Key Takeaways
55% of leaders believe that team building can improve team culture.
Team-building activities also strengthen bonds between team members, which improves collaboration and reduces chances of conflict.
If you’re short on time, icebreakers, Two Truths and a Lie and online quizzes are some quick games. If you’ve got more time, try virtual escape rooms or lightning scavenger hunts.
To keep your employees engaged, avoid team-building activities that are too complicated or outside their area of interest.
Want your team to bond but can’t move past the awkward silences? Every virtual team leader’s been there.
Team building is one of the most common challenges of remote teams, but if you’re reading this, you’re already on the right path!
Virtual team-building activities are a fun, simple way to kickstart conversations and get to know your team better. They break the ice and gradually melt it, bringing teammates closer.
While it takes time for virtual team members to get comfortable, such activities hasten the process. But there’s a catch!
To ensure your team is engaged in these virtual team-building exercises, you must consider their general interests. Opening up can be uncomfortable, so you need a laid-back approach. And, of course, the team should work together to develop connections.
Too much to take care of? We’ve got you.
Look through our list of virtual team-building activities and choose what fits your team best!
What Are Virtual Teams?
Virtual teams are groups of employees working for the same organization from different locations.
Instead of sharing an office, these teams work together using online platforms.
Due to the many advantages of virtual teams, they’ve become a popular choice for companies. These include:
- Access to a global talent pool
- Improved work-life balance
- No expenses on office space or utilities
- Higher flexibility and productivity
These perks act as incentives for both employees and employers, causing a rise in virtual teams.
10 Creative Virtual Team Building Activities
Remember choosing players for your team in school? Whom did you pick first? Most people choose their friends.
After all, the key to team sports is coordination and compatibility. Even if your friend wasn’t the best player, they were someone you could play well with.
But how did you know you worked well with your friend? The answer is simple: because you knew them. You understood their ideas, behavior and intent better than someone you weren’t close to.
In virtual workplaces, team building establishes a similar camaraderie. It helps employees understand each other, laying the foundation for teamwork and collaboration.
Now, think about how you made friends. Was it while discussing a school project? Definitely not!
Friendships usually start with a casual conversation, a shared joke or a common interest.
The same applies when you’re building a virtual team.
Virtual team bonding activities help cut through those awkward silences and confused glances. Hosting icebreakers before your first meeting is a great way to start on a friendly note, set a positive tone and create a supportive work environment.
If you want your team to truly interact and bond with each other, you need something fun and creative.
We have some unique virtual team-building activities you can choose from.
Ice Breaker Questions
Breaking the ice can be as simple as asking each other questions. Pose a question to the team and have everyone answer one by one.
This activity encourages conversation and builds rapport.
The only challenge is finding interesting questions. If the topic is too complex or personal, people may feel uncomfortable.
Icebreaker questions should be inclusive, generic and lighthearted.
After all, you can’t bond over questions like “What do you think of our legal system?”, can you?
People will have differing opinions, not everyone may be informed enough and it’s a serious topic. That’s everything you don’t need in an icebreaker question.
Instead, go for questions that allow people to share their experiences or offer creative answers.
- What is your favorite movie genre?
- What is your favorite festival?
- What is your favorite childhood memory?
- What is your guilty pleasure?
- If you could choose to dine with a famous person, who would it be?
- If daily activities were Olympic sports, what would you win gold for?
Two Truths and a Lie
Two Truths and a Lie is a popular and easy virtual team engagement activity. It’s perfect for a team of 10–15 people.
The rules are simple. Every person has to come up with three statements about themselves. However, out of the three statements, only two can be true. Other members must guess which statement is a lie among the three.
You can decide whether or not to keep score.
At the end of the day, this virtual team activity helps you learn about your coworkers. Trying to catch everyone’s lie starts conversations and makes the discussion more interesting.
Another plus is that team leaders don’t need to come with questions or guide the interaction. Every team member puts themselves out there.
Lightning Scavenger Hunts
Working long hours remotely often throws out chances of physical activity. It also feels isolating, especially if your team is disconnected.
A lightning scavenger hunt is a great way to incorporate some physical activity and create an opportunity to bond.
