Here is a list of the best virtual team events to do online.
Virtual team events are group gatherings held on video conference platforms like Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams. For example, murder mysteries, online wine tasting, and remote game nights. These events aim to help remote teams socialize and foster camaraderie in online offices. These activities are also known as “online team events” and “remote team events.”
These activities are examples of virtual team building ideas, online team socials, and ways to have fun at work with employees. These events also make interesting online team meeting ideas.
This list includes:
- the best virtual team events ideas
- virtual team events with kits
- virtual team events for large groups
- Zoom team events
Let’s get to it!
List of virtual team events
From virtual gameshows to remote meditations, here is a list of engaging virtual event ideas for online teams.
1. Art Heist: The Vanishing Van Gogh
Art Heist is an online murder mystery minus the murder. In this group game, players assume the roles of investigators tracking down a painting thief and missing masterpiece. Participants band together with teammates to solve puzzles and compete for clues against other teams.
Key features of this experience include:
- 90 minutes with a high-caliber host
- mysteries, secrets, and hidden clues
- group discussions to solve the crime
The host moves the story along, gives hints, explains challenges, and unveils the answers while encouraging communication and collaboration between coworkers.
Learn more about Art Heist.
2. tiny campfire
tiny campfire is one of the most unique paid virtual team events. This Zoom event is an online bonfire that includes historic ghost stories and engaging camp-style games led by an enthusiastic guide!
Here is what you can expect:
- 90 minutes with a talented camp host
- spooky ghost stories and camp lore
- premium craft chocolate, fancy marshmallows, and candles for roasting
The experience aims to bring virtual fun and bonding to remote teams. To bring the joy of the great outdoors to your team’s screens, check out tiny campfire!
Learn more about tiny campfire.
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3. Ultimate Game Show
Ultimate Game Show is a fast-paced, competitive showdown for remote teams. Teams go head to head in Zoom mini-games inspired by classic game shows.
Ultimate Game Show features the following:
- 90 minutes with a high-energy host
- games inspired by favorites like Family Feud, The Price is Right, and Jeopardy!
- activities like Office Feud, Price Hike, and Final Quizardry
Whether competing for real prizes or bragging rights, high-performing teams will enjoy the friendly rivalry and fun atmosphere. This experience works well for hybrid and virtual teams and is an engaging way for coworkers to spend time together online.
Learn more about Ultimate Game Show.
4. Zoom Coffee Tasting
Zoom coffee tasting experiences are both practical and fun. Hardworking employees often run on caffeine, and this event allows team members to come together, sample new blends, and learn more about their favorite work drink. The easiest way to do an online coffee tasting is to book with a barista or an event company that will ship participants samplers. However, you can also do a DIY or BYOB event and have participants bring coffee to the call. During these experiences, teammates learn how best to brew and enjoy a cup of joe and learn more about how coffee grows and its fascinating history and culture.
Learn more about virtual coffee tasting experiences.
5. Online Tea Tasting
Online tea tasting experiences make zen virtual team events. These experiences are ideal for folks who abstain from alcohol or caffeine. During these gatherings, team members come together to learn how to steep and sip teas from around the world. In addition, these Zoom events often include mindfulness exercises like meditation, and the relaxing atmosphere is a perfect way to relax after a stressful or hectic season at work.
Learn more about online tea tasting.
6. Remote Talent Shows
Remote talent shows allow teammates to showcase non-work skills. These events can bring great entertainment and joy to online offices and can be excellent ways for remote colleagues to get to know each other on a more human level. To organize a show, announce the event at least a few weeks in advance. Then, call for acts, and encourage employees to team up with coworkers for group acts. Once you have performers, determine a lineup. Then, create a meeting link and gather on the platform at showtime. Be sure to spotlight each performer during their act so that they appear large and center screen. Next, you can recruit a panel of judges to decide a winner, ask the audience to vote, or host a non-competitive event and simply enjoy each others’ talents.
Pro tip: Consider hosting a show of strange skills to allow non-traditional talents to shine. For example, singing spontaneously in Pig Latin, making shadow puppets, or reciting Pi to one hundred digits.
Learn more about remote talent shows.
