Tools that make virtual team building activities easy

There are plenty of online options for group gameplay, but we love these activities because they don’t require anything we don’t already use within our distributed team at Marco Polo. Here are some examples of how we use our existing tools to facilitate our activities:

• Marco Polo: With teammates in different time zones, our asynchronous video messaging app enables connection when it works. You don’t have to miss out on the fun simply because it starts before you’re online for the day. Everyone can participate and no one misses out. 

• Slack: For us, Slack is a powerhouse for setting up different activity-based spaces that let participants dip in and out of the conversation. If you don’t use Slack, you can also use Microsoft Teams.

• Google Workspace and Microsoft 365: Different teams and workplaces tend to favor one of the other (we are a Google team), but both of these productivity suites make it easy to create and share (as attachments or in the cloud) documents like rules, checklists, discussion guides, and slide decks.

Use something else in your day-to-day workday? Adapt these ideas and use what your team is familiar with to set up your next virtual activity!

How to lead virtual team building activities successfully

Leading your remote team building activities successfully requires thoughtful planning, clear objectives, and an understanding of team dynamics—in general and within your team.

Here are some actionable tips to ensure your team building initiatives foster connection:

• Be inclusive: Offer diverse activities that cater to different interests, physical abilities, and comfort levels. Encourage all team members to participate by creating a safe, judgment-free environment.

• Facilitate, don’t dictate: Act as a guide—allow the team to take ownership of the activity. Ask open-ended questions to prompt reflection and discussion.

• Balance structure and flexibility: Plan a structured framework but leave room for organic interaction and creativity. Monitor team dynamics and adjust the activity if needed. Be prepared to pivot if the activity isn’t resonating with the team.

• Leverage technology: Use tools to effectively engage remote or hybrid teams (e.g., Miro for collaboration or Kahoot! for quizzes).

• Connect to work: Tie lessons from the activity to workplace dynamics, emphasizing how teamwork or communication can improve daily tasks.

• Keep it fun and engaging: Add surprises, creative twists, or gamification elements. Use humor and enthusiasm to maintain energy levels. And don’t forget to celebrate wins along the way!

Five of our favorite virtual team building activities

Yes, team building activities can get a bad rap. Forced fun and trust falls? No, thank you!  That’s why we find ourselves returning to these five culture-building activities time and again. They’re fun, and the time they take is totally customizable. Each can be accomplished long-distance without having a live group meeting and without missing out on valuable bonding moments.

Imagine your remote team embarking on shared professional development, where each page turn brings new industry insights and team closeness Or maybe you’d all prefer a shared literary adventure or a fluffy beach read, where the learnings are light but the fun-factor is high. Whatever you choose, an at-work book club can be a great way to bond. Here’s a loose rubric to get started:

1. Set guidelines and expectations: Agree on a realistic timeline for each book, considering workloads and individual reading paces. Define how members engage through group discussions, shared notes, or other methods to ensure inclusivity.

2. Select the first book: Invite recommendations and vote for a book that aligns with the team’s interests (as much as possible—you can’t please everyone). Plan for a variety of genres and themes to maintain engagement over time.

3. Schedule discussion check-ins: Establish a consistent schedule for sharing insights and reflections, accommodating different time zones. Rotate roles to keep things lively and encourage active participation.

4. Facilitate engaging discussions: Prepare open-ended questions to guide your asynchronous discussions and delve deeper into the book's themes. Foster a supportive environment where everyone feels comfortable expressing their thoughts.

5. Maintain momentum: Always have the next book and reading schedule ready.

If your team finds reading too time-consuming (or can’t agree on a selection), here are similarly structured activity clubs your team might try:

• Recipe swap and preparation club

• Movie club (synchronous watching could be an option with some planning)

• TV show club (if watching synchronously and time is an issue)

Playing "Two Truths and a Lie" asynchronously with your remote team can be an engaging icebreaker to kickoff new projects with new teams or an on-going way to foster deeper connection by learning about each other in a fun and often funny way. Here's how to set it up:

1. Choose a platform: Select a shared space where all team members can conveniently participate. This could be a dedicated Slack channel, a shared document, or sending Marco Polos to a group dedicated to team bonding.

2. Set clear guidelines: Ensure everyone understands the game: each participant shares three statements about themselves—two truths and one lie. Define a specific period (e.g., one week) during which participants should post their statements and make their guesses.

3. Share statements: Each team member posts their three statements in the chosen platform, clearly labeling them (e.g., statements A, B, C) to facilitate guessing.

4. Make guesses: Team members review the statements and post their guesses about which one is the lie, perhaps using a simple format like "I think Statement B is the lie."

