You’ve been asked to organise a team away day. There are ten people coming, everyone has a different idea of what they’d enjoy, and somehow you’re responsible for finding an activity that works for the whole group.
Finding small group team building activities in London can be surprisingly tricky when you’re trying to accommodate different personalities, budgets and practical requirements.
London has plenty of options, from escape rooms and cooking classes to outdoor challenges and creative workshops. For a group of eight to twelve people, there are some useful things to consider before making a booking.
Here’s how to narrow down your options and find an activity that suits your team.
Start with what your team actually needs
Before disappearing down a rabbit hole of London team-building activities, establish what you’re trying to organise.
When comparing small group team building activities in London, begin by considering what your colleagues would genuinely enjoy doing together. The purpose of the event should guide your choice of activity.
Perhaps your team has spent the past few months working towards a big deadline, and you’d like to get everyone out of the office for an afternoon. You might have several new colleagues who haven’t had the opportunity to meet properly, or perhaps you’re organising a celebration after completing a project.
Each situation calls for a slightly different approach.
For a team that already knows each other well, a competitive activity might be a good fit. A newly formed team might appreciate something with a little more time for conversation and shared experiences.
Think about how people will spend their time during the activity. Will they be working together on a common challenge? Competing in smaller groups? Learning a new skill? Or spending a few hours enjoying each other’s company?
The answers will help you narrow your search considerably.
How much time do you have?
An afternoon away from the office gives you different options from a full-day event.
If you’re planning a half-day activity, think about the entire experience, including travelling to the venue, getting everyone settled, participating in the activity and returning to the office or heading home.
A three-hour workshop could occupy most of the afternoon once travel is included.
For a full-day away day, you could combine a morning meeting or planning session with an organised afternoon activity. This gives your team time to cover business matters before moving into something more relaxed.
Establish your budget early
Ask for a clear budget before approaching venues and activity providers.
Some experiences are priced per person, while others charge a fixed fee for a private group. For a team of ten, a private booking may give you access to experiences that would be less practical for a much larger group.
Check whether your budget includes VAT, travel, refreshments and any additional venue costs.
Having a realistic figure from the outset will make comparing your options considerably easier.
Which small group team building activities in London suit 8–12 people?
A smaller group gives you access to a wide range of activities across London, including experiences where everyone can participate in the same session.
The most suitable format will depend on what your team enjoys and how you want people to spend their time together.
1. Creative workshops
Baking, cooking, pottery and other hands-on experiences give your team a shared project to work on, often with a finished creation to take home.
Depending on the activity, participants might follow a demonstration, work through a practical challenge or develop their own ideas.
For a group of eight to twelve, a private workshop can be particularly useful. Everyone can take part in the same experience, and the session may be organised around your group’s requirements.
The practical details matter here. Check how much time participants will spend actively taking part, whether they will work individually or in teams, and how much guidance the instructor provides.
Some workshops focus on teaching a particular skill. Others introduce an element of creativity or competition, giving participants more freedom over what they produce.
If your team includes people with different levels of confidence or practical experience, find out how the activity accommodates beginners.
2. Problem-solving challenges
Escape rooms, treasure hunts and similar activities give participants a shared objective, usually with a time limit or a competitive element.
Escape rooms are a familiar option, although individual rooms often have maximum group sizes. A team of ten might need to split between two rooms, depending on the venue.
If keeping everyone together is important, check the provider’s group arrangements before booking.
Treasure hunts and organised city challenges can accommodate larger groups working in smaller teams. They also give participants the opportunity to explore a part of London during the activity.
Consider how much walking is involved, whether the experience is suitable for everyone attending and how the provider handles poor weather.
3. Food and social experiences
A shared meal or food experience can work well when the main purpose of your away day is to give colleagues time together outside their usual working environment.
A private dining experience offers opportunities for conversation, particularly when colleagues rarely get to spend time together in person.
If you’d like some structure around the event, consider a hosted tasting or an experience where participants prepare part of the meal themselves.
The level of participation varies considerably between providers, so it’s worth establishing exactly what your group will be doing.
For a team with specific dietary requirements, obtain the menu and discuss suitable options before confirming your booking.
4. Outdoor activities
Outdoor experiences can be a good option for groups who enjoy exploring London or spending time away from an indoor venue.
Guided tours, organised games and city challenges offer different levels of activity and structure.
When comparing options, consider the distance participants will need to travel or walk, access to facilities and what happens if the weather changes.
For an event with a fixed date, having an indoor alternative can make planning considerably easier.