7. Online Award Shows
Without intentionality, work can get overlooked in online offices. Many remote team members are unaware of what their coworkers do, never mind teammates’ accomplishments. Online award shows are a way to shed light on achievements and dole out virtual employee recognition. These events are a way to shine a spotlight on the stars among your staff and give above-and-beyond employees visibility within the organization. To organize the awards, first come up with categories. Next, devise a way to nominate and pick the honorees, either by judges’ panel, crowdsourced voting, or a combination of these two methods. Then, decide the prizes. For example, you can email winners certificates and e-gift cards or mail trophies to their houses. Finally, make a slideshow with the categories, nominees, and winners, and do the presentation during the awards meetings.
Online award shows do not have to be serious. You are welcome to create lighthearted and playful categories to foster inside jokes and a sense of fun among the team.
Learn more about online award shows.
8. Virtual Chocolate Tasting
Virtual chocolate tasting is one of the most popular paid virtual team events. Often led by a chef or chocolatier, these experiences give remote team members the chance to try different kinds of chocolate. Some classes pair chocolate with wine, while others teach teammates to make truffles or bars. These events let virtual participants indulge in sweet treats while interacting with peers. Plus, the love of chocolate can be an influential uniting factor.
Learn more about virtual chocolate tasting experiences.
9. Zoom Beer Tasting
Beer tasting is one of the best virtual team events with kits that gives team members the chance to sip craft beer together and learn about the brewing process. This experience is a popular choice for online happy hours, as attendees can expand their horizons while sharing a drink. Some brewers or event facilitators will ship kits with samples to attendees, depending on alcohol shipping regulations in the state or country. Other experiences are BYOB and give guests shopping lists of brands or beer types to buy. These classes teach teammates the history and culture of beer and increase appreciation for the beverage.
Learn more about Zoom beer tasting.
10. Online Wine Tasting
Online wine tasting provides the fun of winery tours without travel or transportation concerns. Many facilitated online wine tours will ship samples for teammates to sip during the experience if shipping laws allow. You can also bring your own wine or watch while an experienced vintner or sommelier explains how to choose a wine and best enjoy a glass. Many companies opt to include a branded wine glass as a memento of this Zoom event.
Learn more about online wine tasting.
11. Virtual Alcohol Tasting Classes
Virtual alcohol tasting classes allow attendees to sample different spirits such as vodka, whiskey, and tequila. Teammates can learn tips, best practices, and background from a distiller or bartender while sipping strong liquours from the comfort of home. Many of these events are BYOB due to mailing regulations. However, some providers can ship assortments of alcohol. You can also run a DIY alcohol tasting and reimburse participants for the cost of buying mini bottles. We recommend trying less common drinks like limoncello or soju in addition to standards like vodka and whiskey.
Learn more about virtual alcohol tasting experiences.
12. Remote Mixology Classes
Remote mixology classes are popular remote team get-together ideas. These experiences put a hands-on spin on Zoom happy hours by teaching attendees how to mix up craft cocktails. Many folks like to learn these skills directly from experienced bartenders. Often, these experiences include kits with dry ingredients and occasionally alcohol to make the drinks. These events are relaxing yet active and strike a balance between socializing, learning, and doing.
Learn more about remote mixology classes.
13. Zoom Group Fitness Classes
When searching for virtual team events for large groups, consider a fitness class! Zoom group fitness classes offset the effects of sedentary remote lifestyles. These workout sessions provide the accountability many folks need to move when working from home. To set up a class, first, poll your team to determine the preferred exercise styles and duration of the class. Next, find an instructor to lead the workout. Then, send interested attendees a link to a Zoom meeting, spotlight your workout guru, and get sweating! Exercise classes can be as short as ten minutes, and you can hold these experiences regularly.
Learn more about Zoom group fitness classes.
14. Virtual Team Coworking Hours
Virtual team coworking hours give face-to-face time to teammates who often only interact from behind a screen. These online events are excellent ways to build camaraderie in remote workplaces. Simply schedule an hour once a month where the entire team can gather on Zoom and work together. Depending on the nature of the work and team members’ personalities, you can make these meetings silent study-hall sessions or allow attendees to chat, brainstorm, and collaborate.
