Nothing quite compares to the team building activities in Washington, D.C. The city is filled with history around every corner and fun things to do after work and on the weekends.
But why should you even care about doing team building activities in Washington, D.C.? According to the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics, engaging in team building activities can make employees feel valued, build relationships between employees and make them see each other in a different light and improves skills like communication and teamwork.
You may think these skills can be developed in the office, and they can. But building those relationships outside the office is just as important, if not more. Allowing employees to socialize in a new context can have benefits when back in the office.
Whether your company is small or has hundreds of employees, team building invests in your employees. If you’ve been searching for “fun corporate event ideas near me,” then look no further! This list compiles some of the most fun team building activities in Washington, D.C. this year.
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- Culinary Team Building Activities in Washington, D.C.
- Creative Team Building Activities in Washington, D.C.
- Unique Team Building Activities in Washington, D.C.
- Virtual Team Building Activities in Washington, D.C.
- Corporate Team Building Activities in Washington, D.C.
- Outdoor Team Building Activities in Washington, D.C.
Culinary Team Building Activities in Washington, D.C.
1. Cooking Classes
Learn chef secrets, get behind-the-scenes tips and face off in cooking challenges with fun culinary team building activities in Washington, D.C.
In events like Pasta Palooza, fiesta-style cooking competitions and other fun themes, your team will learn the communication and collaboration skills that fast-paced, top-notch kitchens are known for. You can even compete right from the office, as chef instructors will bring everything you need to succeed in your challenge!
For small-group classes, niche menus and more, explore other cooking classes in Washington, D.C.
2. Online Cooking Classes
Remote teams can also take part in team building activities in Washington, D.C. Whether your employees are hybrid, completely remote or based in different cities, online cooking classes provide a great opportunity to bond with each other even when you’re not physically near each other. These hands-on classes will teach you to slice and dice your way to a gourmet meal.
3. Wine Tasting
Wine tasting is one of the most fun activities in D.C. for adults. Conveniently located near Virginia’s wine country, you’re only a short drive away from world-class wineries where you can sample glasses and find your new favorite bottle of wine. You can spend the evening after work at a winery or spend an entire weekend afternoon tasting new wines.
4. Pedal Saloon Pub Crawl
Spend the day on the water and see Washington, D.C. from a new perspective. With Pedal Saloon Pub Crawl, your team will have to work together to power the boat by pedaling as one in this team building activity in Washington, D.C.
There will be a conductor captaining the boat, but to get moving, you’ll need at least six people working together. Don’t worry; it won’t be all work and no play. You’ll also be able to enjoy some of your favorite cocktails on the boat.
5. Hang at a Cat Café
Cuddle with kitties and enjoy some treats when you spend an afternoon at a cat café like Crumbs and Whiskers Café in Washington, D.C. Cats are proven to reduce stress, so this is a great team building activity in Washington, D.C. to do after finishing a long project. Best for small teams, employees can also enjoy pastries and coffee while admiring the cute cats looking for their fur-ever homes.
Creative Team Building Activities in Washington, D.C.
6. Dance Classes
Get your team moving with dance classes in Washington, D.C. Dance classes are a great way to let loose, reduce stress and get a little exercise. Expert instructors in this active team building activity in Washington, D.C. will have you grooving to energizing beats no matter your skill level.
If you can’t get into the studio, online dance classes provide a great opportunity for remote teams to take part in the fun as well.
7. Paint and Sip
In these creative team building activities in Washington, D.C., you will allow your creativity to flow and try your hand at creating a masterpiece. With paint and sip in Washington, D.C., you can bond with your team and drink your favorite wine or cocktail, a fun activity no matter your artistic skill level.
Painting classes are led by expert artists who will teach you the basic techniques of different painting mediums. Remote teams will love online painting classes as fun after-work events.
8. Pottery Classes
What would make your morning cup of coffee even better? How about if you drank it out of a mug that you made yourself? You can make your new favorite coffee mug and so much more with pottery classes in Washington, D.C.
