The term ‘team’ is defined as people who join forces to achieve a common goal. It is how humanity has come this far – by collaborating and working together to build civilizations, ensure a steady food supply and raise and educate children so that the torch can be passed on to them when the time comes.
A sound team — remote or in-person — makes all the difference in success in the business world. A united company culture increases productivity and a collective sense of achievement when things go well. When things don’t go well, a good, solid team will head back to the drawing board and try, try again.
Building a solid team dynamic is one of the most valuable investments employers can make in the company. Engaging, beneficial team-building activities, that have employee buy-in comes with endless benefits.
Our New Normal
Companies have recognized the value of team-building retreats and workshops, and budgets have prioritized this over the last 30 years. But the pandemic threw a spanner in the works, making it a challenge to get together and participate in fun, valuable team-building events.
Fortunately, we have the tech on our side, and if it is good enough for remote working to keep the company going, there is no reason it can’t be good enough for team-building. Creative virtual team building ideas are the way forward.
Rockoly offers remote online cooking classes, interactive workshops, and a true team-building experience for all. Professional chefs use live-streaming and video-conferencing tools to facilitate employees as they create enticing, delicious meals. (P.S. ingredients are delivered to all team members, no matter where they are in the world, too!)
Food has been bonding humans since the dawn of time, so it is a no-brainer that it is a fantastic tool for team-building.
But what else is out there? Plenty of online workshops and activities have evolved to accommodate the new remote way of life. These virtual team building ideas will keep your company connections strong for many years to come.
Awesome Online Team-Building Activities for Your Company
War of the Wizards
This unique and engaging virtual team-building activity features a live, 90-minute game with a series of activities such as puzzles, world-building, and escape rooms.
Escape to a fantasy world reminiscent of Lord of the Rings, Dungeon and Dragons, and other fantasy realms that lead us into escapism.
You and your team are an army fighting on behalf of wizards who have been battling it out for centuries. As you go, you collect points that go towards resolving the war peacefully. It is unique, a blast to play, and you don’t need to be an avid gamer to have fun.
Learn more over here: War of the Wizards.
Virtual Escape Room
This virtually hosted activity is an online take on the escape room craze that was gaining momentum pre-pandemic. Teams must solve a series of brainteasers, uncover clues and use logic to find the hidden jewels.
Gather your team and sign up for an epic online escape room experience. You’ll uncover clues, solve brainteaser challenges, and think outside the “room” as you work to find the hidden stolen jewels stolen by a gang of criminal masterminds. Escape rooms are competitive and timed, so it is an excellent exercise to practice working under pressure.
Learn more about Virtual Escape Room: Jewel Heist.
“Can You Hear Me Now?”
Pictionary with a twist is a cheap, fun activity that is great for developing communication skills. A random image generator will supply the topic. One member is the speaker, and the rest of the team is armed with a drawing pad.
The speaker must describe how to draw the object without giving specifics carefully. For example, the speaker can say, ‘draw a large circle with a circle half its size directly on top.’ The speaker is limited to the details they can give, so they need to be very precise.
The most entertaining part is sharing the outcomes, as they can be way off and hilarious. Virtual team building ideas that lead to a lot of laughs are usually the most memorable.
Virtual Clue Murder Mystery
A spin of the old classic board game, ‘Clue,’ participants channel their inner Sherlock Holmes to solve a murder. They are given a series of clues and case files, which can be used to determine means, motive, and opportunity through a process of elimination.
Analytical thinking, effective communication, and collaboration are the key to success.
Flight of the Navigator
This is a hit for fans of the 80s. Flight of the Navigator is a cult classic that was released in 1986. Participants watch the movie, looking for ‘so 80s!’ fashion, paraphernalia, and products.
When they spot a wild perm, lumo bracelets, or anything else that screams the 80s, they take a drink (tea or soda is fine) or keep a record that they can compare at the end of the film.
Another great movie to do this with is ‘Back to the Future,” as it features the 80s and 50’s, which will sit well with those who love retro.
Surprise Virtual Happy Hour
Surprise Virtual Happy Hour is another of Rockoly’s extraordinary virtual team building ideas. Take Happy Hour to the next level with this fantastic team-building option that can boost morale and encourage connection.
A trained mixologist will guide your team to create a series of traditional and bespoke cocktails while teaching them a thing or two about the art of Mixology.
Mixology is the art of mixing the perfect combination of spirits and flavors, creating mixed drinks to suit every taste.
