11 Engaging Remote Team Building Activities for 2025

The shift to remote work has transformed how we collaborate, but it has also created new challenges in fostering team cohesion and morale. Spontaneous chats by the coffee machine have been replaced by scheduled video calls, and building genuine relationships through a screen requires deliberate effort. Many organisations struggle to move beyond generic virtual happy hours, leaving teams feeling disconnected.

This is where strategic remote team building activities become essential. They are not just about fun and games; they are a vital investment in your company's culture, productivity, and employee retention. A well-chosen activity can break down communication barriers, enhance problem-solving skills, and create the shared experiences that bind a team together, no matter the physical distance.

Effective team building reinforces a sense of belonging and psychological safety, which is crucial for small and medium-sized enterprises aiming for sustainable growth. For HR managers and finance teams, these initiatives directly impact the bottom line by improving morale and reducing costly staff turnover. In this guide, we explore a detailed list of innovative and practical activities that go beyond the surface level. We provide actionable steps to help you cultivate a thriving, engaged, and truly connected remote workforce.

1. Virtual Escape Rooms

Virtual escape rooms are one of the most immersive and collaborative remote team building activities available. In these digital adventures, teams work together against the clock to solve a series of puzzles, crack codes, and unravel a mystery within a themed online environment. Communication happens over a video call, where a live host or a digital interface guides the team through the scenario, fostering real-time problem-solving and shared success.

These activities are excellent for developing critical thinking, communication, and leadership skills under pressure. The time-bound nature of the challenge encourages focused collaboration, making every team member's contribution vital. Major companies like Microsoft and Salesforce have successfully used virtual escape rooms from providers such as The Escape Game and Breakout Games to strengthen bonds within their distributed teams.

How to Implement This Activity

• Choose the Right Theme: Select a theme that aligns with your team's interests, from spy thrillers to historical mysteries. For new teams, consider a room with a lower difficulty rating to ensure a positive first experience.
• Form Balanced Groups: Create small teams of 4-6 people, mixing different departments, roles, and personalities. This encourages cross-functional collaboration and helps colleagues see new facets of each other's skill sets.
• Test Technology: Before the event, ensure all participants have a stable internet connection and have tested the required platform (e.g., Zoom, proprietary software). A quick tech check prevents disruptions.
• Facilitate a Debrief: After the game, schedule 15-20 minutes to discuss the experience. Ask questions like, "What was our biggest strength?" or "How did we overcome a difficult puzzle?" This transforms a fun game into a valuable learning opportunity about your team's dynamics.

2. Online Cooking Classes

Online cooking classes are delicious and engaging remote team building activities that bring colleagues together over a shared meal they prepare themselves. Guided by a professional chef or a confident team leader over a video call, everyone follows the same recipe from their own kitchen. This creates a relaxed, social atmosphere where teams can bond over a hands-on, multi-sensory experience that extends beyond the typical work call.

This activity encourages informal conversation and helps team members see each other in a different light, fostering personal connections. The shared goal of creating a tasty dish promotes a low-stakes, collaborative environment. Companies like Buffer have organised monthly cooking sessions, and platforms like Airbnb Online Experiences and Cozymeal have been popularised for corporate events, allowing international teams to explore each other's cultural cuisines from home.

How to Implement This Activity

• Plan Ahead: Send out the recipe and grocery list at least 3-5 days in advance. Choose simple recipes that use common ingredients and provide alternatives for specialist equipment to ensure accessibility for all.
• Accommodate Everyone: Be mindful of dietary restrictions and preferences when selecting a recipe. Offering a vegan or gluten-free option ensures everyone feels included.
• Keep It Interactive: Assign non-cooking roles like a "DJ" to manage music, a "timekeeper" to keep everyone on track, or a "cheerleader" to boost morale. This keeps everyone engaged, regardless of their cooking skill.
• Enjoy the Meal Together: Build time into the schedule for the team to sit down and enjoy their culinary creations together over the video call. This shared meal is where the most valuable social bonding often happens.

