12 Fun Team Building Ideas in Minneapolis

Minneapolis is known for its short but beautiful summers and long, cold winters. With that in mind, we’ve focused on indoor activities on our list of 12 fun team building ideas in Minneapolis. From escape rooms to cat cafes, there’s plenty to do all year-round in this friendly Midwestern city.

If you need a venue for your workshop or retreat, check out Peerspace to book a private event space from a local host. Many of these venues come with A/V equipment and furniture rentals available. Plus, you can call up the Concierge service to book a caterer and other event staff. Best of all, you can choose one or more of the activities on this list to round out your team building outing!

1. Solve the escape room at PuzzleWorks

Escape rooms are having a moment, and Minneapolis, like many cities, has several options to choose from. If you haven’t visited one yet, take your team to a venue like PuzzleWorks. It has three escape rooms on-site, including a bank vault, a dungeon, and a hospital room. The rooms are best for four to 12 people at a time, but you can book multiple rooms and take turns in each one. You can even request a customized puzzle with a hidden announcement or reward for your staff!

2. Host a unique team outing at a Peerspace venue

Sometimes, the best way to enjoy team building ideas in Minneapolis is to design them yourself! With a Peerspace venue, you’ll have the flexibility you need to choose your own facilitator, event staff, and caterer to ensure that your team has the highest-quality experience you can offer. Find a venue from a local host, such as an off-site meeting space with room for 50, tons of seating, and a small kitchen. Or, how about a chic warehouse with natural light, a lounge area, and space for 20. After you choose, call up the Concierge service to arrange for any add-ons you need, such as A/V gear or furniture rentals. Your team will have a great time out of the office at a memorable venue!

3. Learn a new recipe with Way Cool Cooking School

Cooking lessons are a classic team building activity. And the Way Cool Cooking School offers some of the most creative cooking challenges in Minneapolis! You can choose from the Food Truck Challenge, which includes coming up with your own food truck theme and a signature recipe. Your team can also choose the Jet Setter’s Dinner, which incorporates cuisines from all over the world. Additionally, you can opt for in-person or virtual classes, whatever you and your team prefer.

4. Play with construction equipment at Extreme Sandbox

If you’ve ever passed a construction site and wondered what it would be like to drive the heavy machinery, now is your chance to find out! With two locations in Minnesota, Extreme Sandbox is a one-of-a-kind team building idea in Minneapolis. Groups of up to 100 can take part in a social team gathering, which is all about having fun with the equipment. Smaller groups can participate in more intensive scenario-based training. With this option, you’ll have to complete challenges and learn to work together as a team in a 10-acre giant sandbox.

5. Show off your trivia skills at Game Show Battle Room

Game shows are some of the most popular shows on TV. And this team building experience at the Game Show Battle Room allows your team to get in on the action. With games like Name That Price, Friendly Feud, and Wheel of Phrases, you’ll get to take part in your favorite game shows — without any copyright infringement! Team building events are suitable for groups of six to 64 people, with groups of 32 playing in one of two game show arenas. You can also enjoy a contact-free check-in and a completely private setting for added safety.

6. Have a Nerf battle at Tactical Urban Combat

If paintball is too intense for your team, have fun with Nerf projectiles at Tactical Urban Combat. It’s an indoor arena with two locations, one in Eden Prairie and one on Mall of America. You’ll play a series of five-minute games, such as Capture the Flag and Search and Destroy, while navigating the obstacles in the arena. Up to 20 people can play at once, so if you have a larger group you can take turns alternating between games. The Mall of America location also offers indoor Laser Tag.

7. Practice your aim at Bad Axe Throwing

Axe-throwing is the perfect after-work outing for the amateur lumberjack. Host your happy hour at Bad Axe Throwing, where you’ll have one or more lanes to yourself and an private instructor to show you the ropes. Food and drink are available on-site, or you can bring your own. You can book a large group event for at least 31 people which includes training and private lanes. Make sure to take plenty of team photos in front of the Viking throne and ship inside the venue!

8. Take an improv class with Brave New Workshop

Improv is a great way to bring a new team together for the first time or break patterns that are holding your team back. Brave New Workshop offers “team activation” experiences to apply the lessons of improv to the office. Whether you want to encourage your sales team to think on their feet or build communication and problem-solving skills throughout the workplace, a customized improv workshop can offer the change you need. Attend a workshop at their theater, or invite a trained facilitator to offer the event at your office or Peerspace venue.

9. Learn to paint at Bottle & Bottega

Bottle & Bottega is a great team building idea in Minneapolis that brings a new twist to the “paint and sip” concept. You can choose from standard workshops that include painting wood or canvas. Or, you can opt for Illumin-Art, in which you’ll embed battery-powered lights into your painting. Regardless of which type of workshop you choose, Bottle & Bottega will provide all of the equipment you need and even clean up afterward! Of course, you can BYO wine to drink during the event.

10. Visit the cats at Cafe Meow

Not everyone loves cats, but if your team does, take the opportunity to visit Cafe Meow! There, you can drink coffee and hang out with 10-15 cats that are available for adoption. It’s a great way for the cats to spend time with humans before finding their forever homes. And it’s a fun chance to bond with your team as you play with furry friends. Cafe Meow also offers fun workshops, including “Catgo” (their version of Bingo), Yoga With Cats, or Paint Your Cat With Canvas. Visit one of their public events, or make a private group booking.

11. Go rock climbing at Vertical Endeavors

For an athletic activity that you can do any time of year, head to the indoor rock climbing wall at Vertical Endeavors. Their New Heights workshop is designed specifically with team building in mind and can be customized to suit your group. This two- to three-hour program will help build trust and cooperation between new and experienced climbers alike. You can book a private room for your group and bring along your own food and drinks to enjoy post climb.

12. Do something different with The Escape Game

Do something different with your team and take them to an escape room. They can bond, grow stronger, and make some unforgettable memories. At The Escape Game Minneapolis, your team can choose from five different themes, from outer space explorations to prison escapes. They’ll get to discover clues, crack codes, and be the heroes all while bonding as a team!

Minneapolis is a fun and vibrant city. Not surprisingly then, there are plenty of options for team building ideas in and around the city. Whether you choose one of the activities on this list or browse Peerspace to look for a unique venue to host your outing, your team will enjoy the chance to get out of the office for the day! Remember, call up the Concierge service if you need help customizing your booking.

Find unique venues in Minneapolis on Peerspace