Pottery classes are a unique way to get creative and bond with your team on a weekend or weekday afternoon. Pottery classes are fun team building activities in Arlington, V.A. and The District where you’ll learn how to throw on the wheel, glaze and fire handmade pottery.
9. Drawing Classes
If you're one to doodle during meetings, then you’ll love drawing classes. You don’t need a ton of experience to enjoy a drawing class.
In these hands-on team building activities in Washington, D.C., expert artists will teach you all the basics like shading, lighting and form. With online drawing classes, remote teams can get in on the fun. Learn fun styles like cartooning and realistic styles like portraiture.
10. Storytelling Classes
No need to be a published author to enjoy these storytelling classes. The Art of Storytelling is a fun development workshop team building activity in Washington, D.C. that teaches how to tell compelling tales.
Learn the basics of narrative framework that will improve communication skills. Your team will walk back into the office with new techniques and confidence that your business will benefit from.
Unique Team Building Activities in Washington, D.C.
11. Photography Classes
Washington, D.C. has plenty of beautiful sights to see. Why not head out and explore the city with photography classes in Washington D.C.? You can take shots of the monument, the beautiful scenery and of your coworkers in these team building activities in Washington, D.C.
12. Acting Classes
Being a movie star might not be one of your professional goals, but acting classes can be fun team building activities in Washington, D.C. Through fun activities your team can improve their communication skills, boost their creative thinking and increase their confidence.
Acting classes are great for large group activities in Washington, D.C., and make some of the best employee engagement ideas for team to sharpen their quick-thinking and attention skills.
13. Woodworking Classes
If you’ve ever wanted to learn how to make your own furniture, woodworking classes are the way to start. Expert woodworkers will teach you how to use beginner woodworking tools to make your first project. These are creative and fun activities in D.C. for adults to enjoy on a weekend to bond outside of the office.
14. Sewing Classes
From pillows to curtains to jackets, sewing classes can teach you a new creative outlet or hobby. These fun hands-on team building activities in Washington, D.C. are led by experts who will guide you through making a project with no prior experience needed. You’ll learn the basics of hand sewing and machine sewing and go home with a finished product you can be proud of.
15. Glass Blowing Classes
One of the most captivating creative classes you can take is glass blowing. With beginner glass blowing classes, experts will teach you the basics of firing and shaping molten glass into vases and décor. Glass blowing is an unforgettable team building activity in Washington, D.C. that employees will love.
16. Labyrinth Game Shop
Host a classic game night with your team with this fun team building activity in Washington, D.C. At Labyrinth Game Shop, you’ll have access to plenty of games and puzzles to compete against your coworkers. In some games, you can even work together to solve multi-level puzzles, which will boost creative thinking, communication and collaboration skills.
17. Washington, D.C. Museums
One thing that D.C. is known for is all the museums with incredible art, science, history and more exhibits across 74 museums. Some of the most incredible museums in the city include the 17 Smithsonians throughout the city.
But if you’re looking for a new way to explore Smithsonian team building activities in Washington, D.C., you have to try Museum Hack D.C. Museum Hack D.C. puts on renegade tours that tells engaging stories and provides juicy facts for an unforgettable Smithsonian team building experience.
18. Game Truck
Or try an updated version of game night by renting Game Truck for a day. This mobile party truck offers fun team building activities in Washington, D.C. with gaming theaters and even LaserTag.
Game Truck has plenty of consoles to choose from, including the Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch. Take on your coworkers with tournaments and work together to beat levels and advance in the game.
Virtual Team Building Activities in Washington, D.C.
19. Virtual Flower Arranging
Learn the art of flower arrangements with your remote team by engaging in virtual flower arranging. Expert florists will guide you through creating arrangements with beautiful in-season blooms. You’ll learn how to make centerpieces and bouquets, plus the experts will pass along secrets to always make your blooms look stunning.
20. Virtual Game Nights
Get together with your remote team for fun virtual game nights that are sure to be an unforgettable bonding competition. Engaging hosts will lead your team through games like a virtual game show and bingo night. These game nights are great options for teams that aren’t in the office together.
