Author: katie@escapely.com

Fall is the perfect time for team building activities. It’s an opportunity for teams to unite, foster stronger bonds, and have fun! Whether you’re looking to plan an outdoor adventure, plan a seasonal game, or do something creative, the fall team building activities on our list offer plenty of opportunities for team members to communicate more openly, collaborate effectively, and engage with one another.

By embracing the season’s spirit, fall team building activities can revitalize your team dynamics and pave the way for greater success! If you’re interested in trying out a virtual escape room this coming fall, book a demo with us and we can help you make it happen!

Let’s delve deeper into exciting team building activities for the fall season.

The Charm of Fall: A Unique Atmosphere for Team Building

Fall is the ideal season for enhancing collaboration and hosting fall team building activities comes with many advantages. Here are some reasons why the fall season is ideal for team bonding:

• Seasonal Themes: The fall season offers a variety of themes that can be incorporated into team building activities, adding an element of fun and novelty.
• Mild Weather: Fall typically brings milder temperatures, making outdoor activities more enjoyable for everyone involved. Unlike the scorching heat of summer or the bitter cold of winter, the moderate weather in fall creates a comfortable and pleasant experience! Outdoor fall team building activities are the perfect way to encourage active participation and engagement before the colder months.
• Emotional Connection: Fall often provokes a sense of nostalgia and sentimental feelings because of traditions like Halloween and Thanksgiving. If you get coworkers to engage in activities that resonate with their personal experiences and cultural backgrounds, the emotions conjured up often help promote a deeper connection among team members.
• Time for Reflection: As the year approaches its end, fall is a natural time for reflection and goal setting. Fall team building activities during this season are the perfect opportunity to evaluate past accomplishments and set collective objectives for the future. The shared reflection amongst the team fosters a stronger sense of purpose and direction.
• Flexibility in Activities: Fall offers a wide range of indoor and outdoor activities, accommodating diverse preferences. Whether it’s a team hike, a festive indoor workshop, or a virtual team-building experience, the fall season allows for flexibility in planning activities that cater to the team’s interests and needs.

Unveiling the Best Fall Team Building Activities

The fall months are a great time to engage in team building activities that leverage the unique elements of the season. From outdoor adventures to seasonal crafts or from charitable endeavors to virtual gatherings, these activities promote teamwork and communication and help create lasting memories and a sense of unity among corporate team members. By leaning into the true spirit of fall, these seasonal activities lay the foundation for a stronger, more united team that can tackle challenges and achieve success together.

Fall team building activities also provide a break from the normal day-to-day routine and allow coworkers to unwind before the upcoming holiday season kicks into gear. Your coworkers will thank you if you help to improve morale, reduce stress, and increase team members’ motivation before the holidays.

Engaging in fall themed team building activities maximizes the season’s characteristics by reinforcing teamwork, creativity, and personal growth. All of these will undoubtedly lead to stronger employee engagement and a revamped team spirit.

Finally, hosting fall team building activities demonstrates an employer’s commitment to the well-being and overall morale of their team. When you do things that create such a positive and inclusive workplace culture, everyone is happier and more productive.

Employees become closer, and team building is further nurtured through shared experiences, so it all builds together! Use our fall team building ideas to leverage the season’s symbolism and create memorable and impactful experiences that strengthen teamwork, communication, and overall workplace dynamics.

Innovative Fall Virtual Team Building Activities

These virtual fall team-building activities are a great way to bring remote teams closer together. Each has been adapted to the virtual environment to foster better communication and promote a positive team dynamic. There is no reason that remote teams cannot enjoy the benefits of team bonding just like their in-person counterparts! Try implementing one of these ideas this fall to improve morale and enhance collaboration amongst your team, even when working from a distance.

Virtual Trivia Challenge

Celebrate the autumn season, and all things fall by setting up a virtual trivia challenge with fall-themed questions! Start by gathering your colleagues online using a video conferencing platform like Zoom or Microsoft Teams. We suggest playing in smaller teams to help create friendly competition amongst the teams.

Encourage each business group to come up with creative team names as the first team building exercise. To keep it themed, consider sticking to trivia questions that revolve around fall-related topics, like iconic seasonal traditions, all things pumpkin, famous autumn movies, or even historical events that took place during this time of year. At Escapely, we have various fall-related questions and categories in our virtual trivia games.

But if you choose to host your own, remember to keep the questions diverse in difficulty to keep everyone engaged. We also recommend a timed format to add an extra level of excitement, ensuring fast-paced and intense (friendly) competition! And if you wish, you can spice things up with picture rounds featuring fall landscapes or familiar fall-themed objects.

To increase participation, you can provide festive prizes for the winning team! This always boosts overall motivation and makes the game even more fun. With the perfect blend of laughter and knowledge, a virtual fall trivia challenge promises to be a perfect addition to your list of fall-themed virtual team-building activities!

Spooky Storytelling 

Spooky storytelling is a must-have on your calendar of fall team building activities. It is easy to execute virtually! We recommend having everyone participate from a darker location than their home office to set the mood. Begin by setting the eerie ambiance with dim lighting and perhaps some spooky decorations or fun virtual backgrounds. Assign a storyteller to start the tale with a spine-chilling opening. Then, pass the storytelling baton from team member to team member, each contributing to a part of the narrative. This activity promotes active listening, creative thinking, and improvisation as participants build upon each other’s contributions, weaving a captivating and suspenseful story to life.

To enhance the teamwork aspect, encourage participants to work together to maintain continuity and coherence in the plot. Team members will problem-solve as the story unfolds to connect plot points and deliver unexpected twists. By the end of the activity, your whole group will have crafted a collective story that showcases the team’s collaborative prowess and storytelling skills. This spooky storytelling exercise brings out everyone’s creativity and strengthens team bonds as members collaborate in an imaginative and engaging manner! Even better, if you choose to do this in person, it’s easily adaptable. Just gather your team in a dimly lit place or, if you really want to go all in, around a campfire!

Virtual Escape Rooms

Gather your team for a fun-filled online fall adventure with a virtual escape room! It’s one of the most popular team-building exercises year-round, and there is no better time to do it than after everyone settles back in from the summer.

We suggest choosing a company that offers virtual escape rooms designed specifically for the virtual environment rather than one adapted to be virtual after the fact. For example, our virtual escape rooms were designed to encourage collaboration across video conference with puzzles and challenges that teams must communicate and work together to complete. It’s also fun!

With a number of scenarios to choose from, these virtual escape rooms are designed to bring team members together. For a fall-themed escape room, you can choose this one for Halloween, which offers an exciting and immersive storyline!

Virtual escape rooms go deeper because the puzzles and challenges require sharp problem-solving skills, keen observation, and creative thinking to unlock clues and escape. Participants can see all of their teammates on screen and draw on the puzzles, which adds an extra layer of interaction.

As participants work together, they strengthen their communication and teamwork, promoting a sense of camaraderie! You must also choose whether you want your team to work independently or be guided by a live moderator (we offer both). Whoever you choose, a virtual escape room must be on your list of fall-themed virtual team building activities!

