Christmas Team Building Activities by Group Size

Your team has a Christmas date in the diary and you need something better than “drinks and a buffet”. The best Christmas team building activities put colleagues from different departments into mixed teams with a shared goal and a scoreboard. Choose by group size, floor space and time: small teams suit puzzle-style sessions, while larger groups suit hosted formats.

This guide is about team building: collaboration, mixed teams and short sessions. If you are still choosing a party format, see our corporate events page.

Christmas team building activities at a glance

The quickest way to narrow it down is by group size and setting. Check space with us before you book, as it depends on the format and your room.

Activity	Group size	Space	Setting
Escape Room in a Box	From 10 to 100+ (indoor team building range)	Confirm with us	Indoor
CSI Investigation	From 10 to 100+ (indoor team building range)	Confirm with us	Indoor
Christmas quiz	Any size; confirm with us	Confirm with us	Indoor
AI Robot Wars	Teams of 6 to 12, up to 500 people	Tailored to the space, from a small arena to a giant race track	Indoor
VR Escape Room	Teams of 4 to 10, up to 500 people	About 2×2 m per team (a table)	Indoor
Taskmaster-style challenges	Confirm with us	Setup included	Indoor
The Betrayers	Adapted to group size	From boardroom to conference hall	Indoor
Tablet Treasure Hunt	Confirm with us	Outdoors	Outdoor
Outdoor team building	Confirm with us	Outdoors	Outdoor

For small teams (under 20)

Small teams do best with shared puzzles that everyone can contribute to. The indoor team building range starts from 10 people, so teams under 10 should ask us what we can adapt.

Escape Room in a Box

A puzzle-solving session where the team works through clues together. It is one of the formats in our indoor team building range, which suits 10 to 100+ people. Ask us what space it needs for your room.

CSI Investigation

Colleagues act as investigators, searching a staged scene and comparing evidence. Because it is a search-and-compare task, different people can spot different things.

Colleagues round a table marked with crime-scene tape study clues on their phones — Colleagues round a table study clues together. A shared puzzle gives each person something to add.

Christmas quiz

A quiz is the easiest team format to scale down. Our game shows and quizzes can be customised with your company theme, and a festive round or two is a natural fit. Ask us about the Christmas content you want.

For mid-size and large groups (20 to 500)

Once you pass about 20 people, a professional host and a proper running order tend to matter more than the activity itself. Our corporate events include setup, breakdown, all equipment and professional hosts.

AI Robot Wars

Teams of 6 to 12 take part in robot challenges, for up to 500 participants. No AI, robotics, coding or VR experience is needed, so it suits mixed teams. The arena is tailored to the space, so AI Robot Wars works from a small arena to a giant race track.

VR Escape Room

Teams of 4 to 10 work together on the challenge, and no VR experience is needed. It needs about 2×2 m per team, which is a table, and it runs for up to 500 participants. See our VR Escape Room.

A player in a VR headset in an office, with a Santa hat and a hard hat on the game table — A VR Escape Room set up in an office, with a festive touch on the game table.

Taskmaster-style challenges

Short, silly tasks suit a December mood. Taskmaster-style challenges sit within our game shows and quizzes offer, which suits post-conference or end-of-day socials and comes with company-themed customisation and setup included.

The Betrayers

Our game is inspired by the TV show The Traitors. It adapts to the space and group size, from boardroom to conference hall, with a professional presenter and all AV included.

Outdoor and daytime

An outdoor session gets people out of the office, but December means cold and short days, so check timings and have a plan for bad weather.

Tablet Treasure Hunt

Teams complete outdoor, geotagged challenges on tablets, and the winning team gets prizes. A short daytime slot is the sensible fit in December. See our Tablet Treasure Hunt.

Three colleagues outdoors gather round a tablet showing a timed puzzle — Colleagues gather round a tablet to tackle a timed puzzle together outdoors.

Outdoor team building classics

Our outdoor team building range includes sports-day classics like sack races and tug of war, plus Crystal Maze-style puzzles. They are better suited to a milder day, so ask us what works for your date.

Making a team activity feel festive

Festive does not need a new activity. You can add it around the edges:

Company theming: custom branding and theming are available, so we can match your colours or a Christmas look.
Team names: let each team pick a festive name. It adds a laugh and sets the tone.
Prizes: a trophy or small prize for the winning team keeps the competition light.
Dress code: Christmas jumpers cost little and make the photos.

Inclusive choices

Pick formats that work for the whole team, not just the loudest. Several of the activities above need no technical experience, and puzzle formats let people contribute in different ways.

Non-drinkers: choose daytime or early-evening sessions that do not centre on the bar.
Mixed abilities and mobility: tell us up front so we can advise on access and seating.
Neurodiversity: let people know the running order and noise levels in advance.
Remote or hybrid colleagues: we do not list a virtual format here, so ask us what is possible. A common approach is to run an in-person session for the office and give remote colleagues a separate quiz round to join.

Always confirm access and dietary needs with your supplier before the day.

Booking timing

Christmas dates are popular, so start planning in September or October rather than November. This is general advice rather than a figure, but the earlier you ask, the more choice you have on dates and formats.

What it looks like with us

Diane Collins, Business Developer at Howdens, said: “Gold Tier arrived at the exact time they said they would, they set everything up ready for the start of our event. The driving simulator was amazing and enjoyed by all our customers and staff.”

For a Christmas party, Fatima Mnasri, Community Manager at SpaceMade, said: “We hired Gold Tier Events for our Christmas party, and it was a huge success! The Gold Tier team were incredibly professional, handling everything seamlessly. Our members had an amazing time and absolutely loved the entertainment.”

FAQs

What are the best team building activities?

It depends on your group size and space. Small teams suit Escape Room in a Box or a quiz, while larger groups of up to 500 suit AI Robot Wars or a VR Escape Room. Pick something with teams, a clear goal and a winner. Our team building events page goes into more detail.

What do you do at a work Christmas party?

Most work parties combine food and drink with some organised entertainment, so colleagues who rarely speak end up mixing. That might be a quiz, game show, arcade games or a team challenge. Our corporate events page covers the formats we run.

What are some fun and engaging Christmas games I can play?

For a team setting, look for games with a shared goal and a scoreboard, such as quiz rounds, Taskmaster-style challenges or a Traitors-style game. Quick, low-prep options work well in an office. Our game shows and quizzes page has more on the options.

Are there free Christmas team building activities for the office?

Yes. A homemade quiz, a festive bake-off or a team-name-and-prize challenge costs little. What you give up is a neutral host, equipment and a polished running order, which matter most with larger groups or mixed departments. A hosted activity takes the organising off your plate.

Plan your team’s Christmas session

Tell us about your event and we’ll put together a tailored proposal. Enquire here with your group size and date, and we’ll reply within one business day. You can also see our wider team building events.