We also love it because it’s super simple and super fun! Sometimes you just need a bit of a laugh to help your team relax and bond with each other. Be sure that player one does not mute the rest of the people in the video conference so he/she can still hear the others in the meeting. After 30 minutes, get everyone back onto the call to demonstrate what they have made. Do they like indie rock, pop classics or some funky tunes. Manager success tool to build high achieving teams. Everyone loves superheroes or has thought about which superhero power they would want. Create a fun list of games to play, try using one of the activities on this list. Create a specific Slack channel to hold the competition and think of a theme or topic to start the competition. We like it because it makes people feel special. COVID-19: Icebreaker Questions to Ask in Meetings, Icebreaker Games for Remote Teams to Build Better Connect, Virtual Icebreakers to Onboard Remote Teams. Why should you consider it: To encourage teamwork and creativity. Use something like Skribbl to create your own virtual room for doodling. Create a Google Doc and start the story with “Once upon a time….” and be sure to add a main character while setting a holiday theme.. For example: Once upon a time a young girl named Julia started to adopt every puppy she saw before Christmas…. So why not create this as a fun activity and a dilemma your team participates in together. For example, who can do the most steps before they start work? Why should you consider it: To allow team members to find similar interests amongst each other and to know each other better. They can Google it, send a picture or even draw one. It also is a great icebreaker question. The goal here is to collectively work towards better health and lifestyle that often takes a backseat when we are working from home. Objective: To ask participants random questions in the hope they get to know each other better. ... really anything not work related. Collect their answers and mark them. To add a twist, you can pick words related to your industry instead of movies to see how people explain that to their team through actions. Objective: To communicate with all your employees and ensure that they get some one on one time from you. Virtual team building can be fun. Materials: Typing Speed Test, for example Live Chat. Try these out and let me know how you go! This not only helps foster long-term bonds as team members encourage each other but also gives everyone a chance to create a bucket list for themselves and have goals. How to do it: Divide your team equally in smaller teams of 2-3 members and give them a list of random things to choose from if they were to be stranded on a desert island together. As time goes by, you can color in even more of the map by asking your team ice breaker questions like what their ideal holiday spot would be, the best place they’ve traveled to, or where their parents are from. The other team members will be the villagers. It is a great brain teaser and also helps your team get to know each other a little better without having a difficult set-up process. Objective: Creative thinking and public speaking exercise. At the beginning of a virtual staff meeting, get every team member to share two shout-outs: one for something they did amazing this week, and one for something another team member did. You can have this theme go throughout the week and whoever comes up with the most images wins. Team members should create ways to communicate instantly whilst completing the challenge . Everytime one of your team members drinks a sip of water, have them post the water emoji . Includes instructions and handy links! The players are not physically present in the same room, but they are using the same tools for online communication. Call out the statements and team players then have to put a cross in the box if they share that quality with someone else. To help team members open up with their managers and discuss any red flags or ongoing problems easily. We can help. 12 virtual team building games and activities The best and fruitful way to ensure that they work smoothly as a team is to have weekly one on one meetings with everyone. Ask your team to recite or summarize what you said, the person who has the most correct “points” is a winner and gets a gift card. You don’t need any materials and it's bound to be a great addition to your weekly conference calls. But be sure the list has the most ridiculous items as it allows your team to be creative and it will fun to see what people come up with. Pin this to your company Slack channel for everyone to see and this can help build your quarterly goals for the next year. Pose the question, “What is the least and favorite part of working remotely?”. Then, get everyone else to try and guess who’s desk is who’s. It is a fun, surprising way to get to know one another and creates a casual atmosphere. Also, listening to music can increase our spirits. Pick them based on things such as what they have contributed to the team, their effectiveness etc. We love two truths and a lie because it is a classic ice breaker game that can be used to get the conversation flowing and have some fun while you’re at it. To make these meetings even more effective, set goals of things to talk about or a conclusion to reach after each meeting. Objective: To get participants realizing what they have in common, This is good for brainstorming in remote teams as it gets them realizing they are similar. 