👋 Welcome to our list of the best virtual team building games and activities in 2024!
Article Overview: Keeping remote teams connected and motivated can be a real challenge. Sorry, but Slack doesn’t count 🤷🏻♀️. SnackNation has combined its 10+ years of team-building expertise with valuable community insights to create this fresh list of unique ideas to break up the routine and inject fun into your team’s day.
It’s no secret that adjusting to remote work has become the new norm for many organizations. But just because your employees aren’t physically working together doesn’t mean you can’t engage your remote team. This is where virtual team building activities come in clutch.
The workforce today is a dynamic blend of remote, hybrid, and on-site roles, challenging conventions and sparking new ways to collaborate and innovate.
Remote team building activities improve working relationships and are a fun way to keep the team spirit alive, even when you’re all miles apart.
Plus, there is a ton of room for improvement. A Team Building Hub survey found that 73% of employees wish their company would invest more in team building.
So if the team wants it and you need ideas, never fear — SnackNation is here.
To boost team morale and bond with your coworkers start by diving into our list of perfect online team-building ideas for your crew!
🔎 What are you looking for?Jump to the section below for a deeper dive into our favorite virtual team building games and activities. |
How to Choose the Right Virtual Team Building Activity for Your Team
When narrowing down the best virtual team building activity options, you need something that gets people excited and engaged.
Here’s what you’ll want to focus on to make sure it all comes together smoothly:
1. Know Your Audience
- 👩🏽💻 Remote Team Size: Some activities work better for smaller groups (think trivia or virtual escape rooms), while others are perfect for large groups (like a virtual dance party or bingo).
- 🤪 Personality Mix: Are your remote team members more laid-back, competitive, or creative? Pick something that fits their vibe. A super competitive team might love a trivia showdown, while a more low-key crew may appreciate a virtual coffee meet-up.
2. Timing & Schedule
- ⏰ Time Zones: If your remote team members are in different time zones, pick a time that works for everyone. Try to avoid early mornings or late evenings unless you want sleepy or cranky participants.
- ⏳ Length: Keep it short and sweet – people can only handle so much screen time. Anywhere from 30-90 minutes is perfect, depending on the type of virtual event.
3. Plan the Experience
- 🧊 Icebreakers: Warm up the group with a fun intro activity to get the conversation flowing before jumping into the main event.
- 🌪 Mix It Up: A blend of solo and group-based challenges keeps things interesting. Nobody likes staring at the same screen scene for hours without switching it up.
4. Book the Event
- 📆 Book Early: If you’re working with a third-party company or facilitator, book ahead of time to secure the best slots. Popular online games fill up fast!
- 🖥 Test the Platform: If the activity involves specific software or tools, do a test run to make sure everything works smoothly before the actual event.
5. Marketing the Event
- 📢 Create Buzz: Send out fun invites or teasers leading up to the day of the team bonding extravaganza. A countdown can get people curious and excited.
- ✅ Highlight the Benefits: Remind employees why it’s happening, whether it’s to boost collaboration, reduce stress, or just have fun. This helps to pique their interest and build engagement.
Virtual Team Building Games
Virtual team building games are designed to help remote teams connect, collaborate, and have fun together.
These online group games aren’t played just to crown a winning team (although we all know it certainly matters) – they actually build stronger employee relationships and improve communication. Think of them as a way to boost morale and reach those #teamgoals a whole lot quicker.
Trivia & Knowledge
Trivia and knowledge-based games are ideal for challenging your employees’ memories while sharing a few laughs.
They usually involve answering a hodge-podge of general knowledge, pop culture, or even company-specific questions. These online games encourage teamwork and boost communication in an amusing and competitive virtual environment.
1. Coworker Feud
The game where “there are no right or wrong answers, only the most popular ones!
Imagine playing your favorite family game show, but with your coworkers instead of family members – that’s Coworker Feud! This is a great way to break the ice, boost employee morale, and test your remote employees‘ knowledge on a ton of topics, all within a virtual game show experience.
❤️ Why we love it: Coworker Feud keeps your remote employees thinking on their feet and offers plenty of opportunities to celebrate each other’s ‘most popular’ answers.
✅ Tip: Don’t be afraid to get a little silly! The more fun you all have, the better the game will be.
i9 Sports teamed up with Confetti to plan a Coworker Feud event for their entire team:
2. Team Trivia
Discover the hidden talents and trivia buffs on your team!
Community member Lilian Chen’s experience:
“If you are looking for a fun activity to do for your team, we just did this live virtual trivia game private event with our team and everyone loved it!”
Team Trivia is a fun and interactive quiz game where coworkers team up to tackle a variety of questions, from pop culture to random useless facts. Guaranteed to spark some friendly competition and give your remote team members a chance to bond. You could even encourage them to BYOB and add a virtual happy hour to the agenda!
