Top Virtual Team Building Activities for 2023
There’s a reason that team building activities have been around for a long time. They aim to help people work together more effectively by getting them out of their comfort zone and into a new environment with a lighter mood. Most of these team building activities are now done virtually, as many people choose to work remotely.
Virtual team building activities are a great way for teams to connect, even if they are in different parts of the world. They can also be used to create a sense of belonging and unity among remote team members.
As we start 2023, remote work is still remaining strong - and so are the challenges of loneliness and isolation. Hosting fun virtual team building activities for your remote team will help them to feel connected and motivated towards work.
There are many virtual team building events you can organize for your remote team in 2023. Let’s go through some of our top picks.
17 top virtual team building activities for 2023:
Typing speed race
“Name the 50 states” challenge
Virtual escape room
Guess the emoji
Brainstorming with a twist
Virtual scavenger hunts
“Something in common” virtual team building activity
Two truths and a lie
Virtual murder mystery
Virtual work anniversaries
Virtual coffee breaks
Virtual happy hours
Read more below.
What are some Zoom team building activities for 2023?
Zoom team building activities are interactive, engaging, and provide the opportunity for teams to have meaningful conversations with each other. Zoom has various features such as screen sharing, whiteboard collaboration, drawing tools and more that will help your remote team to host fun and educational virtual activities. Here are some of the best Zoom team building activities for 2023.
1. Virtual team trivia
Virtual team trivia is a game that is designed to help team members learn about each other, explore different topics, and improve their communication skills. Teams are given a series of questions and they have to answer them as quickly as they can while hoping to get as many as possible correct. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins! You and your team can choose questions from different categories, such as geography, history, sports, movies and TV, and pop culture.
2. Typing speed race
A typing speed race is a great way to have fun while sharpening their skills. It is also a great team building activity that has been used in many workplaces.
The idea of the game is that you will compete with your remote team members by typing as fast as you can, but the key is to keep a high accuracy percentage as well. The person who types the fastest and most accurately wins, and they win bragging rights for a while.
The best time to run this activity is during lunchtime or in a mid-afternoon break when people are more relaxed. It can also be used as an ice breaker or a fun activity during your virtual get-together. To play:
Talk to your team about the game and how the rules work (for example, does accuracy factor into the final score?)
Allow each participant to download a typing software (everyone should use the same software)
Once the game starts, give each team member the floor to show their typing skills/speed (you can give each member up to 2 minutes)
3. ‘Name the 50 states’ challenge
This is a great way to get your US-based team to interact and collaborate. You can also use this as an ice breaker for your team during virtual meetings. The challenge starts with one person naming two states, then the next person names three states, and so on until all 50 states are named. If you’re a large remote team, this is how you can host this team building activity on Zoom:
Divide the group into 2 teams of equal size.
Make sure each team has a blank piece of paper and pen or pencil (if playing virtually, use a shared Google doc).
On the count of three, both teams should start writing as many US states as they can in 60 seconds. Remember, to up the stakes, you can have players pass down the piece of paper (or take turns in the shared doc) with the rule that each player must add one more state to the list than their previous teammate.
Once the time is up, the team with more correct states listed wins.
4. Virtual escape room
Virtual escape rooms are a new form of interactive entertainment for remote teams. Players are placed in a “room” (or Zoom room) with a puzzle or challenge and must find the way out by solving puzzles, finding clues, and deciphering riddles. This is something you can host with Zoom breakout rooms, with the rule that, until the team solves a riddle or puzzle, they can’t leave the room. If they cannot provide a solution to a challenge before the set time, the room automatically closes and they lose. In this team building event, players have to use their collective skills to escape from the room. It’s an immersive experience that requires teamwork and problem-solving skills.
5. Guess the emoji
Sometimes, we need to take a break from our professional life and have some fun. To do this, we can play “guess the emoji” with our friends and colleagues. This is a team building activity where you need to guess the phrase formed by the series of emojis chosen by your teammate. It is great for strengthening your relationships with people and also getting to know them better. To play:
Take screenshots of different emojis and post them in an order that you think would be most difficult for your teammates to guess. You can use a Emojipedia to gather as many emojis as possible.
You can even make it more challenging by using emojis that are not normally used or emojis that don’t have any meaning at all.
Ask your teammates to take guesses until they get it right.
What are some fun virtual activities?
Team building is an important part of every company. It helps to bring people together to get to know each other, and helps them feel like they are a part of something bigger. Virtual team building activities are fun, educational, and motivational for many remote employees. Some examples of these activities are:
6. Brainstorming with a twist
This is an activity that can start off as a traditional Zoom brainstorming session, but then you can form groups where everyone is given one minute to answer a unique question posed by the facilitator. The group then has three minutes (or whatever time set by the facilitator) to come up with as many answers as they can for the same question. These questions can range from a solution to a funny theoretical problem to a unique idea they think the company should explore.