17 Virtual team building games and activities The difficulty with building chemistry in most remote teams is that you could be spread across time zones! As the other team members play the guessing game, it is easier to break the ice between them and have a fun time. But please be careful with the decision to participate in the challenge is up to each individual. 4. Virtual Team Building Activities - 5 Fun Ideas for Remote Teams Not everyone is a speller or likes spelling challenges but it is always a fun competition to do with a group of people. At the start of every week, create a new challenge. Objective: Collaboration and team engagement. Show and Tell allows your team to laugh and get a glimpse into each other lives outside of the work environment. The instructions are really quite simple - ask people if they want to meet every month on lunch breaks to discuss the books they’ve been reading. A great Friday evening post-work virtual get-together. Irrespective of what kind of week you’ve all had you can schedule a virtual meeting “down the Nags Head” for a drink after work at say 5.30pm or 6.00pm. Post the topic on the channel and the voted best GIF is the winner. It is also great for promoting trust and friendship, and this can translate into cohesive working relationships. The winner is the employee who gets the most answers/facts. Great opportunity to create personal interactions with people who don’t normally talk daily. Each event runs for 90 minutes and is hosted by a comedian over Zoom. Objective: Stress reliever with some critical thinking, Materials: Zoom or video conferencing platform. Likewise, people with friends at work are 7x more likely to be fully engaged. Everyone needs to commit to the character and the storyline. We're big fans! Get to know your workmates by knowing how they celebrate. -- They ship directly to your team’s addresses, Objective: Creative outlet and team collaboration, Participants: 5 to 10 (The more people you add the longer the story will be). Another great team building activity that encourages team members to get to know each other, communicate better and to become better listeners. By keeping the camera on for a shorter or longer duration, team members not only get a chance to be present at the same time, but it also helps to indulge in smaller conversations during work – just like one would do at the workplace. At the end or beginning “hug” your team and it may be a bit silly but it shows that you all are in this together and a community. We also love this book club idea because it promotes regular communication within teams, which has been found to be the key to building trust and communication within remote teams. Split your team in half to form two separate teams that will be competing against each other. When not reading or writing about technology, business strategy, marketing, or social issues, she spends her time riding bikes, cooking and baking. The image could be of a vacation, a family member, a friend, etc. You can always club this activity with having the camera on the laptop to create an environment nothing less than an actual workspace. To take short breaks during a workday to have a small talk with the team. The debates do not have to be on serious topics, it’s all up to you. “Guess that song” will bring friendly competition while listening to awesome music. Why should you consider it: An entertaining way to break the ice. The host\judge will decide on the winner and the winning team gets a small prize for the losing team. A company care package is great to boost your team’s morale and this especially is great when you have offices in different cities. Virtual diversity bingo will help your team to understand each other's differences and create a group identity. The instructions are really quite simple, pick a charity that is inline with your company values and beliefs. The team will be able to get a peak into their colleagues' lives as well as get to know their backgrounds. Share the chosen theme for the week with your team, you can even create a poll to help decide on which theme you all want to do for your next conference call. At the start of every week, create a new challenge or theme for the joke. How to do it: Assign a moderator and ask every team member to share an interesting piece of information about their life beforehand. Don’t forget to keep score the one with the most guesses wins! In this activity, you don’t even need to create your own memes and can find the content from your favorite meme site. So, team building games are the best way to get your team to connect and work together better. And that is why we love the photo challenge…. And, we’ll show which of the five key requirements (trust/connection, communication, working together, conflict resolution, and recognizing and relying on … Take a picture of them planking and post it to your company chat. Although not an activity that involves working as a team directly, this activity will increase morale and trust which will in turn lead to positive team outcomes. When you work remotely it is hard to have weekly pub trivia nights where your team grabs a pint and participates at your local bars weekly trivia. Give everyone 1 to 2 minutes to think of who they would pick and why. Taking a short break not only helps get a breather between work but also helps form a better bond with the other team members. Tell everyone they have 30 minutes to build something from the materials they have around them (e.g., a pillow fort, a pen holder, or some shelves). Split your team