Buyer's Guide: How to Choose the Right Experiential Learning Activity or Kit
A practical guide for facilitators, L&D teams, educators, youth leaders and organisations
What we'll cover:
Questions to ask before buying an experiential learning activity or kit
Is an activity, a kit, a simulation or bespoke solution best for you?
Choosing an experiential learning activity should be simple. In practice, it rarely is.
There are thousands of team-building games, leadership exercises, problem-solving tasks, assessment activities, STEM challenges, business simulations and training resources available. Some are free. Some are polished. Some create energy in the room but little lasting learning. Others look simple at first but, in the hands of a skilled facilitator, can reveal a great deal about how people communicate, lead, solve problems, collaborate, give feedback and work under pressure.
So how do you choose the right activity?
The best starting point is to be clear about what you are really buying.
You are not just buying an exercise. You are buying a learning experience.
That means the task matters, but so does the review, the facilitator guidance, the transfer into work or life, and the ability to repeat or adapt the experience with different groups.
This guide will help you decide what type of experiential learning activity, kit, simulation or bespoke design is right for your workshop, programme, school, cadet group, leadership academy or organisation.
What is an experiential learning activity?
An experiential learning activity is a structured task that gives participants a practical experience they can learn from.
Participants do something. They communicate, plan, build, compete, cooperate, lead, adapt, solve a problem, make decisions, give feedback or respond to changing information. The facilitator then helps them review what happened, identify patterns in their behaviour, and connect the learning to work, study, life or future performance.
A good experiential learning activity usually has three parts:
The task
The practical challenge that creates the experience.The review
The structured conversation that helps participants make sense of what happened.The transfer
The link between the activity and what participants will do differently afterwards.
The activity creates the evidence.
The review creates the insight.
The transfer creates the value.
Without a good review, even a well-designed task can become little more than a game.
What makes a good experiential learning activity?
A good activity is not just enjoyable. It should be purposeful, revealing and reviewable.
Look for these qualities.
1. A clear learning purpose
The activity should be linked to a meaningful outcome. It may be fun, but fun should not be the main point.
A strong activity helps participants explore questions such as:
How do we communicate under pressure?
How do we make decisions when information is incomplete?
How do we balance speed, quality and risk?
How do we include different perspectives?
How do we respond when our first plan does not work?
How do we work across boundaries?
How do we understand customer or stakeholder priorities?
How do we give and receive useful feedback?
How do we improve a process?
How do we turn insight into action?
2. Visible behaviour
Experiential learning works best when it makes behaviour visible.
A good task should give the facilitator and participants evidence to review. Who took the lead? Who listened? Who challenged assumptions? Who monitored progress? Who focused on the customer? Who noticed the constraints? Who adapted? Who gave feedback? Who helped the group learn?
The best activities make these behaviours visible without the facilitator needing to force the point.
3. Productive challenge
An activity should stretch participants, but not overwhelm them.
Too easy, and there is little to review. Too hard, and participants may disengage or blame the task rather than reflect on their behaviour.
A good activity creates enough pressure, ambiguity or complexity to generate insight.
4. A strong review process
The review is where much of the learning happens.
Look for activities that include clear review questions, discussion topics and ways to connect the activity to the workplace, classroom or youth setting. The task should create a shared experience; the review should help participants understand what that experience means.
5. Transfer into work, study or life
The activity should not end with “that was interesting.”
Participants should be able to identify practical implications:
What did we notice?
What patterns showed up?
What helped us succeed?
What got in the way?
Where does this happen in real life?
What will we do differently?
The link to application is what separates learning activities from entertainment.
6. Facilitator usability
A good activity should be practical to deliver.
Consider:
how long it takes to set up
how many people it supports
how much space it needs
how easy it is to brief
how much facilitator experience it requires
whether the materials are robust
whether the review guidance is strong enough
whether the activity can be adapted for different groups
7. Repeatability
If you need to use the activity more than once, repeatability matters.
Some activities work well once but lose value quickly. Others can be adapted, sequenced or reviewed differently depending on the group and outcome.
For internal L&D teams, consultants, schools, youth organisations and military trainers, repeatability is often where a professional kit becomes more valuable than a free exercise.
Why review quality matters
The review is the bridge between the activity and the real world.
A practical task may show that a team rushed, misunderstood the brief, ignored customer priorities, failed to plan, avoided difficult conversations, worked in silos, over-competed, missed risks or did not adapt when new information emerged. But participants do not automatically turn those observations into learning.
The facilitator needs to help the group explore:
what happened
why it happened
what it reveals
where it happens elsewhere
what they want to keep, stop or change
how they will apply the learning
This is why review design should be a major buying criterion. When comparing activities or kits, ask:
What support is provided to help the facilitator turn the task into learning?
What are you trying to achieve?
Before choosing an activity, start with the learning outcome. The right activity depends less on what looks interesting and more on what you need participants to notice, practise or change.
