Work Social Ideas: 15 Ways to Get Your Team Together
You have been asked to come up with work social ideas on top of your day job. Your team is a mix of drinkers, non-drinkers, introverts, parents and people who work from home. The ideas that work are easy to join without it feeling awkward: a drop-in games night, a quiz, an escape room or a daytime session. The chooser table further down helps you pick by group size, space and effort.
Quick jumps: after-work ideas, office hours, bigger socials, hybrid teams, chooser table.
What makes a work social people actually attend
People attend socials that are optional, easy to join and not built entirely around drinking. That means a clear start and end, an activity so nobody has to carry the conversation, and a time that works around commutes and childcare.
A few rules we see work across the events we run:
- Offer a way in that is not the pub. A pub night is fine as one option, but it should not be the only one.
- Pick a format with something to do. Games, challenges and quizzes give quieter people a role, which makes them more likely to come back.
- Let people drop in. A free-flow format means someone can play for 20 minutes and leave without it being noticed.
- Time it sensibly. Lunchtime or late afternoon suits people who cannot stay late. Evening suits those who can.
- Ask first. Two minutes on a poll beats a booked venue half the team resents.
After-work social ideas
After-work socials suit teams who want a relaxed evening with a bit of structure. The trick is choosing something that works for people who do not drink.
Arcade and pub-style games night
An arcade night is an easy social to get people to join, because it is free-flow and drop-in. Our arcade setup includes retro machines such as Street Fighter, Pong and Pac-Man, plus air hockey, table football, darts, shuffleboard and beer pong. Guests can wander between games rather than sitting through a programme, so introverts can play without being the centre of attention. See our arcade games hire for the full list.
Quiz or game show night
A quiz or game show gives a whole room one shared focus, which helps when teams do not mix much day to day. Our game shows and quizzes include Taskmaster-style challenges, Cube challenges, quizzes and bingo, themed to your company, with setup included. They suit end-of-day socials. Teams can sit at tables, so people are with colleagues they choose.
Escape room or VR escape room
An escape room gets teams solving a problem together, and a VR version can run at your office or venue. Our VR escape room is for teams of 4 to 10, up to 500 participants, and needs about 2 x 2 m of space (a table) per team. No VR experience is needed, so it suits people with no gaming background.
Treasure hunt or outdoor challenge
If the weather allows, a hunt gets people outside and moving. Our tablet treasure hunt uses geotagged outdoor challenges on tablets, with prizes for the winning team. For something more active, outdoor team building can include axe throwing, archery or laser shooting, which are good for groups who prefer doing to talking.
Work socials in office hours
In-hours socials are among the most inclusive options, because nobody has to give up an evening. They are also usually the cheapest to organise, as most need no outside help. Ideas that work with a small budget:
- Lunch club or shared lunch. Rotate who picks the theme or cuisine.
- Bake-off. Low effort, and it gives non-drinkers an easy way to join in.
- Walking meeting or lunchtime walk. Good for people who find big rooms tiring.
- Show-and-tell. Five-minute slots where people share a hobby or a side project.
- Desk quiz. Ten questions by email or chat, with a small prize.
These work best as a regular, low-pressure rhythm. Keep them short so they do not eat into a deadline-heavy afternoon.
Bigger socials once or twice a year
A bigger annual social is where a hired-in format earns its place, because the scale and logistics are hard to handle alone. Think a summer party, a family fun day or a standout evening that people mention for months.
Options include driving simulators (1 to 16 simulators with force-feedback wheels, with custom branding available), a family fun day with inflatables, mini golf and live music, or a themed corporate summer party. We deliver corporate events for “20 people or 2000”, and our corporate events service includes planning, setup, breakdown, all equipment, professional hosts and a free venue-finding service as standard.
One client who ran an after-conference social with us said: “They worked with us to understand and implement our requirements, and executed everything professionally and on time.” (Jonathan Behr, CTO / VP of Engineering, Laravel Live.)
