Looking for creative ways to help your team connect? This post is filled with unique team building activities for your next happy hour, corporate outing, conference, or team meeting.
From non-cheesy icebreaker ideas to interactive games and challenges, holiday parties, and everything in between – this guide has it all! Keep in person and remote workers engaged while building trust, communication, and morale.
A few of our favorite team building activities:
Read on for more information on these team building activities, and more ideas!
- Start your meetings with a “highs & lows” check in to hear what everyone is proud of, and what they could use some guidance with
- Host a virtual show-and-tell session to get to know your teammates
- Form a book club (or podcast club) to create a deeper dialogue and connection
- Celebrate DEI holidays like Juneteenth, Pride, Indigenous Peoples Day, and more
- Bring in a guest speaker to educate your team and teach something new – whether it’s a historical topic, cooking technique, or cocktail idea!
In this guide, you’ll find:
- Creative team building ideas for virtual, hybrid, and in-person teams
- Activities for your next in-person or virtual happy hour or corporate outing
- Ways to respectfully celebrate DEI holidays and initiatives
- Team building events and activities for your large team, small group, and anything in between
- Games and activities to help your team bond, improve trust, and boost communication skills
- Icebreaker questions and prompts for your next conference or team meeting
Explore Meeting Icebreakers, Conference Activities, & More
Fifteen 5 Minute Team Building Ideas
Team building activities don’t have to take all day – or even hours! Make moments of connection part of your regular routine. In this post, you’ll find fifteen 5-minute team building ideas. These activities are the perfect add-on for the start or end of your next meeting.
A wholesome idea that will leave everyone feeling more positive and appreciated: host a compliment session! Use an anonymous feedback tool to invite everyone to share at least one kind piece of feedback with a member of the team. Then, start your next team call by reading them aloud.
23+ Virtual Activities for Large Groups
Planning a session for a large group? We’ve got you covered with nearly two dozen ideas to keep everyone entertained and engaged. This post is perfect for your next large conference, awards banquet, or all-staff meeting.
One of our favorite ideas for large groups: take everyone on a virtual field trip! Whether you head on a European adventure with Unexpected Virtual Tours, or go gallery-hopping around the world, this is a great way to give a large group a shared experience.
Your Guide to Virtual Work Retreat Ideas
A retreat is a great way to help employees reconnect and form new connections, especially if your company has shifted its culture, work style, or team members significantly during the pandemic. Browse virtual retreat ideas, best practices, and interactive activities in this post.
To form deeper connections, include a social activity during your retreat and invite employees to bring their family, children, a partner, or a friend.
Embrace DEI Activities & Holidays
20+ Diversity Events for Remote Teams & Coworkers
Deepen your commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion with more than twenty unique ideas. Many of these activities can be adapted for in-person teams, too! Explore ideas for interactive learning sessions, ways to support BIPOC-owned businesses, boost your organization’s accessibility, and more.
One of our favorite DEI ideas? Book a turnkey program with Unexpected Virtual Tours! We offer live, interactive virtual experiences on a variety of diversity-related topics and holidays – including Black History Month, Juneteenth, Pride, Hispanic Heritage Month, Women’s History Month, and more!
22+ Virtual Black History Month Ideas for Work
Expand your knowledge of Black history and honor this important occasion with your team – during February, and all year long. In this guide, you’ll find ideas that mix education and fun to create a unique team building experience. Learn how to amplify Black voices, explore books written by Black authors, become a corporate member of your local NAACP, and more!
An easy way to honor Black History Month? Make a commitment to support Black-owned businesses in your community. Treat your team to lunch from a Black-owned restaurant, or seek out diverse businesses for corporate and client gifts.
16+ Ideas for Women’s History Month
Celebrate Women’s History Month in March with these ideas that uplift and inspire.
Unexpected Virtual Tours created a special virtual event just for Women’s History Month! “She Innovates” features the stories of female innovators, from the 1800s to the present day. This event is not a lecture, but an immersive experience showcasing the triumph of female invention.