up into groups, have them come up with a business pitch that includes the logo and the product. Have the final competition with everyone on the team meeting to cheer each player on and see who the Row Sham Bow champion will be. Instructions. Everyone guesses who said which statement and in the end discuss the answers with the group. This is a great opportunity to start a brainstorming session and have people interact in a dynamic and electric environment. On top of this depending on if your team lives in different cities they can show video or pictures of their favorite places. One by one have your team present who they invited and why. Why should you consider it: To ensure the team is ready to tackle any kind of situation. This is a great activity for global teams that are speaking several different languages across the company. Virtual Bake Off Let your team know there is no judgement and it is an open space to discuss anything positive or negative. Aside from trivia, they also offer murder mystery and puzzle breaker facilitated team building events. Positive feedback is always a great way to improve employee engagement. A fun activity that everyone can easily be a part of. Don't forget to relax and have fun, it's a party after all! Why should you consider it: To help the team collaborate better through on-the-spot thinking. Another great quick activity that allows your team to practice quick and creative thinking. -- Wire wreath base The care package is also a way to show company wide appreciation. This is a great activity to quickly check-in with your team and make sure everyone is feeling okay. In the beginning of your meeting have everyone write down any issues, personal or professional struggles they are working on. Virtual meetings can sometimes start with a few minutes of stiffness or awkwardness. They also mean that quite literally anyone with a phone can join it. Start it off by asking everybody to demonstrate where they’re born and then ask them where they’re currently located by pinning a picture of themselves onto the map. Player one will put their video chat microphone on to mute so everyone can only see their face. Virtual icebreakers are small online team-building activities that help you – a meeting leader – to connect with your remote team on a personal level during your online meetings. How to do it: Ask one team member every week to prepare a playlist choosing songs that they like and adding a few keeping in mind other’s preferences. Objective: To get everyone caught up and a good laugh. Continue to rotate players until everyone has had a turn. With your teams scattered across the globe due to remote working, virtual team building activities and games are a great way to break the ice and engage them informally to foster their bond. Memes are great and a fun way to communicate. While at it, do not forget to measure these engagement activities to improvise and get better results. Assign a moderator and ask every team member to share an interesting piece of information about their life beforehand. We suggest awarding a prize for the best invention! Sending gifts to your fellow team members, 19. One of the statements is about a professional goal or something they want to work on and the second is a fun fact about themselves. Remote teams are made up of many different cultures and nationalities, and that is why this team building activity works so well. If your team isn't working remotely we have another great list of team building activities for more general purposes. To play this properly, pick some online games that allow multiple players. This icebreaker game is also useful because it can be adapted to align with the meeting goal, work environment, or something more personal. Create a list of statements. If only one person is barefoot or wearing socks then that person gets 3 points and no-one else gets any points. And the best way to do so is through virtual team building activities and games. At the chosen time, everyone would get a chance to talk a bit about the book that they are reading. The best items to hunt for also have story or “show and tell” opportunities, like favorite gifts and Christmas candy. People who work remotely do not have the same opportunities as employees in offices have, they can not interact outside of the scope of work. The team lead goes through the songs and plays them during their team meeting. Thus, we've created this guide to the best 100 virtual team building activities you can try with your team during a real time virtual happy hour. In the package don't forget to add a little note explaining all the different things and why you decided to include it in the box. Or, who can get their heart rate the highest in the next one minute? Make sure you always keep your team updated on how their donations are helping! Getting a surprise gift from a fellow colleague is a warm feeling that helps foster the bond further. Objective: Provide a safe space to vent or have an outlet to discuss issues. Get the team to rank their favorite ones and discuss why they chose a certain song. Once the teams have created their “10 things in common” list, let each group share what they have come up with. If one doesn’t work, experiment with a few others to see what happens. Amidst the hustle-bustle of deadlines and growing a business, it is common to see friction between managers and their team members. Don’t forget to keep score and whoever shouts out an answer the quickest wins! Typing tests are also a great way to see what your team’s