Social ideas for hybrid and remote teams
For hybrid teams, the aim is to avoid a split between the people in the room and the people on a screen. A quiz, a shared challenge or a themed “bring your own” session works for both groups when it is designed for them from the start.
Simple options are an online quiz with mixed office and home teams, a virtual escape room, or a monthly “show your workspace” call. Pair these with an occasional in-person day, such as indoor team building, so remote staff meet colleagues properly.
Inclusive work socials: non-drinkers, introverts, mobility and neurodiversity
An inclusive social is one where every format has a way in for everyone. Here is what to build in:
- Non-drinkers. Offer good alcohol-free drinks and choose activities that do not centre on a bar.
- Introverts. Pick structured or drop-in activities where there is something to do.
- Mobility. Check step-free access and seating at the venue, and tell the supplier your needs early.
- Neurodiversity. Share the plan in advance, and give people a quiet space or the option to step out.
Accessibility needs vary by activity, so confirm the specifics with the supplier before you book. We are happy to talk through requirements on an enquiry.
Chooser table
Use this to narrow down your shortlist by group size, space and effort.
| Idea | Group size | Space needed | Drinks-free? | Effort to organise |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arcade games night | Drop-in, flexible | Room with floor space | Yes | Low (supplier sets up) |
| Quiz or game show | Flexible, tailored to the room | Room with tables | Yes | Low to medium |
| VR escape room | Teams of 4 to 10, up to 500 | About 2 x 2 m per team | Yes | Low (supplier sets up) |
| Tablet treasure hunt | Teams, outdoors | Outdoor area | Yes | Medium |
| Lunch club or bake-off | 5 to 30 | Your kitchen or meeting room | Yes | Low |
| Summer party or fun day | Corporate events from 20 to 2,000 | Venue or outdoor space | Yes | Higher (use a supplier) |
| Online quiz | Any, hybrid | None | Yes | Low |
Work social ideas in London and other UK cities
If you are in London, the main things to look for are space, access and a supplier who can bring everything to you. We deliver events across the UK, so we can set up at your office, a hired venue or an outdoor site.
When choosing a venue, check capacity, step-free access, the room layout, whether it allows outside suppliers, and how loud the space gets. If you do not have a venue yet, our free venue-finding service can help. We make no claims about specific London venues here, so ask us or your venue for current details.
Budget and getting sign-off
Costs depend on group size, how long the social runs, the venue, whether food and drink are included, and how much equipment is needed. We do not publish prices, so ask for a tailored proposal.
To get sign-off, show your manager what the social is for (for example, getting a newly merged team to know each other), the format, how many people it suits and an estimated cost per head. Using a supplier with setup and breakdown included keeps the effort low.
When to bring in a supplier, and how to enquire
Bring in a supplier when the group is large, you need kit you do not own, or you want the day to run smoothly without you being on your feet all evening. A professional host, setup and breakdown mean you can enjoy it too. Diane Collins, Business Developer at Howdens, said of us: “Gold Tier arrived at the exact time they said they would, they set everything up ready for the start of our event.”
Tell us about your event and we’ll put together a tailored proposal. Enquire here and we reply within one business day.
FAQs
What are some examples of social events?
Common work social events include an arcade or games night, a quiz or game show, a VR escape room, a treasure hunt, a lunchtime bake-off, a summer party and a family fun day. Pick by what the social is for: a regular catch-up needs something light, while an annual party can justify a hired-in experience.
What are some examples of team building activities at work?
Escape rooms, quizzes, treasure hunts, CSI-style investigations and AI robot challenges all work well, because teams solve something together rather than just chatting. Shorter options such as a desk quiz or show-and-tell fit inside office hours. For more, see our team building events.
How often should a team have a work social?
Most teams do well with something small and optional every month or two, plus one bigger event once or twice a year, such as a summer party or Christmas do. Keep the regular ones low-effort and in work hours where you can, so organising them never becomes a chore.
How do you get people to come to a work social?
Make it optional, not tied to alcohol, and easy to join. Run some in work hours, give plenty of notice, let people drop in and leave, and offer a format that does not rely on small talk. Ask the team what they would enjoy before you book anything.