Online Pumpkin Drawing Contest

Do you have any would-be artists on your team? Organizing an online pumpkin drawing contest is a fantastic way to engage them and foster both creativity and teamwork for everyone! It’s definitely something to have on your list of fall team building activities. First, set up a meeting link on your favorite video conferencing platform and send out an invite to your team.

Include a list of all of the materials participants will need so that everyone comes prepared to participate. For example, they will need drawing materials such as paper, pencils, colored pens in fall colors, and a device with access to the internet so they can submit their entries.

So that you get a variety of entries, encourage participants to think beyond traditional pumpkin designs and explore unique concepts. Suggest themes like “Pumpkins in Space” or “Superhero Pumpkins.” You can even consider introducing a collaborative category where multiple participants have to work together virtually to create a single pumpkin masterpiece!

By incorporating elements that celebrate both creativity and teamwork, an online pumpkin drawing contest is an event that can help bring people together from different corners of the virtual world. At the end, you can even host a contest! We suggest that judging criteria focus on originality, artistic skill, and adherence to the theme.

Interactive Online Harvest Festival

One way to celebrate the season is with an online harvest festival, which combines various activities under one virtual “roof.” It’s a unique and engaging way to celebrate the fall season that gives employees many choices. It is sure to improve company culture.

Held virtually, this event can be hosted to bring colleagues, friends, and/or community members together, regardless of any geographical constraints. Participants can experience all the festivities from the comfort of their own homes! You can host this over Zoom and hold different activities in different rooms so participants can move around and try different things.

Activities can include virtual cooking classes where participants prepare seasonal recipes, a digital farmers’ market where local vendors showcase their produce and crafts, and online workshops on traditional crafts like wreath-making or pumpkin carving. Collaborative projects such as a virtual art exhibition featuring artworks inspired by the harvest theme can also be organized, or a friendly online trivia competition focused on seasonal knowledge.

You could even incorporate a music event in which team members can work together to curate playlists of fall-themed music. Through these types of activities, participants not only bond over shared experiences but also enhance their collaborative skills by working on projects and engaging in friendly competitions together, ultimately strengthening their bond as a team.

Exciting Fall In-Person Team Building Activities

Summer is a common time for employees to take PTO, so someone is usually out of the office at any given time. The fall, when kids return to school, and employees tend to stay put, is a great time to bring employees back together for in-person team-building activities.

Depending on where you are in the country or the world, you will have slightly different weather, but for many people, fall strikes the perfect weather balance – cooler than the hot summer months but not yet freezing cold!

From pumpkin carving contests that ignite creativity to harvest picnics that allow for more laid-back interactions, the experiences listed here will help foster stronger relationships among your employees. We have organized this list into two sections: one for outdoor activities and one for indoor activities.

Fall-Themed Outdoor Activities

Because of the weather just discussed, fall is a fantastic season for outdoor employee fun! Engaging in fall team building activities that take advantage of the outdoors has a number of benefits that help enrich team dynamics and promote a more cohesive work environment.

The outdoors makes people feel relaxed and refreshed, and the shared memories will bond your team together! You can do outdoor team-building games or even a fall hike to hone in on coordination, strategic thinking, and teamwork skills. If you really want to push the envelope, you could host a fun run/walk to get the blood flowing.

Whatever outdoor activity you choose, fall outdoor team-building activities will cultivate unity, rejuvenate team spirit, and provide a refreshing break from routine.

Pumpkin Carving Contest

Hosting a pumpkin carving contest is a fun way to tap into the creativity within a group. If this is on your list of fall team building activities (it should be!), here is a step-by-step explanation of organizing one for your team.

Preparation:

Announcement and Sign-Up: Inform your team about the contest well in advance through emails, posters, or digital platforms. Encourage them to form teams beforehand (or go solo if preferred) and sign up for the event.

Materials: Communicate the materials participants need, including pumpkins, carving tools, stencils (if desired), and a safe working area. Participants can either provide their own materials or, if you would like to do the heavy lifting, you can organize the supplies and bring them to the office!

• Contest Day:

• • • Setup: Arrange a designated space for the contest, making sure there is good lighting and ventilation. Set up individual workstations with tables, carving tools, and cleaning supplies.
    • Time Limit: Set a time limit for the carving process. A timer adds an element of excitement and encourages participants to work efficiently.
    • Judging Criteria: Define the judging criteria. Consider creativity, craftsmanship, originality, and adherence to the theme (if any).
    • Carving Session: Allow participants to unleash their creativity by carving their pumpkins. Encourage interaction and collaboration as teams discuss and brainstorm ideas for their designs.

• Judging and Awards:

• • • Judging Panel: As the carving time concludes, assemble a judging panel of impartial individuals with an eye for creativity and craftsmanship!
    • Presentations: Have each team (or individual) present their pumpkin, explaining their design concept and creative process. This will provide insight into each team’s collaborative process and creative dynamics.
    • Awards: Announce winners based on predefined judging criteria. Consider categories like “Most Creative,” “Best Craftsmanship,” and “Most Original Design.” Offer fun prizes that tie into the fall theme!

• Celebration:

• • Showcase and Display: Display all the carved pumpkins in a designated area for everyone to enjoy and admire!

A pumpkin carving contest is perfectly on-theme and is one of the most enjoyable fall team building activities. It promotes team bonding, encourages diverse perspectives and cultivates a sense of unity. Don’t forget to capture a group photo of participants alongside their creations as a memento of the event!

Autumn Scavenger Hunt

Organizing an outdoor fall-themed scavenger hunt is an engaging way to promote team building while embracing the season’s spirit. First, choose a suitable outdoor location with natural elements like colorful leaves, pumpkins, and scenic spots to set it up.

Develop a list of fall-themed items or clues that teams need to find or solve, incorporating the surrounding environment. Divide participants into smaller teams to turn it into a team contest. Be sure to pair coworkers with other employees they do not normally work with to encourage diverse collaboration and communication. Provide each team with a list of clues or riddles, along with a designated area to explore.

As teams work together to decipher clues, locate hidden items, and complete challenges, they work on their problem-solving skills, critical thinking, and strategic planning. Communication is key as team members share ideas, delegate tasks, and navigate the hunt’s intricacies.

The hunt will not only promote some friendly competition but also camaraderie. Once teams are done, consider a debriefing session to encourage them to reflect on the overall experience. Highlight how effective communication and teamwork contributed to the success of the scavenger hunt.

Including something like this on your list of team-building activities not only allows everyone to get out of the office and celebrate the season, but it also provides a valuable opportunity for team members to strengthen their communication skills!

Fall-Themed Indoor Activities

Indoor team building activities tailored to the season provide a cozy and creative way to enhance team building. As it starts to get chilly outside, an indoor activity might be just what your team needs. In addition to the ideas below, you can also consider a fall-themed movie night, a trust fall, or trivia event with fall-related questions!