❤️ Why we love it: The team that laughs together, slays the workdays together!
✅ Tip: Mix up your remote teams to encourage cross-department collaborations and draw out some unexpected trivia champs!
3. Virtual Jeopardy
High-energy and immersive virtual Jeopardy-style competition infused with a fun social twist.
Community member Natasha Hemmingway’s experience:
“We did a scavenger hunt and it was a blast! Immediately following dinner we also played team Jeopardy. Some of the questions were facts about the company. The prize was a $10 Starbucks or DD for each member of the winning team.”
Virtual Jeopardy is a fast-paced, trivia-style game inspired by the classic TV show, where your remote team members compete to provide the best questions to the answers provided. This virtual team building game encourages teamwork, quick thinking, and, most likely, some witty banter.
❤️ Why we love it: Its Jeopardy-style format allows remote teams to strategize and compete across a wide range of fun categories, just like the iconic game show!
✅ Tip: Categories can range from music to Massachusetts, so being well-rounded is your team’s key to dominating the board!
Puzzle & Problem Solving
Your remote employees will solve riddles and complete challenges that’ll have them tapping deep into their critical thinking skills.
They’ll also have to rely on effective communication and collaboration to find solutions, making these games perfect for honing problem-solving skills and encouraging creative thinking.
4. Escape Quest
Escape the ordinary – virtually experience the extraordinary.
Community member Kelsey Trullo’s experience:
“We did a virtual escape room last year which was a hit!“
Escape Quest is a virtual escape room experience where your teams work together to solve puzzles and uncover clues to “escape” before time runs out.
It’s great for putting their problem-solving skills to the test while encouraging quick thinking and time management. Sign up for FREE with Confetti to begin customizing your next virtaul escape room.
❤️ Why we love it: It combines teamwork and brainpower in a pulse-pounding race against the clock, keeping everyone on their toes and totally engaged for the entire game.
✅ Tip: Divide and conquer – assign specific tasks to different remote team members based on their strengths so everyone is applying their top skills to the mission.
5. The Theft of The Mona Lisa
How do you make Mona Lisa smile? Get her back home to the museum!
In this interactive mystery game, your virtual team members play the role of detectives tasked with solving the heist of the infamous Mona Lisa painting. Collecting clues and relying on teamwork, your group will uncover suspects and piece together the whole story to crack the case.
❤️ Why we love it: It’s a brain-teasing way to boost collaboration and sharpen your virtual teams’ problem-solving skills while getting lost in an exciting mystery.
✅ Tip: Pay attention to every detail – sometimes, the smallest clue can unlock the biggest breakthrough in the case.
6. Virtual Clue Murder Mystery
One team, one mystery, one goal – find out whodunit!
Community member Rita Cadena Blanco’s experience:
“I arranged a Zoom Murder Mystery event for our leadership team. It was so fun and different! Best of all, as the people who volunteered to be the suspects got into their roles, everyone’s personality came out!”
Your virtual team of talented detectives will race against the clock to solve a thrilling case of cold-blooded murder. Gathering clues and questioning suspects, they’ll band together to solve the gorey mystery and ID the murderer. This is a super fun and thought-provoking game for boosting teamwork and problem-solving skills.
❤️ Why we love it: We love how it pushes remote teams to communicate and think critically with an end goal in mind while unraveling a captivating story.
✅ Tip: Make sure everyone’s voice is heard – different perspectives can uncover new angles in the case.
Holiday Games
Looking for fun, festive exercises to bring your virtual teams together and spread the holiday cheer?
These games range from holiday-themed trivia to ugly sweater-making, and offer prime opportunities to celebrate together while strengthening team bonds and letting everyone unwind in a lighthearted and playful way.
7. Popular Seasonal Holidays
A collection of festive competitions where holiday spirit meets gamified fun.
Confetti’s menu of holiday-themed virtual team building games offers a ton of fun and festive ways for your remote teams to celebrate the season together. From pub parties to Kwanzaa education, these games boost morale and create memorable team moments.
❤️ Why we love it: We love that Confetti offers so many options and makes it super easy to plan a festive event without the stress of organizing it yourself.
✅ Tip: Customize your games to align with your remote team members’ holiday traditions for a more personalized experience.
Looking for ideas coming up? Try out a few crowd-favorites:
| Fall Mixology Class | 🍂 Spice up the new season with a cocktail class! | Fall Mixology |
| Virtual Holiday Party | 🎄 Play Christmas & holiday-themed games | Holiday Party |
| Holiday Seen It? | 🎬 Put your film knowledge to the test! | Holiday Seen It? |
| Winter Taboo | ❄️ Avoid the taboo words in a team guessing game | Winter Taboo |
| Holiday Cookie Decorating | 🍪 Make something sweet for the holiday break | Cookie Decorating |
| 👉 Sign up for Confetti to try out your next holiday activity! | ||
Each month gives you and your team members a chance to take an hour off and let loose!