Common outcomes include:
building stronger teams
improving communication
developing leaders
improving problem solving and decision making
encouraging collaboration across teams or functions
supporting change
developing customer focus
creating energy and engagement in a workshop or event
assessing behaviours under pressure
developing young people’s teamwork and leadership skills
making STEM learning practical and engaging
supporting military, cadet or uniformed youth development
helping facilitators deliver more interactive learning
embedding practical problem-solving methods
building feedback, self-awareness and emotional intelligence
developing coaching skills in managers
bringing continuous improvement or lean thinking to life
A useful question is:
What behaviour do we need to make visible?
For example:
If you want to improve communication, choose an activity where assumptions, listening, clarity and ambiguity become visible.
If you want to develop leadership, choose an activity where participants need to set direction, manage pressure, involve others and adapt.
If you want to improve problem solving, choose an activity where teams must define the problem, challenge assumptions, test ideas and review progress.
If you want to build trust, choose an activity where people rely on one another and then review what helped or hindered performance.
If you want to develop young people, choose an activity that is practical, safe, engaging and gives quick feedback on teamwork, confidence and communication.
If you want to support STEM, choose an activity where participants apply scientific, technical or mathematical thinking through practical challenge.
If you want to assess candidates, choose an activity where behaviour is observable, comparable and linked to the role.
If you want energy at an event, choose an activity that creates pace, involvement, visible progress and a sense of achievement.
The activity should make the learning outcome difficult to avoid
How to match activities to learning outcomes
Learning need | What the activity should reveal | What to look for |
How people coordinate, support, challenge and adapt together | Shared task, interdependence, time pressure, visible group process | |
How people brief, listen, clarify, check understanding and handle ambiguity | Instructions, constraints, information gaps, need for precision | |
How people set direction, involve others, make decisions and respond to pressure | Ambiguity, competing priorities, need for influence and judgement | |
How people define the problem, test ideas, challenge assumptions and learn from failure | Complex task, constraints, experimentation, review points | |
Decision making | How people prioritise, handle risk and make trade-offs | Limited time, incomplete information, quality standards |
How people respond to uncertainty, new rules or shifting expectations | Changing conditions, need to adapt, emotional response | |
Collaboration across teams | How groups share resources, manage boundaries and balance local/global success | Multi-team structure, shared dependencies, potential conflict |
How people interpret priorities, quality and value | Customer brief, success criteria, competing pressures | |
Feedback and self-awareness | How people affect others and respond to feedback | Peer observation, structured reflection, safe feedback process |
How managers listen, question, support and enable others | Practice opportunities, observer roles, review and transfer | |
Continuous improvement | How people improve process, quality, flow and performance | Repeated cycles, measurement, constraints, improvement opportunities |
STEM learning | How young people apply technical, mathematical and scientific thinking | Hands-on challenge, testing, construction, experimentation |
How young people communicate, cooperate, lead and build confidence | Safe challenge, clear rules, quick feedback, fun | |
How people lead, follow, communicate and perform under pressure | Practical challenge, structure, discipline, teamwork and review | |
How candidates behave under realistic pressure | Observable behaviours, consistent scoring criteria, controlled conditions | |
Conference energy | How people engage quickly and work together with pace | Simple briefing, visible progress, competitive or shared challenge |
Choosing by practical constraints
The right activity also depends on the realities of the session.
Time available
For short sessions, choose activities that can be briefed quickly and reviewed tightly. A 10-minute activity can still generate useful learning if the review is focused.
For longer sessions, consider activities that unfold over several stages. These allow participants to plan, act, review, adapt and try again.
Group size
Some activities work best with small teams. Others support multiple groups working in parallel. For larger events, the activity needs to be easy to brief, manage and debrief at scale.
Space
Tabletop activities are useful when space is limited. Larger physical activities may create more energy but need careful planning.
Facilitator experience
New facilitators may need activities with clearer guidance, simpler setup and structured review questions. More experienced facilitators may be able to use more ambiguous or complex tasks.
Participant level
Introductory activities can be effective with young people, apprentices, new starters and early-career groups. Senior leaders may need activities with greater ambiguity, strategic tension, stakeholder complexity or decision-making pressure.
Setting
The same activity may need to be framed differently depending on whether it is used in a school, cadet hall, leadership academy, corporate training room, assessment centre, conference or virtual environment.
Relevance
The activity does not need to look exactly like work. Sometimes a simple physical task reveals behaviour more clearly than a literal business simulation. But the review must connect the learning to the participant’s real world.
Questions to ask before buying an experiential learning activity or kit
Use this checklist before choosing.
Learning purpose
What learning outcome matters most?
What behaviour do we need to make visible?
What do participants need to understand, practise or change?
How will the activity connect to their real work, study or life?
Is the goal development, assessment, engagement, behaviour change or capability building?
Audience
Who are the participants?
How experienced are they?
Are they young people, apprentices, graduates, managers, senior leaders, cadets, technical specialists or mixed groups?
Will they be comfortable with practical activity?
Are there accessibility, cultural or physical considerations?
Session design
How much time is available?
How many participants will attend?
How much space do we have?
Will the activity be face-to-face, virtual or hybrid?
Will the activity stand alone or sit inside a wider programme?
Do we need one activity or a sequence?
Facilitation
Who will facilitate?
How experienced are they with experiential learning?