Cook-Off With Autumn Ingredients

Arranging a fall-themed chili cook-off is a fantastic way to infuse creativity, collaboration, and fun competition into your fall team building activities. To set up this activity, first, choose a date and location, whether it’s in the office kitchen, a communal space, or even a virtual event.

Encourage team members to form small groups or pairs to create their chili recipes. You can let everyone’s imagination run wild, but ask them to embrace the fall season by incorporating ingredients like pumpkin, butternut squash, apples, and warming spices.

To make it easier, you might even want to provide a list of fall-inspired ingredients and let participants choose their favorite combinations. On the cook-off day, participants will bring their chili creations into the office for tasting and judging. It’s always a hit!

During the tasting and judging phase, team members can sample each chili and vote for categories like “Most Creative,” “Best Use of Fall Ingredients,” and “Spiciest Chili.” The friendly competition creates a lighthearted atmosphere where participants cheer on their colleagues.

Overall, a fall-themed chili cook-off not only engages the team in a culinary adventure but also cultivates creativity and provides an outlet for friendly competition in a way that embraces the spirit of the season!

DIY Fall Décor Competition

Setting up a DIY fall décor competition is another fantastic way to encourage creativity and team bonding. It is also an opportunity to wrap a few different fall team building activities all into one event. Here is what you need to do:

First, choose a date and location for the competition. Consider the office, an outside venue, or hold it virtually. Then, decide on the competition categories, such as “Best Fall Wreath,” “Most Creative Pumpkin Design,” or “Coziest Autumn Table Setting.”

Create an announcement that outlines the competition’s details, rules, categories, and judging criteria. To encourage employees to start thinking about their creations, share this with your team ahead of time and provide everyone with a list of recommended fall materials, such as pumpkins, gourds, leaves, twigs, ribbons, candles, and more. Set up a designated area for materials, ensuring that each team has access to various options.

When it’s time to decorate, divide participants into teams, either by randomly selecting groups or allowing them to choose their own teammates. Just make sure teams are balanced in terms of skills and expertise. Give teams a set amount of time (e.g., 1-2 hours) to design and create their fall décor items based on the chosen categories. To make this a deeper team building exercise, encourage creativity and out-of-the-box thinking by allowing teams to incorporate traditional and unique elements into their designs.

Finally, set up a judging panel to evaluate the décor items based on creativity, execution, use of fall elements, and adherence to the category—and, of course, award prizes for each category! To stick with the autumn theme, consider offering fall-themed prizes like pumpkin spice treats, cozy blankets, or autumn-scented candles.

Once the crafting time is up, have each team present their fall décor items to the rest of the group. Allow teams to explain their inspiration, design process, and the significance of their creations!

Embrace the Season: Plan Your Fall Team Building Now

As you are now well aware, fall team building activities offer a number of different benefits. From outdoor adventures to indoor challenges that ignite creativity, these activities encourage open communication, problem-solving, and a shared sense of achievement.

The unique charm of fall, with its cozy ambiance and seasonal ingredients, creates a backdrop that enhances the overall experience. As the days get shorter and the air gets crisper, why not take advantage of the season’s spirit and create memorable experiences that will leave a lasting positive impact on your team? So, don’t wait any longer – start planning your next event and watch your team thrive!

Are you looking to keep your team connected this summer?

Summer team-building activities are a valuable investment for any organization, and with the arrival of warmer weather, the summer season presents the perfect opportunity to engage in activities that bring team members closer together!

There are many fun activities to try this summer, and booking a demo with us can help you know more about how your team can experience these games while strengthening teamwork.

Your employees will reap numerous benefits, from improved communication and collaboration to increased motivation and productivity. The specific objectives of summer team building games will vary depending on each organization’s goals and needs, but some common objectives include:

• Building trust and rapport among team members
• Improving communication and collaboration skills
• Enhancing problem-solving and decision-making abilities
• Encouraging creativity, innovation, and thinking outside the box
• Fostering a sense of camaraderie, unity, and team spirit
• Boosting morale, motivation, and engagement
• Reducing workplace stress and promoting work-life balance

Why you should plan a summer team building activity

After being cooped up during the winter months, colleagues will jump at summer team building activities that get them together outside of the workplace and strengthen their bonds in a more relaxed and enjoyable setting.

For the best results, choose activities that encourage your team members to engage in collaborative tasks, problem-solving challenges, and friendly competition. The summer season is perfect as it offers a vibrant and energetic backdrop. That energy fosters a positive and uplifting team-building atmosphere, which always enhances trust and improves communication skills among participants.

By engaging in shared experiences and overcoming obstacles together, colleagues develop a deeper understanding and appreciation for each other’s strengths. Additionally, summer team building activities provide a much-needed break from the day-to-day, boosting morale and revitalizing the team’s energy.

Team members will relax, recharge, and build personal connections, leading to a more cohesive and productive work environment.

Summer Team Building Ideas

Are you looking for summer corporate event ideas? There are countless options to choose from! Consider a virtual escape room or company trivia to promote some friendly competition and camaraderie. Or go for creative activities like cooking classes or art workshops. The possibilities are endless!

 

Morning Coffee

Morning coffee is a great summer team-building idea. It involves gathering the team together before the workday to have a cup of coffee or drink of choice and engage in open and casual conversations.

This simple yet effective activity allows team members to connect on a personal level and build relationships without the pressures of the workplace. It’s the perfect way to promote a positive and inclusive work culture, as it allows everyone to contribute and be heard, regardless of their position or seniority.

By creating a relaxed and informal atmosphere, morning coffee allows colleagues to share thoughts, ideas, and experiences outside of the usual work-related discussions.

This activity can take place either in the office or virtually. You can even take morning coffee to the next level by including a coffee tasting in your virtual meeting! No matter what, morning coffee will help set a positive tone for the day.

Company Trivia

Company trivia is engaging and entertaining and should be on every virtual summer team building activities list. Planning a team trivia night is always popular among in-person and remote teams. This activity brings team members together and encourages some friendly competition.

If your team is gathering in person, determine the best location for the event and gather the necessary trivia questions. Consider different difficulty levels and categories to create a well-balanced bank of questions.

You will also want to clearly define the rules of the game, including how answers should be submitted, how points will be awarded, and any additional rules or guidelines to ensure fairness. Finally, decide whether your colleagues will play as individuals or in teams.

You will need a host to facilitate the trivia event, which can be accomplished by designating someone from the group or by hiring a professional trivia host to visit your office or venue. They will be responsible for asking questions, keeping the game flowing smoothly, and engaging participants.

A great way to get everyone excited is to choose a wide range of categories that will appeal to a variety of interests. It also helps to include rounds for upcoming holidays or observances. For example, in our virtual trivia at Escapely, we encourage teams to choose six diverse categories from history to movies to food and drink. We also encourage teams to take advantage of our DEI content, which has been thoroughly tested and vetted within each community before we offer it to clients.