Spreadsheet Pixel Art
Google Sheets is a well-known office tool, but it’s hard to imagine how it can be used for online team-building. However, this is the perfect option for those who love art and are secretly excited when they see a nicely ordered spreadsheet or satisfying graph.
A competitive spin will make this even more satisfying. Players use a code to replace numbers with color. This digital ‘paint by numbers’ can be as easy or complicated as you like, and free templated can be sourced here: Spreadsheet Pixel Art.
DIY Craft Challenge
Creativity is good for the mind and soul. Virtual team building ideas that allow employees to flex their creative muscles are always a great choice.
This is a quick, fun activity designed to boost creativity. The challenge is to construct a work of art or a functional invention using materials lying around the house.
Egg boxes, tongue compressors, a wooden spoon – anything goes. You can make it more specific by adding a checklist. Maybe it must serve a purpose or stand independently – it is entirely customizable.
But the goal is certainly not aesthetics. It is more about having fun and getting the creative juices flowing.
Virtual Trivia
Most people love a good pub quiz or trivia night. Several virtual, hosted trivia games are available for a battle of the brains. Most are divided into quiz categories and offer a ‘fastest finger first’ option or an opportunity to work through each category, grading the answers before the next one starts.
Throw in some brainteasers, anagrams, and memory games, and you are all set for a good laugh and team spirit.
Typing Speed Race
This is a free online team-building activity with a completive vibe and increases skills simultaneously. Using an online typing site, participants set a base score that they need to beat and challenge other team members.
This can be an ongoing game, where players can post a public scoreboard that gets updated regularly.
Virtual Dance Party
Simple, inexpensive virtual team building ideas are perfect if you want to inject regular activities into your schedule.
A virtual dance party is a quick and easy way to have some online fun, get out of your seats, and get that heart rate up. Fancy dance skills are not required. Just have fun. It’s a great way to break awkward silences, wake people up during a long meeting, and revive energy levels.
Studies show that music improves mood and keeps depression at bay. It also lowers cortisol levels and eases pain.
Some excellent dance party favorites are:
- “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars
- “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” by Michael Jackson
- “Twist and Shout” by The Beatles
- “Hey Ya!” by Outkast
- “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” by Backstreet Boys
- Kenny Loggins – Footloose
Here is a virtual dance party playlist on Spotify.
Virtual Comedy Show
Everyone loves a good laugh – and science shows us that we NEED a good laugh. It releases plenty of feel-good hormones like endorphins, which create an overall sense of well-being. It is even known even temporarily to relieve pain. Throw some serotonin and dopamine into the mix, and you have a recipe for a great bonding experience.
It seems that laughter really is the best medicine. It is also great for your health. Laughter decreases cortisol, a stress hormone, and boosts immunity.
There are several virtual comedy clubs available that provide hosted comedy shows to keep your team in stitches.
Virtual Wine Tasting
Wine lovers unite – Rockoly hosts an online wine tasting workshop run by expert sommeliers. Your team can experience some of the best and most powerful red wines from Spain or Italy.
Not only can you savor the delicious vino, but you can learn a little about winemaking and the regions that the wines are from. Opt for a charcuterie board add-on and enjoy a cheese and wine event if you want to add a little more culture.
Scavenger Hunt
No one is ever too old for a scavenger hunt. They are loads of fun, filled with interaction and putting heads together to problem solve. And there is nothing like a bit of friendly competition. Competitive team-building events are a fantastic tool for identifying those motivated by competition. You will often be surprised.
There are many online options out there, and they can be as straightforward or as complicated as you like. Each team can have a list between them and decide how to spread the load. The hunt can be left open for a few days or even a week so that participants can manage their time.
Ice Cream Float Experience
Virtual team building ideas that involve food are always a hit. This online experience is more than simply making an ice cream float. Ingredients are sent to participants, and they concoct their delicious treats while enjoying music, learning about the history and science of ice cream, and enjoying their refreshing reward together. It is excellent on its own or as an addition to another team-building activity.
Lost In the Arctic
This is one of the more unusual virtual team building ideas. Lost in the Arctic is a murder mystery with a twist. Picture this: A research team discovered paranormal activity in the Arctic, and then all contact was lost. Your team needs to figure out what went wrong – without suffering the same fate.
Clues, puzzles, and brainteasers help you along the way but make sure you look out for red herrings that could get you into more trouble.
Baby Photos
There is something about baby photos. We love seeing our colleagues and friends, cute and apple-cheeked, playing in the mud. This is an excellent activity for teams who already interact in person or online and know what each other looks like.