Do they need structured review questions?
Do they need training or support?
Will multiple facilitators need to deliver the activity consistently?
Practicality
What materials are required?
How easy is the activity to set up and reset?
Can it be reused?
Can it travel?
Can it scale?
Is it robust enough for repeated use?
Transfer
How will participants apply the learning?
What review process is included?
What follow-up is needed?
What will success look like after the session?
Commercial fit
Is this a one-off need or a recurring need?
Would a kit be better value than buying or designing individual activities?
Do we need bespoke design?
Do we need facilitator training as well as materials?
Is the main value in the activity, the review, the process or the organisational fit
Activity, kit, simulation or bespoke design?
Not every need requires the same type of solution.
A single activity
A single activity is useful when you need to add practical learning to a workshop, conference, lesson, leadership module or development session.
Choose a single activity when:
you have a defined learning outcome
you only need one task
the session is short
the activity is part of a wider programme
you have an experienced facilitator who can lead the review
you want to introduce a concept before deeper discussion
Single activities can work well, but they can be limiting if you need flexibility across different groups, outcomes or timeframes.
An experiential learning kit
An experiential learning kit is a reusable set of resources, activities and facilitator guidance.
A good kit is not just a box of components. It should include the materials, activity briefs, facilitator notes, review questions and guidance needed to turn a practical task into meaningful learning.
Choose a kit when:
you need repeated use across multiple workshops or cohorts
different facilitators need access to consistent resources
you want activities for different outcomes and group sizes
you need flexibility without designing everything from scratch
you want a professional, robust alternative to improvised exercises
you want to build internal facilitation capability
you work with different levels, from young people or apprentices through to senior leaders
A kit is often the better choice when you are investing in a long-term learning resource rather than a one-off event.
A business simulation
A business simulation is useful when participants need to experience a process, system or set of trade-offs.
Choose a simulation when:
the learning is about workflow, process, quality, improvement or customer value
people need to experience the effect of their decisions
the activity needs to feel like a business challenge
you want energy, competition and visible improvement
the learning needs to move beyond theory into action
Simulations are particularly useful for continuous improvement, lean thinking, operational excellence, project work and leadership under pressure.
A bespoke experiential simulation
A bespoke simulation is designed around your organisation’s own context, standards, processes, behaviours or language.
Choose bespoke design when:
the activity needs to reflect a specific workplace process
the behaviour you want to develop is highly contextual
off-the-shelf activities are close, but not quite right
you need to embed a strategic priority
you want a branded experience for a leadership academy, operational programme or major change initiative
you need to pilot and refine the activity before wider rollout
the learning needs to support internal standards, audits or operating systems
Bespoke design is usually more appropriate for larger programmes, strategic initiatives or situations where the learning needs to feel directly connected to the organisation’s reality.
For example, MTa has designed bespoke practical problem-solving materials that reflect a client’s own problem-solving process, including structured approaches such as problem definition, cause-effect analysis, 5 Whys, corrective actions and sustaining actions. This kind of work is different from buying a generic activity: the activity becomes part of how the organisation teaches, practises and embeds its own method.
Free activity, professional kit or bespoke design?
Free online activities
Free activities can be useful for quick sessions, energisers or simple introductions. They are often easy to access and can help a facilitator add variety to a workshop.
However, free activities often have limitations:
limited facilitator guidance
weak or generic review questions
unclear learning outcomes
poor repeatability
inconsistent quality
little support for transfer into work
limited credibility with senior audiences
limited adaptability for different levels
Use free activities when the risk is low and the learning need is simple.
Professional experiential learning kits
Professional kits are more appropriate when quality, repeatability and facilitator support matter.
They are useful when:
the activity needs to work reliably
the facilitator needs strong guidance
the organisation wants a reusable resource
the activity will be used across multiple cohorts
the learning outcome matters commercially, educationally or strategically
A good kit should save design time, improve consistency and provide a stronger basis for review.
Bespoke experiential simulations
Bespoke simulations are the right choice when the activity needs to be specific to the organisation.
They are useful when:
the topic is strategically important
the behaviour is context-specific
the activity needs to reflect internal language or standards
the programme needs senior stakeholder buy-in
the organisation wants something distinctive and ownable
the activity is part of a wider change, safety, leadership or problem-solving system
Bespoke design usually requires more investment, but it can produce a stronger fit when off-the-shelf activities are too generic.
Common mistakes when choosing experiential learning activities
Mistake 1: Choosing the activity before the outcome
It is tempting to start with an activity that looks engaging. The better route is to start with the behaviour, skill or insight you want to develop.
Ask: What do we want participants to notice about themselves or their team?
Mistake 2: Confusing energy with learning
Energy matters. Participants should be engaged. But a busy room is not the same as a learning room.
A high-energy task still needs a clear review structure and a strong connection to work, study or life.
Mistake 3: Choosing novelty over usefulness
A new activity can be appealing, but novelty fades quickly. The more important question is whether the activity reliably produces useful learning.
Some of the best experiential activities look simple at first. Their value emerges through the behaviour they reveal.
Mistake 4: Underestimating the review
A weak review can waste a strong activity.