To make your trivia event even more memorable, offer prizes or rewards for the winning teams! This adds a competitive element and motivates participants to give their best effort. It also always encourages a higher turnout. Prizes can range from small tokens of appreciation to more significant rewards like company swag or gift cards.

Murder Mystery

Hosting a murder mystery party as a team building activity may sound a bit dark, but it can actually be an incredibly exciting and immersive experience for your team. If done right, it will be an interactive and engaging event that allows team members to work together to solve a fictional crime while enjoying a fun-filled experience.

To organize summer team-building activities like murder mysteries, start by selecting a theme that suits your team’s interests and preferences. It could be a classic detective story set in the 1920s, a thrilling spy mystery, or a spooky Halloween-themed murder.

The chosen theme sets the stage for the event and adds an element of intrigue and excitement. We always suggest encourage team members to dress up in costumes that align with the theme! It adds to the fun and helps participants fully immerse themselves in the experience. Some participants will have costumes readily available, but you should consider providing some costume suggestions to help those who don’t frequent theme parties.

There are two types of murder mystery team building events. In one, participants get to play a character in the crime, each with a specific backstory, motive, and clues relevant to the mystery. For this style of murder mystery, you will need to distribute the character information to team members in advance so they can familiarize themselves with their roles and develop their character’s personality.

During the event, participants interact with each other, share information, and gather clues to try to solve the murder. Sometimes, the murderer doesn’t even know they are the person accused of the crime until the very end! To make this version successful, you will need to encourage open communication among team members as they piece together the puzzle.

Consider incorporating interactive elements like clue cards, evidence collection, or timed challenges to enhance the experience and keep everyone engaged. This would not be a fit for shy personalities or teammates who do not know each other well yet.

We tend to get better feedback on our virtual murder mystery in which participants don’t need to memorize parts or play characters. For one, there is no advance preparation, which makes it easier on participants. Second, the participants get to play investigator and interrogate the suspects, played by a cast of live actors – in the age of true crime podcasts, we have found that everyone has an inner investigator waiting to come out! This style is a better fit for teams who have new members, are still getting to know one another, or simply don’t want to have to do “homework.”

Some of the benefits of having a murder mystery party as one of your summer team building ideas are that it encourages teamwork, critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making skills. Participants must work together, analyze evidence, and connect the dots to solve the mystery successfully.

 

Happy Hour

Hosting a happy hour is another staple on the list of summer team building activities. It is a wonderful way to create a relaxed and social atmosphere where team members can come together, unwind, and catch up outside of work hours. 

When planning a team happy hour, it’s important to choose a suitable venue or setting. You can opt for a local bar or restaurant, book a private room, or even host the event in a designated space within the office. Alternatively, consider organizing a virtual happy hour over Zoom for remote or distributed teams.

No matter where you host it, you should consider incorporating interactive elements to make your happy hour more engaging and inclusive. You can organize icebreaker activities or conversation starters that encourage participation and facilitate connections among team members. These activities range from trivia games to sharing interesting personal stories or collaborative challenges. It can even be as simple as everyone answering the same question!

Another way to make the happy hour enjoyable is to offer a variety of food and drink options to ensure there is something for everyone. Be sure to ask in advance so that you can accommodate dietary and drink preferences and restrictions. This will ensure inclusivity and make the event accessible to all team members.

Hosting a happy hour also promotes a sense of work-life balance and employee well-being. It signals that the organization values team members’ personal time and encourages relaxation and socializing. Best of all, while happy hour pairs with everything, it pairs especially well with summer and can take place monthly. They are perfect for your June team building activities, July team building activities, and August!

Virtual Escape Room

There is no more engaging or effective team building activity to bring remote teams together in a virtual environment than a virtual escape room. These games promote teamwork because at their core they are a team game, and every player has a role. Team members must communicate, share information, and leverage each other’s strengths to succeed.

If you want your team to sharpen its effective communication, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills, this is a summer team-building activity you must add to the rotation.

Because virtual escape games are immersive and interactive, these team-building events require engagement and active participation. They allow teams to bond and collaborate in a fun and challenging setting. Additionally, the virtual nature allows remote teams to connect and build relationships regardless of their location.

By working towards a common goal, teams develop trust, cooperation, and camaraderie. They also love friendly competition and must work together—especially if they want to win!

Our best advice is to seek a virtual escape room that provides a fully guided experience. You don’t want participants to feel confused, overwhelmed, or unable to continue and a moderator will ensure each time has a chance to team build! Our best feedback comes from our fully hosted virtual escape game.

Dedicated moderators work one-on-one with each team to guide them through the game. However, even if the budget does not allow for a guided experience, your team will reap the benefits of communication, collaboration, and problem solving.

Outdoors Sports Tournament

When deciding on your summer activities for the workplace, consider organizing an outdoor sports tournament. It’s an excellent way to promote teamwork, camaraderie, and healthy competition among team members, and you don’t need college athletes on your team to make it fun! Teams can come together in an active setting by engaging in sports like volleyball, basketball, or soccer. 

Start by selecting a location with ample space for the chosen sport. Local parks, sports fields, or recreational areas might all be able to accommodate the tournament’s needs. Be sure to choose sports for your summer team-building activities that are accessible and enjoyable for all participants.

Popular team sports like volleyball, basketball, or soccer often work well as they require both individual skills and team coordination. Also, most people are familiar with the rules. To promote cross-collaboration, you can allow team members to form their own teams or assign teams based on a mix of departments or roles.

Encourage each team to come up with a creative team name, and if you really want to go the extra mile, design team uniforms or jerseys! This adds a fun and competitive element to the event and helps foster team spirit and unity.  

Prior to the tournament, establish clear rules and guidelines to ensure fair play and safety. Communicate the rules to all participants in advance and consider having an impartial referee or facilitator oversee the matches and enforce the rules. This helps create a level playing field and ensures a smooth and organized tournament without conflict. You will also want to create a bracket to help keep things organized. This will let the teams know when they are playing and allow them to track the overall standings.  

At the end of the tournament, acknowledge and celebrate the teams’ efforts and achievements. Recognize everything from individual performances to team spirit to sportsmanship. You can even award trophies, medals, or certificates to winning teams or individuals to commemorate their participation and success.

The benefits of an outdoor sports tournament as one of your summer team building events are endless. Participating in sports fosters teamwork, communication, and strategic thinking. It also encourages individuals to step outside their comfort zones, develop leadership skills, and learn to work effectively under pressure.

Through shared experiences, both on and off the field, team members can strengthen their bonds and develop a greater appreciation for each other’s strengths and abilities.

 

Virtual Summer Movie Night

A virtual summer movie night is a great addition to your list of virtual summer team-building activities. To organize this event, we suggest choosing a movie that aligns with the team’s interests. All you need to do is coordinate a time for everyone to start the movie simultaneously using a video conferencing platform like Microsoft Teams or Zoom, which has screen-sharing capabilities.

After the movie, divide participants into smaller breakout rooms to facilitate in-depth discussions about the film. Encourage team members to share their thoughts, favorite scenes, and key takeaways.

