12 Engaging Summer Team Building Activities for Teams

Summer team building activities are a great way to shake off the mid-year slump and help coworkers connect outside the usual work routine. Whether your team is gathering in person or logging in from different locations, these seasonal experiences create opportunities to relax, have fun, and spend time together in a more meaningful way. We've rounded up 12 summer team-building ideas that can make work feel a little less routine and a lot more engaging. Whether your team is remote, hybrid, or fully in person, these activities offer plenty of ways to bring everyone together.

Why Host Summer Team Building Activities at Work?

Summer comes around mid-year, which makes it great to help employees recharge and beat the mid-year slump. After months of focusing on goals and deadlines, summer team-building activities offer an opportunity for teams to step away from routine work and bond with coworkers. Most importantly, they can help uplift moods, boost morale, and reduce burnout while enjoying fun, seasonal experiences. In fact, according to recent research, 65% of employees reported noticing positive changes in their mood after team events. This further shows how investing in summer-themed events can contribute to a happier, more engaged team.

Summer Team Building Activities for Virtual Teams

1. Summer Trivia Challenge

The summer-themed trivia by Hooray Teams is perfect for team fun, friendly competition, and light-hearted bonding. A professional host guides teams through multiple rounds of questions covering categories like summer destinations, seasonal foods, travel, pop culture, and fun facts. Each round comes in different formats, like guess the picture, multiple choice questions, and audio rounds, for a lively experience. You can even tailor the game to custom categories for a more personalized experience. Quick Tip: Add a bonus ‘Guess the Location’ round featuring employee-submitted vacation photos to make the game more relatable and fun.

2. Summer Team Building Bingo

A summer-inspired Bingo gives the classic game a seasonal twist, featuring prompts about everything teams love about summer. A lively host shares digital bingo cards centered around personal experiences or trivia questions with the participants and calls out random prompts during each round. Everyone listens to the host, mark off matching squares to create a winning combination, and shout ‘Bingo!’ You can even customize the game with personalized themes, background music, or add a few rounds of trivia to dial up the fun. Check out these sample bingo prompts to get started:

Loves beach hopping
Flew a kite
Have 3+ sunglasses
Took a summer road trip
Been to a tropical destination
Built a sandcastle
Took a sunset photo
Enjoys backyard barbecues
Played beach volleyball

3. California Craft Beer Tasting

Nothing beats the fun of savoring beer to cool off during summer. The Hooray Teams’ California Craft Beer Tasting is a great choice to get both remote and hybrid teams to have some fun in the sun ( well, not literally!). An expert host will show teams how to sample the beers and share fun insights about the brewing process along the way.Before the event, everyone receives a curated kit with three miniature high-quality craft beers from the Golden State and a custom note. Best of all, the event naturally encourages conversation and creates opportunities for team members to share preferences and recommendations.Pro Tip: If some of your team members do not drink alcohol, opt for a summer mixology with both cocktail and mocktail options for a more inclusive experience.

4. Terrarium Building Workshop

For teams looking to swap typical summer activities for something more relaxing, a terrarium workshop combines creativity, mindfulness, and a touch of nature in one engaging event. Teams can build their own miniature garden using succulents, moss, stones, and other decorative elements. Guided by an expert host, participants learn how to assemble and care for their terrariums while enjoying a laid-back, hands-on experience with coworkers. By the end of the session, everyone takes home a unique piece of desk decor that adds a touch of nature to their workspace.To keep planning simple, consider a kitted experience from providers like Hooray Teams. They offer a variety of terrarium workshops, including succulent terrariums, classic globe terrariums, moss wall creations, and sealed terrariums, with all supplies delivered directly to participants ahead of the event.Here’s a tip: Have employees vote on categories like “Most Creative Design,” “Best Use of Color,” or “Desk Decor MVP.”

5. Nature Painting Session

The Nature painting session by Hooray Teams gives you a chance to tap into your creativity and channel your appreciation for nature. An expert host guides team members in creating paintings on summer-inspired themes and shares tips to perfect their creations. The platform also delivers painting kits with all the essentials, including paints, recycled art paper, brushes, and a palette, for a seamless experience. Here are a few ideas to decide the subject of your paintings:

Beach sunsets
Tropical flowers
Mountain landscapes
Summer picnic scenes
Ocean views
Coastal lighthouse
Sunflower meadows
Starry summer campsite

Pro tip: Create a digital gallery so everyone can explore the paintings and appreciate each other’s efforts.

6. Craft Workshop

Looking for fun, hands-on summer team building activities? A low-key summer-themed craft workshop is sure to be a hit with your team. You can select the crafts your team wants to try in advance and bring in an expert to show live demos and keep everyone engaged with interesting tidbits. Try these trending summer craft ideas:

Bandana making: Design vibrant summer bandanas using fabric squares and style them as head wraps, neck scarves, wrist accessories, or bag accents.
Macramé wall hangings: Learn simple knotting techniques to create stylish boho-inspired wall décor for your home or workspace.
Tie-Dye T-shirt Painting: Transform plain T-shirts into colorful wearable art with eye-catching tie-dye patterns and summer-inspired designs.
Beach-Themed Coasters: Design custom coasters with ocean-inspired patterns, shells, and coastal colors to serve your drinks in style.

Pro Tip: Reserve time at the end for a show-and-tell session where participants can showcase their creations and share their inspiration.