Each team member supplies a baby photo of themselves. The images are collated in a document which is then issued to the team. Participants are given a time limit and need to identify which photo belongs to which person. The winner can be rewarded with a fun prize like a restaurant voucher or a gift certificate from Amazon.
Virtual City Tour
Find a local from an exotic location that can take the team on a guiders tour via Zoom. Arm them with a GoPro and follow a live stream of them exploring the sights and sounds of their city. They can make stops at museums, chocolatiers, and art galleries (or whatever suits the group location) along the way
Pictionary
This is a classic and fun, easy activity fostering bonding and creativity. Use an app or add-on like Skribbl to create a virtual doodling room. Plenty of websites will give topics and variations of the traditional board game, and you can customize it to your heart’s content.
Whose Office Is It Anyway?
This is a great ice breaker, allowing teams to get to know each other better. It’s excellent for big groups because you can add as many participants as you like. It’s simple, costs nothing, and is a lot of fun. It is difficult for remote teams to understand the intricacies of each other personalities, and this offers a little insight into each colleague’s nature.
Each member takes a photo of their ‘office’ and uploads it to a shareable file. The workspace should be captured in its normal state to represent them accurately (no last-minute tidy-ups of coffee cup collections). Then, colleagues need to guess or vote whose office is whose. It can be stretched out, where one office can be featured per week or each day. It will be interesting to see how many people guessed correctly.
The Deserted Island Scenario
The Deserted Island Scenario is a quick, free activity, perfect for groups of 10 or fewer. At the beginning of the meeting, inform everyone that they have been stranded on a deserted island. However, there is hope. They get a survival kit to help them. Provide a list of objects that are not necessarily aimed at survival. This will stimulate some creative thinking.
Some ideas include:
- 100-proof rum
- A torch
- Candles
- A bucket
- Knife
- Matches
- Rope
- Protein bars
- Canvas tarp
Each person gets to select three items from the list. Then, they share their choices and explain why. After listening to each other, they can change their items, and if they made any changes, they need to explain why. Hearing each other’s opinions and perspectives will offer a lot of insight into each person’s thinking. Afterward, participants can also provide an off-the-wall yet useful option to add to the list.
Offline Fitness Challenge
Most of us feel the need to up our fitness level since we have become more deskbound at home. An office fitness challenge is a great morale booster that will encourage teams to support each other’s goals, track progress and improve their health at the same time. Members accept the challenge and have a series of workouts to complete or goals to reach within a specified time.
Participants can be given incentives that keep their eye on the goal. A platform like Fond can help you build an incentive-based challenge. If you want, you can involve a fitness expert to facilitate and assign personalized goals to each team member.
Virtual Bingo
Bingo is a timeless classic and great for smaller groups. It is easy, and most people are familiar with the rules. It also gets everyone involved. While a good old bingo game never fails, it can be customized to make it more interpersonal. Design unique cards or download a People-Bingo template.
Create a list of statements that fit the team, such as ‘has blue eyes’ or ‘works in the accounts department.’ The first score five in a row wins the round. This can be run regularly, and a leader board can be posted, turning it into an ongoing competition.
Pin The Map
Want to bridge the cultural diversity gap?’ Pin the Map’ is a great way to create awareness and understanding of each person’s location and use it as a springboard for opening up about different cultures. Using an interactive map and a photo, let each team member pinpoint where they were born and where they currently live.
This can be expanded to cover ideal holiday destinations, favorite places, where their parents were born, etc. It’s a great ice breaker, and the team can learn a lot about each other.
Speed Interviews
Speed Interviews are a spin on the speed dating craze that became popular about ten years ago. It is a fantastic icebreaker. Traditionally, the team would be seated along a table, facing a colleague. However, you can adapt this using a platform like Twine, designed for round-robin video calls.
Each person has a list of 3 questions that they will ask the person they are paired with, and they will, in turn, answer three questions posed by their’ roommate.’ After five minutes, their breakout room is dissolved participants are placed with a new colleague.
The participants askes their assigned three questions again, but their new partner will not have the same questions as the previous ‘roommate.’
It takes some planning on the facilitator’s side, but this easy guide will get you there in five minutes.
There are many virtual team building ideas that make team-building valuable and fun. While bonding over a shared meal or heading for after-work drinks may seem like a distant memory, building strong team dynamics is still essential to a company’s success.
Virtual team-building is the perfect solution, facilitating face-to-face get-togethers via an online platform.
Rockoly brings your team together with interactive cooking classes and workshops customized to suit your employee’s needs and your budget. We will deliver all the ingredients to your door, so you don’t have to worry about unnecessary planning.
Get in touch today if you’re ready to bring your team back together
