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Team Building & Retreats tips
Published on
July 30, 2025
21 Best New Year Team-Building Activities That Drive Results (2025)
As the holiday season winds down and a fresh calendar year begins, organizations are presented with the opportunity to set the tone for the months ahead.
New Year team-building activities, structured team-building games, workshops, and events designed to connect individual contributions to collective team goals, are the secret to transforming January’s natural momentum into a year of high performance and team spirit. More than just fun team-building activities, these experiences are crafted to boost morale, foster team collaboration, and build team connections that last.
This is especially important given thatGallup’s 2024 meta-analysis of over 183,000 teams found that teams in the top quartile of engagement are 14% more productive in production and 18% more productive in sales than less engaged teams, highlighting how intentional team building can directly boost productivity and business outcomes.
In this comprehensive guide, you’ll discover 21 proven New Year team-building activities designed for every team and situation. Whether you’re gathering in person, connecting remote teams through virtual team-building activities, or uniting a mix of both.
These activities span a wide range of formats, from recognition and reflection exercises that celebrate team effort to goal-setting and future planning workshops that align the entire group around ambitious team goals.
This visual celebration activity allows teams to acknowledge their biggest accomplishments from the past year while creating a shared record of success that builds confidence for future challenges. Teams create a collaborative display that serves as ongoing motivation and recognition of collective achievements.
Instructions:
Set up a large poster board or digital wall space visible to all team members
Provide colorful sticky notes, markers, and writing materials for each participant
Ask each team member to write down 2-3 of their biggest accomplishments from the past year
Have participants post their wins on the wall while briefly explaining each achievement
Group similar achievements together and identify patterns of success
Conclude by having the team reflect on what made these wins possible
Keep the wall displayed in a common area for ongoing motivation
Group Size: 5-30 participants
Time Estimate: 30 minutes
Why It Works: This activity builds team morale by making individual and collective achievements visible while creating a foundation of proven success that increases confidence for tackling new challenges.
2. End-of-Year Superlatives
This peer recognition activity promotes appreciation and camaraderie by having colleagues nominate each other for meaningful titles that highlight unique contributions and positive qualities. Teams celebrate diverse strengths while building mutual appreciation.
Instructions:
Create a list of positive superlative categories relevant to your team (Most Helpful, Best Problem Solver, Most Creative, etc.)
Distribute nomination forms to each team member with all categories listed
Allow 10 minutes for individuals to nominate colleagues for each category
Collect nominations and tally votes for each category
Present awards to winners with specific examples of why they earned recognition
Ensure every team member receives at least one recognition
Create certificates or small tokens to commemorate the awards
Group Size: 8-25 participants
Time Estimate: 45 minutes
Why It Works: This activity strengthens relationships by encouraging team members to notice and appreciate each other's unique contributions while building a culture of recognition and positive feedback.
3. Memory Wall
This collaborative reflection activity allows team members to post memories or highlights from the past year on a shared display, visually celebrating achievements and shared moments that strengthened team bonds. Teams create a comprehensive record of their journey together.
Instructions:
Prepare a large wall space or bulletin board with "Our Year in Review" header
Provide index cards, photos, markers, and decorative materials
Ask team members to write or draw significant memories from the past year
Include both professional achievements and team bonding moments
Have participants post their memories while sharing brief stories about each one
Organize memories chronologically or by theme (projects, celebrations, challenges overcome)
Take photos of the completed wall for future reference
Group Size: 6-20 participants
Time Estimate: 40 minutes
Why It Works: This activity reinforces positive team experiences and shared history while helping members appreciate the journey they've taken together, building stronger emotional connections.
4. Reflection and Appreciation Circle
This structured sharing activity provides team members with opportunities to express gratitude and reflect on positive moments while boosting morale and strengthening interpersonal bonds. Teams engage in meaningful dialogue that deepens relationships.
Instructions:
Arrange chairs in a circle with all participants facing each other
Establish ground rules for respectful listening and authentic sharing
Begin with a moment of quiet reflection on the past year's positive experiences
Have each person share one thing they're grateful for about the team or year
Continue with each person sharing a positive moment or achievement they witnessed in a colleague
Allow the natural conversation to flow while maintaining focus on appreciation
Close with a collective commitment to maintaining gratitude practices
Group Size: 6-15 participants
Time Estimate: 35 minutes
Why It Works: This activity creates psychological safety and emotional connection by focusing on positive experiences and mutual appreciation, strengthening team bonds, and building resilience.
5. Best of the Year Lists
This creative sharing activity encourages teams to create and share lists of their "bests" from the year, sparking conversation and reflection while revealing personal interests and experiences that build deeper connections among team members.