30 Pride Month Quotes for 2022
As with many DEI-focused occasions, an important part of Pride month is acknowledging and sharing the activism of those who came before us. In this post, you’ll find 30 quotes that showcase the resilience and beauty of the LGBTQIA+ community. This post also includes sharable graphics for social media!
One quote that inspires us: “We deserve to experience love fully, equally, without shame, and without compromise.” – Elliot Page.
Browse even more DEI-inspired ideas and activities on Unexpected Virtual Tours’ DEI Team Building Blog.
Amp Up the Fun for Your Team Building Session, Happy Hour, or Party
11+ Zoom Team Building Games for Remote Teams
Get everyone in the spirit of friendly competition with these team building games! In this post, you’ll find game ideas that help everyone think outside the box, tap into their inner child, and form new connections. Browse ideas for your next video call or in-person meetup!
Boost creativity and problem-solving skills with a LEGO building challenge! Ship each team member a LEGO kit. Then, hop on a call together to build your favorite animal, a model of your home or office, or whatever sparks your interest!
Unique Virtual Happy Hour Ideas
Find creative icebreakers and activities for your team’s next happy hour! These ideas are perfect for virtual and in-person teams. From icebreaker questions to happy hour games, escape rooms, scavenger hunt ideas, and more – plus mocktail options, so everyone can get in on the fun!
One of our favorite happy hour ideas: host a mini virtual talent show! Encourage everyone to come prepared to show off a special talent. Talents could range from beatboxing or playing an instrument to hula-hooping or juggling, performing a magic trick, telling a joke, or even creating a quick sketch or painting.
31+ Virtual Halloween Party Ideas for Work
Celebrate fall with 31+Halloween party ideas for work! Host a family-friendly pumpkin decorating party, explore the Paris Catacombs, paint a happy little fall scene with Bob Ross, get mystical with tarot readings, and more.
Get into the Halloween spirit and hone your storytelling skills with Unexpected Virtual Tours’ Ghost Stories session. Or, book the Superhero Halloween Party (with an optional wine tasting add-on) for a “marvel-ous” evening everyone will love!
Throw an Unforgettable Holiday Party
40+ Virtual Holiday Party Ideas
Explore dozens of virtual holiday party ideas and activities! From cookie bake-offs to guessing holiday tunes, creative ways to give back, and more – this guide has it all! Moreover, this post offers inclusive, non-religious ideas to be sure your holiday party is welcoming to all.
A great way to multitask during a busy holiday season: throw a gift wrapping party! Everyone can mix and mingle while wrapping gifts for friends and family. This activity is great for in-person groups (you can even supply gift wrap and play holiday tunes!) or virtual teams.
17+ Virtual Holiday Party Games
Liven up your next virtual holiday party with games and creative challenges. Test your holiday vocabulary, compete for the title of “Best Holiday Decorator,” tell seasonal stories, and more. There won’t be any dull moments at your holiday party with these ideas!
For a unique holiday experience your team will never forget, book our Unexpected Virtual Holiday Party team building session! During this experience, your crew will get a live look at iconic holiday sites in New York City, play a holiday Jeopardy-style game, complete a craft project, and more!
Free Virtual Holiday & Christmas Party Ideas
Planning a holiday party on a budget? This post includes more than twenty free ideas! Plan a white elephant gift swap, watch holiday movies together, play “Guess Who” with childhood holiday photos, and more!
A unique idea to celebrate the holidays: take turns hosting a DIY cooking class! Allow a member of the team to demonstrate how to make a favorite holiday dish. This might be a cherished family recipe, or as simple as jazzing up some crescent rolls from a tube! Either way, your team will have fun connecting and bonding as they learn together.
Browse all of our unique virtual team building experiences with Unexpected Virtual Tours! Book a session and see firsthand why our experiences are loved by teams from Google, The Home Depot, UPS, Coca-Cola, and more!
Located in Atlanta? Check out Unexpected Atlanta Tours & Gifts