15 Virtual Team Building Activities for Diversity & Inclusion
In today's rapidly evolving and interconnected world, virtual teams have become the new norm, bringing together individuals from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and experiences. The elements of diversity & inclusion are essential towards the success of any business, but it can be challenging to achieve with remote teams.
As the importance of fostering an inclusive and equitable work environment continues to grow, it's crucial that organizations invest in team building activities that not only strengthen their remote workforce but also celebrate and embrace their team's rich diversity. In this article, we'll explore 15 creative and engaging virtual team building activities specifically designed to promote diversity & inclusion, helping you build a more cohesive, understanding, and high-performing team. Let's discover how these activities can foster a culture of respect and acceptance within your team.
Why Virtual Team Building Activities Are Good For Diversity & Inclusion
Virtual team building activities can play a vital role in fostering diversity & inclusion within remote workforces. These activities create a supportive and engaging environment where individuals are able to connect with their colleagues, share their unique perspectives, and gain a deeper understanding of each other's cultural backgrounds and experiences.
As team members participate in these activities, they learn to appreciate their differences and recognize the value that each person brings to the table. Ultimately, virtual team building activities help break down barriers, promote mutual respect, and create a sense of belonging, which are all essential building blocks towards a diverse and inclusive team that's able to thrive in the modern workplace.
15 Virtual Team Building Activities for Diversity & Inclusion
Now that we know how virtual team building activities help promote a more inclusive workplace, here are 15 exciting activities you can use to foster diversity & inclusion within your team.
1. Global Game Night
Global Game Night is a lively and entertaining virtual team building activity that introduces team members to various games from different cultures and countries. This activity is all about playing games from around the world, which will help broaden your team's cultural horizons and provide insights into the diverse backgrounds of all team members.
To host a successful Global Game Night, research and compile a list of games from different cultures that can be adapted for virtual play. Make sure you include a variety of game styles and levels of difficulty that cater to all team members. Next, schedule a virtual event where your team plays the selected games in an environment of friendly competition and collaboration. Global Game Night is a fun and engaging way for team members to bond while fostering a deeper level of understanding and appreciation for the cultural diversity amongst each other.
2. Multilingual Conversation Hour
Multilingual Conversation Hour is a dynamic and interactive virtual team building activity designed to celebrate the diverse linguistic skills and cultural backgrounds of your team members. By dedicating an hour to engaging in conversations in different languages, team members get the opportunity to develop a deeper appreciation for each other's linguistic abilities and cultural heritage, while strengthening communication skills within the team.
To play, team members take turns teaching basic phrases or expressions in their native language, share anecdotes or stories from their culture, and engage in conversations on various topics of interest. Multilingual Conversation Hour not only highlights the linguistic diversity within your team but it also promotes a sense of belonging and inclusivity, as each member has the chance to contribute and learn in a unique and meaningful way.
3. Virtual Cultural Potluck
This delightful and engaging virtual team building activity embraces the rich culinary diversity within your team. It provides an opportunity for team members to share a traditional dish from their culture or region, complete with a recipe and the backstory behind its significance. Virtual Cultural Potluck not only encourages team members to learn about different cuisines and culinary traditions, but it also fosters a sense of pride and appreciation for their own cultural heritage.
To organize a successful Virtual Cultural Potluck, invite each team member to select a dish that represents their culture or background, and ask them to prepare a short presentation about its history, ingredients, and any personal memories or anecdotes associated with it. Have team members take turns showcasing their chosen dish, while everyone gets the chance to learn, ask questions, and engage in conversation.
Team members can additionally share the recipes in a shared document, allowing others to try their hand at making the dishes themselves. Virtual Cultural Potluck not only provides a unique and fun way to learn about each other's backgrounds, but it also creates an inclusive environment that celebrates the diverse tastes and flavors that make up your team.
4. Online Talent Showcase
Online Talent Showcase is an inspiring and inclusive virtual team building activity where team members get to proudly display their unique talents, hobbies, or interests. Providing a platform for team members to share their passions fosters a sense of camaraderie and appreciation for the diverse skills within the team.
To organize a successful Online Talent Showcase, invite team members to sign up for a time slot to present their talent, hobby, or interest. Make sure everyone receives guidelines on things like the duration and format of each presentation. Talents can range from musical performances and artistic creations to sports achievements or novel skills. During the event, team members take turns showcasing their abilities, while everyone gets the opportunity to watch, ask questions, and offer words of encouragement or appreciation.