This activity allows for informal and engaging conversations and encourages active listening enabling team members to connect on a more personal level and discover common interests beyond work.

Team Barbecue

If you’re planning any August team building activities for the end of summer, hosting a team barbecue combines food, outdoor fun, and a casual social atmosphere. You can organize a barbecue at a local park or beach to provide a relaxed setting where team members can gather, unwind, and enjoy each other’s company as summer comes to an end.

To begin, choose a location that suits your needs. Take into account things like picnic areas, grilling facilities, and ample space for activities. Communicate the details to the team and encourage them to bring their favorite dishes to share, including barbecue specialties, sides, salads, desserts, and beverages. This potluck-style approach not only ensures a diverse and delicious spread but also promotes inclusivity and showcases the team’s culinary talents and cultural diversity.

In addition to the food, plan some summer team building activities and games to encourage interaction and bonding. Considering adding games like volleyball, cornhole, or frisbee get everyone moving and involved. But no matter what, a team barbecue will provide opportunities for team members to collaborate, communicate, and enjoy some tasty food!

Virtual Mixology Class

A virtual mixology class is an engaging and interactive team building activity that allows team members to learn the art of crafting summer cocktails or mocktails from their homes. Most people associate happy hours and fun cocktails with summer, but this activity takes happy hour to the next level by allowing teams to explore their creativity, learn new skills, and bond.

You can lead the class yourself or choose an experienced mixologist to lead the session—just make sure you choose someone with the necessary expertise to guide participants through the process of making these delicious and refreshing summer drinks! If possible, we also suggest sending participants a kit of everything they will need.

During the class, the mixologist chosen should demonstrate the step-by-step process of making your chosen cocktails or mocktails while explaining the techniques, ingredients, and proportions. Participants can follow along, ask questions, and receive real-time guidance. This interactive format encourages engagement and allows team members to connect with each other and the instructor.

After the mixology class, encourage team members to gather virtually for a social session where they can enjoy their concoctions and engage in casual conversations. This relaxed atmosphere allows for further bonding and connection, as team members can share their thoughts on the class, exchange drink recipes, or simply catch up with each other.

Virtual Team Building Activity for Remote Teams

Virtual summer team building activities offer several advantages for fostering team bonding over the summer, especially for remote teams. First, virtual summer team building activities allow team members from different locations to participate without the limitations of physical distance. Remote teams can come together regardless of their geographical spread, making it easier to include everyone.

Second, virtual summer team building activities provide flexibility and convenience. Team members can join from the comfort of their own homes or any location, eliminating the need for travel or logistical arrangements. This flexibility is particularly beneficial when individuals may have personal commitments or vacation plans during the summer. Virtual team building activities allow team members to participate at their convenience, ensuring maximum engagement and attendance.

Numerous online platforms and tools are available that cater specifically to virtual team building, offering various interactive games, trivia sessions, virtual escape rooms, or even virtual cooking classes. You will want to choose a video conferencing platform like Zoom with which team members can see and interact with each other, fostering a sense of connection.

We prefer Zoom for all of the games we run because of the features like breakout rooms, which allow for smaller group discussions. We also use the annotation features in many of our games to make it more interactive for participants.

Another advantage to virtual summer team building is cost-effectiveness. Organizing virtual activities typically requires fewer resources than in-person events. There are no expenses related to venue rentals, travel, or catering, making it a more budget-friendly option for organizations—especially for remote teams spread across different locations.

Virtual events offer flexibility, inclusivity, and a wide range of options while eliminating geographical barriers. Virtual activities provide a convenient, cost-effective, and engaging way to foster team bonding, allowing remote teams to come together, strengthen relationships, and create a sense of unity regardless of location.

Benefits of a virtual summer team building activity

Summer team building activities that are virtual offer several benefits that contribute to a successful work environment. Because virtual events allow for interaction with more teammates than an in-person event, they enhance team communication, fostering better collaboration and understanding among members.

Second, they boost overall productivity, as improved relationships and trust leave team members more invested in the company. Lastly, these types of activities help leaders stand out by showcasing their ability to foster a positive and cohesive team spirit.

Improves team communication

The best team building games are interactive and require participants to communicate. Take a virtual escape room, for example. It enhances communication skills by requiring team members to collaborate, share information, and solve problems collectively.

Team members must convey their observations, ask questions, and interact with each other to progress in the game. Engaging in a virtual escape room activity can significantly benefit a team because participants will need to coordinate their efforts to solve puzzles and escape within a given time frame. Virtual escape games also promote active listening – participants must carefully listen to each other’s ideas and work together to find solutions.

Lastly, the activity provides a safe and fun environment for team members to practice expressing their thoughts and opinions, enhancing their overall communication skills.

Improves overall productivity

Engaging in fun summer team building activities that do not involve work-related discussions provides employees with a much-needed break from their daily routines. This break allows them to relax, recharge, and temporarily shift their focus away from work-related things.

This, in turn, actually makes employees more productive when they are working! By participating in fun activities, employees can reduce stress and gain a fresh perspective. When they return to the workplace, they bring renewed energy, increased motivation, and a clearer mindset.

This boost in mood and productivity positively impacts their performance, creativity, and problem-solving abilities, ultimately leading to improved outcomes and a more positive work environment.

Makes leadership stand out

It is often said that a good leader is one who works to develop the leadership abilities of everyone on their team. By this same reasoning, a good team building activity will develop and identify leadership abilities amongst the participants.

Again, we will use a virtual escape room as an example because it provides valuable insights into a team’s true leaders. Effective leaders naturally emerge during a virtual escape room by taking charge, providing direction, and delegating tasks.

Leaders communicate clearly, ensuring everyone is engaged, informed, and working towards a common goal. They foster collaboration by encouraging active participation, listening to others’ ideas, and incorporating diverse perspectives into decision-making.

Leaders inspire and rally team members, exhibit problem-solving skills, and help identify innovative solutions. They are resourceful, creative, and able to navigate complex situations effectively.

Observing how individuals behave and interact during a virtual escape room makes it evident who possesses the leadership qualities necessary to guide and inspire a team. Recognizing these true leaders can facilitate their organizational development, allowing them to take on leadership roles and contribute to the team’s success beyond the virtual escape room environment.

Planning a virtual team building event

Planning a virtual team-building event requires careful consideration and effective coordination to create an engaging and memorable experience for remote team members. The first step is to designate an event organizer who will be responsible for planning and executing the event. 

The event organizer can proceed to select appropriate summer team building activities and platforms that promote interaction and collaboration. They will also be responsible for developing a detailed schedule, considering time zones and availability.

The event organizer should ensure seamless logistics by coordinating virtual meeting links, providing clear instructions, and addressing any technical requirements. In most cases, they should collaborate with external facilitators who specialize in virtual team building.

On the event day, the event organizer will manage the virtual event, facilitate the activities, and ensure participants have a positive and inclusive experience.