5. Reveal the lie: After the guessing period ends, each participant reveals which statement was the lie and may provide additional context or stories related to their truths.

6. Encourage engagement: Foster discussion by encouraging team members to comment on surprising truths or share related experiences, enhancing team bonding.

A digital scavenger hunt is a modern twist on the traditional one. Instead of searching for physical objects, participants complete challenges, search for clues, and find virtual items on their computers.

1. Design the hunt: Create a list of tasks that participants can complete independently, such as taking screenshots or screen recordings of specific items or tasks, solving puzzles, or finding specific information. Ensure these tasks are clear and achievable within the given timeframe. Assign point values to each task based on difficulty to motivate participation and introduce a competitive element.

2. Define the rules: Choose the start and end dates for the scavenger hunt, allowing sufficient time for all participants to engage without overlapping schedules. Provide instructions on submitting completed tasks, whether through shared documents, dedicated channels, or direct messages.

3. Launch the hunt: Share the details of the scavenger hunt with the team, including objectives, rules, and deadlines. Encourage participation by highlighting the benefits and any rewards for top performers.

4. Monitor progress and encourage interaction: Regularly review completed tasks and update a leaderboard to maintain engagement. Encourage participants to share their experiences, discuss challenges, and celebrate achievements through the chosen platform to enhance team bonding.

5. Announce results: At the end of the scavenger hunt, share the final scores and recognize top performers.

There are several ways to design your digital scavenger hunt and lots of different hunting grounds to use. Here are some ideas to get your wheels turning:

• Players’ own computers: Find different file types, in-house documentation, items based on date.

• Wayback Machine: Hunt for websites of yesteryear or string together news items across decades and publishers to make a timeline.

• Craigslist: Collect typos, specific photos, or different kinds of Missed Connections.

• Amazon: Who can capture the longest product name or the most listings using the same picture?

"Show and Tell" is a cherished childhood activity that easily can be adapted for fun amongst coworkers. It can run asynchronously for a remote team too.. Here's how to implement it:

1. Define the purpose: Encourage team members to share personal stories, hobbies, or items, which helps colleagues get to know each other beyond what they can see on a computer screen.

2. Set guidelines: Establish a schedule by deciding on a frequency (e.g., weekly or bi-weekly) and assigning a rotation so each team member knows when it's their turn to share. Encourage sharing appropriate personal anecdotes, photos, or videos that offer insight into their lives outside of work.

3. Share and engage: Each member uploads their content to the shared platform or shares on their designated day. Team members can view posts at their convenience, leaving comments or questions to foster asynchronous dialogue.

The "Match Game”—such as matching baby pictures to current photos or pictures of desks to their owners—can be an engaging way to strengthen bonds by testing what we know and notice (or think we do) about our teammates. Here's how to set up this activity:

1. Plan the activity: First, decide on the objective: will you match baby photos to current photos, colleagues to their desks, or perhaps another creative pairing? Once you've chosen, set clear deadlines for each phase of the game to ensure everything runs smoothly.

2. Collect submissions: Ask the team to submit the required photos to you confidentially. Assure everyone that these submissions will be used solely for the game to encourage participation.

3. Prepare the game materials: Compile the collected photos into a document or slideshow, assigning a number or letter to each image to maintain anonymity. Clearly explain the rules, how to participate, and the deadline for submissions to the team.

4. Share with the team: Distribute the prepared materials and instructions to all team members via a common platform like email, Slack, or a shared drive.

5. Collect and compile guesses: Set up a response form, such as Google Forms, to collect each participant's guesses, ensuring responses are organized and easily accessible.

6. Reveal the matches: Share the correct matches with the team after the submission deadline, perhaps through a follow-up presentation or announcement. Acknowledge participants and consider highlighting interesting stories or facts related to the photos to enhance engagement.

Like the other activities on this list, you can get repeat play out of “Match Game” by changing up your parameters. Other iterations of the matching game that your team can try:

• Match the desk to the teammate

• Match the pet to the teammate

• Match the baby picture to the teammate

• Match the childhood Halloween photo to the teammate

• Match the parents to the teammate

Fight isolation one virtual team building activity at a time

Remote team bonding doesn't have to be a chore—it can be an opportunity to bring your team closer together while tackling feelings of isolation head-on. Whether sharing a laugh over a game of "Two Truths and a Lie" or diving into a group book club, the right activities can transform your team’s culture and strengthen connections in meaningful ways. The key is to make these experiences authentic, inclusive, and enjoyable.

Ready to take your team bonding to the next level? Start with one of these ideas today, and watch your team grow more connected, engaged, and inspired—even across time zones.

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