8. Virtual Holiday Team Building Game Templates
You don’t have to be original to keep the holiday magic alive!
For ready-to-go game ideas, your remote teams will love these team building game templates. Your employees can deck the virtual halls with teamwork and collaboration while playing online team building games. These templates make it easy to plan engaging seasonal activities, no matter the holiday at hand.
❤️ Why we love it: We appreciate how they save time while offering entertaining and festive options everyone will want to play.
✅ Tip: Encourage your entire team to don their best holiday gear for a little added fun in the video call.
Get started with any of these pre-made templates:
| Icebreaker Whiteboard | 🧊 Start your meeting by choosing 1 of 10 options! | |
| Star Wars Retrospective | 🪐 Use the force to collect valuable feedback | Star Wars |
| Shark Tank | 🦈 Pitch your million dollar idea | Shark Tank |
| Taco Tuesday | 🌮 Sync with your team on Tuesday! | Taco Tuesday |
| Conversation Starters | 🗣 Ignite engaging conversations to kick off your next meeting | Convo Starter |
Grab a template, send it out to your team, and watch the results roll in!
9. Obscure Holidays
For all the other celebratory holidays that just don’t get as much attention.
Put a quirky twist on traditional holiday activities! Celebrate Halloween by carving pumpkins as a team – the most creative design wins lunch on you. Or dive into the Oktoberfest spirit with a beer-tasting or pretzel-making class and get a cultural lesson along the way.
❤️ Why we love it: There are holidays worth celebrating all year long and this list makes each of them entertaining and easy to honor with your remote workers.
✅ Tip: Let your remote employees know in advance which obscure holiday you’ll be celebrating and how they can lean into trying something new.
Creative and Artistic Games
Creativity encourages self-expression and creates a relaxed environment where people can genuinely connect. It’s where they can pause all the rigid routines and let their imaginations run wild. These games are often artistically driven like painting, crafting, or designing something fun and unique.
10. Virtual Pictionary
Turn your doodles and drawings into team building gold!
Since 1985, Pictionary has been a steady source of entertainment for families and friends around the world. Thanks to technology, it’s now taking the remote world by storm, making it a perfectly creative and collaborative virtual team building activity for your remote crew.
❤️ Why we love it: It doesn’t even matter if the drawings are good or bad – it’s the connections being made amidst the hilarity that’ll benefit the virtual team dynamic.
✅ Tip: For larger crews, break into smaller groups to keep each team engaged and help keep the game moving along.
11. Virtual Game Show
Who’s ready to buzz in?
Bring the excitement of classic game shows – host included – to the home office! Your employees will compete in fun, fast-paced trivia and challenge rounds, guaranteed to promote some friendly competition and boost team bonding. Energize your group and have a blast together, no matter where everyone’s buzzing in from.
❤️ Why we love it: We love that it encourages teamwork while still letting the individuals’ strengths shine through.
✅ Tip: Not everyone may be familiar with these classic game shows – make sure everyone understands the goals and rules before starting to keep it fair and running smoothly.
The SecureMyScholarship team planned a virtual game night that included bingo!
12. Jewel Heist
Think fast, work together, and catch the culprit before it’s too late!
This is a fully interactive mystery game where your remote teams will dig into evidence and piece together clues to catch a cunning thief before time runs out. All the while, they’ll be exercising and honing their problem-solving and communication skills as a team.
❤️ Why we love it: It’s a completely immersive virtual team building experience that’s entertaining, engaging, and mentally stimulating all at once.
✅ Tip: Encourage your remote teams to think of it like a brainstorming session – no idea is dumb or too small. Sharing their thoughts could very well lead to a breakthrough in the case.
Get to Know You Games
These lighthearted activities are strategically developed to help remote team members learn more about each other in relaxed virtual settings.
They often involve sharing fun facts, answering icebreaker questions, or playing online games that reveal quirky habits and interests. They’re perfect for acclimating new teams and help everyone to feel more included and connected.
13. Virtual Water Cooler
Take a break, share some laughs, and refresh your team spirit!
This is a super informal online space designed for your remote teams to gather and chat, just like they would around a real water cooler (or coffee machine) in the office. They can even bring their favorite snacks or cocktails to enjoy while socializing! It’s a great opportunity to create casual connections.
❤️ Why we love it: There are no rules – it’s just casual chit-chat and only lasts 30-45 minutes.
✅ Tip: Schedule a recurring Water Cooler video chat – maybe once a month to keep everyone refreshed and consistently connected.
14. Colleagues, Connections & Fun!
Where quirky collections turn into team connections!
This is a lively virtual experience where your remote team members reveal their off-beat collections, share funny backstories, and learn more about each other in casual conversations. You’ll see employees who may not interact much at work, finding common ground in other interests and building connections that otherwise may not have materialized.
