By: SEO Maven
As a remote team, we’re always excited about finding new ways to build stronger connections virtually.
Through our experiences, we’ve realized that virtual team building has its own unique challenges compared to in-person activities.
To help other teams thrive in a remote environment, we’ve compiled a list of the most effective virtual team building activities. These activities are specifically designed to enhance your company culture and boost employee engagement.
We’ve carefully refined this list to include only the top picks, ensuring you get the best results. Moreover, there are many virtual event platforms out there specifically designed for remote teams for onboarding events or monthly retreats that have features like breakout rooms, Trivia boards, networking features etc.
Here are some of the great virtual activities that you can conduct:
20 Ideal Virtual Team Building Activities:
1. Master the NATO Phonetic Alphabet (Skill Building)
Learning the NATO phonetic alphabet—like Alfa, Tango, Foxtrot—can do more than just make you feel like a fighter pilot; it enhances clarity in communication. Instead of vague references like “K as in Kyle,” you can use precise, universally understood code words.
While your team might not use it often, mastering this skill adds an element of fun and can serve as a unique bonding experience when it does come up, making communication more deliberate and effective.
The 26 code words of the NATO phonetic alphabet correspond to the 26 letters of the English alphabet, starting with Alfa for A and ending with Zulu for Z.
It’s a practical tool for clear communication, especially in noisy environments or over the phone. Although I jokingly call it the “Top Gun Alphabet,” which isn’t accurate, it adds a fun twist to the learning process! This system is useful for anyone who needs to ensure their words are understood clearly and precisely.
2. Spreadsheet Pixel Art (Free Template)
Google Sheets might be your go-to for data and formulas, but did you know it can also be a creative tool for team building? If you’re a fan of both spreadsheets and art, Spreadsheet Pixel Art is a fun way to combine those interests.
It allows you to transform ordinary cells into a canvas for digital art, making it an engaging and collaborative activity for remote teams. It’s the perfect blend of creativity and analytics for those who love a good spreadsheet challenge!
Spreadsheet Pixel Art involves using a bit of code to automatically transform numbers into color-filled cells, allowing you to “paint by numbers” and create digital images. This activity is not only creative but also a great way to engage your team in a fun and collaborative task.
For added excitement, consider turning it into a friendly competition, where team members can showcase their artistic skills while bonding virtually. It’s a unique blend of creativity, coding, and camaraderie.
3. Fun Fact Icebreakers (5-Minute Activity)
Fun fact icebreakers are quick prompts that help you learn interesting tidbits about your colleagues. For instance, kick off a virtual meeting by asking each person to share their name, role, and one fun fact about themselves.
These icebreakers are perfect for virtual meetings or happy hours.
A few tips for effective icebreakers:
- Start with easy, light-hearted questions like “favorite movie” or “morning person vs night owl.”
- Announce the speaking order ahead of time to maintain structure.
- Lead by example by going first.
- Keep responses to about 30 seconds per person.
4. Create a Slack Channel for Sharing Cute Pet Photos (Quick & Easy)
This idea is a big hit in our company. We set up a Slack channel called #pets-of-vFairs where team members share funny and adorable pictures of their pets. It’s a great way to bring a little joy to the workday and foster camaraderie among team members.
Whether it’s a cat making a goofy face or a dog doing something silly, these photos always brighten our day and strengthen our team bond.
This Slack channel is incredibly simple and requires minimal effort, yet it delivers a significant impact on team building and boosting company culture.
It’s a standout among quick and easy team-building activities for remote workers, offering a fun and engaging way for team members to connect and share a bit of their personal lives with colleagues. The positive effects on team morale and bonding are well worth the small effort required to maintain it.
5. “Can You Hear Me Now?” (Team Favorite)
“Can You Hear Me Now?” is a top online team-building game that’s both challenging and fun. In this game, one person acts as the speaker, while the rest are artists. The speaker describes an image generated by a random image tool, but can only use geometric shapes in their instructions.
The artists then try to recreate the image based on these descriptions. This game not only hones effective online communication skills but also brings a lot of laughter and creativity to your virtual team.
6. Guess the Emoji Board
“Guess the Emoji Board” is a fun and interactive way to bring your remote team together. Emojis, once seen as quirky and unprofessional, have become a staple in our digital communication.
This activity involves sharing a screenshot of your most-used emojis with your team, sparking conversations and inside jokes. For example, why does Michael use the shrug emoji so often? This light-hearted game not only adds humor to your interactions but also helps strengthen team bonds through shared laughter and playful curiosity.
How to Play “Guess the Emoji Board”
- Create a Player List: Distribute the list of players to everyone.
- Guessing Round: Each player has up to five minutes to guess the top five most-used emojis of others on the list.
- Reveal & Score: Reveal the actual emojis and award points for accuracy, correct order, etc.
- Optional Prizes: Consider offering prizes for the highest scores.
