10 Not Lame Virtual Team Building Activities

If there’s one hill we’re willing to die on, it’s that team building gets a bad rap.

Think about it: when you read the words “team building,” it typically conjures up the mental image of being gathered in a conference room, stale cup of coffee in hand, desperately trying to conjure up a fact about yourself that’s “fun” enough to share with your entire team. What you end up with is a whole lot of:

“I’m John, and a fun fact about me is that my favorite food is ice cream.”

Snore. 😴

Put like that, watching paint dry seems like more fun. That’s why, at Confetti, we’ve made it our mission to give team building games and activities the positive reputation they deserve. Because, when you have the right activities at your fingertips (or, at the click of a button 😉), team bonding can actually be fun.

Yes, you read that right: FUN. 🌈

More than just a way to bring people together for a nice laugh and a cute bonding moment, team building activities can have an overwhelmingly positive effect on the workplace as a whole. Especially for those who work from home.

The benefits of team building activities

Yes, you’re bringing everyone together for a good time, but you’re also bringing people together to solve problems, learn how to work together, establish and fine-tune their strengths, and come together as a team to make something happen. The right team building activity is proven to:

• Increase productivity in the workplace 👩‍💻
• Help employees develop and increase their confidence 🌟
• Foster innovation and collaboration 🤝

And, maybe most importantly, team building exercises are a fantastic way to connect teams that are remote working. Which, if you know you know, can be extremely isolating at times. 

At Confetti, we create team building activities that are great for in-person, hybrid, and remote teams alike. We bring people together, and help them bond from miles apart (okay, anyone else getting a little misty-eyed? 🥲)

You don’t need to wait for a special occasion to host a virtual team building activity with your employees. In fact, next week sounds great! 

Here are 10 not lame team building activities that we recommend for the ultimate team morale boost:

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What are 10 not lame team building activities?

1. Virtual murder mystery party 

There’s been a murder, I do declare! Your favorite coworker (we won’t name names) has been tragically murdered and now it’s up to you to solve it! Unless you’re the murderer… (Don’t worry, we won’t tell.) 🤫

In a virtual murder mystery team building exercise, your team has to work together to gather clues and figure out “whodunnit.” With fun themes, the chance to get silly, and the opportunity to deep-dive into a character (for all the secret theater kids in your midst), this is a great way to shake off the everyday and have some fun with your team.

How to get started 👉 Is your team savvy enough to solve the murder? Find out at our Murder Mystery Party!

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2. Virtual escape rooms

Part online escape room, part scavenger hunt, and 100% fun. A virtual escape room allows your online teams to solve problems in real time and attempt to escape the virtual room in an hour or less. 🏃

A great option for all teams, but especially those that want to flex their problem solving skills. This activity allows your staff to work together to solve the mystery and escape the room in a casual, collaborative environment.

How to get started 👉 Calling all fun-lovers, it’s time to start your Escape Quest!

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3. Virtual happy hours

Honestly, who doesn’t love a happy hour every once in a while? Encourage your teams to try something new (or revisit an old favorite) and imbibe a little with their teammates. 

Nothing encourages good times and good conversations like getting together over a drink. After all, they don’t call it a “social lubricant” for nothing.

With curated cocktail classes and tastings, there is something for every employee to love at a virtual happy hour. All you have to bring is your remote team members, and we’ll bring the booze! 🍸

How to get started 👉 Say cheers to your next happy hour!

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4. Quirky photo challenges

Ever wondered what your coworkers looked like as a kid? Or who's been on the wildest vacation? Would you be surprised to learn that Karen from finance is actually an identical twin? 

If you have to see it to believe it, then host a quirky photo challenge with your team! 🤳

For a DIY approach, pick a theme and ask all of your team members to submit a relevant photo. Something like: your best vacation ever or your pet. Then, bring your teams together through video conferencing to guess which photo belongs to whom and let everyone share their stories!

A photo challenge is a great way to allow your staff to open up and tell stories about their lives outside of work. Talk about a way to get the conversation started!

How to get started 👉 Don’t want to DIY it? Check out Guess Who!

