So, you think you know your co-workers… but how much? Team-building is a great way to get to know your workmates outside of the office and the activities needn’t have to be boring – no constructing towers from straws or cocktail sticks here. Whether it be breaking out of an escape room or concocting drinks together, we’ve rounded up some of the most fun-filled team-building activities in Manchester for you and your work pals to challenge each other to.
1. Feel like you’re in The Great British Bake Off tent
On your marks, get set, bake! It’s time to roll up your sleeves and don your apron with this fun baking experience in Manchester reminiscent of the popular baking TV programme, The Great British Bake Off. Known as The Big Manchester Bake, the 90-minute concept allows novice and enthusiasts alike to bake off against their colleagues in pairs, to be crowned winning bakers. Whether you know you know your sponges and soufflés, no baking experience is needed, all the ingredients and equipment provided, plus all the washing up sorted, it’s a real slice of baking heaven.
2. Put your blasting skills to the test at NERF Action Xperience
Why should kids have all the fun? The epic indoor attraction NERF Action Xperience at Manchester’s Trafford Palazzo is for grown-ups too and involves putting your NERF blasting skills to the test. The experience features four fun-packed zones including battlefields, a training ground and a variety of energetic sports games that are sure to get your heart pounding and brain in the game. Tap into your inner Bond, plot your battlefield tactics, identify your enemy’s (aka workmate’s) weaknesses and unleash foam-firing hell, which can finish with a tasty meal at Archie’s to fuel the day or soften the blow of defeat.
3. Bat away the competition at Sixes Social Cricket
Combining the classic game of cricket with the tradition of boozing with friends, Sixes allows groups to ‘eat, drink and bat’ – with state-of-the-art batting nets available to hire by the hour. Players are challenged to test their batting skills against a BatFast Cricket Simulator and compete with their friends on a global leaderboard, all alongside enjoying their fantastic menu of food and drink. Open to all ages and abilities, the immersive space in Manchester is the perfect spot for a post-work social or team-building activity – thanks to its competition and addictive nature that brings the whole group together.
4. Putt around Junkyard Golf’s crazy courses with your work pals
Junkyard Golf has made quite the name for itself since it arrived in Manchester a number of years ago, becoming the hot spot for first dates, mate dates and team nights out. The venue has put a really fun, city-spin on the classic game of crazy golf, providing weird and wonderful holes – such as a dark fairground, a crazy jungle, and a scrapyard challenge – as well as fun cocktails topped with sweets and a bright and colourful bar to hang out in post-game.
5. Get creative at Neon Brush
What better way to bond with your team than immersing yourselves in this fun-filled painting workshop and drinks in the dark at AATMA? Using classic and fluorescent paint, each of you is asked to rely on your vision and create something unique to you while listening to some great hits. Tap into your artistic potential while sipping on beer, wine, or a soft drink. After the 90-minute experience, not only will you have artwork to take home with you, but you’ll be feeling closer to your teammates.
6. Team up to battle zombies in a virtual reality at DNA VR
If you’re after true escapism from the office, then this could be it. Providing a unique entertainment experience, DNA VR allows visitors to dive into unimaginable virtual worlds spanning horror, fantasy and music. From surviving a zombie apocalypse to traveling to the pyramids in Egypt or fighting off dragons, DNA VR has a game for everyone. DNA VR can host up to 16 virtual sessions (19 people) at one time to provide a cool immersive experience for you and your team.
7. Aim for a bull’s eye at Flight Club
One of the most popular game bars in Manchester, Flight Club has proven that darts is more than just a pub game. The bar has a lot to offer its guests, with interactive darts games (that everyone can enjoy!), bottomless brunches, and a delicious menu of cocktails. Perfect for work dos or a spot of team-building – the Manchester venue has 14 private spaces to enjoy with your group, a large bar area, and live DJs regularly playing, too.
8. Bowl your colleagues over with a trip to King Pins
King Pins offers a plethora of activities including 15 lanes of Ten Pin bowling and four lanes of Duck Pin bowling (a shorter-laned, faster game of bowling), shuffleboard, ice-free curling, air hockey and arcade games galore. Grab your workmates for a game of classic bowling, unleash your work rage in the batting cages or come together for a sing-a-long in one of King Pins’ karaoke booths, as the fun never stops at King Pins. Better still, you can order brilliant bao buns from Little Bao Boy and perfect pizzas from PLY to fuel your fun day or night out as a team.
9. Crack mind-boggling puzzles at the Crystal Maze Live Experience
Manchester is brimming with escape rooms which are great for groups looking for a team-building activity that is both fun and applying those useful problem-solving skills. One escape room worth paying a visit for your next work do is the Crystal Maze Live Experience. Located near Manchester’s Science and Industry Museum and Old Granada Studios, you and your colleagues can enjoy a hit of nostalgia by taking part in the television programme’s tricksy challenges and donning satin bomber jackets.
10. Get into the spirit of gin-making with this mixing masterclass
This team-building activity is an absolute must for all the gin lovers on your team, as you head to the incredible Manchester Gin distillery. You and your colleagues will go on a gin-making journey which starts with a refreshing double G&T and four samples as you uncover the secrets of gin production. You can then handpick your favourite botanicals and distill your very own creation to take home. This experience allows you to not only make your own signature gin but potentially make friends and memorable moments amongst your team – what’s not to love?
11. Take part in a competitive TV game show experience
Challenge Point is a new immersive game show experience located in Manchester’s Northern Quarter. Challenge Point offers a unique competitive TV game show experience where teams of two to six people can battle it out in a series of insanely fun mini games, with the aim of earning as many points as possible to win a host of prizes. The mini games offer a range of challenges that encourage teamwork, coordination and skill including a ball pit, laser maze, mini golf and target quiz, all of which provide fun for all the family, friend groups and work mates alike.