Team buildings have taken on a fresh, dynamic form. Gone are the days of just office gatherings; now, we're merging virtual and in-person experiences to keep teams engaged and connected, no matter where they are.
Whether it's mixing up a storm in a virtual cocktail class, unleashing creativity in online art sessions, or collaborating in digital scavenger hunts, each activity is designed to cater to diverse interests and build a cohesive, connected team and, on top of that, ensure that no one is feeling left out, regardless of whether they are working from home or in-office.
This article is your go-to guide for innovative hybrid team-building activities that bring out the best in your distributed team.
"Zoom Together" is a fun game made for playing on Zoom. It has 25 slides and lasts about 20-30 minutes. You can play it with a group as small as 3 or as big as 250 people. The game includes funny polls, team trivia challenges, and special prompts for smaller breakout rooms. It's organized into three exciting rounds, making sure everyone has a good time.
This game is great for teams that work both in the office and from home because it helps everyone feel connected. "Zoom Together" is a relaxed, enjoyable way for team members to get to know each other better and build a stronger team.
“Story Circle” is about making a story together, with everyone adding one sentence at a time. Get your team on a video call and start by sharing a sentence, then go around having each person add another sentence until the story ends. “Story Circle” is good for teams that like being creative, and enjoy using their imagination and telling stories.
What makes this game special is that it's all about working together, not competing. It brings everyone together, encouraging creativity and collaboration. Plus, you can play it easily regardless of whether you're all in one place or connecting online.
This game combines moving around and solving problems, kind of like a virtual treasure hunt. To play, split your Zoom call group into teams and give everyone a list of items to hunt for in their homes. The team with the most items wins after the set time.
“Digital Scavenger Hunt” is perfect for teams who want an active challenge that brings everyone together. It stands out by mixing online fun with real-life action, getting everyone to work together and think fast.
“Cocktail Convos” brings team members together through virtual cocktail (or mocktail) mixing during video calls. This interactive slide deck can be easily played and customized by simply creating an account on the Slides with Friends platform. The activity is great for teams looking for a relaxed, friendly atmosphere, especially for team-building or after-work socializing.
What makes “Cocktail Convos” special is the combination of casual drinks with meaningful conversations, fostering closer team connections in a fun, informal space. It's an opportunity for everyone to relax, share stories, and bond over making drinks.
“Hybrid Game Show” is a game show that combines different games and challenges. Hosted over Zoom, your team can join in from anywhere, playing “Bingo”, “Trivia”, “Coworker Feud”, and more fun games.
“Hybrid Game Show” is perfect for hybrid teams looking for an exciting team-building activity that's versatile and engaging for everyone. What makes it unique is the mix of games that appeal to different interests, getting everyone involved and participating.
A team art show is an activity where team members can get creative through art classes or showcases. Employees can chat and share tips while working on their art pieces to make the experience more fun. You can even use an online survey tool for your team to pick their favorite masterpiece.
Perfect for teams wanting to explore creativity and share talents, a team art show helps remote teams bond and encourages trying new things in a supportive atmosphere. What's special about this virtual activity is that it brings a sense of achievement and shows off the team's different talents.
“Guess Who” is an interactive game that helps team members get to know each other better through clues. To play, use a video call platform like Zoom and pick a team member as the secret person. Players take turns asking questions about the secret person, turning off their video when they're out of the game. The game goes on until one player is left on screen or someone correctly guesses the person.
"Guess Who" works well for new teams or those looking to build stronger relationships among members. What makes this activity special is that the characters in this game are your coworkers, making it extra fun! Also, using non-physical clues allows teammates to learn more about each other and connect with team members on a personal level.
A beer-tasting tour is a guided beer-tasting event that adds a fun twist to workplace gatherings. In these virtual classes, groups meet up on Zoom or similar platforms to try different craft beers, usually guided by an expert. It's perfect for teams looking for a relaxed, adult-oriented social activity.
Photo by Kampus Production: https://www.pexels.com/photo/joyful-diverse-friends-toasting-with-beer-bottles-on-rooftop-5935189/
What makes beer-tasting tours special is that they provide employees with a chance to hang out and unwind together while having a fun and educational experience. Plus, since everyone joins from home, there's no need to worry about arranging transportation after the event.
