9 Virtual Team Building Activities you can do with your team (4min read)
Everyone has had no choice but to learn extraordinary things about human ingenuity, care and adaptability. We are all experiencing boredom and cabin fever so our team are giving you 9 virtual team building activities to introduce to your video calls. We have designed our team building initiatives to take a pulse check of your staff, boost morale and connect deeper.
Forging Deeper Connections Virtually
I often find it difficult to feel genuinely connected through technology as it hampers non-verbal communications. Where we feel a lack of connection, we feel isolated so our team designed some meaningful activities to help reduce detachment and promote positive affirmative sharing.
- Taking Turns. Taking turns is a video activity whereby the moderator makes statements to the group of people on a video call. The participants can agree by turning to the right or disagree by turning to the left. The moderator should screen share so the team can see each other. “I feel isolated”, “I am concerned for my family”, “I feel financially at risk”, “I feel loved” or many others can address common concerns or optimism including. This game helps acknowledge and validate the feelings of each person in a non-exposing way.
- Metaphor objects. We use this activity virtually and in the field for sharing and connecting. Each person on the call must find an object in their vicinity that will act as a representation of them. Once each person has found an object, they then take turns describing why they chose it and how it represents them. This can be done to represent them as a person, how they feel, what they are hoping for or where they are in life.
- Pick a buddy. In this game, one person goes first by picking a buddy. Each person gives three reasons why they like or are impressed by their buddy. The person chosen must then choose someone else until each person has spoken and the last person must select the original chooser. While simplistic, we have found this game to be exceptional for reminding each person what they do well and what impresses people that they may not have known.
Boosting Team Morale Virtually
Camaraderie and fun among colleagues might get demoted during with the shift to remote work. It is important to bring this back into your remote work environment to restore connection. We have re-engineered our team building challenges for the virtual space to spark fun and creativity among your staff.
- Where abouts? This game requires everyone to have access to a laptop. Each person should have a video grid open of all the active participants. The moderator picks a name and everyone else on the call must point where the person is on their screen. As everyone’s screen is different, they will all be pointing to different places. This highlights who is on the call and helps familiarize people with how the technology is seen differently.
- Virtual Charades. Pre-organization is required. Assemble teams in groups of small numbers. Give each team a film or a book title. They must recreate the title using props around them or drawing pictures. Other teams must guess the title in the chat box. The winner then must take the stage.
- Pairs. This works better for a slightly larger group. Moderator must make teams of two ahead of time. Both team members agree to bring the same household item into the call. When the moderator says so, everyone on the call holds up the items they brought for 10 seconds. After 10 seconds, the moderator will ask what pair had a certain item. Eg. Moderator asks who has the shoes and teams must give both names of the pair via the chatbox.
Boosting Team Alignment
- Team Alignment. This requires the moderator to screen share. Each person must have a pen to hand. When you say, each person holds up their pens horizontally to form one continuous line from left to right. The first level to complete this, wins. Make sure to leave the sound on for chaotic discussion!
- Team Quiz. Pre-organization is required. Moderator must send out a quick questionnaire to each person who will be on the call. Find out key details about each person that others didn’t know. The moderator can then make a quiz for everyone about the team. This is an easy chance to get to know each other better in a light-hearted, competitive way. This could also make up one round of a general quiz.
What Pinnacle Pursuits is doing…
In conclusion, each of us encounter new challenges with the remote lifestyle almost every day, however, new forms of entertainment and ways to connect also emerge. At Pinnacle Pursuits, we strive to bring teams closer and now is no different. These are only a selection of the different virtual team building activities we have been using. Our activities are facilitating deeper connections for remote teams and most importantly, re-calibrating the workplace atmosphere from uncertainty to fun and opportunity. We also have other tools to help you here in our blog about virtual meeting leadership.
What have you done differently to maintain your team’s camaraderie? Feel free to share what has been helping your team unite through this uncertainty. Please also reach out to us if you would like clarification on how these games work.
