-think the clock
Partners trade clues and race to solve as many puzzles as they can before time expires, all wrapped in an 80s/90s theme.
Low on physical intensity, high on communication. Mind Meld is what we reach for when a group is coming off a long day of sessions, or when the event is at a venue without much open field. It's proof that team building games for adults don't have to involve sprinting to get a group fired up.
• Activity level: 2/10
• Builds: Communication, pattern recognition, logical reasoning
4. Puzzle Divide & Conquer — delegation under a ticking clock
Divide the pieces, conquer your section, then bring everything together to finish the jigsaw before the other team.
It looks simple until you watch a team try it. The groups that win aren't the fastest, they're the ones that assign roles in the first thirty seconds. If you're looking for a corporate field day idea that quietly doubles as a delegation exercise, this is it.
• Activity level: 2/10
• Builds: Teamwork, communication, strategic thinking
5. Nerf or Nothin — dodgeball, reloaded
Dodgeball meets Nerf: flying darts, quick passes, and last-player-standing glory.
Pure nostalgia, and consistently one of the highest-energy games on our list. It's the closest thing we have to a guaranteed crowd-pleaser when a group needs to burn off some energy.
• Activity level: 6/10
• Builds: Teamwork, reflexes, strategy
How to build these into your field day
Most of our events run 5–8 games depending on group size and time. A format that consistently works:
1. Open physical. Start with something like Nerf or Nothin to break the ice and get people moving.
2. Alternate intensity. Follow a high-energy game with a strategy game like Mind Meld giving the group a chance to switch gears from physical or accuracy skills to mental ones.
3. Close with a team relay. Something like Teamshot, where the whole group has a role, is a strong finish.
4. Keep teams fixed. Running the same teams all day builds real rivalry, and real bonding.
Every event is customized to your group's size, energy level, and space, so none of this is fixed. If you want to see how it comes together for a specific team, check out our full field day playbook.
Ready to get your team outside?
We run outdoor field days and corporate events for teams of all sizes. If you're in the metro area, start with our guide to team building activities in New York or reach out and we'll build something custom.