12 Best Team Building Ideas in Winnipeg That’ll Make the Office Next Door Jealous
I’m the first to admit that team building activities can be a bit cringey—imagine doing trust falls awkwardly with your boss? Or fake clapping during an obnoxious (and off-key) rendition of Defying Gravity by Janet from Accounting?
But to be fair, not all team building ideas suck. In fact, we came up with the most awesome team building events in Winnipeg—stuff that you and your coworkers would (hand-to-bible) actually enjoy.
Let’s avoid the run-of-the-mill team dinners and office scavenger hunts. Here are the freshest team building activities in Winnipeg!
Throw hatchets in FortWhyte Alive
– Media credit: fortwhytealive
Website: https://www.fortwhyte.org/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fortwhytealive/
Address: 1961 McCreary Rd
Hours: Mon – Sun: 9 AM – 5 PM
Contact: (204) 989-8355
Everyone knows that FortWhyte Alive is one of Winnipeg’s best parks. But did you know that they also offer cool open-air corporate workshops?
Yep, a fun one is their Wild Goose Chase, an app-based scavenger hunt where you complete missions using your phone camera. And plot twist—they provide only one phone per team, so you need to (god forbid!) work together.
Another cool option? You can hone your much-needed hatchet throwing skills, and you can even make this some kind of contest for added fun (and bragging rights).
Other fun activities include GPS Geocaching, Bison Tours, Orienteering, and more.
| Pro Tip: Consider springing for cool extras (for a small fee per person) to make this team event one for the books. Possible add-ons include bannock baking, marshmallow roasting, and campfire s’mores—yay! |
Volunteer at Harvest Manitoba
– Media credit: harvestmanitoba
Website: https://www.harvestmanitoba.ca/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harvestmanitoba
Address: 1085 Winnipeg Ave
Hours: Mon – Fri: 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Sat: 9 AM – 3 PM
Contact: (204) 982-3663
For a fun and meaningful team building, why not volunteer at Harvest Manitoba? This awesome organization helps feed over 100,000 Manitobans every month, and volunteers like you make it happen!
Before heading out there, remember to wear closed shoes and comfy clothes, and long hair needs to be tied back. You’ll be moving around, so it’s best to keep it practical.
Upon arriving, you and your team (max of 25 peeps) will settle in and store your stuff. Then, you’ll get a quick talk and tour session so that you can learn how they operate.
A quick team-building exercise will follow (no trust falls, I promise!), just to break the ice.
Then, you’d jump right in—sorting donations, packing hampers, or prepping bulk food.
| Pro Tip: If you’re worried about parking, there’s a free lot across from the Harvest Manitoba Warehouse. It’s easy to see—it’s right between the Jamaican Heritage Centre and the Carpet Outlet. |
Do fun stuff at Assiniboine Park
– Media credit: assiniboine_park
Website: https://www.assiniboinepark.ca/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/assiniboine_park/
Address: 55 Pavilion Crescent
Hours: Open 24 hours
Contact: (204) 927-6000
As one of Winnipeg’s most massive (and most beautiful) green spaces, Assiniboine Park has endless team building activities to offer.
If you’re looking for a high-energy team activity, we recommend renting one of the park’s athletic fields—we’re talking cricket, soccer, and multipurpose ones for only $120. Have teams compete with each other and give the winning team a prize!
For something a bit extra, you could book a private night at Assiniboine Park Zoo—who wouldn’t want to visit adorable animals without the daytime crowds? It could be as casual as a potluck event or a full-blown catered affair—all up to you!
And if you’re set on having just a low-key team gathering, why not reserve a picnic site? Choose from a standard picnic site, picnic with shelter, or picnic with a volleyball court and a fire pit—just remember to bring your own firewood (and food, duh!).
| Pro Tip: For a field-trip type team activity, consider booking one of the park’s numerous group tours. Cool tour examples include Journey to Churchill, Gardens at the Leaf, Zoo, Sustainability and Architecture, and Nature Photography. |
Save the world at myCityHunt
– Media credit: mycityhunt
Website: https://www.mycityhunt.ie/cities/escape-game-winnipeg-103742
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mycityhunt/
Address: Winnipeg
Hours: Mon – Sun: Open 24 hours
Contact: https://www.mycityhunt.ie/contact
If you’ve ever dreamed of being a secret agent but lack the skills, physique, training, looks, courage, (okay, this could take a while), then myCityHunt is your chance to live out this futile fantasy. Yep, you can be James Bond or Sydney Bristow for the day!
In a nutshell, your mission is to track down bad guys, uncover secret hideouts, and save the day—all while working as a team. All you need is a smartphone (and maybe a dash of Sherlock’s deductive skills), and you’re good to go.