3. Virtual Game Shows

Virtual game shows transform standard video calls into lively competitive events, making them one of the most engaging remote team building activities. These experiences emulate popular TV quiz shows, where teams or individuals compete in rounds of trivia, word puzzles, and creative challenges. A live or automated host guides the action, complete with scoring, sound effects, and energetic commentary, creating a high-energy atmosphere that encourages friendly rivalry and team spirit.

This format is superb for boosting morale and fostering quick, strategic thinking in a low-pressure environment. The competitive element energises participants, while the team-based structure ensures collaboration. Companies like Spotify and Adobe have utilised platforms such as Kahoot! to host corporate game shows, while services like Water Cooler Trivia provide ongoing weekly competitions that keep distributed teams consistently connected and engaged.

How to Implement This Activity

• Customise Your Content: Mix general knowledge questions with company-specific trivia. Include fun facts about team members (with their permission) to personalise the experience and strengthen interpersonal connections.
• Encourage Team Huddles: Use breakout rooms to allow teams a minute or two to confer on answers for more challenging rounds. This small change promotes strategic discussion and collective problem-solving.
• Keep the Pace Brisk: Design short, fast-paced rounds to maintain high energy and prevent lulls in attention. Varying the types of challenges, like picture rounds or music clips, also keeps things exciting.
• Offer Meaningful Recognition: While small prizes are great, public recognition can be just as effective. Acknowledge the winning team in a company-wide email or a social channel to celebrate their success and encourage future participation.

4. Digital Scavenger Hunts

Digital scavenger hunts are dynamic and engaging remote team building activities that send participants on a high-energy quest from the comfort of their own homes. Teams race against the clock to find specific items, solve online clues, or complete creative challenges using their wit and available resources. It's a fantastic way to spark friendly competition and encourage quick, creative thinking.

This activity excels at breaking the monotony of standard video calls by getting people moving and interacting in a new way. It's highly adaptable and can be run using dedicated apps like GooseChase or simply managed through a shared Slack channel or Microsoft Teams chat. Companies use these hunts to energise teams, celebrate milestones, or simply as a fun Friday activity. You can explore more options for virtual fun Friday activities to try with your team.

How to Implement This Activity

• Create a Balanced List: Design a list of clues that includes common household items, simple online research tasks, and fun physical challenges like “recreate a famous painting with office supplies”. This ensures everyone can participate regardless of their home setup.
• Establish Clear Rules: Set a strict time limit and a clear scoring system before you begin. Explain how teams should submit their finds, for example, by posting photos in a specific chat channel, to keep the competition fair and organised.
• Theme Your Hunt: Boost engagement by creating a theme around an upcoming holiday, a company value, or a popular movie. A themed hunt feels more special and encourages more creative and humorous submissions from the team.
• Offer Alternative Tasks: Include alternative options for certain challenges to ensure the activity is accessible to everyone. For instance, if a clue requires a physical action, provide a puzzle-based alternative for those with mobility limitations.

5. Virtual Book Clubs

A virtual book club is one of the more intellectually stimulating remote team building activities, combining professional development with genuine personal connection. In this format, team members read a selected book and then gather on a video call to discuss its themes, key takeaways, and potential applications to their work and personal lives. This shared intellectual journey fosters deeper conversations that go beyond typical work chat.

This activity excels at promoting critical thinking, empathy, and diverse perspectives. It allows colleagues to explore new ideas together in a low-pressure environment, strengthening relationships through shared learning. Remote-first companies like Basecamp and GitLab have championed book clubs for years, using them to build a strong, asynchronous culture of continuous improvement and intellectual curiosity across different time zones.

