Top 19 Team Building Activities: Columbus, Ohio Insider’s Guide
When it comes to team building activities, Columbus, Ohio, is a special place. Columbus isn’t just Ohio’s capital—it’s a major business hub in which Fortune 500 companies meet Midwest charm. No wonder it’s often called the Biggest Small Town in America!
Whether your company is native or you’ll be visiting for corporate events, Columbus, Ohio, is the perfect spot to organize some fun group activities for your teams. It boasts five Fortune 500s, one of the largest universities in the country, and impressive job growth.
In other words, it’s the perfect mix of big-city fun with cozy small-town vibes. We’re talking diverse activities, affordable venues, and a central location that’s accessible from across the state.
In this guide, we’ll highlight a range of activities and ideas you can use for team building in Columbus, complete with insider recommendations!
Why Are Team Building Activities in Columbus So Much Fun?
The team building activities Columbus, Ohio, has to offer stand out for a variety of unexpected reasons. Before we jump into the best spots around Discovery City (that’s Columbus for the uninitiated), let’s let this gem shine for its stand-out qualities.
Accessible City Layout
Downtown Columbus features an accessible city layout ideal for walking and cycling, and the city’s public transit system is pretty great. This, plus easy highway access from all directions and affordable city parking, makes it a prime destination for businesses from neighboring areas.
Another bonus is that Columbus neighborhoods are often connected by trails that make for fantastic scavenger hunts and other on-foot activities.
Outdoor/City Mix
Columbus features over 400 city parks within easy reach, totaling over 14,000 acres of maintained parkland. These parks include over 230 miles of trails and 25 nature preserves!
Pair this with high-tech conference centers, a bustling downtown scene, and a blend of historic and modern venues, and you have a beautiful mix!
Year-Round Possibilities
Group activities in Columbus, Ohio, are fun no matter the season. You’ll find plenty of indoor venues for winter months and a wide range of outdoor spaces for spring and summer. This beautiful city also features climate-controlled locations for all seasons and beautiful indoor/outdoor hybrid spaces to keep things interesting.
Cultural Diversity
Columbus is home to a booming international business community, and it features multiple cultural districts. For example, the German Village is a historic district settled in the 1800s by German immigrants. Likewise, the Franklinton Arts District is a preserved village from the 18th century and a hot spot for today’s street artists.
Top 4 Seasonal Group Activities in Columbus, Ohio
From scavenger hunts to ice skating and beyond, there’s something for every season in Columbus, Ohio. While Ohio’s temperatures don’t fluctuate as much as other states, you want your team members to feel comfortable so they can engage with the activities you have planned.
Here’s a quick guide to the seasons of Columbus, Ohio:
- Spring (March-May): Perfect for outdoor scavenger hunts, nature walks, and hybrid activities, Spring in Columbus has a lot going on. Just don’t forget your raincoats!
- Summer (June-September): Summer in Columbus is warm and often humid, and it’s perfect for outdoor fun downtown, where the team can dip inside a cafe or bar to cool down.
- Fall (October-November): Columbus has a relatively short fall period, but it’s the perfect time of year to take in the changing colors or enjoy the riverfront without muggy weather.
- Winter (December-February): With tons of cozy indoor hotspots and great ice skating around the city, Columbus makes winter events fun and memorable.
Need some ideas for seasonal events? Look no further.
1. Spring: Columbus Ale Trail Pub Crawl
The Columbus Ale Trail, paired with a Pub Crawl Scavenger Hunt, is the perfect way to enjoy spring in Columbus. Start by picking up free Ale Trail passports at a participating brewery and then collect brewery stamps on your adventure.
There are dozens of breweries you can visit as your team takes in the outdoor sights between each location. If you want to hit up a popular spot with the locals, make sure you check out The Brew Brothers or Jackie O’s on Fourth!
Bonus idea: Does your team prefer to skip happy hour? Try the Polaroid Scavenger Hunt instead.
2. Summer: Scavenger Hunt at The Scioto Mile
The Scioto Mile is a stunning network of paths and parks that stretch along downtown Columbus’s riverfront—the perfect spot for a scavenger hunt! Your team can explore interactive fountains, biking trails, and lush green spaces as they try to earn the most points in a friendly competition.
We recommend the Amazing Race Scavenger Hunt if you want to lock in the fun with high-tech interactive activities.
Bonus idea: Want a city-themed scavenger hunt? Try the Team-opoly City Scavenger Hunt to really focus on what Columbus has to offer.
3. Fall: Custom Mystery Bus Adventure
The Mystery Bus is a great way to transport your team to the weirdest and coolest spots around Columbus. They won’t know where they’re going until they get there, and if the weather is chilly, they’ll get to warm up in the bus or focus on indoor activities.
The Mystery Bus will visit three to four locations selected to fit your budget, timeframe, and interests. Every itinerary includes at least one cultural experience, one low-stress physical activity, and one culinary adventure.
So, for example, you might head to the Center of Science & Industry, then take a break at Jeni’s Ice Cream, and end the adventure at the Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens!
Bonus idea: Want a bus adventure for a cause? Try the Do Good Bus instead!
4. Winter: Day at the Museum
If you’re looking for winter activities for adults, Columbus, Ohio, doesn’t disappoint! It’s home to dozens of museums that make the perfect setting for team building fun. From the Ohio Craft Museum to the Thurber House, there’s something for every team.
Set your team up for an engaging Day at the Museum at your chosen venue for a series of challenging brain teasers, friendly competition, and group activities.
Bonus idea: Want your team to get in on the art? Try The Big Picture for a day or mural-painting fun.