Unlike your typical escape room where you’re ‘locked’ indoors, you get to explore Winnipeg using a web app. It delivers mini-missions, puzzles, and video clues, which you and your team need to solve within a certain time limit.
Now, if you feel like exploring another city, you could also play the game in neighboring areas like Brandon, Regina, and Thunder Bay.
| Pro Tip: If, by chance, espionage is not your thing (no judgement—okay maybe just a little!), then try myCityHunt’s Treasure Hunt instead. Here, you’ll follow clues from a medieval manuscript to track down a priceless artifact. |
Solve challenges at Enigma Escapes
– Media credit: enigmaescapes
Website: https://www.enigmaescapes.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/enigmaescapes/
Address: 980 Lorimer Blvd, Unit 4
Hours: Mon – Thu: 1 PM – 9 PM
Fri: 1 PM – 11 PM
Sat: 11 AM – 11 PM
Sun: 11 AM – 7 PM
Contact Details: (204) 219-0014
Sadly, not everyone in your team might be able to roam around outdoors—some might be mobility challenged, suffering from a medical condition, or just straight-up vampires (check for fangs!). If that’s the case, simply book a room at Enigma Escapes.
What’s cool is that their escape rooms are designed with team building in mind. Their goal is to help your team develop good communication and problem-solving skills.
As for the rooms, we recommend Cypherspace, a fast-paced challenge. Here, you guys are Canadian Space Agency astronauts, who are racing to retrieve a probe filled with important data before your ship is destroyed.
Each session is pretty affordable at $28 per person, but if you need to hire a team-building coach for the occasion, it would set you back $350. Note that this includes a 30-minute pre-meeting and a wrap up discussion about the experience.
| Pro Tip: If you didn’t manage to snag a booking here, or you would like to check out other joints first, then here’s our guide to the best escape rooms in Winnipeg! |
Go axe throwing at Bad Axe Throwing
– Media credit: globalexcelinc
Website: https://badaxethrowing.com/locations/axe-throwing-winnipeg/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/badaxethrowinginc/
Address: 1393, 6 Border St #6
Hours: Friday: 6 PM – 7:30 PM
Saturday: 4 PM – 8 PM
Contact: +1 844-818-0999
Since throwing an axe at your obnoxious and sometimes racist coworker is illegal, why don’t you just let it all out at Bad Axe Throwing instead?
If you book a small team building event, you’ll get two hours of private lane time and badass coaches assigned to your group. Who knows? Your team might also be able to improve trust, communication, and teamwork (fingers crossed).
Weekday team building slots are from 8 AM to 2 PM, and the cost is $350 for a 2-hour booking of two lanes; walk-ins are also accepted—great for impromptu team outings. Now, if your company is springing for a large event, then book the entire facility!
For those who want to mix it up and try other places, here are the best axe throwing spots in Winnipeg.
| Pro Tip: As per Bad Axe Throwing’s dress code policy, closed shoes are a must for safety reasons. And during winter, it might get a bit cold, so wear layers too. |
Participate in virtual team games at Slixer
– Media credit: slixerevents
Website: https://slixer.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/slixerevents
Address: 999 W Broadway #720, Vancouver
Hours: Mon – Sun: 8 AM – 8 PM
Contact: +1 866-737-1750
If you guys working from home think you’re safe from team building events, then think again! Slixer (an event company) offers virtual team buildings—but to be fair, they’re actually tolerable…and some might even say kinda fun!
A popular virtual game is Jungle Survival—set in a virtual jungle, you guys are essentially going to be an Indiana Jones-type character. You need to work together to collect virtual items and solve puzzles.
The appointed host will guide the teams through the challenges, making sure it’s moving along smoothly. As for the winning team, they get a…pat in the back I guess?
Other games you could choose from include Space Survival, Murder Aboard the Eastern Express, Art Heist Escape, Mystery on the Slopes, and many more.
| Pro Tip: When playing virtual games, you should over-communicate your ideas and clues. This will help keep everyone on the same page—remember, too much info trumps too little. |
Paint like Picasso at The Artful Owl
– Media credit: artfulowl
Website: https://artfulowl.ca/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artfulowl/
Address: 16-1700 Corydon Ave
Hours: Mon – Fri: 10 AM – 7 PM
Saturday: 10 AM – 5 PM
Contact: (204) 487-2012
Owned by a former museum curator, The Artful Owl specializes in artistic workshops, parties, and camps. This is great for teams that want to amp up their creativity.
For their art parties, you need to first choose a theme. Some popular team building choices for artistically inclined teams include Claude Monet Waterlilies, Van Gogh Starry Night, and Pop-Art Warhol Soup Cans.
