In this article you will find:
- 10 virtual team building activities for your remote team in 2024
- Frequently asked questions about virtual team building activities
10 Virtual Team Building Activities
1. Virtual Team Luncheon
There's no better way to get a team together than over food. Hosting weekly or monthly virtual lunches is a great way to connect with your team and check in on how everyone is doing. Virtual socializing sessions encourage the development of innovative ideas.
2. Share Pet Photos
Cue all animal lovers now! Create a chatroom solely for employees to post cute or funny pictures of their animal companions! With pet adoption & fostering at an all-time high, embrace the need to share all the cuteness with the universe. We know working from home means ample opportunities to capture your pets living their best life, so why not share it?
3. Start a Book Club
The bookworms will appreciate this one! I once heard someone say there's nothing like bonding over a favorite character from a cherished book! Each month, select a book for everyone to read and discuss over a virtual meeting. Not a reader? No worries! Many people opt for audiobooks instead. This type of connectivity allows a team to strengthen its intellect with discussions about something other than work.
4. Game Applications
There are numerous phone apps that allow you to play games with friends and co-workers. You can play trivia or invite a coworker to join a game of chess. Our team's personal favorite is a phone app called “PSYCH” by Ellen. It allows the players to be competitive with creativity, humor, and trickery. Ever since our team started playing “PSYCH” we can't get enough! It's fun, hilarious, and allows us to take a quick mental break during our busy workdays.
5. Virtual Game Night
Host a virtual game night! There are several websites that have created video chat-friendly versions of games like Bingo and Pictionary. We have a wide range of games you can play with your team on Games night!
6. Virtual Happy Hour
It's 5 o'clock somewhere! With restaurants and bars limiting guest counts and implementing social distancing, Happy Hours are just not the same 6ft apart. We have a simple solution! Hold a virtual team happy hour where coworkers can be candid and unwind for an hour after work! No timeline, no agenda, and no structure. These events create a much more relaxed and informal social experience. BYOB!
7. Virtual Meditation Session
We can't deny that 2020 has been a heavy year for many – mentally stressful, financially difficult, or emotionally painful. Meditation isn't just about unwinding and reducing stress. It is proven to help control anxiety, cultivate self-awareness, and promote emotional well-being. Get on a weekly Zoom call, close your eyes in complete unison, then spend the next 15 minutes in total silence – TOGETHER! Check out Teamland's Mindfulness Meditation experience offered.
8. The Remote Fitness Challenge
Staying healthy while working from home can be a bit of a trial, especially if your employees aren't used to working remotely in the first place. Therefore, why not make it an actual fun challenge with a virtual scoreboard? There are multiple ways you can implement this sort of challenge. However, the premise remains rather simple. Everyone should have a set exercise goal that can be tracked by phone or even a google spreadsheet. Whoever places first gets to win a prize. As it were, due to COVID-19, make sure to select types of exercise that can be comfortably done at home.
9. The Remote Mental Wellness Challenge
As it stands, there is nothing that will be more beneficial to your employees' productivity than mindful meditation.
Mindful meditation, or even the practice of mindfulness itself whether in the form of mindful eating or others, can help decrease stress both for you and your employees. Having a 30-day challenge can help boost your employees' ability to focus, as well as decrease their stress levels. It's undoubtedly a stressful time on a global scale. Thus, having a community activity that brings your team together will help develop a great support network that will last even after you reintroduce your workforce.
10. Coffee Dates
Virtual coffee chat is an intimate meeting between two employees to get to know each other via zoom over a warm cup of joe! We recommend preparing a few questions to ask your coffee date – i.e. “What kind of coffee are you drinking?” “Do you take yours with cream and sugar?” “Do you prefer whole-bean coffee or ground coffee?” “Coffee pot or Keurig?” “Homemade or Starbucks?” “Do you prefer your coffee from South America or Africa?” “Goat milk, cow milk, almond milk, or no milk?” The coffee questions are endless and insightful. If you're not a coffee drinker, no worries! A virtual tea chat is just as effective. These types of one-on-one meetings sometimes can be a great start to the day and a light way to get to know someone. It's also a good way to share your to-do list or a set of daily goals.
People also ask these questions about virtual team building activities
Here are the answers to the most common questions about virtual team building activities:
Why is virtual team building important?
The physical distance of remote work can quickly turn into an emotional distance which in turn, leads to isolation. And when your employees feel isolated, they won't be comfortable working alongside their fellow team members. This is why it's important to create a comfortable team environment that remote workers can rely on. Virtual team building efforts consist of several carefully designed strategies, games, and activities that are meant to bring more human interaction to virtual work. It'll help your team connect with each other – making them feel like they're actually part of a community.
Virtual team building is the ongoing process of bringing remote teams together. It'll help your team achieve deeper bonds by creating a collaborative environment that's similar to an in-office setting.
What are the benefits of virtual team building?
The benefits of virtual team building include: improved team collaboration, better internal communication, and increased job satisfaction.