Bring fun to the workplace with summer team building games

Adding summer activities to the workplace can inject a dose of fun into the day and foster a positive work environment. Team building games provide opportunities for team members to connect, collaborate, and build stronger relationships while enjoying the spirit of the season.

Summer team building games provide an opportunity to unwind, recharge, and foster a sense of camaraderie among team members. So, let the sunshine in, organize a team building game, and watch as the positive energy radiates throughout the workplace, leading to a happier and more productive team!

Virtual happy hours have become a staple amongst remote teams. The highest-performing teams can transcend coworker relationships to forge close friendships with these virtual team building activities, which is even more important in teams that don’t work together in an office.

Virtual happy hours are the perfect opportunity to bring your team together to socialize, connect, and break up the work day! In addition, you are likely to have high attendance because the virtual environment removes barriers to entry – there is no commute time, and it’s easy to join from anywhere!

With virtual happy hours, even teams spread out across states or the globe can check in with each other and deepen bonds. We recommend making it a regular occurrence that coworkers will learn to look forward to. Whether you are searching for best Zoom happy hour themes, happy hour party ideas, or virtual happy hour topics, this is an ideal way to connect.

Check out our list of 24 virtual happy hour ideas to liven up your next meeting and re-energize your work team. You can even book a demo with us to learn more about our fun virtual team-building activities. You can choose to bring in the professionals, ship kits to your coworkers, or plan a quick and easy event on your own. For those looking for free virtual happy hour games or free virtual happy hour ideas with coworkers, we have options that cater to every need.

The possibilities are endless with ideas for virtual happy hour that can appeal to all preferences. No matter your preferences, our collection of online happy hour ideas will make your next remote happy hour one to remember!

Food and Drink Virtual Happy Hour Ideas

1. Virtual Coffee Tasting

There are ways to involve non-drinkers in virtual happy hour ideas that involve alcohol. But this one bypasses that entirely! A virtual coffee tasting is great if you are getting your team together for an early or mid-morning virtual happy hour. Your team members who drink coffee daily will have a chance to learn about the roasting and brewing process, and those who do not will be exposed to new tastes and flavors.

The typical virtual coffee tasting starts with a brewer walking you and your coworkers through the history of coffee, its science, and many different techniques for making coffee. This is a perfect way to jump-start your team’s day, teach them something new, and allow them to connect with each other.

Several different virtual coffee tastings are available. Check out this one from Krafty Lab. You can choose the kit you want to use and select your ideal date and time. If sending out kits is outside the budget, a virtual coffee tasting can easily be set up internally.

Set a meeting time and tell everyone to log on with the coffee of their choice. Then, ask each team member to share their favorite brew. It’s quick, easy, and cost-effective. Either way, most coworkers will agree that the best way to start the day is with caffeine!

2. Virtual Wine Tasting

When setting up virtual happy hour activities for your team, virtual wine-tasting team-building events almost always make the list. And this happy hour idea can be done with a range of production efforts. It can be hosted on a budget by someone on your team or upgraded to a premium experience with a sommelier and wine-tasting kits.

To host a virtual wine tasting yourself, you can order miniature bottles of wine and send them to your team. Try them together and discuss what everyone thinks! For a more upgraded experience, invite a winemaker or sommelier from the winery of your choice to walk the team through different varietals.

Learn about how the winery grows and harvests grapes, how their wine is made, the winery’s history, where the ingredients come from, and of course, the taste! The instructor will share tasting notes and pairings that participants can take home with them.

We do recommend keeping in mind any coworkers who want to avoid drinking alcohol. If you have any participants who prefer not to drink wine, most wineries offer a non-alcoholic option so that everyone can participate.

3. Virtual Cheese Tasting

Who doesn’t love cheese? Virtual cheese tastings are crowd-pleasers that work great as stand-alone experiences or alongside virtual wine or beer tastings. In fact, some wineries and breweries offer both together!

Virtual cheese tastings can range from pairings to tastings to even crafting your cheese board. Have a talented cheese expert lead you through a cheese sampling to learn about the taste, smell, pairings, and more! Your team can ask questions and share feedback – it’s a great way to keep everyone engaged.

You can also provide an experience for each employee to create their own charcuterie board – a skill they can take away from the experience and utilize in the future. Participants can showcase the boards afterward and vote on a winner.

Charcuterie boards can also be accommodated if you have any participants with dietary restrictions, as anyone can choose to leave out ingredients that they cannot have.

4. Virtual Cocktail-Making Class

A virtual cocktail-making class is a classic option for happy hour! In a virtual mixology class, you and your coworkers get to become bartenders. The most common way to execute this team-building event is to hire a knowledgeable mixologist to walk your team through the construction of several festive cocktails.

If you go this route, the company you choose will also coordinate sending each participant a cocktail kit with everything they will need. This makes it easy for your team, and everyone will love receiving a customized kit prior to the event. It really gets everyone excited!

The other option is to see whether any team members have bartending experience and would be willing to take charge. You can provide a shopping list beforehand so that each employee can purchase the ingredients they need for the event. You can even throw in some happy hour games to play after the drinks are made!

We also recommend theming your beverage choices to the time of year! For example, choose some refreshing options to bring your team together in the summer months.  It’s the perfect ending to the work week and an opportunity for employees to relax and destress together!

5. Virtual Beer Tasting

Beer is a classic beverage, but there are so many different kinds! Beer connoisseurs and novices alike will learn something at a virtual beer tasting. It is also something that you can easily organize yourself. Have each team member submit their favorite beer.

Compile the selections into a list and ask each coworker to seek out a few they are unfamiliar with and bring them to happy hour. At the event, let the new tasters share their thoughts with those who chose the beers.

Of course, one of our most well-liked virtual happy hour tips is to take the organization off your plate. If you want to outsource the execution, some companies can provide tasting kits and a beer expert or brewer to join and talk through the notes of each one!

Either direction you choose, your employees will love this happy hour classic that allows participants to come together and bond over drinks!

6. Virtual Chocolate Tasting

Do you know anyone who likes chocolate? I thought so. Virtual chocolate tasting team-building events are a tasty crowd-pleaser. They are a great addition to virtual happy hours year-round, especially around the holidays!

Bring your team together to learn about the history of chocolate, how it is made, what it pairs well with, and, of course, taste it! A virtual chocolate tasting is the perfect way to sweeten your next gathering. 

As an affordable alternative, ask each of your coworkers to bring their favorite chocolate candy to the next team meeting and allow everyone some time to explain their top choice. This will get your coworkers talking and comparing their favorites!

7. Virtual Snack Boxes

Sending your coworkers a snack box before your next virtual happy hour is a great way to show your appreciation and go the extra mile. Each team member can sit back and enjoy chatting with other team members without having to prepare something to eat in advance. 

Incorporating a snack box into your virtual happy hour gives everyone something to look forward to—it will arrive in advance! Everyone will come to the event ready to engage in conversation and laugh with their colleagues.

Many allow you to customize the box with your company logo or include some company swag to add a personal touch.