The facilitator needs to help participants move from “what happened” to “so what?” and then to “now what?”
Mistake 5: Buying components rather than a learning system
Physical resources are only part of the value. The real value comes from the combination of activity design, facilitator guidance, review questions and learning transfer.
When comparing kits, look beyond what is in the box. Ask what learning process sits behind it.
Mistake 6: Ignoring facilitator capability
Some activities are easy to run. Others require skill.
If your facilitators are new to experiential learning, consider whether they need training, guidance or support as well as materials.
Mistake 7: Using the same activity for every audience
A senior leadership team, a graduate cohort, a frontline team, a group of apprentices, a class of young people and a cadet unit may all benefit from experiential learning, but not necessarily from the same task, framing or review.
Choose activities that can be adapted to the group’s level, context and readiness.
Start here: why MTa Insights is often the first kit to consider
If you are a facilitator, L&D team or consultant looking for one highly flexible experiential learning kit, start with MTa Insights.
MTa Insights is designed as a broad trainer’s resource. It contains 53 activities and can support a wide range of outcomes, including teamwork, leadership, communication, problem solving, customer focus, decision making, innovation and change.
It is especially useful when you need:
one kit that can support many different workshops
activities for different levels, from apprentices to senior leaders
short energisers and longer leadership tasks
practical activities that generate strong review material
flexibility across leadership, teamwork, communication and problem solving
a resource that can be used repeatedly by facilitators
MTa Insights is not the only MTa product. But for many corporate buyers, it is the broadest starting point.
From there, you may want to add a more specialist product:
MTa Team Kit if team development is the central focus
MTa MINI if portability and tabletop activities matter
MTa KanDo Lean or MTa Optimise if you want continuous improvement or process improvement
MTa Select if you need assessment centre activities
MTa The Culprit if feedback, emotional intelligence or self-awareness is the focus
MTa Coaching Skills if you need a structured coaching workshop
MTa STEM Kit or MTa PASS if you work with young people
MTa VELA if you need virtual experiential learning
Bespoke design if your context needs something tailored.
MTa product guide: which experiential learning kit is right for you?
MTa Insights
Best for: facilitators who need a broad, flexible resource for leadership, teamwork, communication, problem solving, change, customer focus, decision making and innovation.
MTa Insights is a comprehensive experiential learning kit with a wide range of activities. It is designed for facilitators who need depth, flexibility and choice. It can support short activities, longer leadership tasks, introductory groups and senior audiences.
Choose MTa Insights if you want:
a large bank of activities
flexibility across different learning outcomes
activities for team skills, leadership, communication, problem solving and change
options for different levels, from apprentices to senior leaders
a serious facilitator resource rather than a single exercise
MTa Insights is likely to be the right choice when you want one kit that can support many different workshops.
MTa Team Kit
Best for: developing high-performing teams and exploring how teams work together under pressure.
MTa Team Kit is focused on team development. It is useful when you want participants to examine how they collaborate, communicate, plan, make decisions, support one another and deliver results.
Choose MTa Team Kit if you want to:
build stronger teams
diagnose team dynamics
support team development programmes
explore trust, collaboration and performance
connect practical activity to team models and workplace behaviour
support military, cadet or uniformed teamwork and leadership development
MTa Team Kit is likely to be the right choice when team performance is the central outcome.
MTa MINI
Best for: portable, flexible tabletop activities that develop collaboration, communication, planning and cross-team working.
MTa MINI is useful when you need strong learning in a compact format. It suits facilitators who travel, work in limited space, or want activities that can be used with a range of groups.
Choose MTa MINI if you want:
a portable kit
tabletop activities
activities for new starters, apprentices and junior teams
more challenging options for experienced teams
a way to explore cross-functional or multi-team collaboration
practical activities when room layout or travel is a constraint
MTa MINI is likely to be the right choice when you need a practical, flexible kit that is easy to transport and use in different settings.
MTa PASS
Best for: developing leadership, teamwork, communication and confidence in young people aged 8–18.
MTa PASS is designed for young people. It provides practical activities that help young participants learn through doing, reviewing and applying.
Choose MTa PASS if you want to:
develop leadership and teamwork in young people
support schools, youth groups, cadets or summer camps
build confidence and interpersonal skills
create safe, structured practical challenge
help young people see the value of working together
MTa PASS is likely to be the right choice when your main audience is young people and the learning focus is personal development, teamwork and leadership.
MTa STEM Kit
Best for: hands-on STEM learning, teamwork, critical thinking and practical problem solving for young people.
MTa STEM Kit is designed to help young people connect STEM concepts with practical challenge. It is particularly relevant for schools, STEM outreach, engineering engagement and military or RAF youth engagement programmes.
Choose MTa STEM Kit if you want to:
make STEM learning practical and engaging
develop teamwork alongside technical thinking
help young people experiment, build and test ideas
support careers engagement in science, engineering or technology
deliver hands-on STEM activities for schools or youth programmes
MTa STEM Kit is likely to be the right choice when you want practical STEM activities that also develop wider skills such as communication, leadership and problem solving.
