5 Unique Team-Building Experiences

When it’s time for a fun shared experience, check out these options that range from tree climbing to glass blowing to zip lining. 

A group tries their hand at tree climbing at Metroparks Toledo



Climb a Tree: Guided tree climbs are available at eight of Metroparks Toledo’s 19 parks (Blue Creek, Farnsworth, Oak Openings Preserve, Pearson, Side Cut, Swan Creek Preserve, Toledo Botanical Garden and Wildwood Preserve). Take a one-and-a-half-hour-long, fully structured tree climbing course for up to 15 people. Participants are accompanied by an instructor and use provided gear like ropes and harnesses to climb. (Available April through November.) For more information, call 419-407-9700 or visit metroparkstoledo.com to book your experience.

Glass blowing at Glass Axis in Columbus (photo courtesy of Glass Axis)

Play with Fire: For an artistic twist on team building, take your group to Glass Axis for a hands-on experience. Located in Columbus’ historic Franklinton neighborhood, Glass Axis offers private lessons from instructors for groups of up to 40 people. (The studio suggests booking at least four to six weeks in advance.) Watch a demonstration of the artists in action, visit the gallery to see exquisite glass art, and challenge yourself by making your own glass piece. 610 W. Town St., Columbus 43215, 614-291-4250, glassaxis.org

Take to the Air: Zip through the foliage with coworkers at Hocking Hills Canopy Tours in Rockbridge. Larger groups are divided into pods of nine people, and options include the Canopy Tour that includes 10 zips and four sky bridges or the X-Tour, a course that has 11 zips with one that visits a natural recess cave and two that cross the Hocking River. (Zip lining available mid-March through the end of November.) If heights aren’t your team’s thing, there are options for staying on the ground, including a fun, off-road Segway tour. 10714 Jackson St., Rockbridge 43149, 740-385-9477, hockinghillscanopytours.com 

Trail at the Inn At Honey Run (photo courtesy of Inn at Honey Run)

Explore the Forest: Enjoy a scenic and relaxing team outing with your group at The Inn at Honey Run in Holmes County. Located in the heart of Ohio’s Amish Country, the inn offers team-building experiences for groups of up to 30 people. Go on a scavenger hunt through the forest to harvest fresh ingredients for a cooking class or take the mile-and-a-half trail to see the Open Air Art Museum, which integrates art from a variety of artists into the natural environment. 6920 County Rd. 203, Millersburg 44654, 330-674-0011, innathoneyrun.com

Experience Art: Take an inspiring tour through the galleries at the Cincinnati Art Museum. The program takes 20 or fewer guests on a two-hour, immersive experience that includes up to three activities that inspire group problem-solving. They include an art-centric icebreaker, a team scavenger hunt, and a no-skill drawing activity, in which a partner must describe a work of art to another and have them re-create it. (Reservations are required.) 953 Eden Park Dr., Cincinnati 45202, 513-721-2787, cincinnatiartmuseum.org/teambuilding