How to Implement This Activity

• Start Small and Relevant: To gauge interest, begin with a shorter book, an influential article, or even a TED Talk. Choose content that aligns with your team's current goals or challenges to ensure immediate relevance.
• Rotate Discussion Leaders: Empower different team members to facilitate each meeting. This shares ownership, builds leadership skills, and brings fresh perspectives to every discussion.
• Provide Discussion Prompts: Send out a few thought-provoking questions in advance. This helps participants organise their thoughts and ensures the conversation is both engaging and productive from the start.
• Offer Flexible Formats: Accommodate different preferences by suggesting both physical books and audiobook versions. This makes the activity more accessible for people with long commutes or different learning styles.

6. Online Personality and Strengths Assessments

Using assessments like Myers-Briggs or CliftonStrengths is one of the most insightful remote team building activities for improving self-awareness and team dynamics. Team members individually complete an online assessment and then come together in a facilitated session to share and discuss their results. This process helps colleagues understand each other's communication styles, motivations, and natural strengths, fostering greater empathy and more effective collaboration.

These activities are powerful tools for enhancing psychological safety and optimising how a team works together. By focusing on strengths, they build confidence and help assign tasks more strategically. Major organisations like Facebook and many consulting firms use CliftonStrengths and DiSC assessments to build stronger, more self-aware distributed teams, leading to better communication and reduced conflict. This approach turns individual differences into a collective advantage.

How to Implement This Activity

• Choose the Right Assessment: Select a tool that aligns with your goals. Use CliftonStrengths for a focus on individual talents, DiSC for understanding behavioural styles, or Myers-Briggs for personality frameworks. Explore cultural fit assessment tools to find the best match.
• Hire a Professional Facilitator: For sensitive discussions around personality, use an experienced facilitator. They can guide the conversation constructively, ensuring it remains positive and focused on team development rather than stereotyping.
• Create Team 'Cheat Sheets': After the session, compile a simple, shared document summarising each person’s communication preferences and key strengths. This becomes a practical reference for day-to-day interactions.
• Plan Follow-Up Sessions: Don't let the insights fade. Schedule brief follow-up activities in the following months to discuss how the team has applied what they learned and to reinforce the positive changes in collaboration.

7. Virtual Creative Workshops

Virtual creative workshops are engaging and low-pressure remote team building activities where colleagues connect through shared artistic expression. Led by a facilitator over video call, these sessions guide teams through a hands-on project like painting, drawing, or origami. Kits with necessary materials can be shipped to employees beforehand, or organisers can choose projects that use commonly available household supplies.

These activities are brilliant for sparking creativity and providing a relaxing break from routine work tasks. They encourage a different kind of collaboration, focusing on individual expression within a shared group experience. Tech companies have used digital art workshops to foster innovation, while marketing agencies have successfully adapted paint and sip nights for Zoom to boost team morale and build informal connections.

How to Implement This Activity

• Choose an Accessible Project: Select a craft that is achievable for all skill levels within the allotted time. Simple origami, guided watercolour painting, or a digital illustration session using a tool like Miro are excellent starting points.
• Organise Materials in Advance: Either send curated kits to each team member or provide a clear supply list with easy-to-find household alternatives. This ensures everyone can participate without stress.
• Emphasise Fun Over Perfection: Foster a non-judgmental atmosphere. Remind the team that the goal is to relax, experiment, and connect, not to produce a masterpiece. This helps everyone feel comfortable sharing their work.
• Create a Digital Showcase: After the session, ask participants to share photos of their creations. Compile these into a digital gallery on a shared platform like Slack or a company intranet page to celebrate the team's collective creativity.

8. Remote Coffee Chats and Virtual Coworking

These informal sessions are some of the most effective remote team building activities for replicating the spontaneous "water cooler" moments lost in a distributed setting. By scheduling optional video calls for non-work chatter or quiet coworking, teams can foster genuine connections and combat the isolation of remote work. The goal is to create a low-pressure environment where colleagues can interact as people, not just as job titles on a project board.