❤️ Why we love it: It’s a great way to celebrate your employees’ individuality while strengthening the virtual team dynamic.
✅ Tip: Encouraged everyone to participate. Create a welcoming and inclusive environment where everyone feels comfortable sharing their wonky truths.
15. Virtual Social Shuffle
Shuffle things up and elevate the whole team!
Connect colleagues and coworkers in a virtual space with an interactive social experience. Once your fabulous game master announces the topics and themes to get the conversations started, everyone has the chance to flit about and create connections with team members they may not regularly interact with.
❤️ Why we love it: The variety of conversation topics is endless and keeps things fresh and engaging for the entire team.
✅ Tip: Don’t be afraid to mix up different roles or departments to encourage new perspectives and interactions.
Virtual Team Building Activities
These activities range from virtual competitions and unique challenges to creative workshops and classes. No matter which of the team building activities you choose, they’re all aimed at boosting employee morale, improving team communication, and promoting healthier, happier remote teams.
Communication Activities
Communication-centered team building focuses on improving how employees interact and share information with each other.
Games like charades test their non-verbal communication skills, while other games may lean on active listening to solve riddles. These come in super handy when working toward common goals
16. Virtual Codeword
The ultimate challenge for word wizards and problem solvers!
One team member tries to get their colleagues to guess the secret codeword, feeding them simple clues – one word at a time. It’s a great test of their communication skills and outside-the-box thinking. It also breaks down barriers and keeps the whole crew engaged and their synapses firing.
❤️ Why we love it: We love how Codeword requires the participants to tap into their creativity and logic at the same time to solve the puzzles.
✅ Tip: Assign a timer watcher. Having one player monitoring the time allows everyone else to immerse themselves in the game without distraction.
17. Deadly Dining
Light on the ‘dining,’ heavy on the ‘deadly!’
Community member Laura Mattiello’s experience:
“We had a company set up a sort of murder mystery case and they had clues spread out across the downtown core that we had to work together to solve. It was a lot of fun! It took a couple of hours and we really worked together as a group to help solve the case.”
Everyone on your team was invited to a dinner party as a guest, but now find themselves both a suspect and a detective in a fatal twist of fate. This is definitely an activity that will challenge their critical thinking skills and test their ability to work as a team.
❤️ Why we love it: It’s a perfect mashup of classic murder mystery with sprinkles of escape room vibes.
✅ Tip: Keep an open mind. They say it’s the quiet ones you have to watch out for – it’s often the least obvious coworker suspect who’s actually hiding the most secrets.
18. The Virtual Do-Good Games
A morale-boosting virtual team building activity that transforms friendly competition into charitable donations.
Combine coworker competition with giving back! Your teams will participate in a series of virtual challenges and earn donations for the charitable cause of their choice. This virtual team building activity boosts teamwork and morale while making a positive impact together.
❤️ Why we love it: No one actually loses! Winning means making the biggest philanthropic mark, but even losing earns donations and makes a positive impact.
✅ Tip: Keep the charitable aspect in mind. Sure, it’s a game, but it’s also an opportunity to give back.
Food and Drink
Whether it’s a cooking class or a wine tasting, these activities are all about bringing teams together over shared culinary experiences.
Your team members can roll up their sleeves and unwind in a fun, relaxed environment while building connections and savoring the fruits (desserts, drinks, or dishes) of their labor!
19. Mixology Class
Shake and stir up a little creativity and collaboration… neat or on the rocks.
Skilled mixologists lead your remote team through the art of crafting creative cocktails (or mocktails). They’ll shake, stir, and blend their way to delicious drinks while picking up a few valuable bartending skills along the way. The casual environment allows colleagues to bond over a new experience and shared creativity.
❤️ Why we love it: It turns a typical hybrid team building activity into a sassy and classy learning experience.
✅ Tip: Remind your team to enjoy the process. Tasting their creations is just as important as bragging about them.
20. Dumpling Making
The team that cooks together, stays together!
What’s better than getting their hands dirty while having fun and bonding over some tasty creations? With guidance from expert chefs, your remote employees work together to fill, fold, seal, and cook their own dumplings, in a light and interactive setting that encourages collaboration and communication.
❤️ Why we love it: Everyone gets to enjoy their delicious dumplings at the end, so there’s a tasty reward for their participation.
✅ Tip: In case any of your team members have a gluten intolerance, Elevent offers a gluten-free dumpling kit to ensure they’re not left out.
21. Make Pretzels Like a Pro
Knot your average team building activity!
Community member Kari McArthur Cichoski’s experience:
“Oh! Our team did a big cooking class and it was so much fun. I’ve been wanting to try that class!”