Instructions:
Prepare list templates with categories like "Best Movie," "Best Moment," "Best Achievement," and "Best Lesson Learned."
Give each team member 15 minutes to complete their personal "Best of" lists
Form small groups of 3-4 people to share and discuss their lists
Have groups identify common favorites or interesting differences
Bring everyone together to share highlights from small group discussions
Create a team "Best of" compilation combining everyone's favorites
Display the compilation for ongoing reference and conversation
Group Size: 8-24 participants
Time Estimate: 50 minutes
Why It Works: This activity builds personal connections by revealing individual interests and experiences while creating shared references that strengthen team culture and communication.
Goal Setting and Future Planning Activities
6. Guess the New Year's Resolution
This engaging sharing activity encourages team members to reveal their goals and aspirations while creating personal connections through the fun challenge of matching resolutions to colleagues. Teams build an understanding of individual motivations and support systems.
Instructions:
Distribute index cards and ask each person to write one meaningful resolution anonymously
Collect all resolution cards and number them for reference
Read each resolution aloud without revealing the author
Have team members write down their guesses for who wrote each resolution
Reveal the authors one by one, allowing brief explanations of their goals
Award small prizes for the most correct guesses
Discuss how the team can support each other's resolutions
Group Size: 8-20 participants
Time Estimate: 40 minutes
Why It Works: This activity creates personal connections while encouraging goal-sharing and mutual support, building accountability systems that extend beyond the team-building session.
7. Create a Time Capsule
This forward-looking activity has team members contribute items or letters representing the current year to be opened in the future, symbolizing growth and shared experiences while creating anticipation for future achievements and reflection opportunities.
Instructions:
Provide a decorative container or box to serve as the time capsule
Give each team member paper to write a letter to their future selves or the team
Ask participants to include predictions, goals, current challenges, and hopes
Invite team members to contribute small, meaningful items representing the current moment
Have each person briefly share what they're contributing and why
Seal the time capsule together with a ceremonial element
Schedule the opening date (6 months to 1 year) and designate a keeper
Group Size: 6-25 participants
Time Estimate: 45 minutes
Why It Works: This activity creates shared investment in the team's future while providing a structured way to set intentions and create accountability for long-term goals and growth.
8. Vision Board Creation
This creative planning activity helps team members visualize their goals and aspirations for the coming year while sharing their dreams and creating mutual support for achievement. Teams build both individual and collective vision for success.
Instructions:
Provide poster boards, magazines, scissors, glue sticks, and markers for each participant
Ask team members to create visual representations of their goals for the new year
Include both professional and personal aspirations in their vision boards
Allow 30 minutes for individual creation time with background music
Have each person present their vision board to the group with explanations
Identify common themes and opportunities for mutual support
Display vision boards in the workspace for ongoing motivation
Group Size: 6-15 participants
Time Estimate: 60 minutes
Why It Works: This activity makes abstract goals tangible and memorable while creating visual reminders that maintain motivation and focus throughout the year.
9. Goal-Setting Workshop
This structured planning activity guides teams through systematic goal development using proven frameworks while ensuring alignment between individual aspirations and team objectives. Teams create specific, measurable, and achievable targets for the coming year.
Instructions:
Introduce the SMART goal framework (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound)
Provide goal-setting worksheets and planning templates
Allow 20 minutes for individual goal development using the framework
Form pairs to share goals and provide feedback on clarity and feasibility
Facilitate discussion on how individual goals support team objectives
Have each person commit to one primary goal with specific action steps
Establish accountability partnerships and check-in schedules
Group Size: 8-20 participants
Time Estimate: 75 minutes
Why It Works: This activity creates clear, actionable goals with built-in accountability systems while ensuring individual aspirations align with team success.
Creative Problem-Solving and Innovation Activities
10. Egg Drop Challenge
This engineering-focused exercise is a standout problem-solving activity that encourages teams to design structures that protect an egg from a high drop, promoting creativity, problem-solving, and collaborative thinking while building confidence in the team's ability to tackle complex challenges together.
Instructions:
Divide participants into teams of 3-5 people
Provide each team with identical materials (straws, tape, paper, cotton balls, etc.)
Explain the challenge: create a structure that will protect a raw egg from a 6-foot drop
Allow 30 minutes for design, planning, and construction
Have teams present their designs and explain their engineering approach
Conduct the drop test with all teams simultaneously
Celebrate successful designs and discuss lessons learned from failures
Group Size: 9-25 participants
Time Estimate: 50 minutes
Why It Works: This activity builds problem-solving confidence while demonstrating how diverse perspectives and collaborative thinking lead to innovative solutions.
11. Build-a-Boat Challenge
This hands-on construction activity requires teams to use limited materials to build a floating vessel, fostering creativity, resourcefulness, and teamwork while creating a fun competitive element that energizes participants.