This approach is excellent for maintaining a strong, positive culture without a large budget or complex organisation. Remote-first pioneers like Zapier and Automattic use these methods, often pairing random employees for "coffee chats" to break down departmental silos. These activities build trust and psychological safety, which are foundational to effective collaboration and a healthy team dynamic. Establishing these informal touchpoints is a key part of any successful virtual team communication plan.

How to Implement This Activity

• Keep it Optional: To preserve the casual nature, never make these sessions mandatory. This ensures they remain a welcome break rather than another required meeting.
• Vary Timings: Rotate the schedule for coffee chats to accommodate team members across different time zones, ensuring everyone has an opportunity to join.
• Use Conversation Starters: Prepare a few light-hearted icebreakers or topics for participants who may be shy or unsure how to start a conversation.
• Implement Structured Coworking: For virtual coworking, use a model like Focusmate where team members work quietly on camera for set periods (e.g., 50 minutes), with short breaks for chatting in between. This boosts accountability and creates a sense of shared focus.

9. Online Improv and Comedy Workshops

Online improv and comedy workshops are dynamic and interactive remote team building activities that break down barriers and foster creativity. Guided by professional instructors over video call, teams participate in exercises like storytelling games and character creation. The core principle is often "yes, and…", which encourages participants to build on each other's ideas, creating a supportive and collaborative atmosphere.

These sessions are brilliant for improving communication, active listening, and adaptability in a low-pressure environment. The focus on spontaneous thinking helps team members become more comfortable with ambiguity and quick changes. Renowned institutions like The Second City now offer virtual corporate workshops that have been used by major companies to improve team chemistry, boost morale, and enhance creative problem-solving skills among their distributed workforces.

How to Implement This Activity

• Set the Right Tone: Begin with simple, low-pressure warm-up exercises to ease everyone into the experience. Emphasise that the goal is participation, not performance, and that there are no wrong answers.
• Encourage Voluntary Participation: Let team members volunteer for exercises rather than calling on individuals. This creates a safer psychological space and ensures engagement feels authentic rather than forced.
• Focus on the ‘Yes, And…’ Principle: The cornerstone of improv is accepting and building upon a colleague's contribution. This fosters a non-judgmental environment and encourages supportive collaboration.
• Connect it Back to Work: Conclude with a short debrief session. Discuss how the principles of improv, such as active listening and adaptability, can be applied to daily tasks, client communication, and team projects.

10. Virtual Team Challenges and Competitions

Virtual challenges and competitions are fantastic remote team building activities that foster sustained engagement over days or weeks. Instead of a one-off event, these ongoing contests create a shared goal, encouraging consistent interaction and friendly rivalry. Activities can range from fitness challenges and creative photo contests to skill-building leaderboards, with progress shared on platforms like Slack or Microsoft Teams.

This approach is powerful for building camaraderie and promoting healthy habits. The extended timeline allows relationships to develop naturally as colleagues cheer each other on. Companies have adapted trends popularised by platforms like Strava and Fitbit for corporate wellness programmes, using step-counting contests or coding challenges to boost morale and a sense of collective achievement. It turns individual effort into a shared team experience.

How to Implement This Activity

• Offer Diverse Participation: Design challenges with multiple ways to contribute and win. For a fitness challenge, include categories for total steps, most improved, and best team spirit to ensure everyone can participate meaningfully.
• Balance Individual and Team Goals: Create both individual leaderboards and team-based competitions. This caters to different motivational styles and encourages collaboration towards a group objective.
• Provide Regular Updates: Keep the momentum going with daily or weekly updates. Post leaderboards, celebrate milestones, and share motivational messages to maintain engagement throughout the challenge.
• Celebrate Effort, Not Just Victory: Acknowledge participation and personal improvement as much as winning. This fosters an inclusive and supportive environment where trying is valued, making the activity more rewarding for everyone involved.

