10 Fun and Creative Team Building Activities for Remote Team

TL;DR

Team building is a type of management strategy. It offers a variety of exercises and activities to enhance group cohesion. It also ensures collaboration, communication, and a positive team culture.La construcción de equipos es importante para los trabajadores remotos para socializar con sus compañeros y sentirse conectados con la empresa.

You can engage in many remote team building activities such as organizing an online trivia night, a treasure hunt, a pet parade, an art workshop, or a karaoke night.  

Companies can also initiate a gratitude circle, conduct personality tests, or play games like murder mystery and Two Truths and a Lie.

If you want to do something simple but fun, plan a 10 to 15-minute virtual coffee break to ensure conversation and openness among employees.

10 Fun and Creative Remote Team Building Activities

With the COVID-19 pandemic, remote work has become very common. When employees are not together in one place, working among them becomes difficult.

To enhance harmony among staff members, companies often engage in remote team building activities. In this article, we’ll discuss 10 fun team building activities for remote teams.

From organizing a treasure hunt to starting a gratitude circle, we’ve got you covered!  

What is team building?

Team building, or the construction of teams, is a management strategy that involves a variety of exercises and activities aimed at improving group cohesion.

It ensures harmony, sharpens skills, and also helps clarify roles. Additionally, it helps form dynamic teams that cooperate successfully and achieve goals together.

Depending on the project’s objectives, a variety of activities such as brainstorming sessions, workshops, and exercises are typically conducted to work on team building. 

Why is Team Building Important for Remote Workers?

While remote work allows employees to work from the comfort of their homes, it also has some drawbacks.

The first issue is that workers cannot socialize with their colleagues and build relationships with them. As a result, they may not be as open to sharing ideas and perspectives.

Secondly, due to the lack of social interactions, employees may feel lonely and isolated. This can negatively affect their mental health and demotivate them.

With effective team building activities, companies can help break the ice among their employees and foster friendship and collaboration.

Additionally, it can provide workers with a break from their usual routine and relax them a bit.

This prevents staff members from burning out mentally, boosts their spirits, and ensures a healthy work environment.

10 Fun and Creative Remote Team Building Activities

Team building enhances collaboration, communication, and a positive team culture. Here are 10 fun and creative team building activities for remote teams:

1. Host an Online Trivia Night

You can organize a virtual trivia night to encourage your employees to work together towards a common goal. Make the event interesting by introducing a wide range of categories to cater to everyone’s different interests.

Strategically form teams so that employees have the opportunity to interact with even those they don’t usually engage with.

It’s recommended to start the night with some icebreaker questions. This ensures that everyone feels comfortable and can participate wholeheartedly.

At the end, gather feedback from everyone and award prizes to the winning team like a gift card.

2. Arrange a Virtual Treasure Hunt

You can also organize an online treasure hunt to engage your employees.

Provide your staff with a list of items they’ll need so they can prepare in advance. Additionally, give clear instructions about the treasure hunt.

Encourage team members to collaborate and help each other find the items. This fosters teamwork and trust among its members.

At the end, allocate time for participants to share their experiences and favorite findings.

This period allows for casual conversations and helps reinforce the positive aspects of the team-building activity.

3. Host a Remote Karaoke Night

One of the team-building activities you can do to invigorate your employees is a virtual karaoke night.

Firstly, conduct some icebreaker activities to ease your staff members into it. Emphasize that this night is about enjoying the moment rather than having professional singing skills.

Before the event, allow team members to submit song requests. This ensures that participants can sing songs they enjoy and feel comfortable performing.

Record some highlights on video as a keepsake and, in the end, dedicate some time for casual socializing.

This could involve discussing favorite performances, sharing music recommendations, or simply enjoying friendly conversation.

4. Play Two Truths and a Lie

Two Truths and a Lie can be a very entertaining game for employees. In this game, a player says 3 statements, of which 2 are true and 1 is a lie, and the others have to guess which one is the lie.

Familiarize everyone with the instructions beforehand. To ensure the game runs smoothly, establish a reasonable time limit for each participant to share their statements.

Encourage your employees to change the order in which they present their statements. This prevents participants from anticipating patterns in their colleagues’ responses.

This game sparks conversations and allows employees to learn more about their coworkers.

5. Host a Virtual Pet Parade

You can also ask your employees to introduce their pets to their teammates. Have them share their pets’ stories and conduct a question and answer session so everyone can ask questions and satisfy their curiosity. You can take it to the next level by organizing a pet talent show.

This also allows team members to showcase their pets’ unique talents or tricks. This could include simple commands, funny behaviors, or any special skills the pets may have.

At the end, take a photo of everyone with their pets to create memories.

6. Start a Gratitude Circle

Ask your employees to share 3 things they’re grateful for. It can be anything, no matter how insignificant it may seem. Encourage everyone to be authentic to create a meaningful and personal experience.

This team-building activity contributes to employees’ emotional well-being and increases productivity, according to research.

Gratitude decreases depression and anxiety and improves sleep. It also enhances interpersonal relationships and promotes a sense of calmness.

7. Conduct Online Personality Tests

Administer authentic personality tests like the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), the Enneagram, or the DISC assessment for your staff members.

This team-building activity is highly beneficial as it helps companies identify the strengths and weaknesses of their employees.

It will also encourage participants to devise strategies for achieving maximum team effectiveness. Additionally, companies can identify which employee is suitable for leadership roles.

They can leverage these qualities by developing potential leaders from the outset so they can assume higher roles when necessary.

It’s important to emphasize that the personality test is voluntary, and no one is obligated to share the results.

8. Host an Online Murder Mystery Game

Explore websites that offer scenarios for organizing murder mystery games.

Select a scenario, assign roles, and provide character information to team members. Set the scene and let the game begin.

Encourage role-playing and facilitate interactions by asking your team members to collaborate, share information, and work together to solve the mystery.

When staff members work together to find the killer, collaboration and problem-solving skills are fostered. This can increase their efficiency in the workplace.

Playing games like these also relieves employees’ stress and uplifts them. It can also help increase focus on work.

9. Have an Online Coffee Break

Schedule 15-20 minutes each day for a coffee break for your remote employees. Foster an informal and friendly atmosphere and keep the mood light.

Encourage employees to share any exciting news or achievements. Ask team-building questions related to the team’s goals, personal interests, or aspirations.

Here are some questions you can ask to lead the conversation and encourage discussion:

• What is your earliest childhood memory?
• If you could have a celebrity over for dinner, who would it be and how would you entertain them?
• What is the kindest thing someone has ever done for you?
• If you could experience something again for the first time, what would it be?
• What is something you’re looking forward to doing this week?

10. Host a Virtual Art Workshop

Bond with your team through a remote art workshop. Choose an innovative project, assign a knowledgeable moderator, and provide a list of necessary materials for the activity in advance.

A platform like Zoom can be used to schedule the workshop to start and end at specific times.

The facilitator should be introduced. Then, guide participants through each step of the project.

Encourage participants to ask questions and share their progress, and in the end, showcase what they created in their creative sessions.

Gather feedback for improvement and share resources so your teammates can use them to unleash their creativity.