10 Group Activities and Teambuilding Ideas in Boston

Located about 40 minutes outside of Boston in Derry, New Hampshire, High 5 Ballooning offers another high-flying group activity. After a group safety briefing, passengers climb in the basket of a decorative hot-air balloon for an hour-long ride. Large groups flying two or more balloons can participate in a “Set-Up/Breakdown” contest, where teams compete against each other to set up and break down the balloons the fastest. Seeing which balloon comes closest to landing on a fixed ground target or first skims the surface of a body of water are other popular contests. Sunrise flights include a champagne celebration and picnic; sunset flights include a champagne toast. Up to 45 passengers can be accommodated at a cost of $200 per person.

Based out of West Chesterfield, Hilltown Wilderness Adventures now offers the Dry Land Sled Dog Challenge. In this half-day or day-long outing, participants choose their Alaskan Husky race dog, and then learn how to walk, harness, and hook up their new canine friend before it pulls them around a track in a three-wheeled racing rig. While each group member takes a turn on the rig, other participants cheer on the driver and dog, handle the other dogs, or catch lines as the driver crosses the finish line. HWA can customize the experience, which accommodates 10, based on groups’ needs. For an additional fee, boxed lunches can be provided.

Destination Partners now offers a New England “Chowda” Taste-Off challenge for groups. A chowder-, soup-, and bisque-making competition, the Taste-Off can be held in an office or off-site. Participants are divided into teams and provided with aprons and chef hats embroidered with their company’s logo, plus all the necessary ingredients to create their version of the perfect chowder. Pricing varies according to group size, which can be from five to 500.

In February, the Guide Service of Boston launched Yummy Walks. The tours explore Boston’s historical and culinary offerings—choose the Foods of the Freedom Trail Tour, the North End/Little Italy Food Tour, or the Seafood/Chowda Tour. The foods on the Freedom Trail Tour may include helpings of lobster bisque, Boston cream pie, Boston baked beans, and Italian meats and cheeses. The North End/Little Italy tour includes a sit-down restaurant and four additional stops for pizza, pasta dishes, and cannoli. The Seaport/Fort Point Channel district is the destination for the seafood and chowder specialties offered on the latter tour.  Each tour lasts about three hours, and recipes from all the featured dishes are provided to guests. Public tours are $55 per person and accommodate as many as 16; private tours can be arranged.

Stonybrook Fine Arts in Jamaica Plain offers a range of classes and workshops in sculptural media.  Lasting from four to six hours, options include the Make a Ring workshop (participants learn how to texture, cut, size, anneal, and solder a silver ring) and the Weld a Critter workshop (students learn the basics of welding and how to create an animal “creature,” flower, or candle-holder). Stonybrook can also create custom workshops depending on a group’s specifications. Afterward, Stonybrook can make arrangements for groups to go on a brewery tour. Groups of 10 to 75 can be accommodated, and workshops are around $150 per person with group discount pricing available.

Dennis and Provincetown Parasail and Jet Ski docks the only parasail boat in New England that can hold up to 16 people, giving guests the opportunity to fly up to 1,200 feet above the Atlantic. During the hour and a half trip, guests take turns flying in double or triple parasail rigs; each ride is about ten minutes. The crew involves the participants by providing props for picture taking or letting group members drive the boat. For those who prefer to keep their personal cameras away from the water, the company can provide a package of digital photos and short videos for an additional fee. For groups larger than 16, those waiting for their turn can jet ski or enjoy food from a local seafood restaurant. The cost is $89 per person, with group discounts available.

Boston Winery lets groups make their own wine. Offering teambuilding sessions throughout the year, the staff teaches participants about the wine-making process from grape crushing and de-stemming to bottling, corking, and capping. During the session, participants sip wine and dine on hand-crafted pizza made onsite. By the end of the three- to four-hour activity, the group will have made its own wine blend, which can be customized with labels featuring the company’s logo. Pricing depends on the size of the group; the cost to make a barrel of wine (288 bottles) is $3,500 or $1,850 to make a half barrel (144 bottles).

Fitness Inspired Training now offers F.I.T. at Work, a customizable fitness program designed to help employees reach their fitness and weight-loss goals. With a minimum of ten participants, F.I.T. works with corporate groups to create a one-hour, lunchtime fitness workout that can be done in the company’s existing space. The fitness workouts are designed to be repeated three times a week, and F.I.T. provides weekly onsite visits from a health coach, monthly “Lunch and Learn” seminars, a monthly newsletter, seasonal “F.I.T. Tips,” and training tools on their website. Fitness packages can be purchased in monthly installations; one month is $180 per person with discounts available for additional time purchased.

Create a Cook's “Turn Up the Heat” dinner party provides a hands-on group activity. A result of a partnership between Create a Cook and the consulting firm Hirsch Hills, “Turn Up the Heat” is designed to help groups come to agreement, resolve conflict, and work toward mutual success in a culinary competition similar to the Food Network’s Iron Chef. Large groups are split into two kitchens and are presented with different challenges before preparing and plating three-course meals for judges to taste. After judging, both groups dine on what they’ve made, and receive feedback on their team objectives. The four-hour dinner parties can accommodate up to 30 people. Pricing is $78 per person plus an initial $1,000 consulting fee.

Most Saturdays from July through September, Salsa Boston will be hosting a summer Salsa Cruise out of Long Wharf at Boston Harbor. Tickets are $30 to 35 per person, and include food, a two-hour tour of Boston Harbor and the Islands, and salsa dancing lessons. A salsa DJ on the second deck, a mixed Latin DJ on the bottom deck, and a Spanish guitarist on the third deck encourage guests to practice their moves. A cash bar is available, and the yacht can accommodate as many as 475 people. Special arrangements for blocked-area seating can be made for large groups, and group rates are available.