Have you been tasked with the responsibility of planning a group gathering? With the holidays drawing near, it’s likely you’ll find yourself in this position. Whether you’re trying to entertain family members or coordinate a holiday celebration for a small group of coworkers, your first question is always going to be: “What do we do?”
Renting activity venues, catering, or banquet halls is unrealistic for small groups. Managing small groups requires the same planning, prep, and staff as large group gatherings. To top it off, companies that offer event services will often charge you higher fees per person when your group is on the smaller side.
Lucky for you, we’ve created a list of six affordable things that you can do with your small group instead.
1. Tour the City
This is a great thing to do during December when your city is lit up with Christmas lights and everyone is feeling festive. If you’re hosting family from out of town, a city tour is the perfect way to let your guests experience the sights and attractions of the local area.
Make the tour interactive and fun with Strayboots as you follow our guided tour of the city from your cell phone. Our tours include playful scavenger hunt activates along the way that are great for all ages such as trivia and fun photo challenges.
Our game designers have created tours in all the major cities in the U.S. as well as some cool places in Europe. Find out if we have a hunt in your city. We can accommodate small groups of 8 to 15 people at a very affordable price.
2. Play a Game
Release your inner child and play a fun game with your group! There are many options when it comes to this:
Paintball or Laser Tag
Show your competitive side and get some exercise while you’re at it. These games are a great way to break the ice in new groups and create a foundation for teambuilding. Paintball games are always a blast for younger adults.
Go Bowling
Bowling is the perfect activity to do as a group for people of any age. Most bowling alleys also have food and refreshments. Some even have disco or lazer nights!
Coordinate a Sports Game
If you’ve got an active group and you’re looking for zero-cost activities, why not arrange a sports game? Set up a game of touch football, baseball, or soccer at a local park. Many parks have public baseball diamonds that you can use or large fields that are perfect for running around.
Host a Games Night
A games night is a unique activity that is especially popular when the weather outside turns cold. Set up various tables and chair formations to accommodate different activities. Ask your guests to bring their favorite games. You could couple the night with a dinner party or just serve some fun and fancy snacks. During the holidays, serve festive drinks like mulled wine and apple cider.
3. Immerse Your Group in a Mystery Challenge
Looking to submit your group to something new and challenging? Try an escape room! This is an immersive adventure game for much smaller groups of around 4 to 12 people. Participants solve puzzles and riddles to find clues in order escape from the room. It involves teamwork and collaboration to successfully complete the challenge, which makes it an excellent teambuilding activity among coworkers.
For a cheaper option in the same realm, you can host your own mystery dinner party. These dinners are most successful with 6 to 20 people. They involve one of the group members being designated as the “murderer” and the rest of the guests must investigate to find out who it is. You can get murder mystery party game kits which come with an interactive plan for the event with various themes and age groups to choose from.
4. Take a Class
People love to learn. So why not sign your group up for a painting or cooking class? This is a rewarding experience because it lets people create things on their own and take their new skills with them when they leave. Great for smaller companies, classes can help employees get out of their comfort zone and develop the confidence to try new things at work. It also builds solidarity between coworkers as everyone embarks on the same challenge together.
5. Visit a Local Attraction
Depending on the interests of your group, a museum visit may be the perfect thing to do together. You could also go to an art gallery, aquarium, or a zoo. This will give you a chance to learn new things, as well as discover any shared interests you have with other people in your group.
Even if your group members have been to the attraction before, Strayboots can make the experience new and exciting with an interactive tour. We have designed museum and gallery scavenger hunts in over 20 major cities. For example, we’ve got a scavenger hunt for the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and one in The Getty in LA.
These hunts have been created specifically to educate and test your knowledge as you explore the museum. Introduce guests to one of your city’s prized locations, or re-experience a local attraction yourself.
6. Go Out to a Restaurant
Sure, this is the most generic thing we could possibly suggest. Every group goes out to restaurants. But sometimes it’s the perfect solution for your get-together. Everyone can order what they want and it’s affordable since the price per head only covers a meal and drinks. Plus, everyone loves good food.
Even better, add a restaurant visit to the end of a day of activities. Consider it a place where everyone can relax and reflect on the fun they just had. With Strayboots’ customizable scavenger hunts, you can direct everyone to a restaurant or bar as the last step in their adventure. Find out how it works and contact us if you’d like to use a scavenger hunt for your next group gathering!