8. Virtual Cooking Classes

There is nothing that brings people together more than food! That is why one of our favorite virtual happy hour activities is a cooking class. Virtual cooking classes and team-building events are an excellent way for your team to bond, build new skills, and, the best part, taste their creations!

You can plan this virtual happy hour activity as a DIY event or hire a chef. If you have a smaller budget and need to stick to virtual happy hour ideas that you can execute within your team, ask everyone to share their favorite recipes.

Let the team vote on their favorite – this will get them excited and invested! Then, the person who submitted it can give a cooking demonstration over Zoom. If you choose to hire a professional, a chef will keep everyone engaged while coworkers will chat throughout the cooking process.

We recommend sending your team a kit with all the ingredients they will need to make their chosen dish, but you can also provide a shopping list and ask everyone to gather them.

The best thing is that you can turn this into a virtual team-building game later on. When coworkers make this recipe at home, ask them to take a picture to share with the team!

Virtual Happy Hour Games and Activities

What is a virtual happy hour without some friendly competition? If you’re looking for ideas to liven up your next team gathering, we definitely suggest an activity or a game. This next section contains games suitable for newer teams still getting to know each other and experiences like a virtual escape room or charades. No matter your choice, these will surely get the competitive juices flowing.

9. Icebreakers

Getting to know new coworkers might seem intimidating at first. Many people struggle to find the right way to initiate a conversation, especially in a virtual environment. Fortunately, we have some tips to get your employees comfortable and “break the ice.”

Icebreakers can be fun and simple questions that encourage everyone to share more about themselves. They help coworkers get to know each other a bit more personally and build team morale by allowing everyone to learn about each other outside of the office. For ideas, check out our thorough list of virtual team-building icebreakers in the first section of this blog post.

10. Scattergories Online

Scattergories is a fun game that rewards players for thinking creatively. First, choose a category at random – animals, spicy foods, or things you throw away. Next, choose a single letter of the alphabet. Finally, give participants one minute to write down as many answers as possible, starting with the selected letter and fitting that category.

For example, if the category is kitchen items and the chosen letter is F, you might write down a fork, food processor, or frying pan. At the end of the minute, each player reveals their list one item at a time.

If any other player has written down the same answer, both are stricken from the record. Only the answers that no one else has count toward the score!

Of course, creative liberties with each category are allowed, but be prepared for a lively debate regarding why your answer should count. Scattergories online is a fantastic way to encourage outside-the-box thinking and can liven up any virtual happy hour.

11. Virtual Trivia

Virtual trivia makes almost every list of happy hour ideas, and rightfully so! Teams love getting together and testing their knowledge in a good old-fashioned way. It also gives coworkers a chance to show off their niche knowledge of certain categories – you might be shocked to find out who knows everything about The Simpsons or the countries in Africa. 

Coworkers will learn more about their teammates as they work together to try and come out on top. You can even include a prize for the winning team at the end!

There are several types of virtual trivia. You can choose an event with a set number of questions that everyone must answer, and the person or team with the most correct answers wins. The other option is rapid-fire trivia (our favorite!) which really gets the crowd going.

In rapid-fire trivia, teams must answer as many questions as they can in a certain time period. The added sense of urgency makes it really fun to see which answers people blurt out. Whichever you choose, virtual trivia will help your team get to know each other and everyone’s niche hobbies and interests.

12. Scavenger Hunts

A virtual scavenger hunt is a great option if you want to get everyone up and moving around. To do it, send your coworkers a checklist of items they need to find. Challenge them to locate as many items on the list as possible using their immediate surroundings.

To make it more fun, don’t send the list in advance! Let everyone run around their home office or their entire house to find the items on the list as quickly as they can. This virtual happy hour game can be played individually or in teams.

If working together as a group, maybe one person doesn’t have it handy, but maybe someone else on the team does! When time is up, every team shows what they were able to collect and earns one point for each item located. This is a great way to get your team interacting and laughing together on a budget!

13. Virtual Escape Room

Virtual escape rooms require teamwork, collaboration, and communication. They are the perfect virtual happy hour idea for teams of any size. They are the highest-rated experience by coworkers choosing virtual games! Teams encounter a series of puzzles and challenges and must problem-solve together to find codes and solutions.

You can all work together and race against the clock if you have a smaller team. If you have a larger group, you can split into smaller teams and race each other – who doesn’t love some friendly competition? A virtual escape room is something your employees will love and be thankful that they had the chance to play. It is also one of the most interactive team building events available.

14. Charades

Finally, a good reason to be on mute! The classic party game of Charades can be brought to your next virtual happy hour to get your coworkers out of their seats and laughing alongside one another. This event is easy to set up internally and is always a hit.

First, divide your group into two teams. Each team writes down a list of movie titles, songs, or books for the other team. Then, taking turns, one person on each team will randomly have the chance to act out the other team’s choice. We recommend sending the choice to the actor through private chat so no one else can see it.

Time each team to see how long it takes them to guess the correct answer. The team with the lowest total time wins! After that, everyone will have a fantastic time making silly faces and flexing their creative muscles without saying a word!

15. Virtual Comedy Experiences

No two-drink minimum is required for this comedy show, though you are welcome to encourage attendees to bring whatever they want to drink to their computer! Take the experience of going to an in-person comedy show and put a virtual spin on it for your next team happy hour. Everyone gets to enjoy the hilarity from the comfort of their own homes.

Inviting a professional entertainer to delight the entire team is a must. Virtually has many talented entertainers who will keep your coworkers entertained. Virtual comedy is the way to go if you’re looking for a virtual happy hour idea that doesn’t require participants to interact with one another but allows them to kick back and relax.

16. Don’t Say It (Taboo)

You have probably heard of Taboo, the word-guessing game where you can’t use the words on the card! Taboo is always a team favorite regarding virtual work happy hour ideas. This fun party game will liven up your virtual happy hour by having everyone around you attempt to guess the word or phrase that’s just on the tip of your tongue. The best part is that you can plan and execute this yourself.

Everyone needs a copy of Taboo. If employees don’t already have it, you could consider sending it to them—they will certainly appreciate getting to keep this game after the event is over!

First, divide your group into teams. One at a time, players take turns getting their team to guess as many words as possible in one minute. They need their team to guess the word at the top of the card, but be careful – you are not allowed to say any of the words below.

Sometimes it is tempting to say them since you can see them on the card! Players must think outside the box to get their team on the same wavelength. After everyone has had a chance to play, the team with the most correct answers wins. 

Pro tip: If teams have an uneven number of players, the team with the fewest players should have one player go twice!

17. Heads Up

Heads Up is a party game in which players guess a person, place, or thing that appears on screen! All you need is the Heads Up app on your phone, and it’s easy to play over Zoom. Each player should have the app downloaded onto their own phone.

Players can choose any category, and at the start of each round, they need to hold their phone against their forehead. Of course, they cannot see the answer, so it’s up to the rest of the team to give enough hints and suggestions to answer without giving it away (just like in Taboo).