7. Jeopardy!
Everyone loves the classic TV game show Jeopardy! This is an activity where teams answer questions about different categories. The game starts with an announcement of the category. Players then have to answer as many questions as they can within the time limit. The team with the most points wins, and different categories will be worth varying points. Some examples of categories to explore are: Sports, Movies, Books, Four Letter Words, Geography, History, and Music. Make your Jeopardy session even more fun with a live host!
8. Team building bingo
Virtual team building bingo is a game that brings people together and encourages them to interact with each other. One way to play this game is by drawing a card and then completing the tasks on the card.
Or, a bingo board is displayed on the screen with 25 squares that represent different get-to-know-you prompts such as “Name three things you like doing in your spare time” or “What’s your favorite movie?” Each square has five spaces - one for each of the five team members (this number can be adjusted based on your team size). When someone answers a question from their own perspective, they mark off one of the spaces on their board.
Bingo is a fun way to build relationships and make new friends in the workplace. It also helps employees get to know their colleagues better, as they have to work together to finish tasks or answer all of the questions on their cards.
9. Virtual scavenger hunts
A scavenger hunt is an activity that has teams competing to find items and answer questions while exploring their surroundings (or virtually through the Internet!). Scavenger hunts are often a good choice for corporate team building because they require groups to work together and collaborate on solving problems. The clues can be either written or verbal. They can also be easy or difficult, depending on the level of difficulty you want for your scavenger hunt game. Scavenger hunts are a great way to engage your team in a fun and creative way.
10. ‘Something in Common’ virtual team building activity
This is one of the oldest and best team building activities for remote teams. This virtual game focuses on having the participants find something that they have in common with one another. This activity can be used for both small and large groups and provide a great way to get to know one another better as well as have some fun. For example, a remote team could find a common love for cats, an affinity for exercising, or a shared love for music.
11. Two truths and a lie
In this game, you will need to come up with two statements that are true and one statement that is a lie. These statements can be presented in any order.. The first person states two truths and one lie and allows others to guess which one is the lie. Players continue until everyone has had their turn. At the end of each round, each player guesses which statement was not true based on what they have heard from their teammates. The players who guess correctly receive a point, and the game continues for another round.
Examples of two truths and a lie:
Truths:
I have been a vegetarian for 3 years now
My favorite color is blue
Lie:
I have never seen the show Friends
This game can be played in any team setting and is a great ice breaker for a virtual workforce of any size. It requires some creativity, quick thinking, and teamwork.
12. Virtual Murder Mystery
A murder mystery game is a type of role-playing game in which the participants assume characters and collaborate to solve a fictional murder. The participants are assigned roles and given instructions on how to act out their part of the game.
The host of the game will have a list of questions that they will ask the players in order to move the game along and find out who committed the crime. You can use a free murder mystery guide like “Murderous Mansion” for this activity.
Through this game, team members are encouraged to get into character and engage in creative problem solving. These games also give them a chance to work together as a team, while having fun at the same time.
How do you have fun with your team virtually?
Some people might think that virtual team building is not as effective as face-to-face meetings. However, it can actually be more efficient than in-person meetings, especially if you have great ideas. Here are some additional team building ideas for 2023 that you and your team should explore to add some fun to your workday.
13. Virtual new hire parties
This type of virtual event is usually hosted on Zoom and can be accessed by all the employees in the company. It’s a way of welcoming new remote hires with a fun moment, so that they don’t feel overwhelmed by all the new Slack channels, intro calls, and briefs. It’s also an avenue for employees to connect with other employees and learn more about their company culture and values, while also meeting some potential new colleagues.
14. Virtual work anniversaries
Virtual work anniversaries are a way to celebrate the milestones in the lives of your remote team. They are an opportunity to show appreciation and care for your employees who work remotely. Some companies also use virtual work anniversaries to provide motivation and recognition for their remote employees. They do this by celebrating their achievements, highlighting the importance of their contributions, and making them feel valued.
15. Virtual birthday parties
We all know how important it is for remote teams to feel like they belong and that they are valued by their employer. Virtual birthday parties can be a great way to do this, as they allow you and your team members to connect in an interactive setting where everyone can feel included. This is an excellent team building activity, especially for small teams that take time to celebrate their remote employees.
16. Virtual coffee breaks
As it turns out, taking coffee breaks at work is actually good for your health. Studies have shown that taking breaks during the day can reduce stress and improve productivity. This is especially important for teams that are working remotely. Coffee breaks also give us an opportunity to socialize with our colleagues and enjoy some fresh air.
17. Virtual happy hours
The primary goal of office happy hours is to create an environment where employees can let loose and have some fun outside of the work environment. This helps them feel more comfortable with one another, which can lead to better collaboration in the workday when they need it most.
Why organize virtual team building activities for your team in 2023?
There are many benefits to hosting a virtual team building event as a remote team. These include:
Building trust and strengthening relationships with remote employees
Creating a sense of community
Creating a safe space for everyone to interact and learn from each other
Generating innovative ideas
Improving team communication skills
Improving understanding of different cultures
Host fun virtual team building events with Bar None Games
Regardless of the size of your team or their location, Bar None Games has tons of virtual team building activities and exciting games to help you build a fun, connected remote work environment for your company.