Immersive Team Building Activities: Columbus, Ohio, Favorites
If you’re looking for more team building ideas, Columbus, Ohio, has you covered. There’s so much to do in Discovery City! Team building Columbus-style is all about variety, and we’re here with more fantastic ideas to get your team engaged so they can start bonding.
1. Outrageous Summer Games
Want to get your team outside so they can have some fun? The Outrageous Summer Games experience would work well in any of the many beautiful parks around Columbus. Schiller Park or Goodale Park would be great spots for this fun event.
It’s a high-energy, fast-paced program that’ll divide your team members into groups and have them competing head-to-head in ten wacky relay races. And don’t worry, every race is suitable for a wide range of ages and athletic abilities. It’s more about fun and bonding than physical prowess!
Bonus idea: Want something with more variety? Try the Quickfire Olympics for puzzles, photo quests, and fun challenges.
2. Charitable Skateboard Build
This one works indoors or outdoors, so it’s perfect for any season! The Charitable Skateboard Build—aka Just Roll With It—will have your team members building and designing skateboards for local children’s charities. They’ll also decorate helmets to keep the kiddos safe!
As a bonus, your team members will get to show off their own skills with a fingerboard competition or share their knowledge in a series of fun Q&A challenges. For extra fun, consider holding this event near the Dodge Skatepark—developed by Tony Hawke’s father—so your team can get a taste of the skate culture in Columbus.
Bonus idea: Is skateboarding not your team’s thing? Try the Charity Bike Build instead!
3. Go Team — High-Tech Scavenger Hunt
This list wouldn’t be complete without at least one more scavenger hunt in a park! The team building activities Columbus, Ohio, has to offer often take full advantage of its riverfront parks. We think it’s perfect, too, because there are proven mental health benefits of spending time near rivers, including improved well-being and reduced stress.
Our High-Tech Scavenger Hunt works indoors or outdoors, though, so it’s still an option in the winter. Regardless of where you’re holding the hunt, your teams will spread out in search of victory while keeping an eye on their competitors’ progress on a live leaderboard.
Bonus idea: Looking for another high-tech, gamified scavenger hunt? Try the Mad Dash instead!
4. Squad Game
If a real-life (and more light-hearted) Squid Game experience sounds like fun, check out Squad Game! It works either indoors or outdoors and will have your team competing in a series of five immersive challenges to get them thinking outside the box. Host the event at a quiet park or in a fun indoor venue so your team can enjoy Columbus before and after they play.
No one gets eliminated in Squad Game, so everyone gets to compete in all five challenges and earn rubies for their success. The group with the most rubies wins, so they’ll have to work together if they want to succeed.
Bonus idea: Want to skip the competition and just bring your team together? Try the Team Teddy Rescue Bear and build teddy bears for kids in need instead.
More Team Building Activities in Columbus!
The fun just doesn’t stop in Columbus. Here are some more fantastic team building activities you don’t want to miss:
Ultimate Tailgate Challenge
Have some OSU Buckeyes fans on the team? Or maybe some Clippers or Blue Jackets fans? If so, check out the Ultimate Tailgate Challenge! It’s a fun, competitive event with classic tailgating games. It’s perfect for strengthening your sense of community and letting your team members unwind.
Groups will rotate through activities like Corn Hole, Kan Jam, Washer Toss, and Ladder Ball, plus any other games you’d like to include! And with a professional DJ on site, the energy and attitude are guaranteed.
Haka Team Building
The Haka Team Building event is based on the famous pre-match ritual from the New Zealand All Blacks rugby team. It’s a powerful way to build passion in your team, and we’ve seen it be the catalyst for change time and time again.
If your visit happens to line up with the city’s annual Comfest, even better! Comfest is a free, annual music and arts festival held at the end of June in the Victorian Village area’s Goodale Park, and it’s a must-see if you have the chance.
We have our Maori facilitators on the team for this event, so this New Zealand tradition is in their blood! They’ll divide your team into groups to get them chanting, changing, and building confidence before wrapping up with a unified full-team haka to commemorate the occasion.
Paint Soles for Souls
If your team loves helping others, the Paint Soles for Souls event is a fun charity program that’ll get your team members to tap into their inner artists. They’ll paint shoes and tote bags that’ll be delivered to children in need in South America.
Our facilitators will also engage your team with some trivia contests and team challenges to mix in a bit of friendly competition.
If the dates line up, you might take your team to the Columbus Arts Festival on the Scioto Mile for inspiration before they get to painting. The festival takes place every year in early June to celebrate visual arts, live performances, and local food.
Team Building Activities: Columbus, Ohio, Wrap-Up
Already a Columbus local? Just looking for a list of fun ideas? Here are all the ideas featured in this article in one easy place:
Seasonal Activities
- Pub Crawl Scavenger Hunt (Spring)
- Polaroid Scavenger Hunt (Spring)
- Amazing Race Scavenger Hunt (Summer)
- Team-opoly City Scavenger Hunt (Summer)
- The Mystery Bus (Fall)
- Do Good Bus (Fall)
- Day at the Museum (Winter)
- The Big Picture (Winter)
Immersive Team Building Events
- Outrageous Summer Games
- Quickfire Olympics
- Just Roll With It
- Charity Bike Build
- High-Tech Scavenger Hunt
- Mad Dash
- Squad Game
- Team Teddy Rescue Bear
More Team Building Activities
Plan Unforgettable Group Activities in Columbus, Ohio
With so many great team building activities, Columbus, Ohio, sets the bar high for bringing your team members together and helping them unwind. It’s not called Discovery City for nothing! Whether you’re looking for calm indoor fun or wacky outdoor adventures, it’s hard to go wrong with so many amazing options.
Use these ideas to plan your own team building activities, or reach out and let us do the heavy lifting! We’ve been putting on amazing team events for over 25 years, and we’re always happy to help.
