Follow along as we reveal 9 amazing team bonding activities in Houston for any budget. To be helpful we’ve organized the ideas by budget range.
Whether your budget is $10 or $10,000, a successful event is more likely to hinge on you as the organizer than the total cost of the event. An expensive but poorly planned event will fail where a cheap well planned event succeeds. It takes a lot of energy and excitement to organize an amazing team bonding activity that doesn’t end up making everyone irritated that they’ve been taken away from important work.
“The best team building activities help your team understand each other better by promoting trust, the basic foundation of teamwork.”
Playing games together is an important way human beings bond and build trust. Games are a great way to keep a bonding activity fun and engaging. A team that plays together stays together!
Play the game two truths and a lie: Each team member tells the group two things about themselves that are true and one thing that is false. This game is perfect for teams which need to get to know each other better.
Host an engineering contest: You’ll need a pile of books (or similarly) and some printer paper. Engineers compete to see who can build a tower that can carry the most weight before falling or being crushed.
Split the team into small groups of 3-5 people. Give each group a scenario where they are stranded on a desert island with a limited number of supplies that you determine (e.g., rope, flashlight, lighter, etc).
Teams must discuss and decide which items they would choose to have and how they would use them to survive until they are rescued. Each team then presents their choices to everyone in the group and how they will use the items to keep their team alive. Have the team vote for the winning team.
“Anything free is worth saving up for!”
Even though these games are free, they can be even more effective at promoting trust than many paid team building ideas.
The Succulent Bar specializes in cozy workshops where team members pot small plants called “succulents.” Take them home or liven up your work spaces with these cute little plants. The Succulent Bar offers everything you need for the event and a virtual host will help you arrange, pot, and keep your plants happy.
There are many different pots and plants to choose from, many of which are in the $50+ range, but you can get something great for under $20 per person. If you’re looking for a low key event where people can talk and create together, then planting a succulent together might be just the ticket.
If you’re looking for something a little spicier, try the Paqui one-chip-challenge. Paqui is a company that makes tortilla chips imbued with the torrid heat of nature’s hottest peppers. Flavors include the familiar jalapeño, the fiery ghost pepper, and the feared Carolina reaper.
The “one chip challenge” is a single tortilla chip blended with The Carolina Reaper and Scorpion Pepper and packs an astounding 2.2 million scoville units. They can be picked up on Amazon for about $20. This activity is not for the faint of heart and you should definitely have milk on hand for those who tap out. Expect to practice non-verbal communication skills as your team loses the power of speech!
Up to now the corporate team building events we’ve shared have either been in-office events (e.g., 2 truths and a lie) or virtual team building events (e.g., The Succulent Bar). It’s time to ramp it up a bit and get out of the office, but don’t worry, you won’t be incurring any major travel fees just yet - those are coming later!
Whether you like to play real golf or not, visiting TopGolf can be a lot of fun. If you’ve never been, TopGolf is basically a driving range, restaurant, and pool hall all wrapped in a modern package. It’s a popular destination for all group sizes and ages and won’t leave your team-building budget in flames for the rest of the year.
Top Golf has locations in West Houston near Beltway 8, in Spring off of I-45 North, and League City just past Beltway 8. Their event scheduling team is easy to work with and won’t be pushy, but you will have to fill out a quote request to get pricing. A typical event at TopGolf is 2 hours and won’t take up a full day.
Expect an event to last about 2 hours.
Fire up your team with an immersive paintball battle. If low excitement levels are the problem, paintball is the cure. Unlike archery lessons, which can be difficult for some people, pulling a trigger is a skill anyone can master and is more exciting than a scavenger hunt or escape room. The experienced team at Urban War Zone will have you playing out challenging scenarios and battle plans as you go head to head with the competition.
A paintball experience is an excellent way to improve communication skills and blow off some steam in the process.
You may want to choose a corporate events package which is much more immersive and features campaign based outings where you play out a storyline. Events cost under $100 per player and includes food and drinks. Like Top Golf, Urban War Zone is easy to work with and you will want to fill out a quote request to get the ball rolling. Visit the team building page for more information.
Immersive events have a minimum number of participants, usually 10. Expect an event to last 2.5-3.5 hours.
Is there anything more Texan than Brisket? For about $90 per person Backyard Pitmasters sends their passionate grill masters to teach your team how to make mouths water. Events can be held at a local pub (drinks anyone?) or they can come out to a location of your choice to teach your team to be confident grillmasters. Events are fun and laid back with plenty of time to socialize.
Backyard Pitmasters is flexible and will organize an event that fits your team’s specific needs. They can even cater a meal at the end and provide everything your team needs to enjoy a great time together.
Private events require a minimum number of participants, usually 15. Plan for several hours of enjoyment including setup and cleanup.
For our final experience it’s time to hit the road and head out to Cat Spring, Texas. Cat Spring is about an hour West of Downtown Houston. Blisswood is a bed and breakfast ranch where you and your team can relax in luxury. Horseback riding, archery, trapshooting and tomahawk throwing are just a few of the activities you can experience.
Although Blisswood is just an hour or so from downtown, you’ll feel transported to a quieter, more relaxing era. Don’t be fooled by the country feel, Blisswood is luxury through and through. Well appointed rooms, famous local dining, and evening gatherings around the fire will provide the environment your team needs to reach the types of outcomes you’re looking for.
The rustic luxury of Blisswood may be the best environment for corporate team building activities in Houston. Work up an appetite during the day and enjoy the country cooking in the evening.
Activities may range from free to luxurious, but cost need not define the quality of your team bonding activities. You can create a successful activity on any budget by matching your team's needs and interests to environments that promote empathy and trust. Regardless of your budget, Houston offers plenty of opportunities for team bonding activities that can help boost morale, build trust, and foster a positive work culture.
For more information about corporate team building events in Houston, visit: https://urbanwarzonepaintball.com/corporate-team-building-games/