Your teams will learn how to knead, roll, and twist their own delicious pretzels from scratch with the help of a fun and engaging pretzel pro. The kits contain all the ingredients they’ll need to craft some super scrumptious pretzel options, including dipping sauces for the tasting afterparty.
❤️ Why we love it: It’s not just regular soft pretzels… they’ll make filled ones too!
✅ Tip: Be sure your participants peep the “Things you’ll need” section so they have all the household utensils on hand that aren’t included in the kit.
Health & Wellness Activities
Supporting your remote employees’ personal wellness journeys exposes everyone to a more energized, motivated, and positive work environment. Activities like virtual yoga, meditation sessions, or team fitness challenges help to reduce stress and foster a positive work-life balance.
22. Mindfulness Class
Pause, breathe, and build stronger teams.
Book a calming virtual team building activity that helps your employees relax, refocus, and reconnect through guided meditative exercises. Your teams can learn calming techniques like deep breathing, meditation, and mental clarity practices to reduce stress and boost their overall mental health and well-being.
❤️ Why we love it: It’s a great way for colleagues to virtually unwind together, build mindfulness habits, and create a more balanced and focused remote work culture.
✅ Tip: Remind everyone to be patient with themselves – mindfulness is a practice and it gets easier with time.
23. Herb & Veggie Gardening Workshop
From sprouts to the salad bowl, grow your teams and gardens in one unique workshop!
This “Patio to Plate” team building activity is a great way to explore new interests with your remote team members. They’ll learn to plant and nurture their seedlings and get some great recipes for when they’re ready to harvest.
❤️ Why we love it: Details like geography are taken into account when planning your event, so everyone is sent a kit with the greens that thrive in their individual grow zones.
✅ Tip: Set up recurring virtual meetings to share gardening successes and challenges with each other, and keep the team bonding going strong long after the workshop.
24. Bootcamp Class
Turn virtual workouts into real connections – bootcamp your way to better teamwork!
Believe it or not, a virtual fitness class can be super fun and help you build stronger relationships within your teams. It merges the energy of a workout challenge with the benefits of team building through group fitness elements and motivating workouts.
❤️ Why we love it: Virtual Bootcamp promotes a healthier lifestyle and is a far more fun and engaging way to spend time together as a team than more bland Microsoft Teams meetings.
✅ Tip: Be sure everyone has their water handy, takes breaks when they need it and moves at a pace that works for them.
Arts & Crafts
These virtual team building experiences allow your team members to explore their artistic side while bonding over hands-on creations.
Painting, pottery, DIY crafts – these can encourage self-expression in a relaxed atmosphere and everyone walks away with a unique creation, a few new memories, and deeper connections.
25. Virtual Terrarium Workshop
Create a green getaway by mixing plants and people to cultivate connections.
Community member Joey Johnsen’s experience:
“Terrarium building was a big hit!”
Complete with plants, soil, decorative elements, and some green-thumbed guidance, your employees will build their own mini at-home ecosystems. They’ll also learn some fun facts about plants and how to maintain their terrariums, all while getting their hands dirty with their fellow remote teammates.
❤️ Why we love it: We love how it’s a nature-inspired activity that actually gives your team members a living memento after the workshop.
✅ Tip: Upgrade your employees’ kits and get more succulents or cactuses for their terrariums.
26. Turkish Mosaic Lamp Workshop
Brighten up your team spirit by creating something beautiful together.
Using ancient Turkish techniques, your team members will carefully craft their own stunning and uniquely designed lighting feature. Piece by piece, tile by tile, they’ll construct these masterpieces at home while sharing stories, laughs, and the immersive creative experience with their remote colleagues.
❤️ Why we love it: It’s a creative cultural experience that strengthens your teams and leaves them with something beautiful to admire for years to come.
✅ Tip: Don’t let anyone get caught up in making it perfect – their imagination can be far more beautiful than perfection.
27. Virtual Artisanal Soy Candle Making
Scent, style, and synergy.
One happy customer left this review from a soy candle making class from Elevent:
“This was a fun event! Jen was a great instructor, very communicative when booking the event, and I loved that she kept the conversation going with trivia questions and conversation starters when there was a break in the candle-making action.”
Guided by a candle-making expert, your team will choose from a variety of fragrances and styles, then melt, pour, and scent their keepsakes. The goal is to relax, be imaginative, and give everyone a chance to connect while creating something together.
❤️ Why we love it: There are a dozen scents for your remote team members to choose from and each participant will walk away with two individual candles to enjoy.
✅ Tip: Suggest that your candle makers bring their favorite wine, spirit, or water bottle to the party.
Learning & Development
Investing in their education and development allows your employees to boost their individual performance as well as their team’s overall accomplishments.
Helping them learn new skills, improve their performance, and stay up-to-date with the latest industry trends gives them all the tools they need to level up, one promotion at a time.
28. Vision Board Workshop
To get clarity on our goals and dreams, we must first have a vision.