This interactive and entertaining activity not only highlights the diverse talents within your team, but it also cultivates a sense of belonging as each member has the chance to shine in their own unique way.
5. Global Culture Quiz
The Global Culture Quiz asks questions about global cultures, traditions, and history to help spark curiosity and broaden the cultural horizons of your team. This fun activity promotes an appreciation for the rich tapestry of cultures that make up our world, while also emphasizing the importance of embracing and celebrating these differences within your team.
To organize a successful Global Culture Quiz, compile a set of engaging and informative questions on a wide range of cultural topics, including geography, languages, arts, cuisine, and world history. To make it more relevant consider incorporating questions specific to the diverse cultural backgrounds of your team members, allowing them to share and celebrate their unique heritage.
Divide your team into smaller groups to encourage collaboration and friendly competition. Present the questions to the teams in a rapid fire format, and the team that gets the most questions correct in the fastest time, wins. The Global Culture Quiz not only provides an opportunity for team members to learn about new cultures from each other, but also fosters a sense of unity and inclusivity.
6. Virtual Book Club
Incorporating literature into your virtual team building activities can help to create meaningful connections between team members, while fostering an appreciation for different perspectives. A Virtual Book Club is a great way to bring together individuals from different backgrounds in a fun and engaging environment, while also encouraging the exploration of new ideas and cultures through reading.
To get started, invite your team to select a book of their choice that is related to diversity & inclusion. Allow each person to present a summary of the book they chose and why they found it important or interesting. After everyone has had the chance to make their presentation, set up a virtual meeting where everyone discusses their thoughts on the books.
This activity is a great way to foster dialogue around diversity & inclusion, while providing an opportunity for team members to learn more about each other’s interests, beliefs, and values. It encourages meaningful conversations that will leave your team feeling connected and inspired.
7. Inclusive Icebreakers
Icebreakers are an excellent way to get meetings and group events started on the right foot. They create a welcoming and engaging atmosphere for team members, foster a sense of belonging, and get everyone excited for the activities that follow.
To implement Inclusive Icebreakers effectively, choose prompts that are relevant to your team. For example, you could ask team members to share a bit about themselves without using any labels or stereotypes. Alternatively, you could have everyone list one thing they appreciate about working with someone from a different culture or background than their own.
These types of icebreakers are designed to promote diversity & inclusion within your team in an engaging way. They help build strong connections, promote empathy, and create a supportive environment where everyone feels comfortable sharing and learning from one another.
8. World Music Playlist Exchange
Creating a virtual music playlist is a great way to get team members to share their personal tastes in music and reveal a little about themselves. Ask each person to create a playlist of songs that either represents their cultural background or brings back memories from different parts of the world.
Once everyone has completed their playlist, have each person take turns playing a few of their songs and explaining why they picked them. The World Music Playlist Exchange is an excellent way to explore and appreciate diverse music from around the globe, and get team members talking and learning more about each other in a fun and creative way.
At the end of the session, get everyone together and create one big diversity & inclusion playlist that reflects the collective tastes of your team. Not only is this activity fun and entertaining, but the team will also come closer together as they bond and create something together.
9. Cross-Cultural Movie Night
Bring diversity & inclusion into your virtual team building activities by hosting a Cross-Cultural Movie Night. Ask each person to select a movie from their own cultural background and explain why they chose it. After everyone has shared their selection, schedule a series of movie nights for everyone to watch the chosen films together on a shared virtual platform or individually. After each movie, host a discussion session afterwards and delve into the film's themes, cultural nuances, and what everyone learned.
Cross-Cultural Movie Night is an entertaining virtual team building activity that immerses team members into the cinematic world through cultural diversity. By watching movies from various countries and cultures together, your team will experience different perspectives and ways of life in a fun and engaging way. This activity encourages team members to appreciate the rich tapestry of stories that span the globe.
10. Virtual Escape Room
Virtual Escape Rooms are a great way to encourage diversity & inclusion, build team camaraderie, and promote problem-solving skills. A great way to experience this activity is to ask each person to create a virtual escape room with puzzles and challenges that reflect their own cultural or religious background. You can use online resources for instructions on how to create a virtual escape room.