11. Virtual Team Challenges and Competitions

Sustained virtual challenges are fantastic remote team building activities that foster long-term engagement and friendly competition. Unlike one-off events, these competitions span several days or weeks, encouraging consistent interaction and a shared sense of purpose. Activities can range from a company-wide steps challenge using fitness apps, to a collaborative coding hackathon, or even a 'photo of the day' contest on a dedicated Slack channel. The goal is to create a continuous, low-pressure touchpoint for connection.

This extended format allows colleagues to engage at their own pace, celebrating small wins and cheering each other on over time. For example, a month-long wellness challenge can not only improve employee well-being but also strengthen team camaraderie as participants share progress and encouragement. Companies like Dell have implemented similar long-term virtual initiatives to maintain a strong, connected culture across their global remote workforce.

How to Implement This Activity

• Establish Clear Rules and Goals: Define the challenge duration, how to participate, and what constitutes a 'win'. Whether it’s achieving a collective step count or submitting the best project, clarity is key to fair and fun competition.
• Use a Central Hub for Communication: Create a dedicated space, like a specific Slack channel or a Microsoft Teams group, for all updates, submissions, and friendly banter. This keeps the activity organised and visible.
• Offer Meaningful Incentives: Prizes don’t have to be expensive. Consider gift cards for popular online retailers, extra paid time off, or company-branded merchandise. The reward should feel worth the effort.
• Celebrate Participation and Milestones: Regularly acknowledge individual and team achievements throughout the challenge, not just at the end. A weekly leaderboard or a shout-out in a company-wide email can keep motivation high.

Remote Team Building Activities Comparison Guide

Building Your Remote Culture, One Activity at a Time

We have explored a diverse range of remote team building activities, from the strategic puzzles of Virtual Escape Rooms to the collaborative creativity of Online Cooking Classes. Each option presents a unique opportunity to strengthen bonds, improve communication, and inject a sense of fun into the virtual workspace. The journey from a collection of individuals to a cohesive, high-performing team is built on these shared moments.

However, the specific activities are just the tools. The real artistry lies in how you use them. The most successful remote team building strategies are not about one-off events but about creating a consistent, intentional programme of connection. It’s about understanding that a Virtual Game Show might be perfect for celebrating a quarterly win, while quiet, scheduled Remote Coffee Chats are essential for maintaining day-to-day rapport.

Key Takeaways for Lasting Impact

To move from theory to practice, focus on these core principles. The true value of investing in remote team building activities is realised when they become a natural part of your company's operational rhythm.

• Consistency Over Intensity: A short, 15-minute activity every week often yields better results than a single, large event once a quarter. Consistency builds trust and makes connection a habit, not an exception.
• Variety is Crucial: Cater to different personalities and energy levels. Alternate between high-energy competitions, creative workshops, and low-key social gatherings to ensure everyone feels included and engaged over time.
• Empower Your Team: Don't let team building be a top-down mandate. Create a small, rotating committee or survey your staff to ask what they want to do. Giving employees ownership over these initiatives dramatically increases participation and enjoyment.

Your Actionable Next Steps

Transforming this knowledge into a stronger team culture requires deliberate action. Don’t let this list become just another saved article. Start small, but start now.

1. Select and Schedule: Choose just one or two activities from this list that feel like a good fit for your team's current needs. Get one on the calendar for next month and a smaller one, like a virtual coworking session, scheduled for next week.
2. Gather Feedback: After each event, send out a simple, anonymous poll. Ask what people enjoyed, what they would change, and what they would like to try next. This feedback loop is vital for refining your approach.
3. Integrate and Automate: Make connection a recurring part of your process. Use tools like Donut for Slack to automate coffee pairings or set a recurring calendar event for a monthly team game. The goal is to make fostering relationships effortless.

Ultimately, mastering remote team building is no longer a "nice-to-have" but a critical component of a thriving, modern organisation. These activities are the building blocks for creating an environment of psychological safety, where innovation, collaboration, and genuine support can flourish. By prioritising these connections, you are not just boosting morale, you are building a more resilient, engaged, and productive workforce prepared for the future of work.