MTa KanDo Lean
Best for: bringing lean thinking, process improvement and continuous improvement to life through an energetic business challenge.
MTa KanDo Lean is a hands-on business simulation. It is particularly useful when participants need to experience the impact of process, workflow, waste, customer focus, improvement cycles and team decision making.
Choose MTa KanDo Lean if you want to:
create a high-energy business challenge
help people experience improvement rather than just hear about it
explore planning, production, review and refinement
introduce lean or continuous improvement concepts
create the satisfaction of competing, improving and winning
MTa KanDo Lean is likely to be the right choice when you want an energetic, practical activity that combines process improvement with people skills.
MTa Optimise
Best for: embedding and teaching continuous improvement techniques through a more extended hands-on experience.
MTa Optimise uses a practical challenge to bring continuous improvement methods to life. It is suited to teams that need to explore process redesign, workplace organisation, improvement cycles and operational excellence.
Choose MTa Optimise if you want to:
teach continuous improvement experientially
explore lean tools and improvement behaviours
develop high-performing teams around process improvement
use a multi-phase practical challenge
connect improvement theory to action
MTa Optimise is likely to be the right choice when you want more depth than a short lean activity and want participants to experience repeated improvement over time.
MTa Select
Best for: practical assessment centre activities and behavioural assessment.
MTa Select is designed for assessors who need structured activities that allow candidates to demonstrate how they perform under pressure.
Choose MTa Select if you want to:
assess communication, leadership and teamwork
observe candidate behaviour in practical tasks
support graduate recruitment or selection
run assessment centre exercises
give candidates a chance to prove more than their CV
use structured activities that assessors can observe and compare
MTa Select is likely to be the right choice when your priority is assessment rather than development.
MTa The Culprit
Best for: feedback, emotional intelligence, self-awareness and interpersonal behaviour.
MTa The Culprit uses a murder mystery format to create an engaging task where participants must work together and then reflect on the behaviours that helped or hindered progress.
Choose MTa The Culprit if you want to:
improve self-awareness
develop emotional intelligence
build a culture of open feedback
explore interpersonal style
help participants give and receive feedback
create a memorable activity with a strong review process
MTa The Culprit is likely to be the right choice when the learning focus is feedback, behaviour and relationships.
MTa New Dimensions
Best for: breaking down silos, improving collaboration and helping teams cooperate across boundaries.
New Dimensions is suited to situations where success depends on how people work beyond their own immediate team. It is useful when the learning is about collaboration, alignment, cooperation and shared outcomes.
Choose New Dimensions if you want to:
challenge silo thinking
explore cooperation between groups
improve collaboration across boundaries
help people understand the effect of their behaviour on others
create a shared experience around joined-up working
New Dimensions is likely to be the right choice when collaboration across teams, departments or functions is the main issue.
MTa Coaching Skills
Best for: helping managers develop practical coaching behaviours.
MTa Coaching Skills is a structured experiential workshop that helps managers explore the attitudes, behaviours and skills needed for effective day-to-day coaching.
Choose MTa Coaching Skills if you want to:
help line managers become better coaches
develop listening, questioning and support skills
build trust and accountability
move managers away from purely directive habits
create a practical coaching workshop with structured reflection
support transfer of coaching skills into the workplace
MTa Coaching Skills is likely to be the right choice when the learning outcome is specifically coaching, rather than general leadership.
MTa VELA
Best for: virtual experiential learning activities and online team development.
MTa VELA enables facilitators to deliver experiential learning online. It is useful when teams are remote, hybrid or spread across locations.
Choose MTa VELA if you want to:
deliver experiential learning virtually
run online activities with remote teams
support virtual collaboration and problem solving
use familiar activities such as The Culprit, NASA Moon Survival or Zin Obelisk in an online format
make online sessions more active and participative
MTa VELA is likely to be the right choice when face-to-face delivery is not possible or when you want scalable virtual experiential learning.
MTa Bespoke Kits and simulations
Best for: organisations that need a simulation or activity built around their own context.
Bespoke experiential design is appropriate when an off-the-shelf activity is not enough. This may be because the learning needs to reflect a specific process, set of behaviours, leadership framework, customer standard, safety requirement or operational challenge.
Choose bespoke design if you want:
an activity based on your organisation’s real context
a branded leadership or problem-solving simulation
a programme linked to internal standards or processes
a pilot before wider rollout
facilitator guidance and internal capability-building
an activity that becomes part of your operating or learning system
Bespoke design is likely to be the right choice when relevance, ownership and organisational fit are critical.
MTa Helium Stick
Best for: a quick, compact activity to energise a group and introduce the basics of teamwork, communication and trust.
MTa Helium Stick is a small, easy-to-run activity that can be used as an ice-breaker or short team challenge.