“Guess the Emoji Board” is a quick, fun game perfect for adding a bit of entertainment to a virtual meeting, rather than making it the main focus.
7. MTV Cribs: Remote Team Edition
Even if your remote team never meets in person, you can still share a glimpse into each other’s lives with a fun MTV Cribs-inspired activity. Have team members create quick, self-made videos showcasing their homes and personalities, similar to the classic ’90s show.
This activity not only offers an interesting peek into the personal spaces of your colleagues but also strengthens team bonds by allowing everyone to get to know each other better in a creative and enjoyable way.
8. Remote Storytelling Workshops & Training (With Experts)
Museum Hack’s expert tour guides have mastered the art of storytelling through years of leading unique tours. We’ve distilled our extensive training program into a two-hour workshop designed to boost your team’s productivity and performance.
This workshop covers essential storytelling techniques, including the Five Elements of a Hack and story shortening, all tailored for remote teams. It’s an engaging way to enhance communication skills and creativity across a variety of roles, making it invaluable for any team.
9. Pancakes vs. Waffles (Quick & Easy)
“Pancakes vs. Waffles” is a fun, quick decision-making game that your team plays together. The first round starts with a debate: should the world keep pancakes or waffles? The losing option is eliminated, and a new competitor is introduced, like Waffles vs. Puppies or Puppies vs. Kittens.
The game becomes increasingly intense and personal as it progresses, allowing team members to share their values and opinions. It’s a great low-stakes way to foster team bonding and encourage lively discussions.
10. Werewolf (Popular)
Werewolf is a thrilling game of strategy, deception, and keen observation, often enjoyed at summer camps or during company retreats. In this game, players must use their wits to survive the night by outsmarting their opponents.
The game revolves around discussion, careful listening, and voting, making it perfect for a virtual setting like Zoom or Google Hangouts. It’s a great way to engage your team in a fun and challenging experience that tests their communication and persuasion skills.
In the game of Werewolf, each player is assigned a secret role—werewolf, villager, medic, or seer—using a random generator and private messages in a virtual setting. Werewolves secretly choose a victim, medics attempt to save someone, and seers try to identify the werewolves.
The next day, the surviving players discuss and vote on who they think the werewolves are. This process continues until either the villagers or werewolves win. The game is excellent for virtual team building, sparking lively discussion and strategic thinking.
11. Typing Speed Race (Competitive)
Typing speed races are a fun and easy online team-building activity that can kick off instantly. Start by taking a typing test on a site like typingtest.com, then share your results with the team. Watch as the competition heats up!
For an added challenge, organize a typing speed relay where team scores are combined to determine the winning squad. This activity not only brings out friendly competition but also helps improve a vital skill for remote workers—typing speed. Just remember to ensure everyone uses the same test for fairness!
12. Virtual Pub Crawl
A virtual pub crawl is a fun way to replicate the experience of exploring pubs together, but online. Here’s how it works:
- Join a virtual meeting with your team.
- Everyone visits an interesting website and chats about the content while enjoying a drink.
- Every 15 minutes, move to a new website for fresh conversation.
It’s a creative way to bond with your team, and you can kick off with a fascinating site like The Deep Sea, which explores ocean depths.
13. Virtual Dance Party (Recommended)
A Virtual Dance Party is one of the simplest and most energizing team-building activities you can do. Whether as a standalone event or a quick one-minute session during a meeting, it’s a great way to break the ice and boost team morale.
Just play a song and let everyone move to the beat—no fancy moves required! It’s a fun way to eliminate awkward silences and keep the energy high. Some favorite tracks for a quick dance break include “Shake it Off” by Taylor Swift and “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” by Whitney Houston.
14. Arm’s Reach Show & Tell (Simple & Fun)
Take a cue from grade school with a Virtual Show & Tell, a simple yet engaging team-building activity. Set a one-minute timer for participants to grab something meaningful within arm’s reach. Each team member then shares the story behind their item, including where they got it and why it’s special.
This activity not only sparks interesting conversations but also helps team members learn more about each other in a fun and personal way.
15. Exciting Sponge
Exciting Sponge is a light-hearted storytelling game that encourages creativity and humor. Each team member grabs a random object within arm’s reach and invents a wild story about it, or they can choose to describe a generic sponge.
The goal is to exaggerate and make the object sound extraordinary—like claiming an alarm clock is a relic that future Indiana Jones 2.0, AI edition, will recover for a museum. The more outlandish, the better! This game is perfect for sparking imagination and laughter among your team.
In the end
Virtual team building activities are essential for fostering connection, collaboration, and a sense of community within remote teams. They break down barriers, enhance communication, and build trust among team members who may never meet in person. By engaging in these activities, teams can maintain strong bonds, improve morale, and boost overall productivity, making them an invaluable part of any remote work strategy. Investing in virtual team building is an investment in the well-being and success of your team.
Published by: Khy Talara
