11 Fun Team Building Ideas in San Jose

On the lookout for exciting team building ideas in San Jose that help bring your team together? We’re glad to hear it since that’s exactly what we at Peerspace have for you today!

As California’s third-biggest city — and the seat of Silicon Valley — San Jose has an outsized impact on the Bay Area and beyond. From the Googleplex in Mountain View to the Lick Observatory on Mount Hamilton, San Jose’s industries largely comprise science, technology, media, and the arts. Then there’s the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum that’s sure to keep history buffs intrigued. From the hip to the historic, get your team inspired with these 11 fun team building ideas in San Jose.

1. Host an activity at a Peerspace venue

If you prefer to host a customized event at a private venue, rent an event space on Peerspace instead. You’ll find hundreds of unique locations all over the Bay Area that can host any of your team building ideas.

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• This cat-filled meeting room for up to 12 guests, with a BYOF policy, and set-up and clean-up services
• This meeting and team building space in the redwoods of Sky Londa, with a lodge, meal services, cooking competitions, bouldering, bar packages, and more
• This state-of-the-art theater for up to 142 people in Campbell with comfy seats, theatrical lighting, and a professional sound system
• This urban winery in Redwood City for up to 120 guests with on-site wines, an antique bar, banquet tables, an A/V system, and more
• This downtown private restaurant and bar event space for up to 65 guests with full food and bar service, indoor and outdoor seating, and an A/V system

Many of these venues come with additional amenities, such as furniture, A/V gear, and on-site catering options. If there’s something you need that isn’t included in your booking, then contact your venue’s local host directly. They strive to make your time in their spaces exceptional and can often help you source catering, equipment, and other necessities.

2. Take a tour of the Winchester Mystery House

Constructed between 1884 and 1922, the Winchester Mystery House is one of the most famous landmarks in San Jose. This massive mansion was built by Sarah Winchester, who inherited her wealth from the Winchester firearm company. Whether or not you believe in the ghost story that inspired its construction, its 161 rooms, 47 fireplaces, and 17 chimneys are a sight to behold.

Today, the Winchester Estate also offers several team building and group tour options. You can have an axe-throwing contest in the stables, solve an escape room, and then engage in an immersive horror experience.

3. Take a cooking class at the Cultivate Kitchen

Get your team out of the office and into the kitchen with a cooking workshop led by the chefs at Cultivate Kitchen. With two locations in San Jose and Cupertino, Cultivate Kitchen provides a modern kitchen and restaurant facility where your team can take part in hands-on challenges. Choose from group competitions and Chopped-style contests with mystery ingredients. You can also go virtual and join the class from your private Peerspace kitchen if you prefer.

4. Let out your frustrations at Break Stuff

Break Stuff describes itself as a “Stress Relief Demolition Center,” making it a fun team building idea in San Jose after a stressful day at the office. In a safe and controlled environment, you’ll get to demolish televisions, computers, glass bottles, and more. Each room can fit five people at a time, with group packages available. You can also bring your own items or select from what’s on hand. Don’t forget to bring some music to provide the perfect soundtrack for smashing stuff!

5. Go on a scavenger hunt with Vine & Seek

Make the most of your proximity to California’s wine country with a scavenger hunt put together by Vine & Seek. They offer team building adventures to some of the region’s bars and wineries, with tastings, trivia, and photo challenges built in. Take a trip to Carmel-by-the-Sea, then spend a few hours exploring downtown Saratoga for a classy team building idea near San Jose!

6. Explore the redwoods at Mount Hernon Adventures

Ropes courses always make for a great team building idea — especially when they’re located in the redwood forest at Mount Hernon Adventures. Have your pick of three team building options, including a Redwood Canopy Tour with several zip lines and sky bridges, and a Sequoia Aerial Adventure with over 30 high-course challenges. Their team building packages are intended for groups of up to 10 and include a range of activities both on the ground and in the trees.

7. Make art together at Infuse Glass Studio

Instead of breaking glass in a break room, make some glass artwork of your own. This is an artistic option with the team building workshops offered by Infuse Glass Studio. You’ll work on making a fused glass plate or bowl, with instruction and materials also included. You can even bring your own food and drink to their studio for a two-and-a-half-hour team building session. A week after the event, you and your team can come back to pick up your hand-crafted goods.

8. Go for a ride on the San Jose Brew Bike

Take your team for a spin on the San Jose Brew Bike, a 15-seat pedal pub that offers a tour of San Jose on a trip lasting two to three hours. You can choose a food tour, a scavenger hunt, or just plain old sightseeing. Either way, this is a great team building idea in San Jose for both local and visiting teams. It allows you to explore new parts of the city that you haven’t seen yet. Plus, you can also bring your own food and drink on board for a laid-back outing. Rent two bikes for an activity for up to 30 people.

9. Have a field day at The Plex

Active teams will enjoy a day out at The Plex, home to the largest variety of indoor sports and entertainment in the Bay Area. Here, you can play everything from kickball and dodgeball to more unusual games like archery tag and bubble soccer. This is a great option for large groups, especially since there’s room for up to 5000 people indoors and out.

You’ll have access to turf fields, multi-sport rinks, an inflatable obstacle course, and more. There are also breakout rooms with Wi-Fi and A/V gear, so you can get some work done along the way.

10. Take an improv class with Comedy Sportz

Team building ideas don’t have to be super-serious. In fact you can let your guard down with an improv class offered by Comedy Sportz, one of the leading “business improv” trainers in San Jose. You’ll get the chance to practice your communication skills by building on each other’s work in real-time. Choose from leadership workshops, ideation/brainstorming modules, and more. 

11. Paint your masterpiece with Valley Painting Parties

Learn to paint like a master with Valley Painting Parties. This company offers customized team building workshops at your office or Peerspace venue. Whether you paint a collaborative canvas based on your corporate logo, or provide a photo of your pet to be pre-sketched onto the canvas, you and your team will walk away with a painting you can be proud of. There’s one instructor for every 20 painters, and attendees can bring their own food and drink to enjoy during the session. You can also order paint-at-home kits and enjoy painting anywhere.

Team building ideas in San Jose: conclusion

Choosing the right team building idea for your group depends on several factors. Maybe you want to focus on adventure or on communication? Do you want to get creative or try something else entirely? Well then, these fun team building ideas in San Jose offer a bit of everything and work for new and established teams alike.

Don’t forget that you can also create your own lineup of activities at a private Peerspace venue near your office. We even have beautiful venues that let you get out of the city for a team building trip to wine country or the redwoods. Be sure to keep an eye on our spaces since discovering new and amazing venues can help you and team keep the bonding going!

Find unique team building ideas in San Jose on Peerspace