Choose MTa Helium Stick if you want to:
inject energy quickly
introduce teamwork and communication
run a short activity with minimal setup
give participants a simple shared experience to review
carry a compact activity with you
MTa Helium Stick is likely to be the right choice when you need a short, low-cost, highly portable activity rather than a full kit
Quick MTa Kit Comparison Table
Kit or service | Best for | Typical buyer need |
Broad leadership, teamwork, communication, problem solving, change, customer focus and decision-making activities | “I need one flexible kit that can support many programmes.” | |
Team development and high-performing teams | “I need to build, diagnose or improve team performance.” | |
Portable tabletop collaboration, communication and cross-team activities | “I need flexible activities I can travel with or use in limited space.” | |
Leadership and team skills for young people aged 8–18 | “I need practical youth development activities.” | |
Hands-on STEM learning, teamwork and critical thinking for young people | “I need to make STEM practical, engaging and collaborative.” | |
Lean thinking, process improvement and high-energy business challenge | “I need people to experience improvement, not just talk about it.” | |
Continuous improvement techniques and multi-phase improvement learning | “I need a deeper practical way to teach improvement and operational excellence.” | |
Practical assessment centre activities | “I need candidates to demonstrate behaviour under pressure.” | |
Feedback, self-awareness and emotional intelligence | “I need people to understand how their behaviour affects others.” | |
Cross-team collaboration and breaking down silos | “I need people to cooperate across boundaries.” | |
Coaching skills for managers | “I need managers to coach, not just direct.” | |
Virtual experiential learning | “I need active online activities for remote or hybrid groups.” | |
Organisation-specific activities and simulations | “I need the activity to reflect our context, standards or processes.” | |
Short energiser and introductory team activity | “I need a quick, portable activity to introduce teamwork.” |
What type of buyer are you?
“I need one activity for a workshop”
Look for a focused activity that supports your main learning outcome. Prioritise ease of briefing, review quality and fit with the session purpose.
Useful for:
adding practical learning to an existing workshop
introducing a topic
creating shared experience before a discussion
energising a group
making a model or concept visible
“I need a flexible resource I can use repeatedly”
Look for a reusable experiential learning kit with multiple activities, facilitator guidance and enough range to support different programmes.
For many facilitators, L&D teams and consultants, MTa Insights is the first kit to consider because it gives broad coverage across leadership, teamwork, communication, problem solving, customer focus, decision making and change.
Useful for:
internal L&D teams
training consultancies
leadership academies
graduate programmes
team development programmes
organisations with multiple facilitators
facilitators who need one kit that can support many outcomes
“I work with young people”
Look for activities that are practical, safe, accessible and structured enough to create learning without overloading the group.
Young people need activities that create confidence, teamwork, communication and reflection, not just entertainment.
Useful for:
schools
youth groups
cadets
summer camps
outreach programmes
transition or employability programmes
young leadership programmes
MTa PASS and MTa STEM Kit are particularly relevant here.
“I need STEM activities”
Look for activities that make abstract concepts practical.
Good STEM activities should help young people experiment, build, test, improve and connect theory to real-world problem solving.
Useful for:
schools
STEM outreach
careers events
engineering engagement
university outreach
military or RAF youth engagement
science and engineering inspiration programmes
MTa STEM Kit is the strongest route for this need.
“I work in a military, cadet or uniformed setting”
Look for activities that support teamwork, communication, leadership, discipline, decision making and learning under pressure.
Military and cadet settings often need activities that are practical, robust, easy to brief, and suitable for structured review.
Useful for:
cadet development
youth engagement
leadership training
teamwork under pressure
assessment and selection
communication and coordination exercises
STEM outreach and recruitment
Depending on the purpose, MTa Team Kit, MTa STEM Kit, MTa PASS, MTa Select and MTa KanDo Lean can all be relevant.
“I need to assess candidates”
Look for activities that generate observable evidence.
Assessment activities need to be structured, fair, repeatable and linked to the behaviours or competencies being assessed.
Useful for:
assessment centres
graduate recruitment
pilot selection
cadet assessment
leadership selection
internal promotion processes
MTa Select is designed for this need.
“I need to build facilitator confidence”
Do not only buy activities. Invest in facilitator capability. The impact of experiential learning depends on briefing, observation, review and transfer.
Useful when:
facilitators are new to experiential learning
existing sessions are too lecture-based
review skills need development
the organisation wants consistent delivery
internal teams need confidence using practical activities
MTa Masterclass and facilitator support are relevant here.
“I need something that reflects our organisation”
Consider bespoke experiential design.
Useful when:
the activity needs to mirror internal processes
the language, behaviours or standards are organisation-specific
the programme is strategically important
senior stakeholders need something highly relevant
the solution needs to be piloted and embedded
Bespoke design is often the right route for leadership academies, operational excellence, safety, customer experience, problem solving and strategic change.
“I need energy and impact at an event”
Choose an activity that creates pace, involvement and visible success, but still has a learning point.
Useful for:
conferences
away days
leadership events
programme finales
team challenges
practical business challenges MTa KanDo Lean, MTa Optimise, MTa MINI, selected MTa Insights activities and bespoke event challenges can all work well.
Which MTa product should I start with?