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5. Virtual scavenger hunt

Planning a virtual scavenger hunt with your teams is surprisingly easy (and fun). 🕵️ Everyone has hidden gems scattered around their homes, and now is their chance to show them off on a video call! Simply create a list of items that your teams have to find and show off in less than 30 minutes like:

• Something gold 🥇
• A photo of themselves with something/someone they love 📷
• Their favorite quote about teamwork (found on the internet, unless they have it in their house somewhere) ✍️
• A pet or a child (preferably their own) 🐶
• A coin dated before 1999 🪙
• A receipt from the grocery store 📜

The first person to successfully showcase everything on their list wins! For extra fun, throw a real prize in there like paying for their next lunch or sending them some coveted company swag.

Pro-planning tip 👉 Allow each member of your team to submit one item for the scavenger hunt list to make it a more interactive experience from start to finish!

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6. Book club

Book Club is an underrated activity. There, we said it. After all, who doesn’t love getting together to talk about their opinions on their latest read? 📚

Hosting a team building book club is a fantastic way to facilitate team bonding and boost your staff’s communication skills without having to make it a formal occasion.

Each month (or quarter), have your book club vote on the book that they’d like to read next. Then, meet at the end of the month in online meetings to discuss! Bonus points if you add some snacks (and maybe a glass of wine) into the mix. 

Pro-planning tip 👉 Send a Doordash or UberEats gift card to each member of your book club before each meeting so that you can discuss your reading over dinner together!

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7. Virtual icebreaker quiz

Another activity with a bad reputation: icebreakers. But remember, we’re talking about not lame team building activities here, so we wouldn’t dare suggest the yawn-inducing icebreakers that you’ve come to know. 

We like to shake things up with questions that are specific, weird, funny, but still office appropriate to get the conversation started and really bring people together. 

Why would you want to know someone’s favorite ice cream flavor when you could learn what their Real Housewives tagline would be instead? These icebreaker questions are the perfect way to start off video conferences, stand up calls, and more. 🧊

How to get started 👉 Skip the weather talk and get straight to the good stuff. 

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8. Virtual pub crawl

It may sound impossible, but we sense a virtual pub crawl in your future. 🔮 You’ll have to experience it to believe it, but you can have all the ambiance, fun, and great conversations that you’d have on a pub crawl without ever leaving your desk!

Confetti’s virtual pub crawl allows your team to choose their own adventure and listen to live music, break off into conversation rooms, compete in a pub trivia game, and more.

How to get started 👉 Bottoms up! See you at the Confetti Pub. 

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9. Virtual dance party

If you and your team love to get down, then host a virtual dance party! Easy to plan on your own, encourage your team to throw on their boas, turn on their party lights, and boogie ‘til the sun comes up (or, until it’s time to clock out for the day). You never know who has some secret signature dance moves. 🕺

You can shake up your virtual dance party even more by giving out awards for best costume and best moves, or by making it themed. After all, who doesn’t love a 70s disco party or a 50s themed sock hop? The options for a good time really are endless!

Pro-planning tip 👉 Create a shared Spotify playlist and allow everyone from your team to add their favorite dance track to it for the ultimate dance party!

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10. DIY craft challenge

Perfect for holidays or just because, a DIY craft challenge allows your team members to show off their creative side. Get together and craft vision boards, wreaths, or learn how to knit. 

Whatever it is, we're certain that you and your employees will leave with a newfound hobby and a nice new decoration for their house! 🖼️

Plus, you’ll have plenty to talk about as you admire each other’s creativity. Whether your staff is crafty or not, they will definitely have something to bond over as they unlock levels of artistic genius that they never even knew they had. 🧑‍🎨

How to get started 👉 Ready to Unleash Your Creativity?

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Choose Confetti for the best virtual team building activities

Virtual team building is a great tool to bring your employees together to form deeper bonds, gain stronger communication skills, and have a good time doing it. 

The benefits aren’t just the laughs and conversations shared in the moment. These skills trickle over into your everyday work life, where employees are more comfortable working together, are more productive in the workplace, and are full of new ideas and innovations. With the help of regular team bonding activities, your employees will quickly become a well-oiled (and very happy) team.

Even though it may seem like it, it doesn’t have to be a heavy lift for you to plan and execute team bonding time. At Confetti, we create and lead non-boring team building activities so that you can enjoy them just as much as your staff!

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For more tips and ideas on virtual team building, check out our ultimate team building guide.

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