Remote teams have become increasingly common in today’s business world due to the ease of technology, globalization and the changing nature of work. With remote work, team members can be based in different locations, time zones, and even countries. While remote work has many benefits, it also has challenges when it comes to building strong relationships between members of a team. Without regular in-person interactions, creating a sense of cohesiveness, familiarity and trust can be difficult.
However, icebreaker games and activities can help create opportunities for remote team members to get to know and connect with each other. In this blog post, we’ll delve deeper into 10 creative icebreaker activities for remote teams
- Two Truths and a Lie
Two Truths and a Lie is a classic icebreaker game that works just as well remotely as it does in person. The game is simple and straightforward to play, making it an excellent way for team members to get to know each other’s character quirks. Each team member shares two true statements and one false statement about themselves, and everyone else tries to guess which one is the lie. The game provides a snippet of insight into who the team members are in a fun and non-threatening way. - Team Trivia
If your team shares a common interest or hobby, creating a trivia game based on that topic could be a great idea. Divide the team into smaller groups, and have them compete against each other to find out who has the most knowledge. This activity encourages teamwork and great comradery, bringing out the best in each employee. It’s also an excellent idea to switch games involving more topics, such as general knowledge or music, bringing out creativity and wide-ranging preferences. - Picture Scavenger Hunt
The picture scavenger hunt is an outdoor team game that gets your work colleagues out and about while working from the comfort of their home is recommended. For this activity, the facilitator creates a list of items that team members can find around their home, and they must take photos of such items. The first team to find all items and present them in a shared space, such as a video call, wins. This game encourages creativity and exploration, while also providing a fun team-building experience. - Show and Tell
Show and Tell is an old-school activity that we all loved in our childhood. With remote teams, this game can still bring the same excitement. Ask each team member to bring an item that holds sentimental value, signifies their hobbies, interests or how it symbolizes their culture. Allow each person a few minutes to share about their item and the story behind it while asking a few questions to create discussion. This activity helps build rapport between team members and provides insights to each member’s personality. - Creative Storytelling
Creative Storytelling is a game that hones in on team members’ creativity and gets their juices flowing. Divide the team into smaller groups of three or four and ask them to create a story together. Give them a prompt, such as “A team of astronauts lands on a new planet,” and have each team member add a sentence or two to continue the story. This icebreaker game encourages collaboration and creativity, and it can be tailored to any age group or skill level. It’s a great exercise for remote team members because it enhances communication and aligns thinking towards a shared objective. - Pictionary
Pictionary is another classic team game that can be easily adapted to a virtual setting. Choose a list of words such as airplane, pizza, rainbow, tree-house, butterfly or any word you like, and then, have one person draw while the others try to guess what they are drawing. This activity encourages teamwork, communication and laughter, while also spiking creativity and the ability to pick out visual details. - Virtual Book Club
Start an informal virtual book club with your team to facilitate a shared learning activity. Give everyone a month to read the book, and then set up a discussion over video conference. This activity creates a sense of connection, provides opportunities for growth, encourages good conversation and offers varying opinions about different topics. This activity is highly recommended, especially for remote teams that emphasize learning and continued professional development. - Virtual Scattegories
Virtual Scattegories is another creative and fun icebreaker game. Set a timer and give everyone a letter of the alphabet. Then give a category such as “food,” “movie titles,” or “countries,” and each person has to come up with a word that starts with the letter provided. It’s a good way to boost morale, and it gives team members the opportunity to learn new things. It’s an excellent tool for enhancing general knowledge and quick thinking, which can come in handy in the workplace. - Desert Island
Desert Island is a highly underrated icebreaker game that creates an enjoyable yet insightful conversation amongst teammates. In this game, each team member shares what three items they would bring with them if they were stuck on a desert island. Encourage discussion and debunk stereotypes about each other that may have been created in our head. It’s a great way to bond with team members and get to know them more personally. It also enables members to bring into light their preference, filling their needs, interests and sparks interest in planning and organizing. - Emoji Tales
Emoji Tales is a fun game that involves creating stories around emojis. In this game, everyone must pick five emojis from the phone keyboard and use them to create a unique story. If your team loves writing, this is a great way to build some exciting and creative stories. This game encourages brainstorming, improves storytelling skills and promotes a sense of humor which can be used in improving the overall atmosphere at work.
Conclusion
Remote work has its advantages but can be challenging in terms of creating a sense of cohesiveness amongst team members. Fortunately, there are plenty of icebreaker games and activities that can break down that barrier, and make sure that team members get to connect and know each other better. The activities listed above provide effective ways to build shared connections, creating a sense of belonging which makes for productive teamwork. With these activities, remote team members can form friendships, improve communication and work towards a common objective. Use these icebreakers in your team and you’ll see how easy it is to connect with your team members from anywhere in the world.