Anna Maria Richards
Looking to bring your virtual team closer together? Don’t move; you’re on the right post.
Now that more and more companies rely on virtual teams, building relationships without this usual face-to-face contact has become quite challenging. That’s where virtual team-building activities come into play and replace our good old end-of-the-month team-building events that were once upon a time organized at the office.
In this blog post, we will explore the concept of virtual team-building and discover 9 fun virtual team-building activities with a European touch, inspired by the specialist Woyago.com, for you to try out and to get your entire workgroup on the same page!
Original virtual team-building challenges and travelling experiences that will surprise any team member
#1 Virtual Parisian Tour
Experience the virtual Parisian life as if you were on the Champs-Élysées or in front of Notre-Dame de Paris with your entire team!
Woyago offers an interactive and live virtual tour that will allow members to discover the iconic locations and neighborhoods of the City of Lights.
Accompany in real-time, a Parisian guide riding his bike on Paris’s narrow streets and discovering the Eiffel Tower, the Montmartre district with the Sacré Coeur Basilica, or the Seine and its impressive bridges.
‘Wait a minute… What’s that building over there?’ Just ask your guide! Ask about his fun Parisian anecdotes, the story of the city, and any other question that may pop into your head.
But most importantly, enjoy this original virtual team-building activity with your remote team online, as much as you want of the French capital.
#2 Virtual Scavenger Hunt in Italy
Explore virtual Italy with Woyago and your team for your next virtual Holiday party!
To do so, take part in a virtual scavenger hunt in Parmigiano land.
This fun virtual team-building activity is easy to set up online with a remote team. Split up into teams and go scavenge in your own home for specific objects the guide asks, all the while hearing incredible Italian stories told by a local.
The bonus? Learn some Italian vocabulary that will impress your close ones the next time you order lasagna at Gino’s!
#3 Virtual Party in Paris
Take virtual team-building to the next level by organizing a virtual party in the French capital with your entire group!
Whether you want to: celebrate a work anniversary, thank everyone for their hard work, or encourage team members to bond, a virtual Parisian party will be perfect!
Participate in fun trivia, learn French, laugh at the absurd icebreaker questions on this great virtual team-building event that will make your team want to join the next one!
Are we hungry yet? Try out one of those tasty virtual team-building events!
#4 Virtual Cooking Class
Feeling creative and want to develop your cooking skills with your remote team?
Enter a cooking class with a French chef and learn how to cook perfectly the classic ratatouille or some delicious crepes.
Connect on a live class with a chef, ask all the questions you want, and get the tips and tricks to master French cuisine.
This is a great virtual team-building activity as everyone will be able to share an engaging and hands-on experience that will be propitious to laughs and excitement.
The post-cooking tasting time will also be an excellent opportunity for managers to improve their connection with the team!
#5 Virtual Happy Hours
What’s better than a virtual happy hour to bring your virtual team together
With virtual happy hours, you can choose from a wide range of activities that will make everyone feel comfortable around a friendly drink, all of that from the comfort of your home.
Virtual happy hours are excellent for your remote team to bond with an open-minded and relaxed state of mind. They can easily make those virtual meetings fun.
#6 Virtual Wine and Cheese Tasting
Get a virtual – but real – taste of France with this online wine and cheese tasting organized by Woyago.com.
This virtual activity will allow your remote team members to enjoy a virtual French moment with a wine tasting session.
Before the video conference, you will receive a hand-picked selection of wines for you to try, all of them from France, bien sûr!
They’re paired up with different cheeses to enhance the experience.
This virtual tasting call will be super interesting to open up your palate, as well as share your opinion on what you are trying and listen to the others’. This activity can thus be a great way to improve communication skills within online teams.
Entertaining and challenging online games to stimulate brains during virtual team events
#7 Virtual Bingo
Kill some time and have fun with virtual bingo! This classic game is perfect for a virtual team-building activity. It can be played by anyone and anywhere digitally.
There are many different versions of virtual bingo you can find online, but we recommend you create one yourself. Make the Bingo squares about your team to give it a fun twist!
Check out the advice on Woyago.com’s blog on how to host such virtual team-building games and how to keep everyone engaged throughout the game.
#8 Virtual Team Trivia
Trivia is another classic online team-building game that you can play with your team.
Create custom-made questions you will ask your remote employees during the video chat to make it more interesting.
Think of questions about your company, the department you are all in, or even on the remote team member’s personality and life itself. This is a great way to have fun together and learn new facts simultaneously!
#9 Virtual This or That questions game
Last virtual team-building activity, but not least: The “This or That” questions game!
To get to know your teammates better, play this virtual game in which you will have to answer a question by picking your own choice between two versions of the same category.
Some questions could be:
- France or Italy?
- Waffles or Pancakes?
- Tablet or smartphone?
The possibilities are infinite!
Fast FAQ: All you need to know about virtual team-building!
Still have some doubts about organizing virtual team-building exercises? Have a look at our FAQ.
What is virtual team-building?
Virtual team-building is a fun way to bring together remote teams (or teams who are not physically co-located) thanks to activities, ice-breakers, events, or games organized online.
Remote team-building activities are usually set up through video calls where virtual team members can interact and collaborate quickly and seamlessly.
Secondary digital communication channels, such as emails or instant messaging, might also be used.
How do you bring team members together virtually?
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. The virtual team-building activities that work best for your team will depend on the personalities of your team members, their tech capabilities, and the type of virtual team that you have.
Generally speaking; however, virtual team builders can be separated into two categories: synchronous and asynchronous.
What are synchronous and asynchronous virtual team-building activities?
Synchronous virtual team-building activities require all participants to be online at the same time, for example, through a video call or online office games. This activity is ideal for teams who want to build rapport and strengthen relationships quickly.
On the other hand, asynchronous virtual team-building activities can be completed when virtual team members are available.
This type of activity is ideal for virtual teams who want to bring people together over time but at different times in the day or week.
These remote team-building activities can be done through fun pictures icebreakers submitted by your team to show their #remotelife.
Another option could be to set up a Slack channel that gathers your entire team and invite them to share a GIF each Friday that best depicts their week.
Are there benefits of organizing a virtual team-building event?
Absolutely yes!
Virtual team-building activities are a great way to break the ice and get to know your virtual teammates better. Still, they can also help improve communication within virtual teams, develop problem-solving skills, give a rhythm to remote work, and encourage trust-building among remote team members.
Virtual team-building activities that allow remote workers to collaborate and interact with each other also represent an excellent opportunity for managers to improve their connection with team members.
They can also help the team leaders enhance the company culture, learn more about what motivates their employees and how to communicate best.
Knowing this can help you adapt your management to each team member and encourage them the right way.
This will ultimately lead to increased productivity and employee engagement for your company!
In addition, virtual team builders can also be a fun way for virtual teams to onboard a new member onto the team, thank your team, or celebrate success together!
Team bonding, fun, trust, skills development, engagement, and productivity… What more could you ask for?
How do you make virtual team meetings more fun?
To create a fun virtual team-building, we recommend you go away from the classical activities.
Look for an original virtual event that your team has never done before… –
- Visit a European city all virtually?
- – Set up a custom-made virtual team trivia?
- Throw a rock-and-roll virtual dance party or a karaoke?
- Organize a convivial virtual sports day or a virtual casino night?
The options are endless!
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No matter where they are in the world, it is possible to bring your virtual or hybrid teams closer together, as long as you remember the key: The most successful team activities are to ones that are suited to your staff, positive, innovative, and engaging!
Now, if you’re wondering how to put one together, make sure to contact the virtual experiences specialist Woyago.com to give your team the time of their life – well… work life, let’s not push it! 😉
