16 Best Virtual Team Building Activities for Remote Teams
Virtual team building activities are a way for remote and hybrid teams to come together and build relationships, improve communication, and increase collaboration. These activities can be conducted over video conferencing platforms such as Zoom or Google Meet, and can range from team-building exercises and games to virtual happy hours and off-site virtual team retreats.
But it can be challenging to come up with effective virtual team building activities for remote teams, as it can be difficult to replicate the sense of camaraderie and connection that can come from in-person interactions. However, there are many virtual team building games that can help to build morale, foster collaboration, and improve communication among remote team members.
In this post, we take you through the best virtual team building activities you should try with your remote team.
What are the best virtual team building activities?
Virtual Coffee Breaks
Virtual Game Nights
Pictionary
Virtual Happy Hours
Virtual Team Building Bingo
Scavenger Hunt Activities
Virtual Trivia Night
Karaoke
Murder Mystery
Escape Room
50 States Challenge
Two Truths and One Lie
Typing Speed Race
Personal Facts Guessing Game
Virtual Book Club
Icebreaker Quiz
Keep reading to learn more!
1. Virtual Coffee Breaks
This is just like your usual coffee break at work, but this time, it’s done over Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, or your remote team’s favorite video conferencing tool. It’s simple: remote employees take a break from work while drinking coffee with the rest of the team located in different parts of the world.
Virtual coffee breaks are becoming increasingly popular in the workplace as a way to maintain team morale and foster collaboration. They provide an opportunity for employees to share ideas and have meaningful conversations during coffee breaks. This virtual team building activity can also be used as a way to build relationships between employees and create a sense of community within the organization.
2. Virtual Game Nights
Virtual game nights are an increasingly popular way to stay connected with your team virtually, regardless of their location. With a virtual game night, you can play your favorite board games, card games, and team games with your remote coworkers. You can even draw inspiration from your favorite TV Game Shows with a Jeopardy virtual game. You can also create custom rules or challenges to make the game night even more exciting. .
3. Pictionary
Pictionary is one of the most popular drawing and guessing games for remote teams. It involves players taking turns to draw a picture on a board or paper, while other players try to guess what the picture represents. The game encourages creativity, quick thinking and communication skills, as players have to think quickly and communicate effectively in order to win.
This classic game can be played over video chat or other virtual platforms, and is an excellent way to break the ice, build camaraderie, and encourage creativity. Whether you're playing with just two people or a large group of people, this is a team building exercise virtual teams love.
4. Virtual Happy Hours
Working remotely can be a challenge, but it doesn't have to mean you miss out on the fun of team building. With virtual happy hours, you can still get together with your remote team and build relationships while having a great time.
Not only does this virtual team building event help strengthen relationships between co-workers, but it also allows for more collaboration and trust. Plus, virtual happy hours with your remote team is a great way to break up the monotony of working from home. With the right technology, it's easy to set up a virtual happy hour that everyone can enjoy!
5. Virtual Team Building Bingo
Team building activities are essential for remote teams in order to create a sense of unity and collaboration. Playing virtual team building bingo with your remote team is a great way to foster connection. This game encourages your team members to interact with each other, develop relationships, and share their experiences. It also helps build trust and respect among the members of the team as they work together towards a common goal. By playing virtual team building bingo, you can create an environment where everyone feels comfortable expressing themselves, learning from each other, and having fun while doing it.
6. Scavenger Hunt Activities
With a virtual scavenger hunt, you can give your team members the opportunity to explore new places, discover hidden gems, and learn more about each other. Team members can be tasked with quickly finding anything from office supplies in their home office to answers found by racing across the Internet to solve clues. Utilizing these scavenger hunt activities with your remote team can be a great way to foster collaboration, build relationships, and engage with one another. It is an effective way to break the monotony of remote work and create an atmosphere of fun and camaraderie.
7. Virtual Trivia Night
Are you looking for a fun and interactive way to connect with friends and family? A virtual trivia night is the perfect way to do just that. With virtual trivia, you can create custom questions, create a fun competition against each other, and even win prizes - making it one of the most exciting ideas for virtual team building. Plus, it’s a great way to challenge yourself and test your knowledge in an entertaining environment. So why not give it a try? Get together with your remote team for some virtual trivia fun that is sure to be the highlight of your team’s week (or maybe even year!).