Now, if you know (deep in your heart) that your team is not that artistic, some themes you can choose are Pizza Collage, Rainbow Doodle, and even T-Rex Cityscape.
The price is set at $27 per art maker, and they have a minimum of 10 participants. Note that you need to give your final count 24 hours before party time.
| Pro Tip: The Artful Owl only offers art parties on Sundays at these times: 10 AM – 2 PM, 12:30 PM – 2:30 PM, and 3 PM – 5 PM. If you want to ask about a specific date, simply shoot them an email. |
Play board games at Across the Board
– Media credit: acrosstheboardcafe
Website: https://acrosstheboardcafe.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/acrosstheboardcafe/
Address: 211 Bannatyne Ave
Hours: Tue – Thurs, Sun: 11 AM – 10 PM
Fri – Sat: 11 AM – 12 AM
Contact: (204) 691-3422
For a low-cost and low-key team building activity, head on over to the Exchange District’s Across the Board. It’s a cozy board game cafe where you can play unlimited games for only $12, and enjoy their yummy snacks and coffee.
Choose what to play from their impressive game library that has over 1600 titles. And if you’re planning to go there on evenings or weekends, they have friendly game experts onsite, ready to explain the rules and facilitate your games.
We recommend booking in advance since they tend to fill up fast. Note that a table can be reserved for up to three hours, but on slow days, you might be able to stay longer.
As a bonus, they’re fully wheelchair-accessible and have gender neutral bathrooms.
| Pro Tip: When the munchies strike, feel free to order from their onsite cafe. Some popular options are popcorn, quesadilla, and even a delicious hummus tray. |
Fly drones during an Eventology team challenge
– Media credit: eventologycanada
Website: https://eventology.ca/team-building-events-in-winnipeg/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eventologycanada/
Address: 1031 Tobermory Way, Garibaldi Highlands
Hours: Mon – Fri: 8 AM – 6 PM
Contact: (604) 567-8326
For the techie inclined team (or maybe just anyone who wants to fly a drone), we recommend signing up for Eventology’s Drone Control challenge.
This super cool team building activity requires not only basic drone flying skills but also a bit of physicality. Each team will carefully maneuver the drones through eight man-made obstacles—from launch to landing pad.
Said obstacles are human-formed–meaning, a two-person arch or a tunnel of legs. Players should also choreograph their movements, which includes swapping pilots.
Note that this game needs a minimum of 8 players (no max) and lasts 1 to 1.5 hours.
| Pro Tip: Not a drone fan? Eventology offers several team building alternatives to Winnipeggers such as Peak Performance, Urban Olympics, Chain Reaction, and more! |
Climb a rock at Vertical Adventures
– Media credit: verticaladventures
Website: https://www.verticaladventures.ca/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/verticaladventures/
Address: 77 Paramount Rd
Hours: Mon – Fri: 4 PM – 10 PM
Saturday: 11 AM – 9 PM
Sunday: 12 PM – 7 PM
Contact: (204) 632-5001
If you have lofty plans to climb to the top at work, now’s your chance—literally! As Winnipeg’s first indoor rock climbing spot, Vertical Adventures is perfect for athletically (or at least semi-athletically) inclined teams.
A team building booking has a max of 40 participants, but if your company is bigger than that, just coordinate with them, and they might be able to help.
Each booking is two hours long, during which everyone will learn how to gear up, put on their own harness, use auto-belays, and climb boulders efficiently. These are great skills that will come in handy if you want to try rock climbing in your own time.
The price, which includes harness rentals, is $25 per adult (plus tax).
| Pro Tip: Just a heads up—booking should be made two weeks in advance. This will help them prepare the equipment and site, and also make sure they have enough staff. |
Learn to cook at The Food Studio
– Media credit: foodstudiowpg
Website: https://foodstudio.net/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foodstudiowpg
Address: 3200 Roblin Blvd
Hours: Depends on class times
Contact: (204) 888-3663
Everyone knows that food is a great bonding experience. So, what better way to unite your team than to learn some cooking basics together at The Food Studio?
A popular class you can book is Barbecue Delights, where you’ll learn how to cut down big pieces of meat to save BBQ costs. You’ll also make a delicious BBQ meal on their outdoor grill, complete with sides, apps, salad, main course, and dessert.
Another cool option is their Breakfast and Brunches, focusing on various types of breakfast breads—English muffins, biscuits, etc., as well as egg recipes. You’ll even (hopefully) learn how to make eggs Benedict, buttermilk pancakes and hollandaise!
Feel free to browse through their other cooking classes such as Basics of Italian Sausage Making, Spanish Vegetarian, Meal Planning, and Cheese Making 101.
| Pro Tip: The Food Studio’s cooking classes are super popular. So, you better book well in advance, especially if you have a large team. Bon appetit! |