Instructions:
Form teams of 4-6 people and provide identical building materials
Present the challenge: build a boat that can float and potentially carry weight
Allow 45 minutes for the design, construction, and testing phases
Provide access to a large container of water for testing
Have teams test their boats and make adjustments as needed
Conduct final testing with optional weight-bearing challenges
Award recognition for most creative design, best teamwork, and most successful boat
Group Size: 12-30 participants
Time Estimate: 70 minutes
Why It Works: This activity combines creativity with practical problem-solving while building team cohesion through shared challenges and collaborative achievement.
12. Murder Mystery Game
This collaborative investigation activity engages teams in solving a fictional crime through communication, creative thinking, and systematic problem-solving while building trust and cooperation in a fun, low-stakes environment.
Instructions:
Select or create a murder mystery scenario appropriate for your team size
Assign roles to participants, including suspects, witnesses, and investigators
Provide clues, character backgrounds, and investigation materials
Allow teams to interview suspects, examine evidence, and discuss theories
Facilitate 45 minutes of investigation with structured information sharing
Have teams present their solutions with supporting evidence
Reveal the correct solution and discuss problem-solving strategies used
Group Size: 8-20 participants
Time Estimate: 75 minutes
Why It Works: This activity builds communication skills and logical thinking while creating shared experiences that strengthen team bonds through collaborative problem-solving.
13. Innovation Challenge
This creative thinking activity presents teams with real or hypothetical problems that require innovative solutions, encouraging out-of-the-box thinking while building confidence in the team's collective creative capabilities.
Instructions:
Present a relevant challenge or problem facing your organization or industry
Form diverse teams of 4-6 people with varied skills and perspectives
Allow 20 minutes for individual brainstorming and idea generation
Facilitate 30 minutes of team collaboration to develop and refine solutions
Provide materials for creating simple prototypes or visual presentations
Have teams present their innovative solutions to the larger group
Discuss implementation possibilities and next steps for promising ideas
Group Size: 12-24 participants
Time Estimate: 65 minutes
Why It Works: This activity demonstrates the team's creative potential while generating practical solutions that can be applied to real workplace challenges.
Team Bonding and Communication Activities
14. Human Knot
This classic physical team-building activity requires participants to untangle themselves without releasing their hands, emphasizing clear communication, patience, and collaborative problem-solving while building trust and physical comfort among team members.
Instructions:
Have all participants stand in a tight circle facing inward
Ask everyone to reach across and grab the hands of two different people (not adjacent to them)
Explain that the goal is to untangle the human knot without releasing the hands
Allow the team to communicate and strategize about movements
Facilitate the untangling process, offering hints if the team gets stuck
Celebrate when the team successfully creates a circle or chain
Discuss communication strategies and teamwork lessons learned
Group Size: 8-15 participants
Time Estimate: 25 minutes
Why It Works: This activity builds trust and communication skills while requiring team members to work together physically and mentally to achieve a common goal.
15. New Year's Trivia
This knowledge-sharing activity combines fun competition with learning opportunities by testing team members on New Year's traditions, team milestones, and interesting facts while building camaraderie through friendly competition.
Instructions:
Prepare trivia questions about New Year's traditions, team history, and fun facts
Divide participants into teams of 4-6 people
Explain the scoring system and competition rules
Present questions in rounds with increasing difficulty
Allow teams to discuss answers before submitting responses
Keep score and provide immediate feedback on correct answers
Award prizes to winning teams and recognize good sportsmanship
Group Size: 12-30 participants
Time Estimate: 40 minutes
Why It Works: This activity builds team knowledge while creating positive competitive energy that brings people together through shared learning and fun.
16. Communication Challenge
This skills-building, communication-boosting activity focuses on improving team communication through structured exercises that highlight different communication styles and preferences while building understanding and empathy among team members.
Instructions:
Prepare communication scenarios and role-playing cards
Explain different communication styles and their characteristics
Have participants identify their preferred communication style
Form mixed groups with diverse communication preferences
Present communication challenges that require style adaptation
Allow 30 minutes for practice scenarios with feedback
Discuss insights about communication differences and adaptation strategies
Group Size: 10-20 participants
Time Estimate: 55 minutes
Why It Works: This activity improves team communication by building awareness of different styles and preferences while providing practical skills for more effective interactions.
Service and Purpose-Driven Activities
17. Operation Supply Drop
This service-oriented activity combines teamwork with social impact by having teams assemble care packages for charity, creating shared purpose while building collaboration skills and contributing to the community.
