The best team trip ideas depend on two questions: how old is the team, and how much can it cost? Children often only need a day with one shared experience, teenagers want a weekend with a programme and some free time, and adults want a trip people will still be talking about years later. Here you will find ideas for all three, plus ideas for a team night out when a trip is not on the cards, and a plan from the first poll to the journey home.
Team trip ideas for children
For children, the experience counts, not the distance. A short journey, lots of movement, and for the youngest a single day is enough; for many, one night away is already the biggest adventure of the season.
- A day trip to a theme park, high ropes course or zoo, with a picnic together.
- A visit to a professional or higher-league match nearby, with a stadium tour if possible.
- A tournament with an overnight stay, for example camping at the host club's ground.
- A night in your own clubhouse with a night walk, a film and breakfast together.
- A day at a lake or the outdoor pool, with a ball, a frisbee and ice cream.
- A farm, crazy golf or bowling: close by, cheap, and everyone can join in.
Team trip ideas for teenagers
From around 13 or 14, it can be a weekend. Teenagers want a say, so let them vote between two or three suggestions.
- A canoe trip or raft building on a river or lake, with a night in tents.
- A weekend at a youth hostel or a self-catering house, with cooking done in groups.
- A training camp with free time: training in the morning, climbing, swimming or the town in the afternoon.
- A city trip with a stadium visit and a city rally that the teenagers solve in mixed groups.
- A two-day cycling tour with luggage, for teams that like being outdoors.
- A trip to a youth tournament with teams from other regions.
Team trips for adults: ideas for going on tour at the end of the season
With adults, the date often matters more than the destination: anyone with a family or shift work needs to know early. These work well:
- A weekend in a mountain hut with a hike, cooking and card games in the evening.
- A city break with a stadium visit, a guided tour and a good dinner.
- Go-karting, archery or climbing as a team competition, with a prize-giving in the evening.
- A cycling tour from inn to inn, with the luggage following in a support car.
- A trip to an amateur tournament where third place is celebrated just like first.
Team night: ideas for when a trip is not on the cards
Not every team has the time and money for a trip. A good evening achieves almost the same:
- A barbecue at the clubhouse, with everyone bringing something.
- Bowling or skittles in teams drawn by lot.
- A quiz night about your own team: who got the most yellow cards, who was late most often?
- A cooking evening in the club kitchen or making pizza together at someone's home.
- A film night in the clubhouse with a projector and popcorn.
For the party at the end of the season, there are separate end-of-season party ideas, and for an evening in the winter break, Christmas party ideas for sports teams.
Planning a team trip by budget
Say early what the trip costs per person, so nobody quietly drops out for money reasons. Three levels help with the decision:
Almost free: a night in the clubhouse, a barbecue, a hike, a lower-league match.
Mid-range: a day trip with entry fees, a night at a youth hostel or a camp.
Bigger: a weekend with a programme, travel by train or coach.
Contributions come from the team kitty, the club or its supporters' association and sometimes from a sponsor; there are ideas in the guide Fundraising ideas for sports clubs. A small pot the coaching team can draw on quietly makes sure everyone comes along.
Planning: from the poll to the journey home
One person keeps track, two or three help. This is a timetable that works:
- Three to six months before: set the date, keeping holidays, fixtures and exams in mind. Run a poll in the team group chat on who can come and what people would like.
- Two to three months before: book accommodation and activities, set the cost per person, collect deposits. Whoever has paid is definitely in.
- Four weeks before: sort out travel, send the packing list and programme, and for children an information letter for the parents.
- On the trip: a programme with breathing space, a plan for rain, fixed times for meals and lights out.
- Afterwards: collect photos in a shared folder, settle the costs, thank everyone who helped organise it.
If you want to keep the trip: in a Flashbook, every person has a double-page spread with two photos, and one double-page spread belongs to the special moments of the season. That is exactly where this day can go. How a trip can build more team spirit is explained in the guide Team building activities for youth sports.
Supervising children and teenagers
Anyone travelling with children has a responsibility. A few principles help on every trip; clarify the details with the committee beforehand.
- Take enough team staff, and for mixed groups both women and men.
- Get written consent from all parents, with an emergency number and information on allergies, medication and swimming ability.
- If you plan swimming or water sports, ask the club what supervision it requires.
- Discuss rules on phones, lights out and going out with parents and teenagers beforehand. Youth protection rules apply on the trip too.
- Ask the club how trips are insured and what rules your club has for overnight stays.
A guide cannot do more than set out these principles, and this is not legal advice. Your club, your regional sports federation (Landessportbund) or its youth organisation (Sportjugend) often have their own information sheets for trips with children; ask them.