Cardboard Boat Racing

DURATION60–150 Mins

GROUP SIZE10–200

SETTINGIndoor / Outdoor

LEVELMedium–High

FORMATCompetitive

Overview

Cardboard Boat Racing sets teams a wonderfully improbable task: build a boat from cardboard and tape that can actually carry a crew across water, then race it. The catch is obvious, cardboard and water do not mix, so the engineering has to be smart.

Teams plan their hull, reinforce the weak points and distribute weight carefully, all under time pressure. Success comes down to design decisions made together: a boat that looks good but sinks loses to one that is ugly but floats.

Then comes the race, and the moment of truth as each boat hits the water. Whether it glides or goes under, the result is always entertaining. It is a hilarious, high-energy challenge that rewards genuine teamwork and clever construction.

Core Ratings

Fun

9/10

Social

9/10

Active

8/10

Competitive

9/10

Learning

7/10

The Blueprint — How It Works

The Materials

Teams receive cardboard, tape and basic tools, and study the challenge of building a boat that floats.

The Design

Teams plan their hull, reinforcing weak points and distributing weight so the boat will carry a crew.

The Build

Teams construct their boat under time pressure, coordinating to get it water-ready.

The Race

Boats hit the water and race. The teams whose boats float, and go fastest, win, to cheers either way.

What's Included with Trebound

Trebound runs the activity end to end. Your team turns up and plays.

Full facilitation and set-up by Trebound

Cardboard, tape, tools and the water course for the race

Pre-activity briefing covering rules, objectives and a walkthrough

Live facilitation and support from trained Trebound hosts

A structured debrief linking the experience to workplace behaviour

Customisation for company themes, branding and group size

Delivery at your office, a venue or an offsite

Skills & Outcomes

What your team practises beyond the game itself:

Innovation

Making cardboard float rewards clever, unconventional engineering.

Planning

Reinforcing weak points and distributing weight demands careful planning.

Collaboration

A boat that floats depends on close teamwork and shared design decisions.

Execution

Turning a design into a water-ready boat under time pressure is a real delivery challenge.

Problem Solving

Every weakness in the hull is a problem the team has to solve before the race.

Competitive Fun

The race puts every build to the test in a hilarious, high-energy finish.

Who It's For

Resort & Waterfront Offsites

A natural fit for venues with a pool or water body.

Competitive Teams

The race puts build decisions to a decisive, fun test.

Corporate Offsites

A memorable build-and-race with plenty of laughter.

Cross-Functional Teams

Dividing the build rewards coordination across roles.

Freshers to Leaders

Accessible building and racing work across every level.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Teams build a boat from cardboard and tape that can carry a crew across water, then race it. If it floats, they win. It combines clever engineering under time pressure with a hilarious, competitive finish.

Yes. The whole point is that the finished boats are raced across water with a crew aboard, which is what makes the build decisions matter.

Yes. The water race is supervised with appropriate safety measures, and Trebound manages the course and depth to keep it safe and fun.

It works well with 10 to 200 people, split into building-and-racing teams. Trebound sets the number of teams to fit your headcount.

The full activity runs 60 to 150 minutes, covering design, build and race, plus briefing and debrief.

Yes, it needs access to a pool or water body for the race, so it suits venues and resorts with water facilities. Trebound helps identify a suitable location.

Trebound delivers Cardboard Boat Racing across India and at resort venues, including Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune and Goa.

Overview

Core Ratings