Instructions:
Partner with a local charity to identify needed items and recipients
Organize supplies and assembly materials in stations
Divide participants into teams responsible for different package types
Provide assembly instructions and quality standards for packages
Allow teams to work together to efficiently create care packages
Have teams personalize packages with notes or decorations
Arrange delivery to the charity and share impact information with the team
Group Size: 10-40 participants
Time Estimate: 60 minutes
Why It Works: This activity builds team cohesion while creating meaningful impact, demonstrating how collaboration can serve purposes beyond the workplace and strengthening team bonds through shared service.
18. Putt for a Purpose
This creative fundraising activity combines team building with charitable giving by having teams build mini-golf holes from donated items, and then play the course before donating materials to charity, blending fun competition with community service.
Instructions:
Ask team members to bring items suitable for mini-golf obstacles (boxes, tubes, ramps, etc.)
Divide participants into teams of 4-6 people
Allow 30 minutes for teams to design and build creative mini-golf holes using donated items
Set up a course using all team-created holes
Have teams rotate through the course, playing each hole and keeping score
Award prizes for the most creative hole design and the best golf performance
Pack up all materials for donation to a predetermined charity
Group Size: 12-30 participants
Time Estimate: 75 minutes
Why It Works: This activity combines creativity, friendly competition, and charitable giving while demonstrating how teams can have fun while making a positive community impact.
19. Community Service Project
This purpose-driven activity engages teams in volunteer work that benefits the local community while building stronger relationships through shared service and demonstrating organizational values in action.
Instructions:
Partner with local organizations to identify appropriate volunteer opportunities
Brief team members on the service project goals and impact
Organize transportation and necessary supplies for the volunteer work
Divide participants into working groups with specific tasks and responsibilities
Facilitate 2-3 hours of hands-on volunteer work with rotation between tasks
Gather for a reflection discussion about the experience and its impact
Plan follow-up volunteer opportunities for continued team engagement
Group Size: 8-25 participants
Time Estimate: 3-4 hours
Why It Works: This activity builds team unity through shared service while demonstrating organizational commitment to community impact and creating meaningful experiences that strengthen relationships.
Adventure and Challenge Activities
20. Survival Island
This outdoor adventure activity challenges teams to tackle survival scenarios that promote resilience, adaptability, and creative problem-solving while building confidence in the team's ability to overcome obstacles together.
Instructions:
Create a survival scenario with limited resources and specific challenges
Divide participants into teams of 6-8 people
Provide each team with identical basic supplies (rope, tarp, matches, etc.)
Present survival challenges such as shelter building, water purification, and food procurement
Allow teams to strategize and work together to complete challenges
Rotate teams through different survival stations with time limits
Debrief the experience, focusing on teamwork, leadership, and problem-solving strategies
Group Size: 12-32 participants
Time Estimate: 2-3 hours
Why It Works: This activity builds team resilience and adaptability while demonstrating how diverse skills and collaborative thinking help overcome challenging situations.
21. Outdoor Team Challenge Course
This physical outdoor activity combines multiple challenges that require teamwork, communication, and trust while building confidence in the team's ability to support each other through difficult situations.
Instructions:
Set up multiple challenge stations requiring different types of teamwork
Include activities like trust falls, rope courses, and group problem-solving challenges
Divide participants into teams that rotate through all stations
Assign safety spotters and provide clear instructions for each challenge
Allow teams to strategize and support each other through each challenge
Facilitate reflection discussions after each major challenge
Conclude with a team celebration of collective achievements
Group Size: 15-30 participants
Time Estimate: 2.5 hours
Why It Works: This activity builds trust and mutual support while demonstrating how teams can achieve more together than individuals can accomplish alone.
Building Teams That Thrive Throughout the Year
These 21 New Year team-building activities are practical tools to kickstart alignment, engagement, and collaboration for your new year's team. By combining recognition, goal setting, and fun team-building exercises, you set your team up for success in 2025, 2026, and so on.
Remember, the real impact of these fun team-building activities comes from weaving the insights, commitments, and relationships formed during these sessions into your ongoing team practices. Teams that prioritize strategic New Year team building, rather than treating January as just another month, consistently see higher engagement, stronger alignment, and better results. The real value comes from integrating these team-building activities—whether in-person or as virtual team building activities—into your ongoing routines. Corporate groups that make team building a priority at the start of the year consistently see better results.
TeamOut stands out as a leader in event planning and corporate retreats, with over 1,000 successful events and a 95% satisfaction rate. We’re ready to help make your New Year’s team-building activities unforgettable, whether your team is in or out of the office.
Book a free call todayand start planning your New Year team building now. Trust us, your investment in team alignment and momentum will pay off all year long.
Thomas Mazimann, a French entrepreneur and former international kayaking athlete, transitioned from sports to tech after moving to the U.S. He co-founded TeamOut, revolutionizing team gatherings.
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