An introspective team building workshop where participants use images, words, and inspirational quotes to create custom-designed vision boards. Your employees can create a mindful masterpiece that reflects their boldest dreams and highlights their personal and professional goals. This workshop encourages goal-setting and promotes deeper connections by sharing what drives them.
❤️ Why we love it: Each workshop begins with mindfulness exercises to slow everyone’s thoughts and help them to be fully present for the activity.
✅ Tip: Encourage your team to be super honest – it’s the best approach to designing a truly authentic vision board.
29. Intention Setting Workshop
Purpose-driven teams start with powerful intentions.
This is a self-reflective and goal-focused team building activity where everyone comes together to define their personal intentions. This workshop focuses on aligning values, purpose, mindset, and vision, helping remote team members clarify how they want to show up in both work and life.
❤️ Why we love it: We love that it provides team members with a clear sense of direction and unity, boosting motivation, and helping everyone feel more connected to their goals and each other.
✅ Tip: Suggest that your employees revisit their intentions regularly to reaffirm their goals and refresh their motivation.
30. Effective Habits for Working Remotely
Work smarter, not harder – create more effective remote work habits that last!
Things like time management and organization can be super challenging for remote workers, so this workshop focuses on everyday habits that contribute to a healthy work-life balance. The goal is to offer employees practical strategies that boost productivity, reduce stress, and keep them feeling connected and engaged.
❤️ Why we love it: It’s a great way to tackle the unique challenges of a remote work culture with simple, effective habits.
✅ Tip: Incorporate task management tools as well as training to keep your teams organized and accurately track their progress.
Measuring the Impact of Virtual Team Building on Performance
You’ve just wrapped up a virtual team building event. Now what? How do you know if it was a success? There are a few key points you can use to measure its impact on your team’s performance:
1. Observe Changes in Behavior
Measuring the impact that your virtual team building event makes on performance is done by tracking how well your team works together before and after the event. Are they more collaborative, more supportive of one another, or more engaged in their work?
2. Employee Surveys
After the event, gather feedback through employee surveys or quick pulse checks to see how people feel about the experience. Ask your remote team members directly if they enjoyed the event. Did it help them feel more connected to their colleagues? Did they learn anything?
3. Track Performance Metrics
Also before and after the event, evaluate your team’s key performance indicators (KPIs) and look for fluctuations in the trends. You can also track specific metrics like productivity or employee engagement to see if there are any positive shifts.
4. Measure Team Cohesion
Cohesion surveys help to assess how well your employees work together and how connected they feel to their colleagues. Have turnover rates or employee satisfaction scores improved? Have your employees noticed improvements within their own teams since the event?
Remember, the goal of virtual team building is to have fun, but it’s also to improve the company culture and strengthen your remote workforce. By measuring its impact, you can easily determine if your virtual team building activity was a success and make adjustments for future events if you don’t see the results you want.
Expert Advice on Virtual Team Building
Tip #1: Plan activities that encourage participation and communication
Nigel Sapp, who is a Content Marketing Manager at Numeric, believes that the best types of virtual activities are tailored to your team dynamic.
Otherwise, you risk putting your employees in situations where they feel forced to join an event they are not excited about. Here is what Nigel had to say about his experience with virtual events.
“The most successful virtual team events at our company are those that encourage collaboration, personal storytelling, and shared experiences, like the outstanding career chart exercise.
Each team member plots the highs and lows of their professional journey. Despite being virtual, the session was deeply personal and allowed for real vulnerability, creating a connection that felt just as strong as if we were in person. Sharing our struggles and triumphs resonated across the team, especially as someone early in my career. It stands out because it was a raw reminder of how each person’s career path is unique and filled with unexpected challenges and victories.
These types of activities give the team insights into each other’s motivations, which is critical for building empathy in a remote environment.
For new managers, I recommend finding activities that reflect the team’s culture and objectives. Whether it’s a skill-building challenge or something more relaxed, like a virtual game night, make sure it reflects your team’s dynamics and encourages participation from all.”
Tip #2: Promote collaboration and teamwork
CEO of PierrePark, Gabe Garcia, shared with us their focus on collaboration as a common factor when planning successful virtual team building activities.
“Focus on collaborative activities, like online escape rooms and trivia competitions, have been the most successful. These events encourage teamwork and build rapport while allowing everyone to participate from the comfort of their homes.
We’ve also seen great results from wellness-focused events, such as guided meditation or fitness classes, which promote well-being and reduce stress. These initiatives not only enhance team cohesion but also foster a positive workplace culture, essential for remote teams.”
Tip #3: Ask for input from your team
Incorporating feedback from your team can better help you plan a team building event that will succeed. If managers plan every event in a vacuum, they can risk planning a virtual event that does not make an impact.
