Team building on a budget? We’ve got you covered! In this guide, you’ll find our favorite easy and affordable ideas for team building activities in Atlanta. From friendly competitions and challenges to gift swaps, taste tests, and sporting events – there’s something for everyone on your team!
Easy & affordable Atlanta team building activities:
Read on for more details on these ideas – and more activities!
- Organize a photo scavenger hunt
- Explore the great outdoors together
- Host a company field day or game night
- Plan a fun and affordable taste test
- Book a guided Atlanta food or history tour
In this guide, you’ll find:
- Budget-friendly team building ideas to help employees connect
- Free team building: Atlanta ideas & activities
- Activities to build trust, problem solving skills, and team bonding
- Easy, turnkey experiences for teams with limited planning time
Free Atlanta Team Building Ideas
1. Challenge Your Team to a Photo Scavenger Hunt
Challenge your team to a photo scavenger hunt! This idea is as flexible as it is fun.
You can send small groups of staff members together on foot around your company’s local community. Or, you can organize carpools for a longer trek around town. (If you make this a driving activity, remember to reimburse mileage!)
Have each group take a selfie in front of a designated spot. This might be a nearby fountain or park, a local landmark, a restaurant, or something else. At the end of the day, the team that collected all the photos wins! You can also vote for silliest photos, most creative, and other fun categories.
Bonus: this activity will help you gather photos for the next company newsletter or celebration!
Instagrammable Atlanta spots for your photo scavenger hunt:
- Krog Street Tunnel
- SkyView Ferris Wheel
- Downtown skyline view from the Jackson Street Bridge (our King Historic District Tour stops here!)
- The Fox Theatre
- “The Big Chicken” in Marietta
- The Varsity
- Ponce City Market
2. Plan an Outdoor Adventure
One of our favorite free team building activities is a good, old-fashioned hike. Depending on your team’s skill level and interest, this could mean heading to a relatively flat, scenic paved trail – or tackling an ambitious peak.
While many state parks and trails require a parking fee, there are several hiking spots around Atlanta that are free to enjoy. Hit the trail together – and before long, your team will be full of happy campers!
Free hiking and walking trails around Atlanta for outdoor team building:
- Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve in Stonecrest
- Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve in Decatur
- Chastain Park PATH Trail
- South Peachtree Creek Trail in Decatur
- Suwanee Greenway Trail
3. Host a Board Game Night
Invite employees to bring a board game or activity to share for a company Game Night! You can host this team building event at your home, or make it an office event. Either way, you can deepen your connections by inviting team members to bring their spouse, kids, partner, roommates, or friends.
Everyone can enjoy fun games and good times together – whether you’re playing Jenga, Settlers of Catan, chess, or even video games and card games! If you’re not a fan of games, you could bring coloring books and colored pencils, tarot cards, or a crafting activity.
Turn this event into a potluck by asking everyone to bring a dish to share. Or, treat the team to some affordable takeout or pizzas! You can even up the fun factor with an ice cream sundae bar, or a hot cocoa bar.
4. Tackle a Volunteer Project Together
Volunteering with your company is a great team building activity – and it’s doubly productive! That’s because you’ll make a positive impact in the community while also forming stronger connections with your teammates.
To begin, you can poll your team to see which types of volunteer projects might appeal to your group most. There’s no shortage of opportunities! For example, you could walk dogs at an animal shelter, prepare meals for people in need, help with a gardening or planting project, and more.
Another great idea? Make this a recurring team building event each month, or each quarter. You can stick with the same project for continuity and long-term impact. Or, switch things up for variety!
Affordable Atlanta Team Building Ideas
5. Boost Friendly Competition with a Field Day
For the cost of some outdoor games, popsicles, and drinks, you can throw your company a fun field day! This nostalgic idea will take you right back to elementary school. And of course, you can include everyone’s families and friends, too!