Summer Team Building Activities for In-Office Teams

7. Amazing Race Scavenger Hunt

Inspired by the popular TV show, an Amazing Race-style scavenger hunt for teams combines problem-solving, teamwork, and exploration. Teams complete challenges, solve clues, and navigate checkpoints while competing against coworkers. To make things lively, you can bring in an energetic host to keep everyone entertained with live commentary throughout the event. Here are a few tasks you can include in your game:

Solve location-based riddles to unlock the next checkpoint.
Find and photograph specific objects from a scavenger hunt list.
Complete a local landmark trivia challenge before moving to the next stop.
Recreate a famous summer-themed photo and submit it.
Perform a random act of kindness and document it as proof.
Complete a mini obstacle course at a designated checkpoint.
Record a short team chant or victory dance for bonus points.
Race to the finish line after completing all challenges.

Pro Tip: Include a mix of physical, creative, and problem-solving challenges to ensure everyone on the team can contribute their strengths and stay engaged throughout the race.

8. Outdoor Minute to Win It Games

Teams looking for summer activities that require minimal setup but deliver maximum engagement can host Minute to Win It games. Participants complete a series of simple tasks, each within 60 seconds, to score points. For a more game show-like experience, ask your assigned host to keep the excitement alive with playful banter, surprise bonus rounds, and real-time score updates. Try these fun, easy-to-play Minute to Win It challenges with your team:

Cup Stack Relay: Race to build and dismantle a pyramid of cups before time runs out.
Ping Pong Bounce: Bounce ping pong balls into buckets placed at varying distances.
Sponge Bucket Race: Transfer water from one bucket to another using only a sponge.
Flip the Bottle: Successfully land a water bottle upright as many times as possible within a minute.
Water Balloon Toss: Toss and catch a water balloon while increasing the distance between teammates after each successful catch.

9. Outdoor Adventure Day

Sometimes the best team-building moments happen away from desks and meeting rooms. An Outdoor Adventure Day gives employees a chance to connect while enjoying something new together. Depending on your team’s preferences, you can choose low-key activities like hiking or more adventurous games like go-karting to engage everyone. Whether your goal is to promote wellness or simply boost team morale, these shared moments are sure to help teams bond and create lasting memories. Check out these thrilling adventure ideas for your team day out:

Hiking: Explore scenic routes as a team while capturing Insta-worthy pictures along the way.
Nature Walks: Visit a nearby park or garden for a slow, relaxing stroll.
Kayaking: Paddle along calm waterways for a refreshing outdoor adventure.
Rock Climbing: Take on climbing challenges to build confidence and trust as a team.

Pro Tip: Offer a variety of activities that cater to diverse skill levels so everyone can participate comfortably.

10. Summer Sundowner Party

If your team prefers relaxed social events, a summer sundowner party is a great way to bring everyone together. Hosted outdoors in the late afternoon or evening, these parties can include a mix of great food, refreshing drinks, entertainment, and laid-back networking opportunities. Unlike structured team-building activities, a sundowner gives people the freedom to mingle, strike up conversations, and build relationships naturally in a lively setting.Check out these ideas to liven up your team's social:

Live Music: Create a festive atmosphere with acoustic performances or local bands.
Food Trucks: Offer BBQ favorites, summer snacks, or tropical meals.
Lawn Games: Set up cornhole, giant Jenga, ladder toss, or bocce ball.
Drink Station: Let employees customize refreshing summer cocktails or mocktails.
Photo Booth: Capture memorable moments with fun summer-themed props.
Employee Recognition: Celebrate team achievements from the first half of the year.

11. Ice Cream Social

Few summer team building activities are as universally loved as an Ice Cream Social. This simple yet engaging event gives employees a chance to learn how to make ice cream, assemble sundaes, or simply enjoy their favorite treats from a good ol’ ice cream truck. You can host this as a standalone activity or a part of a larger company event, depending on your preferences.Include these ice cream-themed activities to keep everyone engaged:

Build-Your-Own Sundae Bar: Let employees customize their desserts with a variety of toppings.
Mystery Flavor Challenge: Have participants guess unusual ice cream flavors.
Flavor Voting Contest: Sample various ice creams and crown the team's favorite summer flavor.
Ice Cream Trivia: Test your team’s knowledge about ice creams over a few rounds of trivia.
Dessert Pairing Station: Pair ice cream with cookies, brownies, or fresh fruit to enjoy custom treats.
Conversation prompts: Introduce prompts like ‘What’s your favorite vacation memory?’ or ‘What’s your dream travel destination?’ to keep the conversations flowing.

Quick Tip: Include dairy-free, vegan, and allergy-friendly options to ensure everyone can enjoy the event worry-free.Try this: If you have a hybrid or remote team, opt for an online ice cream-making or sundae jar building event to recreate the same vibe.

12. Summer Special Cook-Off

What better way to enjoy summer than with great food and even better company? A seasonal cook-off challenge gives teams a chance to connect and have fun together while creating delicious dishes. Team members can participate individually or in groups to prepare dishes based on a specific theme or ingredient, then present their creations to a panel of judges. Alternatively, everyone can vote for their favorite entries and award creative titles or gift hampers to the winners. Spice up your event with these cook-off Ideas:

Summer BBQ Challenge: Create the ultimate backyard cookout dish.
Fruit-Inspired Creations: Use seasonal fruits as the star ingredient.
International Street Food: Recreate popular dishes from around the world.
Mystery Ingredient Challenge: Incorporate a surprise ingredient into every dish.

Pro Tip: If cooking isn't practical for your workplace, consider a no-cook recipe challenge featuring mocktails, fruit platters, or dessert creations instead.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How can remote teams enjoy virtual summer team building activities?

Remote teams can book summer virtual team building activities through remote team building companies or run self-hosted events via video conferencing platforms.