Remote team building activities and ice breakers

Building trust between team members is the best way to build an engaged, self-motivated and collaborative remote team. Without trust, ideas won’t be shared, issues won’t resolve, and tasks won’t delegate effectively. Basically, your team will be out of equilibrium.

Plus without fun inside jokes there will be way fewer memes in the group chat.

Building relationships by getting to know each other is the fastest way to trust. How do you “build” relationships? Well, you go through stuff together. And along the way, you make sure you’re showing your true selves – not just your favorite color or ice cream flavor, but what makes you tick and what you’re proud of (and not). Being vulnerable, helping another person without expecting anything in return, owning mistakes, taking risks, showing gratitude… These are activities that build confident, remote leaders, whether they are a manager or an individual contributor (IC).

There are many ways to create space for magical spontaneous moments between teammates as well as more structured team-building activities. Get inspiration from this list, and if you have an idea, share it with us.

ActivityDescriptionTimeBest paired with
One Good ThingEveryone shares one good thing in their life that happened that day or previous week. A reminder to start meetings with gratitude. 1 minute per personPre-meeting icebreaker
Personal QuestionsIn "personal questions", you pick a broad question like "what's a great night you recently had" and everyone writes a 1 sentence answer that doesn't reveal personal details. The newcomer has to guess who each answer belongs to. Then everyone goes around the table and shares the full background story. 20 minutes, 4 for laughterWelcoming new team member
Two truths and a DreamSimilar to "two truths and a lie," but each person shares a dream they have for their future instead of a lie. The group has to guess which statement is the dream.5 minutes per personTeam building activity
Home Office TourRotate having people showcase their home office and explain the stories behind the objects and photos.8 minutesPre-meeting icebreaker
One WordPeople can say one word that describes how they are feeling that day. Piqueing curiosity is intended!5 minutesPre-meeting icebreaker or daily standup
Virtual Escape RoomCreate a virtual escape room with puzzles and riddles that teams must solve together in a set amount of time.20 minutesTeam building activity
Remote TriviaDivide participants into teams and have them compete against each other in a trivia game on a specific topic, or... person. 5 minutes per questionTeam building activity
Virtual Scavenger HuntCreate a list of items for participants to find in their homes, and have them take photos or videos of the items to share with the group.5 minutes per itemPre-meeting icebreaker
Remote Mind MeldHave participants gather in small groups, and give each group a specific prompt or question to discuss.10 minutesWorkshop breakout
Team-Building WorkshopBring someone in to talk about communication, problem solving, or goal setting, and have participants work through exercises together.1 - 2 hoursWorkshop
Team Cooking ChallengeHave teams work together to create a dish or meal using a provided recipe, and have teams present their finished dishes to the group.1 hourTeam building activity
Talent ShowHave each participant share a talent or hobby with the group, and have others vote on their favorite.1 - 2 hoursTeam building activity
Virtual Game NightThere are tons of virtual team gaming options like Jackbox games. 2 hoursSocial

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We’ll add it to the list and credit you!

Adrienne Kmetz

Adrienne’s been remote since 2015. Content marketer for 18 years, Adrienne can’t stop and won’t stop writing. She resides on the western slope of Colorado with her two Catahoulas and loves to ski, hike, and get lost in the desert.

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