skills are like. So why not create an exercise around it that will give a bit of critical thinking and also test your team and see if they actually listen to you. So, now you know the importance of successful team building activities in virtual teams, here are some of the best remote team building activities out there that will go far in helping your team bond, regardless of where they may be! After every presentation, you can also add a Q and A section to allow the team to learn more about a city. Add a little bit more motivation to the mix by picking out the best joke at the end of the month and sending the winner a prize! Either way, we guarantee it’ll provide a great laugh. The shout out’s do not need to be huge. One way to remind your employees of your remote company’s real-world presence is to donate to a cause that matches your team’s values. The instructions are very simple, once a month get everyone together via video chat. This is a fun activity to get to know each other a bit better and bond through laughter. This means that (hopefully) you’ll have lots of different holidays to celebrate within your team! Once the results are in, have a group discussion, and compare results. To ensure the team is ready to tackle any kind of situation. Create a #Fun Slack channel and add your team to it. They only can use descriptive phrases and hints. Once everyone creates their own user manual, be sure to share it with your team and have it accessible for everyone to look over. More so, amidst a usual workday full of things to do and deadlines, it is easy to lose track of whether you really got to connect or talk to your team members on a personal level or not. A great way to encourage people to participate in the care package is to include a company stipend or reimbursements. Objective: Integration of Cultures and Creativity. Choose a colleague to present a skill or something they would like to teach their team. Send out your preferred personality test to your team. Thanks to platforms that allow screen sharing or watching movies virtually, all you have to do is fix a time, pick a movie that everyone is interested in (better to share 2-3 options beforehand), and have a good time with everyone. You can choose your own or use the ones we recommend. Add a little bit more motivation to the mix (if cute animal photos aren’t enough) by picking out the best photo at the end of the month and sending the winner a framed print of their picture. The team will guess what the phrase means with the help of the 3 clues and whoever guesses first wins. It will be interesting to compare who chose who and if anyone picked the same person. Just like any other book club activity, herein, the team will choose a common book or simply let everyone pick one for themselves. Objective: To get everyone to know each other's preferences and spark discussion. Why should you consider it: To help one another get a sense of belongingness. It does not take a lot of time and allows people to open up about themselves through a fun anecdote or story. However, since the participants are all asked to name their favorite, there is no risk for “getting the answer wrong”. Objective: Team bonding and a great icebreaker. Maintain the recommended social distance while challenging your competitive spirit by organizing an online board game meetup with friends. Music is a great bonding topic and a fun way to get to know each other. With PlayingCards.io you can choose from a series of virtual versions of your fave games… 7 Signs of Disengaged Employees in Remote Teams. Curious to know how things work and then writing about it has kept her going for over 11 years now. It also allows them to have an afternoon off work to focus on something fun, which will increase team morale. But, he cannot leave the dog alone with the chicken because the dog will most likely eat the chicken and he cannot leave the chicken alone with the rice because the chicken will eat the rice. Materials: Virtual conferencing application and some beer or whatever preferred alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverage. Every week, pick different ‘X or Y’ questions. QuizBreaker makes this easy & automated with lots of gamification along the way. Why should you consider it: To help team members open up with their managers and discuss any red flags or ongoing problems easily. If not, modify the idea until Share fun, personal stories. Create guidelines for the debate that will have effective, clear and communicative strategies. Virtual scavenger huntsare more difficult to find that team spirit with. Working from home can be challenging when deciding on what to wear. Virtual games. It is a great way to recognize and appreciate your colleagues. To ensure all team members stay fit and take care of their health. Choose a virtual hug, handshake, really whatever symbolic virtual greeting you would like to spread to your team. Or, on your 18th when your mum would make you an embarrassing collage of all your childhood photos? Why should you consider it: To help team members break the ice. Don’t forget to tell them it’s just an exercise so no one gets too stressed out. Make sure all the questions are work appropriate. Set aside 20 minutes each week (we suggest on Wednesday mornings to get over that midweek lull) and get everyone to play against each other. Log in. As the holidays are coming up it is a great opportunity to hold an online celebration via any video conferencing platform. 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