Give everyone an opportunity to contribute
One of the more interesting things to consider when organising a smaller team activity is how people will participate.
Some colleagues will happily volunteer to lead a challenge. Others may prefer getting involved in practical tasks, developing ideas or helping the group organise its approach.
Think about the range of responsibilities involved in the activity you’re considering.
An experience with different roles can give people the freedom to contribute in ways they feel comfortable with.
We saw an example of this during a recent Cookie Lab session at Mission Kitchen.
Participants were invited to create their own cookie flavours, choosing from ingredients including chocolate, fruit and biscuit pieces.
What we particularly enjoyed seeing was how people approached the flavour combinations. Participants experimented with different ingredients, discussed their ideas together and developed their creations as a group.
Choosing ingredients and exploring how different flavours might work together became part of the creative process.
It was a useful reminder of how much can happen during a hands-on activity when people have room to explore their own ideas.
When looking at team-building experiences, ask the provider how participants will work together, how much freedom they’ll have and what support is available throughout the session.
The practical details worth checking before you book
You’ve found an activity that sounds promising, the date works and the price falls within your budget.
Before confirming the booking, there are a few details worth establishing directly with the provider.
Will your group have a private session?
Some providers combine smaller groups within the same workshop or activity. If you want everyone to have the space to work together as a team, check whether your booking includes exclusive use of the activity or venue.
What does the quoted price include?
Confirm whether the price includes VAT, materials, instruction, refreshments and any additional charges.
Check the payment terms and cancellation policy, particularly if your participant numbers might change.
Is the venue accessible to everyone attending?
Confirm the location, transport connections and any specific accessibility requirements with the venue.
For practical workshops, ask about the physical setup and whether adjustments can be made for participants who need them.
If colleagues are travelling by public transport, you can check step-free routes and accessible travel options using Transport for London’s accessible journey planner .
Are there dietary requirements or allergies to consider?
For food-related activities, collect relevant information from participants in advance and share it with the provider.
Ask how ingredients are handled, whether substitutions are possible and what arrangements are available for anyone with food allergies.
These conversations are particularly important for hands-on activities where participants may be handling several different ingredients.
How much time should you allow?
Confirm the actual activity duration, arrival time and whether your group needs to prepare anything beforehand.
If you’re arranging another event or meeting around the activity, allow time for travelling between venues.
For a smaller group, it’s also worth asking what happens if someone is unable to attend at the last minute, or if an additional colleague wants to come along.
Knowing the provider’s policy in advance will make those conversations easier to manage.
A hands-on option: develop your own signature cookie
At Happy Crumb Bakery, we developed Cookie Lab as a hands-on experience where small corporate teams can step into a professional kitchen and create their own signature cookies.
The experience takes place at Mission Kitchen in New Covent Garden Market, London SW8, where our bakery is based.
Participants begin with a professional cookie demonstration and tasting, getting an introduction to the ingredients, techniques and thinking behind our NYC-style cookies.
Then it’s time to create their own.
Working in teams, participants develop a signature cookie flavour, choosing their ingredients and working out how the different flavours and textures will come together.
Once the teams have developed their flavours, they prepare their cookies for baking. While the cookies are in the oven, they develop a name and branding concept for their creation, before presenting their finished product for judging.
Developing Cookie Lab gave us an opportunity to bring our own product development process into a team activity. Participants get to experiment with flavour combinations, consider how their ingredients work together and see their ideas become finished cookies.
The experience finishes with cookies to take home.
Is Cookie Lab suitable for your team?
Cookie Lab is designed for private corporate groups of up to twelve participants.
Pricing starts at £1,500 plus VAT for up to eight people, with additional participants charged at £100 plus VAT each, up to twelve.
The experience takes place in a professional development kitchen, with guidance from the Happy Crumb team throughout the session.
It may be worth considering if you’re organising an away day for a group that enjoys food, creative activities and working together on a shared project.
You can explore the full experience, including the format, pricing and booking information, on our Cookie Lab corporate team-building experience page.
Before you send the invitation
Once you’ve selected an activity, there are a few final things to organise.
Once you’ve compared the available small group team building activities in London and selected your preferred option, confirm the practical arrangements with your provider.
- Confirm the date, venue and final participant numbers.
- Check the activity’s accessibility and any individual requirements.
- Confirm dietary requirements and allergies with the provider, where relevant.
- Arrange transport or share clear directions to the venue.
- Let everyone know what to expect, including what to wear or bring.
- Allow sufficient time for the activity and travel.
Having these details in place will help your team arrive knowing what to expect, leaving everyone free to enjoy the experience.
