Christmas Team Building Ideas That Give Something Back (2026)

Ask anyone which Christmas do they remember and it is never the one with the quiz, the awards and the same speech as last year. It is the one where something happened.

We have run charity builds for teams across the UK since 2011, and the December ones have a different feel. People are relaxed, the room is already booked and paid for, and there is a gap before dinner that nobody has planned anything for. That gap is where a charity build goes.

This guide covers why a build works at Christmas, the short formats that add to a party and the longer ones that carry an afternoon, what it costs in December, what to sort out early, and how to run it for a team that does not all celebrate Christmas. The shortlist is on our Christmas team building page.

Why does a charity build work at Christmas?

The whole team is in one room, which happens a handful of times a year, and most companies spend it on something that is gone by January.

The charities need it most in December. A bike or a scooter arriving at a children's charity in the second week of December lands harder than one in March, and your team feels that at the handover.

It fills the gap rather than the evening. Most events take one to two and a half hours, so they sit alongside lunch, awards or drinks instead of replacing them. And it photographs: a row of bikes at the front of a function room, the team behind them and a charity about to take them away, is the picture that gets posted. The quiz is not.

Which short events add to a Christmas party?

If the party is the main event, add a build to the front of it.

Scooter Dash is fifty minutes on the clock. Teams build a children's scooter and pass a safety check, then the scooters go to a local children's charity the same day. They are fully recyclable, with recycled rubber wheels. It fits before dinner without anyone missing a course, and it runs for 10 to 500 people. See Scooter Dash.

OnBoard takes about two hours. Each team designs and builds two skateboard decks, one blank for the artists and one templated so everyone can start straight away. The boards go to children and young carers living in poverty, and to youth projects. It is creative and calm, it works well with drinks afterwards, and over 1,700 boards have been donated. 6 to 500 people. See OnBoard.

Which events can be the main Christmas event?

If you want the build to be the centrepiece, two carry a whole afternoon.

Charity Bike Build is the one most teams choose. Teams earn parts through challenges, then build a bike that is safety checked by our mechanics and given to someone leaving a hostel, a young carer or a family with no car, with helmets, locks, lights and pumps. More than 3,000 bikes have gone out this way since 2011. 8 to 2,000 people. See the Charity Bike Build.

The Great Philanthropic Challenge is six Crystal Maze style challenges where every win adds an item to a care package. The receiving charity writes the list, so at Christmas the packs go to a refuge, a shelter or a children's ward with exactly what they asked for. 631 have been delivered so far. If your business already supports a charity, this is the one that can be built around them.

Can teams in different offices do a Christmas build together?

Yes, with a kit rather than a crew. We post out a kit, each team builds it, and the donation still reaches a charity.

Skateboard and scooter kits are the Christmas favourites. They are bought online rather than booked, several offices can build on the same day, and a call between them at the end gives the whole company one moment. They cost less than an event with our crew because there is no crew. See the DIY kits with prices by quantity.

What does a Christmas build look like on the day?

The room is the one you already booked, a hotel function room or your own office. We arrive before your team and set everything up, and floor covering comes with us where an event needs it.

Our crew runs the session from the front, with a microphone in a big room, so nobody from your side has to host. At a Christmas do that is worth more than it sounds. Your team builds, the safety checks happen, and the charity collects, wherever we can in front of your people. Read how it works for the full run through.

What if not everyone celebrates Christmas?

The same events run as a year end celebration rather than a Christmas party. Nothing about the build itself is festive unless you want it to be.

That matters for global teams and multi faith teams. Everyone takes part in the build and everyone sees the handover, whatever they do or do not celebrate in December. It is also a good answer for a team that is simply tired of Christmas parties.

How much does Christmas team building cost?

The same as it costs in June. The price is a total for the group, set by size band, and it is the same anywhere in the UK on any date.

As a guide, OnBoard is £1,779 excluding VAT for up to 12 people, Scooter Dash is £2,212 for up to 12, and the Charity Bike Build is £3,388 for up to 16 people, two bikes donated, or £4,703 for up to 40, five bikes. See what charity team building costs for every event and band.

What should you sort out early for a December event?

Three things, and one of them is time.

• Book early. The first three weeks of December go first, and the crew is finite. Dates go in order.
• Tell your venue. Most function rooms are fine. We deal with the venue directly on access and floor protection, so you only need to tell them we are coming.
• Pick the slot. Before dinner is the usual choice. A build before drinks is livelier than one after.

If you are still choosing a venue, a build needs tables and floor space rather than anything special, so it rarely changes the decision.

How do you choose a Christmas team building event?

Short on time: Scooter Dash. Creative group: OnBoard. Big group, big moment: the Bike Build. A cause you already support: the Great Philanthropic Challenge. Split across offices: a DIY kit.

Still not sure? Tell us how many people and roughly where, and we will come back with the three that fit. Get a price in a minute.

The bottom line

A Christmas do is a rare thing: the whole team in one room, relaxed, with time on the agenda. A charity build turns that afternoon into a row of bikes or scooters going to people who need them that week, without taking anything away from the party.

It runs in the room you already have, it costs the same in December as in June, and the only thing that changes is how early you need to book. Which is now.