There is just one catch to making this work over Zoom. Before each participant takes their turn, they must click their video on the screen and select hide self-view. This will allow them to remain on camera so that everyone else can see them, but they will not be able to see the answer reflected back on their screen.

Nevertheless, Heads Up is a fantastic game to play with your coworkers.

18. One Night Werewolf

One Night Werewolf is a social deduction game similar to the popular computer game Mafia. This is an easy game to set up as a team. First, choose a narrator who is quick on their feet and can provide some storyline as the game is played.

It should be someone creative who can come up with ideas on the spot! Then, divide everyone into two groups – the villagers and the werewolves. The narrator should do this privately through the chat function so no one else knows.

The game is divided into two stages—night and day. It starts at the night stage, with the narrator leading the action. Everyone closes their eyes throughout the duration of the night stage. At the end of the night stage, the werewolves open their eyes to identify the other werewolves. The narrator then shifts the game to the day stage, and everyone opens their eyes. The whole group works together in an attempt to identify the werewolves. 

The goal of the villagers is to correctly identify a werewolf, while the goal of the werewolves is to evade capture! A lively debate should ensue, and at the end, everyone chooses one person who they think is a werewolf. Whoever receives the most votes is “killed.” If a werewolf is chosen, the team of villagers wins.  If a villager is chosen, the werewolves win.

Virtual Murder Mystery

A virtual murder mystery is the perfect way for your team to test their crime-solving skills! This is definitely a virtual happy hour game that you will want to outsource to a company skilled in executing this type of event. Some companies ask you to review physical evidence to solve a crime, while others include live actors as part of the experience!

In this one, teams review various pieces of evidence and one-by-one interview each suspect to understand what happened. Their goal is to identify alibis, determine motives, and determine when a suspect is not telling the truth.

Figuring out which questions to ask and piecing together the answers is all part of the game. As teams work together to interrogate, they get to review text messages, examine social media posts, analyze DNA findings, and even listen to voicemails. Teams must work together and pay close attention. No detail is too small! Ultimately, teams have time to deliberate and make their final accusations. Finally, the killer is revealed, and a winner is crowned!

19. Online Tour Guide Experiences

Did you know you can take your team on a trip to Europe without buying them plane tickets? Now you can! When brainstorming team virtual happy hour ideas, this is a fairly new concept that should be considered. A virtual tour is an opportunity for your team to sit back, relax, and converse with each other while they get a front-row view of some of the world’s most famous cities and landmarks!

If you choose to hire an organizer, several different companies can set up and plan this type of experience for you. 

For example, Woyago allows your team to see Paris through a local’s eyes. If you prefer to save money and plan this experience yourself, you can also search for free options on sites like YouTube. Invite your coworkers to bring a drink and enjoy some food as they embark on their virtual tour guide experience.

If you want to reward your team with an all-expenses-paid trip but need more money, this is your ticket!

20. Virtual Bingo

One of our favorite ideas for the team is virtual bingo, the exciting combination of numbers and letters! It’s a classic party game that everyone already knows, so there is no learning curve or unfair advantage.

Many times it is hosted by a live caller, meaning your whole team gets to play! It always starts with an overview of the rules. From there, all participants receive their unique and randomly generated five-by-five bingo cards with their unique combination of numbers.

As the caller announces the draws, each call-out will be displayed on the screen for all participants. If you host this virtual happy hour game over Zoom (which we recommend), participants can use their mouse to mark off the squares on their cards.

The bingo rounds will vary from five across to four corners and even a full card. Players are looking to be the first to have their numbers called and be able to yell out “Bingo!” to win! And the best part is that you can choose custom words instead of numbers to appear on the cards. Choose things meaningful to your company or team!

21. Gartic Phone

Gartic Phone is a hilarious combination of telephone and pictionary, with everything getting lost in translation!

To do this, everyone will need to download the game from the app store, but there is a free version. Everyone on the team starts by writing a simple sentence – nothing too elaborate or difficult to understand. After each sentence has been entered, players will each get one at random. It is now your job to turn that sentence into a work of art by doing your best to draw an accurate representation of the sentence without using any words.

After each drawing has been completed, the pictures are randomly assigned again, leaving you with an image that is up to you to interpret. Everyone must try their best to describe the drawing in their own words in a simple and easy-to-understand sentence.

Repeat this process until every person has had a chance to create their own spin on your original idea. Part problem-solving and part creative interpretation, liven up your next virtual happy hour by seeing how quickly different people can change and rearrange your simple ideas. Expert drawing skills are undoubtedly optional and discouraged!

23. Online Magic Shows

Pick a card, any card, and get ready to be amazed!

Next on our list of ideas is an online magic show. Gather the whole team together to watch a magician perform illusions right before their eyes. It is sometimes hard to believe it isn’t camera tricks or clever editing—just the joy of close-up magic from the comfort of your home!

Whether performing classic card tricks or making everyday objects disappear, your team will be enthralled by a lively host accomplishing illusions that must be seen to believe.

24. Paint & Sip

For this virtual happy hour idea, have your team break out their art supplies and encourage them to bring along their favorite beverages for an activity sure to ignite a creative spark.

If you want to host this activity independently, decide what you will all paint as a team. Have each participant bring paints or crayons and display the painting on the screen. Everyone will work together to create their work of art, matching the original as closely as possible. When you are finished, go around and have everyone showcase their finished products.

If you have the budget, you can also bring in an artist to facilitate and guide everyone through a painting. This painting event through TeamClass is a great option. Kits are shipped to each participant with all the necessary supplies needed, including paints, brushes, and a canvas. On the event day, everyone logs on and follows along as

 the instructor walks everyone through each step of the selected painting. In the end, participants are left with their very own masterpieces. Trust us, no two paintings will be exactly alike, but everyone will have a great new addition to their home offices!

Virtual Happy Hour Tips

When setting up your next virtual happy hour, remember these tips to streamline your planning: 

1. Figure out the best fit for your team size. Do you want to all do something together or split your group into smaller teams?
2. You will need to decide whether your goal is an interactive activity or an opportunity for everyone to sit back and relax.
3. We always suggest asking your team for their suggestions. Do they want to play a game? Do they want to eat and drink? Or do they want to do both? Compile the top options, and for an extra touch, ask your team to vote! This will make your team invested in the experience and excited to get together outside work.
4. Determine your budget in advance. This will help you decide whether to hire professionals to plan your event or go the DIY route. By handing off the planning, you can focus on being present with your team while someone else does the heavy lifting.

At Escapely, we pride ourselves on caring for everything so our clients can sit back and enjoy. Still, if you are working with a budget, the awesome DIY games for a virtual happy hour on this list will engage your team and spruce up your next meeting.

It is important to invest in your employees and create a way for them to spend time with one another outside of work. Hosting a virtual happy hour regularly allows team members to reconnect and interact with one another in an environment outside of work.

They will share life updates, learn new things about each other, and have fun. Any of the above fun virtual happy hour ideas are certain to boost morale and engagement!