For this game, invite your team to a video call. Set a time limit and give them a list of items to collect from their homes.
Instead of specific things, get creative with the list. Let the items be common, accessible and ambiguous.
Once time’s up, ask each member to show their items and share a story related to what they gathered. Give your teammates enough time, but don’t let them get comfortable. That’ll take the thrill out of the scavenger hunt!
In the end, you can declare the person with the most items as the winner of the hunt.
Here are some ideas for items to collect:
- Your favorite item in the room.
- Your favorite clothing item.
- Something from your childhood.
- Something blue in color.
- Something round in shape.
- An item whose name starts with B.
If you have multiple members, you can divide them into teams. Team members can use wireless headphones to interact with each other while looking for items.
Word Blurt
Word Blurt is a simple word association game you can play with your virtual team. It’s especially perfect for larger groups.
This quick virtual team-building activity sparks creativity and allows teammates to bond.
The game goes like this: You display an image or say a word.
Someone blurts out the first word that comes to their mind on seeing the image or hearing the word. The next person adds to it with a word that makes sense and forms a coherent sequence. The chain continues till you reach the last person.
For smaller teams, you can start from the end again.
For better engagement, we have some tips for you! Organize an online meeting with cameras on. Research and prepare some prompts for the game before the meeting.
Don’t shy away from unleashing your creativity and assure your team that it’s an easy, no-pressure game, so they feel relaxed.
Virtual Bingo
Bingo brings back a lot of memories. In addition to the nostalgia, it’s also a fun and engaging game.
‘Human Bingo’ can be a great team-building activity to help your virtual team get to know each other.
To carry out a successful virtual Bingo session, follow the following steps:
1. Prepare Bingo cards online. You can use editable Human Bingo templates.
2. Keeping the content the same for everyone, shuffle the items in each card.
3. Send each team member their virtual Bingo card along with instructions.
4. Get on a virtual conference call with your team and decide the order of turns.
5. Let the game begin! After each turn, prompt a short discussion.
6. Ask players to cross out relevant boxes and note them down for reference.
The first member who crosses out five boxes vertically, horizontally or diagonally is the winner.
If you are confused about things to include in a Human Bingo card, think of common or interesting traits, habits or experiences most adults relate to.
Or, feel free to use our sample Human Bingo card!
Fun Non-Serious Debates
Debates are usually seen as intense and controversial.
But if the topics are lighthearted, they can be an excellent virtual team bonding activity. For example, consider a heated discussion on cats vs. dogs. Does a straw have one hole or two? Is cereal a soup?
Before starting a virtual debate, explain the rules and divide team members into two sides.
Follow the basic debate structure: Opening statements, rebuttals and closing statements to avoid chaos and confusion. Encourage a friendly, respectful tone throughout.
The contrast of a formal debate style with silly topics makes this activity comical and enjoyable for all.
It will lighten the mood, create a safe space for expression and help you build deeper connections with your remote employees.
Personality Tests
Personality tests are a good way to get to know yourself as well as your teammates.
It’s a fun virtual team-building exercise that doesn’t take up too much time. You can even do it over chat rather than a video call, depending on your convenience.
There are several personality tests online that you can choose from. Everyone has probably heard of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) test.
Try finding something out of the box that intrigues your team. You can check out the HEXACO test, Rorschach Inkblot test or Enneagram.
Although the results of the tests aren’t set in stone, they can be highly insightful.
It helps you understand the qualities and traits of a person better. It may even allow team members to discover skills they didn’t know they had and understand where they fit in the team.
Virtual Game Nights
Games are always a thrilling experience, especially when played in teams. Engaging in such virtual team bonding activities builds trust and improves teamwork.
The best way to hold a virtual game night is through a conference call, so your teammates can interact with each other while playing.
To avoid losing your team’s attention, don’t go for games that are too complex. Skribbl, Codegames and Scattergories are light, engaging and easy-to-play online games that will retain their interest.
Charades and Werewolf are also good ideas for virtual team building.
Online Quizzes
Online quizzes get people talking and bring out everyone’s competitive side, making them one of the best virtual team-building activities for employees.
