Meaningful Team Building Activities in New York City
Unique team bonding for groups of 5 to 500
If you’re looking for a fun, creative activity to bring your team together in New York City, you’ve come to the right place.
We use imaginative, art-based activities and storytelling prompts that are fun and playful, but carefully designed to fuel a healthy, connected work culture long after the activity ends.
Unlike scavenger hunts and obstacle courses that pit them against each other, we bring people together. Unlike classes and tours where people don’t contribute anything of themselves, we make sure that everyone learns something new about themselves and each other—in between all the laughing.
These are pieces participants created for each other during our most popular activity “Emblemottos.”
In this activity, participants create gifts for each other after hearing stories about each other’s lives.
We provide evocative, whimsical materials, and participants create unique 3D artwork that brings their hopes and goals to life.
Our unique combination of psychological safety, imagination, and empathy is our secret sauce for connecting people in meaningful ways. We help people open up without feeling threatened, practice taking risks without fear, and experience the joy of making others successful. Participants feel encouraged, seen and celebrated for who they are.
Some of our favorite themes to work with include: celebrating a milestone, building trust, bridging silos, connecting introverts and extroverts, cultivating empathy, celebrating diversity and building lasting connections.
Meet with us today to get a recommendation for the right activity for your group. We customize activities based on group size, meeting theme, and goals.
New York City Team Building FAQ
Do you run team-building events across Manhattan and Brooklyn? Yep—we regularly run events in Midtown, FiDi, SoHo, DUMBO, and Williamsburg. We also come to Queens, The Bronx, Staten Island, and Jersey City.
What group sizes do you support?
From small groups to large all-hands. Share your headcount and goals, and we’ll recommend the best format.
How long are the sessions?
Most workshops run 60 minutes to half-day sessions. For offsites, we can extend or stack activities to fit your agenda.
Do you support hybrid or remote groups?
Yes. We offer experiences that work for in-person, hybrid, and fully remote groups.
How far in advance should we book?
We recommend booking 2–4 weeks in advance for best availability, though we’ve also facilitated last-minute and next-day sessions when schedules require it.
Do you provide food or alcohol?
Nope. We only focus on what we’re good at: designing and facilitating the team-building experience itself. But this is NYC — there are plenty of great options nearby.
Are your New York workshops facilitated or self-guided?
All Make Believe Works sessions are professionally facilitated. We do not offer self-guided activities or drop-in experiences.
What makes our team building effective for New York teams?
Effective team building creates psychological safety, encourages honest participation, and helps people understand one another beyond their roles. Our experiences focus on trust, empathy, and shared insight rather than competition or performance — so the connection actually carries back into real work.
Are your workshops a good fit for introverts or quieter participants?
Yes. Our workshops are structured, non-competitive, and talent-agnostic, which means everyone can participate without being put on the spot. Introverts often tell us they feel more comfortable and more genuinely included than in traditional team-building activities.
What does facilitated team building in NYC cost?
Pricing depends on group size, session length, and goals. We’re pricier than a scavenger hunt, but clients consistently tell us the results are worth the investment.
Can you tailor a session to our goals or theme?
Yes. We regularly customize prompts, pacing, and debriefs to support goals like trust-building, collaboration, onboarding, creativity, or alignment during times of growth or change.
Where do events take place?
We come to you. We work in offices, offsite venues, conference spaces, and retreat locations across the New York area. For virtual sessions, we host on Zoom or your preferred platform.
We’d love to help your team connect and thrive. Tell us about your event or goals and let’s make a plan.
You can also always reach us at:
hello@makebelieveworks.com
“Professionally, there’s a lot of value in doing activities with coworkers that aren’t directly work-related. Make Believe Works helped us build real rapport and get to know each other more personally. That built a foundation that has enriched our work relationships and supported us during more intense professional moments.”
— Sloane Hastings
Head of Design & User Research
Juxtapose Ventures, Tribeca, NY