Here is what Adam Tishman, Co-Founder at Helix Sleep, told us about soliciting input from your team members.
“If you’re planning a virtual team activity like this, I highly recommend involving your team in the planning process. Ask for their input on what type of event they’d enjoy, or even specific themes.
This inclusion creates anticipation and engagement from the start, ensuring that the event is more than just another meeting. What’s more, setting the stage properly by sending out character backgrounds and dress codes in advance can significantly enhance the immersive experience. Events like these serve as great icebreakers and strengthen the team’s ability to work together under unusual and fun circumstances.”
Tip #4: Consider planning your event during work hours
Nora Sudduth recommends planning your virtual event during the workday to break up their day and encourage attendance.
Planning virtual game nights after work can put an unnecessary burden on your employees to show up for even more work-related time. Sudduth, who owns Nora Sudduth Consulting, shared this feedback with SnackNation.
“It might be best to have the event during business hours if you are organizing something comparable. By doing this, team members are guaranteed not to feel pressured to forfeit their own time, which can significantly increase engagement and general enjoyment.
It respects everyone’s personal time and fosters tremendous team chemistry when it stays within work hours. Establishing a fun and encouraging team environment can be greatly enhanced by the use of virtual karaoke.”
Tip #5: Add a theme!
Sergey Taver, Marketing Manager of Precision Watches, encourages managers to have fun with the planning and add a theme to spice things up! Themes can be tied to holidays, seasons, special occasions, or just to give attendees the chance to dress up.
“Anyone hosting a similar event should consider adopting a theme to enhance the experience. On our movie night, we added a ‘spooky’ dress code or themed virtual backgrounds to enhance the horror atmosphere.
Using themes, whether it’s for a holiday, costume party, or cultural celebration, can add an element of fun and encourage participation. It’s a great way to make the event memorable and engaging for everyone involved. Themed events create a more immersive experience and can make virtual gatherings feel more special and inclusive.”
In Conclusion…
Virtual team building activities & events have the power to transform your remote team members, making them feel connected, engaged, appreciated, and happier at work.
There are plenty of reasons to make that goal a priority. Given healthy attention and team building, remote teams can become just as effective as on-site teams while also bringing along added benefits, including the capacity to handle rapidly changing business environments.
We hope the information we’ve provided has left you feeling informed about what it takes to plan a successful virtual team building game and also empowered to see what works for your own unique and special team.
We can’t wait to hear your virtual team building success stories!
Is there any activity for Managers..Or any suggestions which I can try on the listed activities
Outback Team Building is a good one for this audience.
Have to plan a team builder that would have typically been in person with about 50 people. This list offers a variety of activities that do not require cost and lots of supplies.
Appreciate your comment Andrea! Our team at SnackNation just did the Go Game’s virtual team builder and it was a lot of fun! Would recommend that for a group of 50+. I can make an intro for you if that would be helpful to give you guys a discount. Feel free to shoot me an email: richard.fendler@snacknation.com
Great list! What do you think about virtual group yoga? We’ve tried it with wombo.io and it’s been fun!
Thanks Jules! We currently have a recurring virtual group yoga sessions at SnackNation. It has been huge hit and a way for us to all stay connected 🙂
Such a detailed article due to the covid-19 our business have been massively suffering.
I searched for virtual team building and your article popped up
Currently, we’re using a HR Management Software called Silem for virtual team building hope it gets to our goal as expected.
Thanks for the activity list guys, we were doing normal video meet & organized a PUBG gaming tournament, will test out other activities listed out here & see how it goes.
Big fan of the PUBG gaming tournament idea. Let me know how that goes and we can append the article with your feedback 🙂
Hi Richard,
That Pubg gaming tournament worked pretty well for us. We got around 90 registrations out of 200+ employees & we arranged a 5 match tournament with different maps. For the first 4 matches, we have gone with 4 mem squad & then with maps of Livik, Erangal, Sanhok & Payload. Then based on the number of kills & ranking assigned points & picked a winner after 4 matches. The last match is a solo match erangel which is for the fun purpose though. Just like how we send an Email to all employees after the activity, we followed for this one also with the team standings & winners photos.
Overall that was a fun event & we are looking for more possibilities in future with Ludo & other games by which the participant count will be increased.
Feel free to add this in the article. 🙂 If possible, a link to our company website ( keka . com )
Thanks
This is awesome! Can you shoot me an email and we can work through the details of including you in the post: richard.fendler@snacknation.com
Done Richard.
Do check the mail ( from Pranay ).
Hello Ashley, the article is really great. You shared some amazing team building activities here. We also do some fun activities at our company. Thanks for sharing!
Hey Pawan could you please share what fun activities you do for your comapny
Thanks for sharing these team building activities and its really great. I gonna share these ideas in our company management team. I think it will help our coworkers confidence and team spirit. Once again thanks for this ideas.