You can always come up with a customized quiz for your team. But if you’re short on time, don’t worry! There are several quizzes available online.
Buzzfeed is well-known for its fun and unique quizzes, covering zodiac, TV shows, movies, food and everything in between. Organize a BuzzFeed quiz party and have a blast with your team.
Triviaplaza is another simple quizzing platform with categories ranging from pop music and literature to sports and history.
All you need to do is select a topic everyone will enjoy. If the quizzes are too far from your team’s interests, they might get bored.
Take suggestions from teammates to find common ground, host a quiz party and discuss your results afterward!
Virtual Escape Rooms
Virtual escape rooms offer an exciting, immersive experience. They’re just as informative as they are fun.
Playing these brain-teasing games with your remote teammates can be great for virtual team bonding.
We recommend choosing a free, lightweight and accessible game so that your team doesn’t need to download it and loading issues aren’t a problem.
Once again, you have to pick a generic theme so everyone enjoys the game. Horror, prison escapes and historical adventures are some common virtual escape room themes.
If you’ve got a team of Potterheads, try the Hogwarts Digital Escape Room. With its magical elements and fantastic worldbuilding, this game will be a win with Harry Potter lovers!
Have teammates who’re into Greek Mythology? Check out The Minotaur’s Labyrinth Escape Room. This virtual game will give you a deeper insight into ancient myths.
Pokémon has been a childhood favorite for many. If you want to dive into the Pokémon world again, Pikachu’s Rescue is the perfect game.
To level up the fun, you can even ask your teammates to dress up according to the theme!
Why Are Virtual Team Building Activities Essential for Work?
Team building is important for creating a collaborative workplace.
When you bring people from all over the world together, you can’t expect them to get along by themselves. They will require intervention.
That’s what team-building activities are for! It turns a group of strangers into teammates. When coworkers become familiar with each other’s personalities, skills and work ethics, they form a connected, cohesive team.
Team building sparks engagement and lays the foundation for collaboration in the future. It creates a space where team members understand and cooperate with one another.
By developing interpersonal relationships through team building, you can improve communication and create a happy and relaxed work environment. Such an environment fosters dedication, motivation and productivity.
Benefits of Team Building Activities
For virtual team leaders, building a strong organizational culture and boosting employee productivity are the ultimate goals.
Many employers worry that virtual employees won’t be as productive as their in-office counterparts. Without daily team interactions, remote workers may also become isolated, which leads to a weakened company culture.
Team-building activities help with both these concerns.
Be it an online game, an icebreaker session or a quiz party, these exercises give employees the chance to connect and build meaningful relationships.
They create a sense of belonging and instill your company’s values, attitudes and goals in each member.
Virtual team activities also build trust and reduce the chances of conflict, creating a positive work environment where every employee is engaged and productive.
Let’s explore all the benefits of virtual team-building activities in detail.
Builds Trust Among Teammates
To work effectively in a team, coworkers must trust each other. But for remote employees, this means trusting people they’ve never met. Easier said than done!
This is why it’s important to familiarize your virtual employees with one another.
However, getting to know one another is challenging in virtual setups. Interactions are mostly limited to project updates or work meetings, with barely any opportunities for casual, non-work-related conversations.
Virtual team bonding activities are an excellent way to fill this gap.
They offer a place where team members can talk about themselves, learn about their team and share thoughts.
When employees bond, they learn to respect each other and develop a sense of psychological safety. They recognize that they won’t be ridiculed or humiliated for mistakes or unconventional ideas. These affirming feelings eventually build trust in virtual teams.
Mutual trust improves teamwork and allows team members to rely on each other, share responsibilities without doubts and reach out for help.
Employees feel at ease and communicate their concerns without hesitation, leading to better team collaboration.
Creates a Positive Work Environment
Many workplaces believe in enforcing strict rules to boost productivity. However, this approach is often more damaging than fruitful.
Long working hours, inflexible methods and micromanaging create a stressful, unsatisfactory experience for employees.
It is essential to understand that keeping employees happy and inspired is not optional—it’s mandatory.