8. Karaoke
Do you miss the fun of singing karaoke? With virtual karaoke, you can now enjoy this activity remotely. Virtual karaoke offers a great way to bond with your remote team and have some fun while working. It is the perfect way to break up the monotony of long workdays and add some excitement to your work life.
Virtual karaoke also provides a great opportunity for team building and improving morale. You can choose from a variety of popular songs, sing along with your teammates, and get creative with unique performances that will keep everyone entertained. With virtual karaoke, you can bring the joys of singing together back into your remote workplace and create an enjoyable atmosphere for everyone involved!
9. Murder Mystery
One of the most popular team building activities is playing a virtual murder mystery game with your remote team. Murder mystery games are an exciting way to bring people together and test their detective skills. This type of virtual team building event involves a group of players trying to solve a crime by gathering clues and piecing together the evidence. The game usually involves an intricate plot, mysterious characters, and unexpected twists that keep players guessing until the very end. With a murder mystery game, you can bring out your inner detective and have a great time with your remote workforce.
10. Escape Room
Escape rooms are a unique and exciting way to challenge yourself and your remote team. An escape room is an immersive experience that combines puzzles, clues, and strategy in a race against the clock. Escape rooms offer a fun and thrilling adventure that can be enjoyed by all ages. With different themes, puzzles, and levels of difficulty, escape rooms offer something for everyone. Get ready to test your skills and enjoy the thrill of the escape!
11. 50 States Challenge
Are you looking for an exciting team activity to keep your remote team engaged and connected? The "50 States Challenge" is the perfect game for you!
This game requires your team to list all 50 U.S. states in order, either alphabetically or chronologically. This fun and interactive game will help build a sense of camaraderie among your remote employees, while also testing their knowledge of U.S. geography and history.
12. Two Truths and One Lie
In this game, each person takes turns telling two truths and one lie about themselves. The rest of the team has to guess which statement is a lie. This is an entertaining way for remote teams to bond, as well as practice critical thinking skills like deduction, analysis, and problem-solving.
13. Typing Speed Race
Working remotely can be challenging, but it doesn’t have to be boring. A great way to make remote work more engaging and fun is by playing typing speed races with your team. This game is simple and can be played with any number of people.
The typing speed race involves typing a set of words or sentences as fast as possible against other players on a video conferencing tool like Zoom. The player with the fastest typing speed wins! Playing this game can help improve your team’s overall typing speed, boost morale, and foster a sense of camaraderie.
14. Personal Facts Guessing Game
This virtual team building activity is a simple game where each team member has to guess and match personal facts about the others. This game can help build trust between team members, which is especially important for remote teams. Plus, it’s a great way to break up the monotony of working from home! So why not give it a try and see how well you know your remote team?
15. Virtual Book Club
Reading is an excellent way to bond with your remote team, learn new skills, and get out of your comfort zone. Forming a virtual book club with your remote team is a great way to promote reading and foster meaningful conversations. It’s also a great way to build relationships between members of the team.
With a virtual book club, you can pick books that are relevant to the team’s goals or interests, discuss them in detail, and then apply what you have learned in real-world scenarios. You can also have fun activities like quizzes, virtual team building activities, and polls related to the book that will help foster engagement among members of the club.
16. Icebreaker Quiz
Working remotely can be challenging, especially when it comes to team building. But there's an easy way to bring your remote team together and have some fun while doing it: play an icebreaker game.
Icebreaker activities involve questions or activities that require participants to answer or do something in order to move on to the next question or activity. Playing an icebreaker quiz game with your remote team can be the perfect way to build stronger relationships between members of the team and create an atmosphere of trust and collaboration.
Book the best virtual team building activities for your remote team
Team building is essential for any organization, especially in the current times when most of us are working remotely.
To ensure that your remote team stays connected, motivated and productive, it is important to engage them in activities that foster collaboration and communication.
Bar None Games can help you book exciting live-hosted virtual team building games to keep your remote team engaged and create a positive work environment.