Start with MTa Insights if…
you are a facilitator, consultant or L&D team
you need a broad range of activities
you want one kit to support many outcomes
your audience ranges from apprentices to senior leaders
you need leadership, teamwork, communication and problem-solving options
you are not yet sure which specialist kit you need
Start with MTa Team Kit if…
the main focus is team performance
you want to diagnose or develop a team
you want activities that connect well to team models
you are working with intact teams or team leaders
Start with MTa PASS if…
your audience is aged 8–18
the focus is leadership, teamwork, communication or confidence
you work in schools, youth groups, camps or cadets
you need short, safe, engaging activities for young people
Start with MTa STEM Kit if…
you need hands-on STEM activities
your audience is young people
you want to build interest in science, engineering or technical careers
you want STEM learning to include teamwork, leadership and communication
Start with MTa Select if…
the main purpose is assessment
you need observable evidence of behaviour
you are running assessment centres or selection processes
you need candidates to demonstrate how they work, not just describe it
Start with MTa KanDo Lean or MTa Optimise if…
the focus is continuous improvement
people need to experience process improvement
you want a business challenge with energy
the learning needs to connect to lean, 5S, SMED, waste, flow or operational excellence
Start with MTa The Culprit if…
the focus is feedback
you want to develop emotional intelligence
you need a safe way to discuss interpersonal behaviour
you want people to reflect on what helps and hinders team performance
Start with MTa VELA if…
you need virtual delivery
participants are remote or hybrid
you want online activities that are more engaging than discussion or slides
you need scalable virtual experiential learning
Start with bespoke design if…
the learning must reflect your organisation’s own processes, standards or language
the programme is strategic
you need a tailored activity, simulation or toolkit
off-the-shelf resources are useful but not specific enough.
Example buying scenarios
Scenario 1: “We need a leadership activity for a management programme.”
Choose an activity that creates ambiguity, competing priorities and the need to influence others. Avoid simple games that do not reveal leadership behaviour.
Likely fit: MTa Insights, MTa Team Kit or bespoke design, depending on the seniority and context.
Scenario 2: “We need something for a new team.”
Choose an activity that makes communication, planning, assumptions and collaboration visible. The review should help the team agree practical ways of working.
Likely fit: MTa Team Kit, MTa MINI or MTa Insights.
Scenario 3: “We want to improve problem solving.”
Choose an activity where participants need to define the problem, challenge assumptions, test ideas and review progress. Ideally, the task should create a visible cost of jumping to solutions too quickly.
Likely fit: MTa Insights or bespoke practical problem-solving design.
Scenario 4: “We need activities for young people.”
Choose activities that are safe, structured, active and engaging. Young people need to be involved quickly, but they also need the review to be simple and practical.
Likely fit: MTa PASS, MTa STEM Kit, MTa Team Kit or selected MTa Insights activities, depending on age and purpose.
Scenario 5: “We need a STEM activity.”
Choose an activity that helps young people build, test, improve and understand. The activity should connect technical thinking with teamwork and communication.
Likely fit: MTa STEM Kit.
Scenario 6: “We need a military or cadet development activity.”
Choose activities that develop teamwork, leadership, communication and discipline through practical challenge. If assessment is involved, make sure the activity generates observable evidence.
Likely fit: MTa Team Kit, MTa PASS, MTa STEM Kit, MTa Select, MTa KanDo Lean or bespoke design.
Scenario 7: “We need a high-energy conference activity.”
Choose an activity with pace, competition and visible progress, but make sure the review links to the event theme.
Likely fit: MTa KanDo Lean, MTa Optimise, MTa MINI, selected MTa Insights activities or a bespoke event challenge.
Scenario 8: “We have internal facilitators but they lack confidence.”
Do not only buy activities. Invest in facilitator capability. The impact of experiential learning depends on briefing, observation, review and transfer.
Likely fit: MTa Masterclass, facilitator support and an appropriate kit.
Scenario 9: “We need something that reflects our own standards and processes.”
If the learning must mirror your own operating model, safety standards, customer experience, leadership behaviours or problem-solving approach, bespoke design may be the better option.
Likely fit: bespoke experiential design, potentially supported by facilitator training and pilot delivery.
Scenario 10: “We need to select the right people.”
Use activities that generate observable behaviour and can be assessed consistently. The task should give candidates a fair opportunity to demonstrate communication, leadership, teamwork or decision-making under pressure.
Likely fit: MTa Select.
Scenario 11: “We need virtual experiential learning.”
Use online activities that are designed for virtual participation rather than trying to force a face-to-face task into a video call.
Likely fit: MTa VELA
Why MTa?
MTa designs and supplies experiential learning tools that help facilitators deliver practical activities, structured reviews and participant-owned learning.
MTa’s work is built around the idea that people learn deeply when they are actively involved, when their behaviour becomes visible, and when they have the opportunity to reflect on what happened and apply it beyond the session.
MTa provides:
experiential learning kits
facilitator guides and review materials
facilitator training and support
virtual experiential learning activities
bespoke experiential activities and simulations
practical tools for leadership, teamwork, communication, problem solving, collaboration, change, assessment, STEM, youth development, coaching and continuous improvement
MTa has decades of experience designing, supplying and facilitating experiential learning activities for organisations around the world. Its tools are used by facilitators, L&D teams, consultants, educators, military trainers, cadet groups and organisations that want learning to be practical, memorable and transferable.
