Image by Rosy / Bad Homburg / Germany from Pixabay

By Jane Mitchell

Team building is an important element of any successful company, whether a large corporation, or a small-scale business. Whether you conduct business in-person or remotely, you’re likely to be used to communicating and collaborating with your colleagues every day. However, when it comes to out-of-hours virtual activities, getting your team to open up and have some fun can feel a little trickier. Luckily, there are plenty of virtual activities on offer that are great for team bonding – let’s take a look at four of the best that you may want to consider for your next virtual event.

Health and wellness sessions

Did you know that it’s possible to reap the same benefits of in-person exercise through a virtual exercise session? Not only will it work wonders for your mind and body, this virtual activity is a great way to let off a little steam after a long day at work. As well as being heaps of fun for a virtual team, an exercise session has the potential to improve job satisfaction, increase productivity, and reduce absenteeism amongst your team.

Popular sessions for groups of colleagues include yoga and Zumba, as they are generally very inclusive and can be adapted to suit a range of fitness levels. Of course, you can always opt for a more gentle, mental wellness focused activity such as meditation, depending on the interests and needs of your group.

Group arts and crafts

Craft sessions are perfect for teams looking to get their creative juices flowing. There are endless activities to choose from – from terrarium making to pottery, painting and collaging. You’ll usually need to post the art equipment to each member of your group ahead of time, so it’s best to plan this activity well in advance.

Art activities are ideal for work teams who are looking to wind down at the end of a stressful day and decompress. They also provide plenty of time to get conversation flowing, allowing each of your colleagues to get to know one another better. If your group needs a bit of a push to get chatting, you may want to incorporate small challenges into the session – perhaps asking each person to make a collage that represents one of their interests, or to create a painting of the group.

Virtual games and puzzles

Many workplaces opt for virtual games as a team-building activity, as they are so readily available and accessible online. You won’t usually need any extra equipment to take part in a virtual game or puzzle, so this option is ideal if you’re on a budget or have limited time to prep.

Escape rooms and murder mysteries are firm favourites, whereby you usually have to split off into teams, battling against your colleagues in order to solve a puzzle – a great option if you’re after a little healthy competition, a lot of bonding, and plenty of fun.

A team-bonding quiz

Hosting a team quiz is a great way to inject a little energy into your company’s social calendar. Packed full of stimulating questions, colleagues can work together to solve tough problems, allowing for plenty of time for team building and usually a lot of laughs.

You may want to make your quiz company-focused and challenge your colleagues on current company trends. Or you could make it a little more personal, with fun facts about each of the company’s employees for an amusing, light-hearted virtual session (you’ll want to get your colleagues’ permission first, of course).

What makes a great team building activity?

Ultimately, when choosing your virtual team building activity, there are a few main components that you’re going to want it to have. Your aim will be to get people chatting and collaborating with one another – so, it’s great if your virtual activity has a competitive element or requires colleagues to work as a team. However, this isn’t the be-all and end-all of a great virtual activity. In fact, as long as you can focus on giving your colleagues or employees a good time, they’re bound to loosen up and get to work together, making for a wonderful team building experience.

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Jane Mitchell is a small business owner who takes pride in helping her employees to reach their full potential. She enjoys organising enriching, out-of-hours activities for her team, that allow them to build trust and forge positive colleague relationships.