All you’ll need is a supply of outdoor activities. For instance: water balloons, sidewalk chalk, jump ropes, hula hoops, face paint, and frisbees. You can even bring eggs and spoons to have a race! Award prizes for the winners of each activity or game.
Be sure to stock a cooler with cold drinks and popsicles for everyone to refuel. For those with some budget to spend, consider ordering boxed lunches or turning your field day into a cookout!
6. Plan a (Year-Round!) Secret Gift Swap
Why wait all year to do a gift swap? A year-round gift swap is one of our favorite team building exercises that helps everyone get to know each other better.
To get started, give each team member a $10-20 gift card to your local dollar store. Alternatively, you can use Target gift cards and shop the dollar section at the front of the store!
Then, have everyone fill out a brief questionnaire about themselves. For instance – what’s their favorite color? What are their favorite foods and drinks? How do they spend their free time?
Finally, assign everyone a secret giftee, share the survey responses, and shop away! Each person can put together a special package for their recipient based on their interests. Your team can have fun unwrapping your presents together and guessing who bought what. Along the way, you’re sure to learn something new about your teammates’ interests!
7. Host an Epic Taste Test
Settle it once and for all – which fast food spot has the best French fries? Or – which coffee shop makes the best pumpkin spice latte? During this team building activity, your crew can taste-test a variety of different options and determine the winner!
To start, decide what you’ll taste. You can use a free tool like Google Forms or SurveyMonkey to decide whether you’ll rank local pizza, coffee drinks, fast food, or something else. Keep your budget in mind when sharing options with your team! For an inclusive experience, remember to take everyone’s dietary restrictions into account.
On the day of your taste test, gather your menu items from a variety of local restaurants or shops. Remember to bring small plates, knives to cut and share, tongs, and whatever else you may need! Additionally, you can create a score card so everyone can rank each item on its tastiness, texture, temperature, and other factors.
At the end of this experience, you may just discover your office’s next bagel spot or takeout restaurant!
8. Head to the West End for Drinks, Food, & a Beltline Stroll
Looking for a team outing with easy, free parking and plenty to explore? Head to the Lee + White mixed use development in Atlanta’s West End neighborhood!
With a variety of breweries, restaurants, and retail spots, this destination is also located right off the Westside Beltline paved trail. Grab drinks at the Monday Night Garage, Wild Heaven Beer, Best End Brewing, Hop City, or ASW Distillery.
Then, head to one of the restaurants in the complex for dinner or appetizers. Options include Lake & Oak BBQ, Honeysuckle Gelato, and a new food hall coming in late 2022! Finally, stroll the nearby Beltline together as you all chat about which beers and foods you sampled were the favorites!
9. Take the Team to a Ball Game
Did you know that group tickets to Atlanta Braves games start as low as $7?! For a fun team building activity during baseball season, head to Truist Park to cheer on the home team!
With many companies offering “summer Fridays” and other fun perks, a team sports outing gives everyone a relaxing afternoon while strengthening your work environment and culture. Even those who aren’t sports fans can have a great time enjoying the sunshine, fresh air, and camaraderie.
Learn more and buy Braves tickets here.
Book a Guided Team Building Experience with Unexpected Atlanta
10. Take a Walking Food Tour
Bring your team on an unforgettable experience – Unexpected Atlanta’s Grant Park Past & Future Food Walk! During this tour, your group will taste 8 dishes at 3 food stops. A knowledgeable and charismatic guide will lead everyone, sharing fascinating stories about Atlanta’s history along the way.
Learn more and book your walking tour here.
11. Book a King Historic District Tour
Book Unexpected Atlanta’s King Historic District Tour to learn more about the people and locations that inspired Martin Luther King, Jr.
On this tour, your team will hear moving and important stories about the American Civil Rights movement and be inspired by Dr. King’s legacy. Named by Conde Nast as one of the 16 best things to do in Atlanta!
Looking for something more unique? We also offer bespoke custom events for corporate teams.
For more ideas that boost employee connection and morale, explore our free Atlanta Team Building resources.