Virtual game shows are short, engaging game formats where players compete for prizes, such as “Jeopardy”, “Amazing Race”, and “Minute to Win It”. These hybrid team-building activities require little to no effort to prepare and launch since participants gather on video meeting software like Zoom, Skype, or FaceTime.
Virtual game shows are suitable for any team looking for a fun break during work hours. What makes them special is the creative way to break the work routine, boost team spirit, and let everyone relax after a stressful day at work.
“Trivia Pub Quiz” is a competitive trivia game that brings a pub-like vibe to the workplace. Players answer trivia questions on different topics, sparking friendly competition. All you need to set up a trivia night or pub quiz is your laptop, phone, or tablet screen.
You can also use “Slides with Friends” to create fun trivia quizzes, choosing from various interactive templates like “Travel Trivia” or “Quick Movie Trivia” that you can customize or use instantly. Perfect for competitive teams that have varied knowledge, “Trivia Pub Quizzes” combine the thrill of competition with the fun of learning interesting facts.
“Laughter Workshop” is an activity focused on enhancing employee morale and productivity through experiences that bring laughter to the workplace. It includes free team-building activities like a funny photo contest, laughter challenge, or stand-up comedy workshop where employees can learn to write and perform their comedy routines.
Ideal for teams seeking a mood lift or a way to relax together, laughter workshops create a positive work environment by boosting team spirit and strengthening team bonds through shared laughter and enjoyment.
"Where in the World" is an interactive game that explores cultures and locations around the globe through various challenges or quizzes. You can play using a geography game like GeoGuessr, where participants are placed in a street view panorama and guess their location on the world map, or use a platform like Zoom to identify famous landmarks and flags from different countries.
Perfect for teams keen on exploring cultures and global awareness, “Where in the World” encourages team members to explore the reaches of the world in a fun and interactive way.
“Catch Up with the Crew” is a lively trivia challenge to kickstart the week with energy and engagement. The challenge involves answering different trivia questions every Monday morning to spark enthusiasm among the team. The game is very simple: each participant gets four prompts to upload four pictures (for instance, “My main weekend activity”). If your pic is shown on the screen, you get to tell the story behind it!
“Catch Up with the Crew” is great for teams looking for an exciting and motivating way to jumpstart their week. What makes it unique is its fresh and enjoyable approach to Mondays, boosting team spirit and togetherness.
A team Spotify playlist is a collaborative effort to create a music playlist that reflects the team's taste. To do this, each team member chooses a favorite song and adds it to a shared Spotify list. If you prefer not to link personal Spotify accounts, you can create a new team account and ask everyone to email you their song of choice.
Perfect for teams that enjoy music and want to explore new tunes together, this activity brings the team closer by sharing a love for music and diverse musical tastes.
A team lunch involves sharing casual conversations and building stronger relationships among team members while enjoying a meal together, either at a local spot or virtually. To organize the perfect virtual lunch, you'll need to choose a video chat tool, plan discussion topics, and think about the food (consider arranging lunch delivery for a small team from the same restaurant).
Ideal for teams seeking a relaxed setting to connect beyond work-related tasks, this activity fosters personal connections and camaraderie through the shared experience of enjoying a meal together.
The “Weekend Warriors” challenge encourages team members to share pictures showing what they were doing over the weekend. You can play the game via Zoom or create a dedicated Slack channel and make it a regular Monday event!
Perfect for teams interested in learning more about each other's lives outside of work, “Weekend Warriors” helps build a sense of community and understanding through shared experiences.
“Wordle” is a competitive word puzzle where players guess a 5-letter word in six tries. There are versions of the game that allow you to compete with other players online or you can play it in a group chat.
“Wordle” is perfect for language enthusiasts who enjoy word challenges with remote colleagues, fostering engagement and interaction while having fun and flexing verbal skills.
This is a hybrid work event where team members connect over their pets, either online or by meeting up at a local dog park. You can share pet pictures on Zoom or Slack, or join in dog-themed activities like canine costume contests or doggy trivia games.
