Virtual Team-Building Activities to Strengthen Connections

Remember regular after-work happy hours? So do we. 

With more employees working remotely and after-work crowds dwindling, team-building events may seem like a thing of the past. Remote work can feel overwhelming and even isolating at times – but it doesn’t have to. Fortunately,  there are numerous ways to strengthen bonds and cultivate a culture of collaboration between teams through virtual team-building activities.

Virtual Team Building Ideas

Virtual Scavenger Hunt

Get your team’s blood pumping with a time-sensitive scavenger hunt. See who can grab a can opener from their kitchen and return to their screen first. Who can be the first to show off their favorite mug or grab a family photo off the wall? A virtual scavenger hunt is a fun and competitive way to see a little more of the space your team spends most of their day in.

50 States Challenge

How well does your team know their 50 states? Find a state quiz like this one online and send the link to your team members. See who paid the most attention in fifth-grade geography and can find the correct answers the quickest. For an extra challenge, try splitting up your team into smaller teams that have to work together. This encourages communication and compromise in a low-stakes environment. Pit your west coast team members against the east coast and see who comes out on top.

Two Truths and One Lie

Who on your team is hiding a unique talent or experience? Plan a video call for the team and instruct each member to come prepared to share two true statements or stories about themselves and one lie.  Have them share these three statements and have the rest of the team guess which one is the lie. This activity is guaranteed to get a few laughs and leave everyone with some fun conversation points to discuss.

Competitive Typing Test

If your team doesn’t usually hold video calls, this is a great activity that can be done asynchronously. Send out the link to a typing test like this one and have your team share their score. You might be surprised at who has the fastest or most accurate scores. You may even learn about some interesting typing strategies (like only using two fingers or pressing space with the index finger) your team members use.

Virtual Show and Tell

Create a space to chat and share photos related to the activities going on in your team’s life. What is their view from their workspace? What did they look like as a baby? What cool things have they done in their free time? Have a list of prompts and encourage team members to share experiences and photos. This provides team members with the opportunity to get to know each other better and to create deeper bonds with one another. 

Guided Meditation Session or Yoga Class

Get a meditation coach to hop on one of your meetings and lead a session or pull up a video for the team to watch on YouTube. Meditation is a great way to try something new with your remote team and find some balance on a busy day.

Werewolf Game

You don’t need to be in person to play the classic party game Werewolf. There are several apps and websites that allow your team to play together on a video call. In Werewolf, players assigned as townspeople need to work together to identify and vote out the players assigned as werewolves. Problem-solving, deduction, and communication skills are all necessary for the townspeople to be successful. You might also learn who on the team has the best poker face.

Personality Test

Spend time with your team taking a personality test like the 16 Personalities test. You might find that some of your team members have more personality traits in common with one another than you thought. This is a great option for team members to bond with one another and start up some conversations. It will also help you learn what communication styles work best for each team member.

Virtual Happy Hour

Who says happy hours have to be in person? Have every team member come to the meeting with their favorite drink and have a few conversation starters on hand. This is a great opportunity for your team to get to know each other better in a less structured format. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How can you make virtual meetings more engaging?

Let’s face it — staring at faces in a box on your computer screen is usually less engaging than a traditional face-to-face meeting. One danger of remote work is less inspiration and creativity. Using fun activities to start up meetings is a great strategy to get your team’s creative juices flowing and make sure everyone has an opportunity to speak during the meeting. Outside of calls, be looking for ways to keep employees engaged and fulfilled at work.

How can you motivate virtual team activities?

If you are excited about holding a virtual team-building activity, that enthusiasm will rub off on your team. Let your employees know ahead of time about the activity and what they can expect.

Team building shouldn’t be limited to employees that work in the same physical location. With a little time and effort, you can make your teams feel closer together without needing them to be in the same room. Remote team-building activities are a great way to take your team to the next level.

Team-building activities are only the beginning. Are you ready to take your company culture further? Talk to a Wellbeing Specialist today and give your most valuable assets the support they need to remain healthy, happy, and engaged in improving themselves as they improve your business.

References:

• Alexis, Michael. (October 19, 2022). Virtual Team Building Activities: 42 Best Ideas for Work in 2022. teambuilding.c Retrieved October 24, 2022 from https://teambuilding.com/blog/virtual-team-building-activities.
• Aite, Cassy. (September 23, 2022). 14 Kickass Virtual Team Building Activities for 2022. Hoppier. Retrieved October 24, 2022 from https://www.hoppier.com/blog/virtual-team-building-activities.
• Harper, Heather. (July 13, 2022). 100 Best Virtual Team Building Activities Ranked [2022 Edition]. QuizBreaker. Retrieved October 24, 2022 from https://www.quizbreaker.com/virtual-team-building-activities.