As Simon Sinek eloquently stated in his book Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t,
Returning from work feeling inspired, safe, fulfilled and grateful is a natural human right to which we are all entitled and not a modern luxury that only a few lucky ones are able to find.
Holding virtual team-building activities regularly creates a friendly, fun space away from work stress. They bring positivity and allow team members to build meaningful work relationships.
A positive environment can do wonders for their quality of work, too! When employees learn to work effectively together, they can distribute responsibilities among themselves and deliver better results.
Allows Space for Creativity
Virtual teams make it possible for you to hire employees from anywhere in the world. People with diverse backgrounds bring varied opinions and fresh perspectives to the table.
This creates a space where creativity and innovation flourish.
However, that only happens when employees get the chance to express themselves and exchange ideas. As we have discussed, team-building activities allow team members to talk openly and connect.
Many virtual team-building activities also include brainstorming, improvising and problem-solving. Friendly debates and escape room games drive employees to think in eccentric ways, take calculated risks and work better as a team.
Such outside-the-box thinking is what makes a business stand out from the rest.
By engaging your employees in virtual team bonding activities, you harness their creativity and build a dynamic team unafraid to think differently and break new ground.
Reduces Risks of Conflict
Conflict in remote teams doesn’t look like over-the-top screaming matches. They are often underlying, hidden behind passive-aggressive remarks, frequent disagreements and strained relationships.
Harvard Division of Continuing Education divides the conflicts employees face at work into four broad categories:
- Employees feel discriminated against.
- Employees communicate poorly.
- Employees have contrasting personalities and work styles.
- Employees have different objectives.
In a good team, if one member feels discriminated against, they will openly express themselves. Other teammates will be respectful, listen to their experience attentively, take accountability and make reforms.
Team-building activities can turn this ideal scenario into reality by promoting honest communication, sensitivity and genuine concern.
In virtual settings, teams must also have regular discussions to make sure everyone is on the same page. Plus, if there is any confusion or doubt, it can be resolved right away.
Let’s say, in a workplace with flexible timings, one employee works evening hours while another starts in the morning. The latter needs to take on work from the former.
In a well-functioning team, the two employees can have a one-on-one conversation and find the best timings for a smooth handover.
Team-building activities also allow employees to get to know their colleagues better.
When team members are familiar with each other’s personalities and work styles, they can manage conflicts more effectively through healthy discussions, without unnecessary escalation.
Enhances Organizational Culture
In remote teams where conversations are minimal and interactions are strictly professional, work culture becomes nonexistent.
Virtual team-building activities promote casual interactions by giving employees space to build connections outside work.
According to Team Building Hub, 55% of leaders believe team building can enhance team culture.
Bonding activities help employees integrate into the team with ease, develop a sense of community and share a common goal.
This motivates them to strive for the best results, just as football players do their best in their positions to win a game. Employees develop a sense of purpose, which makes them feel valued and important in the workplace.
According to Hays’ 2024-25 Salary Guide Findings, 37% of employees look for new roles because of poor culture or management. 26% believe support from higher-ups is necessary for them to consider a career in the company.
This highlights the importance of a strong, supportive team culture.
Workplaces with a strong culture create an environment where everyone, especially new hires, feels comfortable.
Positive team culture makes it easier for employees to resonate with your company’s goals, uphold its values and have the drive to fulfill your objectives.
Boosts Team Performance
When employees get along, they work more efficiently together.
Participating in virtual team-building activities helps teammates connect on a deeper level and strengthen their relationships. They feel more comfortable communicating openly and trusting each other, leading to smoother workflows and higher-quality results.
If one member faces a challenge, others step in to support them and pick up the slack. This shared sense of responsibility keeps the team running in sync and prevents pressure on any one member.
Team-building also makes work more engaging. It boosts morale, enhances motivation and encourages employees to put their best foot forward while working toward shared goals.
Plus, team bonding exercises often reveal hidden strengths! For instance, a typically quiet employee might impress everyone with their quick thinking during a virtual escape room game.
As a team leader, such insights help you understand your team’s strengths and weaknesses. You can assign duties according to each member’s strong points and build a high-performing virtual team where everyone delivers their best work.