Zoom pet meetups/dor park adventures are perfect for pet owners and animal lovers in the team. Having pets at work builds a strong culture, creates a sense of community, and eases stress. Another benefit of bringing pets to meetings is that it adds a personal touch, making colleagues more relatable and boosting team bonding.
A video game party is a team-building event where members play popular video games like Fortnight, PubG, or Super Mario together.
Photo by Ron Lach : https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-man-and-a-woman-playing-game-console-7856688/
Video games are great for teams that enjoy gaming and are looking for a lively team-building activity. These gaming meetups offer a modern way to improve teamwork, and communication, and add a bit of friendly competition while unwinding from work.
“Tiny Campfire” is a 90-minute virtual camping event featuring games, stories, and virtual s’mores over Zoom. Before the event, all participants get a kit in the mail with s’mores supplies, a crackling candle, and instructions. The setup mimics a campfire scene with storytelling and group activities.
“Tiny Campfire” works well for teams looking for a cozy and unique team-building event. The campfire-style activities encourage collaboration, discovering shared interests, and friendly competition. It's an imaginative way to build team connections, just like a real campfire experience.
A margarita-making class is a mixology class combined with interactive games for teams, typically led by a professional mixologist over Zoom. Each attendee receives a margarita kit beforehand and joins a 90-minute session with a virtual bartender guiding the cocktail-making process.
In addition to mixing drinks, the team can engage in fun activities like drinking games, Bingo, or Trivia. Perfect for teams looking to combine fun with learning a new skill, this unique event fosters social connections in a relaxed environment while at the same producing delicious homemade cocktails. Cheers!
“Traveling Ted” is an exploration game where a character named "Ted" travels the world. To play, start by creating your Teds to send out, using paper cutouts or toys. Once participants get their Teds via mail, they photograph them in different places to share with the group.
This activity helps everyone learn about different cultures. Perfect for teams curious about diverse cultures and global experiences, “Traveling Ted” offers an engaging way to explore and understand various cultures through a fun narrative format.
Online cooking classes are virtual sessions held on Zoom where team members cook together. Typically led by an expert, these classes involve real-time meal preparation, improving culinary skills, and teamwork.
Perfect for teams passionate about cooking, these cooking sessions offer a shared culinary experience to bond over. They stand out by setting a mission for attendees, fostering the learning of new recipes, and boosting team camaraderie through cooking.
Virtual wine tasting is a wine-tasting experience conducted over a video call, often guided by a sommelier. It includes trying and discovering various wines and offering an elegant and educational experience. Participants order tasting kits or get wines locally.
Virtual wine tasting is a great fit for teams looking for an elegant and interactive social event. It stands out by merging wine enjoyment with learning, all in a convenient virtual setting.
Online art classes encompass diverse art projects in a virtual format, ranging from painting to woodworking. Typically, organizers send art supply kits or a list of needed materials beforehand. Participants then join an artist on a video call or follow a step-by-step tutorial to create art.
Photo by Pavel Danilyuk: https://www.pexels.com/photo/3-women-at-the-painting-class-6925357/
These projects are perfect for teams interested in exploring art and trying new creative activities, as well as those who like to keep their hands busy. Doing art online with your coworkers is a great way to reduce stress while at the same time strengthening team bonds.
Virtual field trips are online explorations of various landmarks and institutions like national parks, zoos, or museums. Many of these programs often include live chats with guides or zookeepers for questions to make the experience more fun and interactive. If you’re taking a group of employees on an in-person field trip, those working from home can join using a video conferencing platform.
Virtual field trips are suitable for teams interested in cultural and educational experiences as they provide an opportunity to explore and learn about different places without leaving the comfort of home.
“Twins & Opposites” is a game that explores how team members are alike or different using fun prompts. Players find things around them like pets or snacks to share on screen. Then, everyone talks about how their items are the same or different.
Perfect for teams who want to know more about each other in a fun way, “Twins & Opposites” helps teams connect by celebrating what they have in common and what makes them unique.