21. Online Trivia Games
Have you been collecting random facts through the years and need somewhere to get that information out? How about with online trivia games where you can compete against coworkers? This online team building activity is ideal for large groups and remote companies who are looking for an activity to bond and a little friendly competition.
22. Virtual Scavenger Hunts
Work together to solve clues in virtual scavenger hunts. Scavenger hunts will have your coworkers thinking creatively as they race to the virtual finish line. For large group activities for work in Washington, D.C., your coworkers can compete head to head to reach the finish line first. Virtual scavenger hunts are a fun way to liven up corporate retreats and new employee onboarding.
23. Virtual Escape Rooms
Want a fun activity that encourages communication and collaboration? Virtual escape rooms can teach these skills. There are plenty of engaging storylines that include riddles and clues your team will have to solve as they race against the clock to escape their virtual space.
A virtual escape room is a fun way to bond with work-from-home employees. Or explore in-person escape room team building activities in Washington, D.C.
Corporate Team Building Activities in Washington, D.C.
24. Mixology Classes
If you’ve been searching for fun corporate event ideas near you, you might want to spice up your work happy hours with mixology classes in Washington, D.C. or even online mixology classes for remote teams.
Expert mixologists will lead you in classes that will teach you how to make your favorite cocktails or put a spin on the classics. You’ll use fresh ingredients to craft a cocktail that is both balanced and refreshing.
25. Virtual Wine Tastings
Embrace your inner sommelier with virtual wine tastings. You’ll learn how to identify the notes in different wine varieties from world-class sommeliers. These experts will also teach you how to pair wine with different foods for a gourmet meal.
26. Conquer a Climbing Wall
Looking for team building activities in Arlington, VA that will get your heart pumping? Movement Crystal City is located right outside of Washington, D.C.
Your team can conquer the climbing wall and cheer each other on as they make their way to the top. This fun team building activity around Washington, D.C. is a great way to improve communication and collaboration.
27. Try a Game of Espionage
What better city to be a spy in than Washington, D.C.? The Spy Museum has unique team building activities in Washington, D.C. where coworkers can take on the role of spies and compete in challenges like code cracking and disguising.
This unique team building activity in Washington, D.C. will have your team working together and communicating better while laughing through the espionage.
Outdoor Team Building Activities in Washington, D.C.
28. Common Good City Farm
Get outside and volunteer with Common Good City Farm. These fun corporate team building activities for work in Washington, D.C. will have you giving back through community agricultural projects. Your team can help the farm weed, plant, harvest and compost while learning about sustainable agriculture.
29. Boomerang Pirate Ship
Find out if the pirate’s life is really for you by renting the Boomerang Pirate Ship at the Georgetown Waterfront. Your next office party is sure to be memorable with this team building activity You can bring along your own catering and the ship provides a full bar.
Bond with your team as you sail down the Potomac River, enjoying unique views of the city and the company of your coworkers.
30. City Scavenger Hunt
For fun team building games, see D.C. from new perspectives with a Washington, D.C. scavenger hunt. A scavenger hunt will have you racing across the city to solve and find clues, stopping at the iconic monuments, fun museums and even hidden gems.
In this team building activity in Washington, D.C., you’ll bond with coworkers as you work together to decipher the clues and have a bit of fun competition as you compete against other teams to cross the finish line first.
31. Potomac River Rafting
Take advantage of the beautiful weather and calm water of the Potomac River with a water-based team building activity in Washington, D.C. You can explore on kayaks and standup paddle boards around the city’s riverfront. Or take to another section of the river where you can go white water rafting, an exhilarating corporate event in D.C.
Investing in your employees outside of the office can mean a better work environment inside the office. Plan activities for after work or for a weekend corporate retreat to allow employees to bond, build trust between each other and improve their communication and collaboration skills. No matter how large your company is or how many employees you have, team building can be a major benefit.
Washington, D.C. has plenty of activities that allow you to get creative, get your heart pumping and explore the history of the city. You won’t regret taking the time to enjoy fun events with your team.
For even more fun team building ideas, check out other experiences happening on Classpop!
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