Our entire team at The Center for Sales Strategy recently participated in a virtual scavenger hunt as part of a team-building activity. I’ll be honest, at first, I thought it was going to be a disaster! But it turned out to be SO much fun! You don’t consider games like this “team-building” until afterward and you realize how much you learned about people and how much you connected with them. We have happy hours, high-five Fridays, and more, but the virtual scavenger hunt will be a lifelong memory!
Thanks for sharing your experience Amanda! What platform did you run your virtual scavenger hunt on?
good one
Virtual team building has the power to make remote teams feel as tight-knit as on-site teams. This is especially true if you leverage purpose, vision, and enthusiasm to plan crowd-pleasing virtual team building activities.
We agree with you 🙂
Very Insightful Article 🙂
Very useful blog post. In this pandemic we should do virtual team building! These activities are really helpful, thanks for sharing
Happy to help Janhvi! Which activity did you find most useful?
Such a thorough post due to the covid-19 our service have actually been massively suffering.
I looked for digital group building and your short article appeared
Currently, we’re utilizing a Human Resources Monitoring Software program called Silem for online group building hope it gets to our goal as anticipated.
Wow! Such a good list and they are easy to do too. I hope our department can do some virtual team building since even in 2021 things aren’t sure for the COVID to disappear.
Appreciate it Robert! Which virtual team building activity was most interesting to you?
Team building is an important aspect of creating positive culture and cohesion in the work environment. These ideas for fostering relationships and engagement are insightful and evidently can mean the difference between helping teams realize their potential or teams losing motivation. Working remote has become a new reality for many individuals and while communication and shared identity can mediate the effects of separation it is apparent that what works for one team may not necessarily work for another. While there are many ways to personalize or engage a team and because every individual is unique and may have their own needs the element that stood out to me as being vital to get right is leadership/ management. Leaders that invest in their team and see their peers as assets can build rapport and generate better performance. Offering supportive elements and team building activities are ways to show care and concern, these emotional elements are part of human nature that help build lasting connections and productivity. A practical element of this is having synchronous communication channels (ex. Slack) in place not only to keep in contact but so that teams are able to see progress on projects, tools have been developed and are constantly being updated to allow remote teams to do more with predictions of future success in productivity and continued use. Despite productivity however I could not help but wonder what effect this will have on employees general well being in the long run. It was difficult for many to maintain a work life balance with mobile phone technologies enabling employees to be reachable 24/7 before the global pandemic, and now with more work now being done from home many have their personal and work lives to contend with in the same space at the same time. It is encouraging to see evidence that both spaces can compliment one another when handled well.
Completely agree with your thoughts here Helen! Virtual team building is certainly not a one-size-fits-all solution. In fact, that would trivialize the entire process IMO. Staying connected and engaged while working remotely is a floating target that requires constant assessment as situations evolve over time. Personally, I’m excited that we are having these conversations openly about employee mental health/wellbeing. The fundamental nature of the employer/employee relationship will also need to adapt as times change.
Its indeed amazing piece of writing, I would love to try these out with my team!!!
We have had been doing it. But I really wish we could have the normal team building activity.
Yeah! Precisely what I exactly need to know. You know, sometimes it happens that if you create a team of 10 employees who is friends but their personal disputes hurt the operation and other team member’s growth. But by using these team-building tricks, I know I will get success in handling the whole remotely working staff. Thank you so much Ashley Bell for sharing such a wonderful blog with us. Keep sharing!
The steps are excellent and very help for me. Thank for sharing article.
This is indeed a very detailed and insightful article on Virtual Team Building Activities. I must commend you for this wonderful piece put out here. I really got value here. Thank you so much Ashley Bell for sharing such a wonderful blog with us. keep it up.
This is really interesting. Very useful information has been conveyed in this article! Thanks for sharing.
can anyone share the virtual games they are playing?
Nice post! Thanks for taking the time in sharing this post.
Awesome list of the best virtual team building activities for remote teams. These are the much needed information in this period. Thanks for Sharing
Nice information you got here. Thank you for sharing, I already got informed.
Great Share in this pandemic time, as correctly said new normal and virtual….A great way to encourage teamwork and boost employee engagement In HR activity.
Thank you so much for sharing this information with us. It’s a great article to help
others understand the concepts in a much easier way.
This is actually very nice information about team building and management. Keep sharing such a great article. Thanks
A very long and comprehensive post covering good information.
This is really cool and fun Icebreaker games. Many work from home companies will enjoy this. Lol. Even just for meetings. Worth the time for long read.
So long read, but worth it. Fun and icebreaker virtual games
This is the most useful post I’ve read lately. In this pandemic, we have to do virtual team building! These events are really useful for everyone without exception.
Was looking for some game ideas for our remote team, I think QuizBreaker can be a good starting point.. Nice post, helpful.