In a small team, everyone sees everyone. What works for 80 people, like a show or a speaker on a stage, falls flat with 20: there's no audience, there's a table. So the ideas here were chosen by one question. Will people talk to each other, or just look at something together? And none of them requires booking an outside supplier.
3 rules for team building in a small group
One activity, not three
With a team of 20, three activities in one evening turn team building into a schedule. One good activity, then free time, leaves room for the conversations people actually come for.
Everyone around the same table
Up to 30 people, one long table beats four round ones. Four tables make four teams.
Ask before you decide
A two-question poll in the team WhatsApp group: which evening of the week, and which of three ideas. In a small team, anyone who isn't enjoying it stands out, and a two-minute poll saves you that.
12 ideas for a team evening
1. A big meal around one table
The simplest idea, and usually the one that works best. Sharing plates in the middle of the table, not one dish each, because sharing food is already the start of a conversation.
2. A quiz about the team
A week before, everyone sends in one fact about themselves that nobody knows. On the night you put the facts on the projector and guess whose each one is. 30 minutes, a projector and a microphone, and it's the part people will talk about the next day.
3. A round of something you didn't know about me
Everyone says one sentence about themselves. With 20 people that's 10 minutes. Put the question in the invitation, so people arrive prepared and don't freeze.
4. A photo slideshow of the year
40 to 60 photos, 5 seconds each, set to music. Ask everyone for photos two weeks ahead, and have one person put it together.
5. An awards night
5 to 8 funny categories, like longest email of the quarter, a small prize for each, and someone from the team reading them out. 15 minutes that work even with a team that hates activities.
6. Board games in groups
Games for groups of 4 to 6, swapping groups every round. It breaks up the usual pattern of who sits next to whom.
7. A team cocktail
Before the evening the team votes on a name, and the bar makes one cocktail named after it. A small thing that then shows up in every photo.
8. A team playlist
Everyone sends one song, and the playlist runs through the evening. When your song comes on, everyone looks at you.
9. A 10-minute talk from someone on the team
Not about work: a hobby, a trip, something someone knows in depth. A projector, a microphone, and 10 minutes of seeing a colleague from a different angle.
10. Secret Santa
In Israel this is called gamad ve'anak, the dwarf and the giant: draw names a week before, a small gift for each person, and open them together on the night. It works especially well at year end and before holidays.
11. A toast to a finished project
When the evening has a reason, like a launch or a good quarter, give it a moment: two minutes from the manager and a thank-you, by name, to the people who did the work.
12. Dancing at the end
After the food and the activity, the music goes up. Anyone who wants to leave can go without missing anything, and those who stay get another hour.
How to choose between the ideas
| Idea | Time | What it needs | Prep ahead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Team quiz | 30 minutes | Projector, microphone | A week of collecting facts |
| Personal round | 10 to 15 minutes | Microphone | The question in the invitation |
| Photo slideshow | 5 minutes | Projector | Two weeks of collecting photos |
| Awards night | 15 minutes | Microphone, small prizes | A little |
| Board games | An hour | Games | A little |
| Secret Santa | 20 minutes | Gifts | Draw names a week before |
A 3-hour schedule for a team evening
- 19:00 arrivals, first drink
- 19:30 two minutes from the manager, no more
- 19:40 food on the table
- 20:30 the activity: quiz, round or awards
- 21:15 free time, music goes up
- 22:00 wrap up, whoever wants to stays on
A team evening at Ezra
Ezra is a private bar that closes for one group per event. For a team of 15 to 30 there's a layout with one long table, with the bar, the projector and the microphones for the quiz and the round right beside it. Food from the taboon (a wood-fired clay oven) comes to the middle of the table, and the music goes up when you decide. The menu is dairy-vegetarian, and the whole conversation can happen in English.
The details, packages and free dates are on team evenings at Ezra.
The bottom line
In a small team, good team building is whatever gets people talking. A meal around one table, one short activity that needs no supplier, and free time after it. 3 hours is enough. And ask the team before you decide.
A team evening in a private bar, for 15 to 30 people
A long table, a bar, food from the taboon a projector and two microphones for the quiz. Packages and free dates on the site.
Team evenings at Ezra Ask on WhatsAppFrequently asked questions
What do you do for team building with a small team?
For a team of 15 to 30 people, ideas that get people talking work best: a meal around one table, a quiz about the team, a personal round, a photo slideshow of the year, an awards night or board games.
How long should a team building evening last?
For a small team, 3 hours is enough: an hour for food, half an hour for the activity, and the rest free time and music.
How far ahead should you book a place for team building?
3 to 4 weeks ahead for a regular evening. For December and the holiday season, book 6 weeks ahead, because the midweek evenings go fast.
What team building activities need no outside vendor?
A team quiz, a round of something you didn't know about me, a photo slideshow, an awards night and Secret Santa. All they need is a projector, a microphone and someone from the team to host.