MTa’s public examples include use by organisations such as HSBC, PwC, Emirates, RAF, Toyota, easyJet, Deutsche Bank, GE Healthcare, Nissan, Britvic, Severfield, universities and youth engagement programmes.
The important point is that an MTa kit is not just the physical materials. The materials create the experience, but the value comes from the complete system: the activity design, facilitator guidance, review process and learning transfer.
Suggested next step
If you are choosing an experiential learning activity or kit, start with the outcome.
Ask:
What do I need participants to learn?
What behaviour needs to become visible?
How much time, space and facilitator experience do I have?
Will this be a one-off activity or a reusable resource?
Is my audience corporate, youth, education, military, cadet, assessment or virtual?
Do I need an off-the-shelf kit, facilitator training or bespoke design?
If you are unsure, MTa can help you choose the most appropriate activity, kit or design route for your audience, objectives and constraints.
Ask us to recommend the right experiential learning activity or kit for your needs.
FAQ: choosing experiential learning activities and kits
What is the best experiential learning activity for leadership development?
The best leadership activity is one that makes leadership behaviour visible. It should require participants to set direction, involve others, make decisions, communicate clearly and respond to pressure or ambiguity. For broad leadership development, MTa Insights is usually the first kit to consider because it provides a wide range of activities across leadership, communication, teamwork, problem solving and change.
What is the best experiential learning activity for team building?
The best team-building activity depends on the team’s maturity and purpose. New teams may need activities that focus on communication, trust and ways of working. Established teams may need activities that reveal assumptions, decision-making patterns, conflict, silos or performance habits. MTa Team Kit is designed specifically for developing high-performing teams.
What is the best MTa kit for most corporate facilitators?
For many corporate facilitators, MTa Insights is the best starting point because it is the broadest and most flexible kit. It supports leadership, teamwork, communication, problem solving, decision making, customer focus and change across a wide range of participant levels.
What is the best experiential learning kit for young people?
MTa PASS is designed for young people aged 8–18 and focuses on leadership, teamwork, communication and confidence. MTa STEM Kit is the stronger choice when the main purpose is hands-on STEM learning.
What is the best experiential learning kit for STEM?
MTa STEM Kit is designed for hands-on STEM learning. It helps young people connect technical and mathematical thinking with practical problem solving, teamwork and communication.
What is the best MTa kit for cadets or military youth engagement?
It depends on the purpose. MTa PASS is strong for youth leadership and teamwork. MTa STEM Kit is strong for STEM outreach. MTa Team Kit supports teamwork and leadership. MTa Select is relevant where assessment is required.
Are experiential learning kits better than free team-building activities?
Free activities can be useful, especially for short, low-risk sessions. Professional experiential learning kits are usually better when you need stronger facilitator guidance, repeatable quality, structured review questions, durable materials and a clearer link to workplace or educational learning.
What should I look for in an experiential learning kit?
Look for clear learning outcomes, robust materials, facilitator guidance, participant briefs, review questions, flexible activity options, suitability for your audience, and evidence that the activities can be transferred into work, study or life.
How long should an experiential learning activity last?
Activities can last from a few minutes to several hours. Short activities are useful for introductions, energisers and focused learning points. Longer activities allow for more complex behaviour, deeper review and greater transfer. The review time should be planned as carefully as the activity time.
Can experiential learning be used with senior leaders?
Yes, but the activity needs to be framed properly. Senior leaders usually need activities that create meaningful ambiguity, strategic tension, decision-making pressure or stakeholder complexity. The review should respect their experience and connect quickly to real organisational challenges.
Do facilitators need training to use experiential learning activities?
Not always, but facilitator skill has a major effect on impact. The activity creates the experience, but the facilitator helps participants extract insight and apply it. Facilitator training is especially useful when internal teams are new to experiential learning or when activities need to be delivered consistently across an organisation.
When should we choose bespoke experiential design?
Choose bespoke design when the learning needs to reflect your organisation’s own context, standards, processes, behaviours or language. Bespoke design is particularly useful for leadership academies, operational excellence programmes, problem-solving systems, safety programmes, assessment processes and strategic change initiatives.
What is the difference between MTa Insights and MTa Team Kit?
MTa Insights is the broader kit. It covers a wide range of learning outcomes, including leadership, teamwork, communication, problem solving, customer focus, decision making and change. MTa Team Kit is more focused on developing team performance.
What is the difference between MTa KanDo Lean and MTa Optimise?
Both are relevant to continuous improvement and process improvement. MTa KanDo Lean is a high-energy lean simulation that brings lean thinking to life. MTa Optimise is more focused on embedding continuous improvement techniques through a multi-phase practical challenge.
Can experiential learning work online?
Yes, but it works best when the activity is designed for virtual delivery. MTa VELA provides virtual experiential learning activities that help remote or hybrid groups collaborate, solve problems and learn actively online.
What is the difference between a team-building game and an experiential learning activity?
A team-building game may create energy, enjoyment or social connection. An experiential learning activity is designed to generate insight. It should include a clear learning purpose, observable behaviour, structured review and transfer into work, study or life.