This experience gives remote team members the sense of working together and being a part of a larger team and organization. Telecommuters tend to spend significant time working solo and often crave more interaction, and these events can establish a great sense of community and camaraderie.
15. Online Movie-Watching Parties
Online movie-watching parties are one of the best virtual team events ideas. To plan the party, designate a time and date to stream a film, and send teammates an invitation with a Zoom link. Then, have the host play the film and share their screen or sync the video with an app like Teleparty. To make the activity more team-friendly, encourage participants to come off of mute to comment or interact in the chat. You can periodically pause the film to play games like trivia. Feel free to invite employees’ families to join the fun as well.
Pro tip: For a more memorable experience, give attendees a stipend to buy a meal, snack, or drink to enjoy during the show. Or, send guests boxes of movie snacks like popcorn and candy along with company swag.
Check out this list of feel-good team-centric movies.
16. Remote Cooking Classes
Remote cooking classes are one of the best global virtual team events. Employees worldwide can teach teammates about their cultures and local cuisines by leading an interactive online cooking demonstration. Or, you can book a chef to demonstrate professional cooking methods.
With either approach, be sure to send participants boxes or shopping lists of ingredients before the call, along with instructions on any pre-class steps. Then, put the chef center screen while they lead the recipe using the spotlight feature. Participants can watch the demonstration or cook along. It helps to stop periodically to check for questions.
This event can also segue into a team dinner.
Learn more about online group cooking classes.
17. Team Lunch or Dinner
Remote meals are one of the most common virtual team events. These activities are easy to coordinate and popular since most folks love food. It is customary for the employer to cover the cost of takeout, delivery, or meal ingredients for these events. However, you could also have attendees bring their own dishes to hold these events on a more regular and informal basis. Simply have team members ready meals before the call, then gather on Zoom to eat and chat together. The main rule for these socials is to avoid work talk and focus on getting to know each other on a personal level. You could even give meals themes and have teammates order the same type of cuisine. This touch will help the event feel more cohesive and give the sensation of a shared experience even if team members are not dining at the same restaurant.
Check out this guide to remote team lunches and how to do a virtual team dinner.
18. Online Group Game Night
Game nights make great team building ideas. Even if you and your staff cannot gather around a table to shuffle cards or roll dice, you can schedule an online group game night. Simply get together on Zoom and play online versions of popular card games, board games, and party games. You can have participants play in teams or compete individually and can play just for fun or for points and prizes. These activities make great online team outings because their task-focused nature makes it easier for shier teammates to participate and interact with peers. Not to mention, board games are familiar and beloved by many, and these pastimes can help distanced colleagues find common ground.
Here are lists of online board games and virtual party games.
19. Remote Mindfulness Sessions
Virtual employees are prone to overwork and feelings of isolation. Remote mindfulness sessions can help offset the adverse effects of working from home. You and your team can gather on a video call for guided meditation, focus and gratitude exercises, mental health tips, and much-needed human interaction. Feel free to sip tea and make art or color while talking through these topics.
Check out more virtual employee wellness ideas.
20. Zoom Hangout
Teams do not have to have a reason to get together online. Instead of planning structured activities, you can schedule an ongoing monthly Zoom hangout where team members from different departments pop in to meet and casually banter with coworkers. Attendees are welcome to play games, introduce teammates to pets or family members, share news or photos, or chat. Since these events are easy to plan and optional, you can hold the gatherings at a moment’s notice and have as many hangouts as the schedule or team’s interest allows.
Final Thoughts
Virtual team events have many benefits. These gatherings are often more cost-effective, easier to plan, and less logistical than in-person events. Employees can attend these events from the comfort of their own homes, and these gatherings can accommodate much larger audiences than in-person venues. Breakout rooms can recreate the small group experience and encourage interaction, and kits and care packages add tangible elements.
Virtual team events break up the monotony of the workweek and allow distanced team members to interact and socialize. With careful planning and execution, these events can be just as fun and engaging as physical meetups and memorable for attendees.
Next, check out Zoom team building activities, virtual team building ideas for large groups, and fun virtual meeting games.
We also have a virtual event company directory.
Angela Robinson
