Fun Remote Team Building Activities To Enhance Your Workplace
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Businesses and employees alike are starting to adjust to the reality of working from home long term. What at first seemed like a temporary measure has become a way of life for many of us, and it seems that at least in some capacity, remote work is here to stay.
Remote team building has been a challenge for many companies - some employees may have been hired remotely to work remotely, and might not even have met the rest of the team in person. Some of your employees may have already returned to the office, while some are still working from home. Whatever your situation, your team has likely spent months apart.
This makes it even more imperative for companies to provide fun remote team building activities. Managers may have to get a little creative to ensure their virtual teams stay connected, but with online team building activities for remote employees, it becomes possible to keep your employees engaged with each other and to build a company culture that’s stronger than ever.
Which Remote Team Building Option Is Right For You?
There are a few different categories of remote team building activities, and what type of team building activity is most effective for you will depend on your team’s specific needs. Below, I have outlined some of the most common types of remote team building activities, along with some of my advice on how to choose the best activity for your group. Your team’s size, favorite type of activity, and history all help determine what sort of event they will have the most fun with!
Online Team Building Games
Games is probably the most popular category of fun remote team building activities - after all, who doesn’t love a game? Sometimes, a little friendly competition can be exactly what your team needs to start feeling connected with each other. However, this type of event is so popular that it can feel like there are overwhelming options to choose from, and it can be hard to know exactly what might be best for your team - do you want a high-energy gameshow-style event, something a little easier like Trivia, or a different event all together?
If you have a smaller team, or a team that doesn’t mind being split into multiple smaller groups, a gameshow-style event like our Online Office Olympics is perfect for you! This type of event is casual enough to get everyone laughing, and we rotate through lots of mini-games so every member of your team has a chance to shine. The smaller teams can help players feel more connected, and make sure each person has plenty of chances to participate.
Often, game show-type events are better for louder, sillier teams, especially teams who have been working together a long time and miss seeing each other in person every day. If you think your team might not enjoy yelling out crazy guesses or racing to complete silly challenges, something a bit more structured like Virtual Trivia Night might be a better fit. This type of event is perfect for larger teams, or new teams who may not know each other as well. Your whole team will be able to laugh over wrong answers, and maybe learn something new at the same time, but there’s less pressure on individuals. No matter what sort of game your team likes, there’s a fun remote team building event out there for you.
Virtual Puzzles
More methodical, cerebral teams tend to like puzzle-style remote team building best, although any type of team can benefit from trying something different and new. Your team will feel accomplished when they are able to work together to solve a puzzle that none of them would have been able to figure out on their own, and they may learn something about how their teammates like to solve problems.
Small teams, generally around fifteen participants or fewer, may enjoy remote team building activities such as one of our Virtual Escape Rooms (Escape the Mad Hatter is particularly popular). In a Virtual Escape Room, your whole team works together to find clues and solve puzzles in order to escape before the time runs out. Slightly larger teams may find something like our Sherlock Murder Mystery to be a better fit - there’s more to do in this dense mystery, and your whole team will have their hands full if they are to solve everything time.
Teams looking for something a little bit more complicated, structured, and unique may enjoy a puzzle-style remote team building game, and will appreciate the chance to solve a fun puzzle with their coworkers instead of constantly having to focus on work-related issues. The accomplishment your team will feel when they finally succeed will definitely bring them closer together!
Relaxed Remote Team Building Activities
Sometimes, teams who are used to getting to chat and catch up frequently around the office may want some more unstructured team building fun. If your team is missing the chance to just chat with each other, something like a happy hour or movie night might be perfect for your team. A few simple, casual planned events, such as a couple rounds of Jackbox games, can keep the mood from getting awkward before your team members have gotten comfortable with each other again. But try not to plan the time too heavily for this type of remote team building event, or your teammates won’t feel that they had a chance to truly meet their new coworker or catch up with their old friends.
Another benefit for this kind of remote team building activity is that it is often free, and, depending on the structure of your event, can be very easy to plan. Your team will appreciate the time to talk and catch up with each other, the same way they would over a few drinks at a restaurant!
Team Building Classes
Sometimes, the best way to bond with your team members virtually can be to learn something new together. There are many different types of classes that can be done remotely, from wellness to art to fitness, that will help your teammates reconnect while also learning a fun new skill together. You may even walk away with a finished product, and you’ll certainly have a good story! Another benefit of taking a virtual class together is that this sort of remote team building event often works for groups of any size - either very small or very large groups can have fun trying something new.
I would highly recommend a class like our Virtual Paint Night - all of the necessary materials to complete the class get shipped right to your team members’ doors, and all you have to do is input the addresses. No need to risk any of your employees ending up with the wrong materials or not having time to run out and purchase supplies on time - all of that is taken care of for you. At this type of class, your participants can chat and relax (and maybe have a drink or two), while also participating in a fun activity and learning a new skill. Depending on what sort of class you are learning, your participants also may get the chance to laugh together at the end when they unveil their creations. Even if some of the projects don’t turn out the way you expected, your participants are still guaranteed to have fun together!
Contact Ryptic For Online Fun Team Building Activities
It can seem daunting to foster the same camaraderie your team may have enjoyed when you were all working together in the office, but planning fun remote team building activities can ensure your employees stay connected. There are so many different types of remote team building activities that we know there will be something your team will love! We would love to help you plan a remote team building event that your whole team will love - feel free to Contact Us and we will take care of everything!