Teammates then come together on a virtual platform and collaboratively work through the various escape rooms they've created, working through the problems together and learning more about each other in the process.
This activity is excellent for diversity & inclusion as it engages team members to share their different backgrounds in a unique and interesting way that gets everyone involved. Virtual escape rooms that incorporate diverse cultural elements and require collaboration create an environment that fosters teamwork, critical thinking, and an appreciation for the uniqueness of each team member.
11. Global Festivals and Holidays Calendar
Creating a Global Festivals and Holidays Calendar is an enriching virtual team building activity that brings team members together to learn and celebrate international holidays and festivals. A shared calendar that highlights these diverse occasions fosters cultural awareness, enabling team members to better understand and connect with their colleagues from different backgrounds.
To organize a Global Festivals and Holidays Calendar activity, invite team members to contribute information about the holidays and festivals from their own cultures, as well as any other important dates or events they would like to share with the group. Encourage team members to explain the significance of these events and, if appropriate, invite them to share more details about the customs and traditions behind these events.
12. Inclusive Art Collaboration
Inclusive Art Collaboration is a creative and engaging virtual team building activity that gets team members to work together on a virtual art project reflecting their diverse backgrounds and interests. Encouraging artistic expression and collaboration is a great way to ignite creativity within your team, while also showcasing the vibrant mosaic of diversity that make up your team.
First decide on a theme that celebrates diversity & inclusion such as, “A Rainbow of Cultures” or “How We Got Here”. Then have each team member contribute an artistic idea or element to the art piece. This can include drawings, paintings, photos, collages, or anything else they want to include. Ensure that each participant gets the opportunity to fully express themselves and share some part of their cultural background or personal experience.
The Inclusive Art Collaboration not only results in a beautiful collective artwork, but it also encourages a sense of belonging and pride in the diversity of your team.
13. Virtual Museum Tours Around the World
Explore diverse art, history and cultural exhibits together with your team through Virtual Museum Tours Around the World. This enlightening and immersive virtual team building activity will take your team on a journey through some of the most renowned museums and cultural institutions without leaving their homes. Your team will gain an appreciation for the rich diversity that make up our world and broaden their cultural horizons.
To organize a Virtual Museum Tour Around the World activity, compile a list of museums and cultural institutions that offer virtual tours and make sure to include a range of cultures, historical time periods, and artistic styles. Schedule virtual tour events, where team members come as a group to explore the selected museums together. After each tour, spend a little bit of time talking about each exhibit, what you learned, found interesting, and were able to personally connect with.
14. Diversity & Inclusion Bingo
Bingo can be a fun and engaging way to celebrate diversity on your team. Bingo is a great virtual team building activity because the game is simple, easy for everyone to understand, and encourages lots of conversation, laughter, and friendly competition. With straightforward rules, it can be enjoyed by people of all gaming skill levels which makes it a highly inclusive activity.
To play, start by designing a bingo card that reflects the unique makeup of your team on a range of diverse attributes, such as language, travel experiences, hobbies, or cultural background. For the game, invite team members to join virtually where they compete to see who can complete their bingo cards first while learning more about each other. Diversity & Inclusion Bingo is not only an entertaining way for the team to bond, but it also reinforces the value that diversity plays in driving your team's success forward.
15. Cultural Storytelling Circle
For Cultural Storytelling Circle, you will invite your team to share stories, myths, or legends from their cultures and history. This activity provides a great way for team members to share these narratives and teach each other more about themselves and their unique history.
Schedule a virtual event and have team members take turns sharing a story, myth, or legend from their culture, backgrounds, or just something that they find culturally fascinating. Encourage participants to provide context and explain the significance of the story to them, whether it is a personal connection or a wider reflection.
Cultural Storytelling Circle is an excellent diversity & inclusion team building activity that brings everybody together, teaches everyone something new, and helps improve the team's ability to communicate and empathize with each other.
Conclusion
The elements of diversity & inclusion are essential for driving innovation and creative solutions amongst high-performing teams. Incorporating virtual diversity & inclusion activities into your team building efforts helps foster a sense of connection and unity among team members while encouraging them to broaden their cultural horizons. From virtual museum tours, to game nights, these 15 virtual team building activities will help your team celebrate diversity & inclusion and create a more inclusive work environment.
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