Results of Successful Team Building
How can you tell if your team-building efforts have paid off? The results would be right before your eyes!
You will notice a shift in your team’s dynamic and the way they interact with each other, collaborate and manage deadlines.
Of course, increased productivity is a clear indicator of successful team building. However, factors such as better communication, cooperation and camaraderie are just as significant.
Here are five major components of a cohesive team.
Communication
The key to teamwork is communication. If your team communicates effectively, it’s a good sign.
Effective communication can look like listening attentively, heeding suggestions, respecting feedback and clarifying doubts right away.
Transparency around work responsibilities is also a sign of good communication.
Let’s say a team member feels they won’t be able to complete a task on time. If they can openly express their concerns, you have successfully created an honest and supportive environment at work.
Fewer misunderstandings among team members also indicate stronger connections and better mutual understanding.
By engaging in team bonding activities, you get to know your teammates better and establish clear communication.
This paves the way for open discussion, active participation from all members and collective responsibility in making decisions.
Camaraderie
Fellowship is another important aspect of a good team.
The main purpose of team building is for employees to get to know each other and develop stronger connections.
When team members become familiar, they find it easier to reach out for help, have meaningful conversations and work together. They start to think of their workplace as supportive and comfortable rather than stressful.
Teammates truly enjoy working with each other, driving feelings of fulfillment and satisfaction.
You’ll find an increase in day-to-day interactions between your team members. They’ll also trust each other more, respect one another’s abilities, carry out projects with confidence and deliver better results.
Commitment
Even though members of a team have different roles, they share a common objective. If one member underperforms, the whole team is affected.
When employees don’t feel fulfilled at work, their commitment to the job declines.
Rather than wanting to do tasks well, they just wish to get them done. They don’t find themselves invested in the quality of results.
This is often a result of feeling disconnected from the team. In such instances, team bonding activities can renew their sense of belonging and purpose.
In an efficient team, you will see that every teammate values their work. They take initiative, focus on the outcome and work collectively towards company goals.
Besides team-building, another way to motivate your team is by showing your appreciation. Noticing their efforts, praising them and offering words of encouragement will go a long way in strengthening their commitment to your company!
Trust
PwC’s Trust Survey found that 95% of business executives agree that companies have a responsibility to build trust.
In virtual teams, team members are completely unfamiliar with each other.
They don’t know their coworkers’ personalities, skills, attitudes or intentions, which often leads to misunderstandings.
For instance, someone’s short replies can be mistaken as rude when in reality, they’re just introverted.
Without regular interactions, feelings of distrust arise. Trust-building activities for virtual teams help prevent this!
By interacting more, team members understand each other’s character and abilities. They’re able to trust and rely on each other confidently without doubts.
Building trust also improves team performance and encourages them to take calculated risks.
What’s more, a sense of assurance helps your team face failure head-on and gives them the liberty to explore creative ideas.
Coachability
A good team is open to new ideas and criticism. Members know how to receive constructive feedback, learn from their mistakes and adapt for the better.
But you can’t build that kind of team in a day! It takes immense effort, patience and trust.
If you have a coaching leadership style and aim to maximize your employees’ potential, team-building exercises can be a valuable tool.
They create an environment where teammates feel safe to ask for help, seek support without fear of judgment and be eager to learn.
When you build a coachable team, your employees are constantly learning, improving and growing. They welcome new ideas and methods rather than sticking to traditional ways.
This not only improves the quality of work but also fosters open communication.
Final Thoughts
Teams need to work as a unit, but building team spirit takes time.
Even in traditional offices, developing connections isn’t easy. The struggle only grows in remote teams.
Virtual work makes it nearly impossible to bond with your coworkers. But that’s where team-building activities come in, giving employees the opportunity to interact, bond and get along.
Team building helps establish the pillars of any successful team, i.e., trust, effective communication, psychological safety and creative freedom.
These factors combined help you achieve what every company aims for: a strong team culture with high productivity.
While these initiatives take up time, it’s worth it when you have the right people in the right roles.
That’s what Zenius is here for. While you focus on nurturing your employees, scaling your business and staying ahead of the competition, we take care of hiring, recruitment and everyday HR management for you.