Christmas Team Building Ideas That Give Something Back (2026)

Ask anyone which Christmas do they remember and the answer is the one where something happened. A charity build gives your party that moment: your team makes bikes, skateboards or scooters in the room you already booked, and a charity takes them away the same day.

We have run charity builds for teams across the UK since 2011, and the December events have a feel of their own. People are relaxed, the room is booked and paid for, and there is usually a free hour or two before dinner or drinks. That gap is where a build fits best.

The shortlist is on our Christmas team building page. Below is how each format fits a party, from short builds that open the evening to longer ones that carry the afternoon, along with what December costs and what to book early.

Why does a charity build work at Christmas?

The whole team is in one room, which happens only a handful of times a year. A build turns that afternoon into something that carries on after the party: a bike for someone leaving a hostel, or a skateboard for a young carer.

December is also when charities feel it most. A bike or scooter arriving at a children's charity in the second week of December means a great deal, and your team sees that at the handover.

It fits alongside the party rather than replacing it. Most events take one to two and a half hours, so they sit comfortably with lunch, awards or drinks. And it gives you the picture everyone shares: a row of bikes at the front of the function room, the team behind them, and a charity ready to collect them.

Which Christmas party team building activities fit before dinner?

When the party is the main event, a build makes a great opening.

Scooter Dash runs for fifty minutes on the clock. Teams build a children's scooter and pass a safety check, and the scooters go to a local children's charity the same day. They are fully recyclable, with wheels made from recycled rubber. It slots in before dinner, nobody misses a course, and it works 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 a creative, calm session that leads nicely into drinks, and more than 1,700 boards have been donated so far. For 6 to 500 people. See OnBoard.

Which Christmas team building ideas work for a large group?

For a big group, a build can be the main event of the day.

The Charity Bike Build is the one most teams choose, and it scales from 8 to 2,000 people. Teams earn parts through challenges, then build a bike that our mechanics safety check before it goes to someone leaving a hostel, a young carer or a family without a car, complete with helmet, lock, lights and pump. More than 3,000 bikes have gone out this way since 2011. See the Charity Bike Build.

The Great Philanthropic Challenge is six Crystal Maze style challenges, and 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. So far, 631 packs have been delivered. If your business already supports a charity, this is the event to build around them.

Can hybrid and office teams do Christmas team bonding together?

Yes. We post out a kit, each team builds it wherever they are, and the donation still reaches a charity.

Skateboard and scooter kits are the Christmas favourites. You buy them online rather than booking a crew, several offices can build on the same day, and a call between them at the end gives the whole company one shared moment. With no crew to send, they also cost less than a hosted event. See the DIY kits with prices by quantity.

What does a Christmas build look like on the day?

It happens in the room you already booked, whether that is a hotel function room or your own office. We arrive before your team, set everything up, and bring floor covering where the event needs it.

Our crew runs the session from the front, with a microphone in larger rooms, so whoever organised the party gets to enjoy it too. Your team builds, the safety checks happen, and the charity collects, in front of your people wherever we can arrange it. Read how it works for the full run through.

What if not everyone celebrates Christmas?

Every event runs just as well as a year end celebration, and the build itself can be as festive or as neutral as you like.

That makes it a strong choice for global and multi faith teams. Everyone takes part in the build and everyone shares the handover, whatever they celebrate in December. It also gives teams looking for something new a fresh alternative to the usual party.

How much does Christmas team building cost?

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

As a guide, OnBoard is £1,779 excluding VAT for up to 12 people and Scooter Dash is £2,212 for up to 12. The Charity Bike Build is £3,388 for up to 16 people with two bikes donated, or £4,703 for up to 40 with 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, starting with the date.

Book early. The first three weeks of December are the most requested, and crews are allocated in booking order.

Let your venue know. Function rooms suit a build well, and we arrange access and floor protection with the venue directly, so a quick note from you is all it takes.

Choose your slot. Before dinner is the usual choice, and a build before drinks carries plenty of energy into the evening.

If you are still choosing a venue, a build needs tables and floor space rather than anything special, so you can pick the venue on its own merits.

How do you choose a Christmas team building event?

Short on time: Scooter Dash. A creative group: OnBoard. A big group and a big moment: the Charity Bike Build. A cause you already support: the Great Philanthropic Challenge. Teams across several offices: a DIY kit.

Tell us how many people and roughly where, and we will come back with the three that fit best. Get a price in a minute.

Make the handover your Christmas moment

A Christmas do brings the whole team into one room, relaxed and with time on the agenda. A charity build turns that time into bikes, skateboards or scooters going to people who need them that same week, and it sits alongside the party rather than in place of it.

It runs in the room you already have and costs the same in December as in June. The one thing that changes at Christmas is how quickly the dates go, so now is the time to book yours.