Remote work is fast becoming a way of life for many companies and with it comes some challenges. How does a team stay engaged, while successfully strengthening their ability to work together? Group activities are one way to break the isolation and make individuals at a remote job feel part of something bigger. These activities can be effective and fun at the same time for corporate groups. Team fun will have everyone wanting to participate.

As the weekend approaches, many of us look forward to going out with friends and work colleagues to catch up, and to socialize. How can a fun night out at a bar or restaurant be compared to an online party over Zoom? 

The Virtual Happy Hour has quickly become a common trend with the rise of social distancing. Moving an event online does not have to be boring or predictable, and fun Friday activities can transition to the new format seamlessly. The key part lies in choosing and planning great events.

Virtual Happy Hour Games are fun games that can be played with coworkers as part of an online social event. Usually there is a theme to the game. They can be loose, informal affairs, or more structured. In addition to a social function, these activities are useful for virtual team building. Here are some great examples of group activities to make your virtual happy hour fun.

Create a list of common household items, and have everyone in the group try to find as many as they can in their own space, as quickly as possible. The first one to find all of the items, wins. This can be a competition, or a way for people to get to know each other.

This is more of a fun Friday activity; everyone will have a cocktail night together with a twist. The virtual group can make a cocktail with a common ingredient. It can be simple and common, or more obscure. This virtual cocktail party will have everyone breaking the ice and learning more about each other.

Organize an online trivia contest with your group. This can be built around a game such as Trivial Pursuit, or one of its many spin offs. Divide your team into two or more groups, set a time limit, and see who can correctly answer the most trivia questions.

As a more in depth and personalized game, base the trivia questions on actual facts about your team. Have everyone fill out a questionnaire with interesting facts about themselves. Insert all of the answers into one document without their names and shuffle them randomly. Everyone will take turns trying to match up the fact with the correct person. This game is great for coworker’s get to know each other better.

Divide your team into two or more groups and send everyone a copy of the same crossword puzzle. Everyone has a certain amount of time to complete or fill in as many correct answers as possible.

This is a fun twist on the old music game. A team member will choose a favorite song, and their teammates will try to figure out the name of the song, only by using emojis. The first player to correctly guess the name of the song within a time limit wins.

Like the game Clue, your team is in the thick of a murder, and they will have to help solve the mystery! Live In Theater specializes in Virtual Murder mysteries. The actors create a magical and interactive theater performance. Collect clues, interview witnesses, suspects, and ultimately apprehend the killer.

This game relies on images or photographs where a small area has been closely zoomed in on. The challenge is to try to identify common items from this close perspective. The first team members to correctly identify what’s in each image win the game.

This is a simple and fun guessing game, based on pouring either several shots of water, or a clear alcoholic liquor. The idea is that other players won’t be able to tell if a liquid in a glass is water or alcohol. One player will take a shot and tell the group whether it was “water” or “not water.” Based on their reaction, the group will take turns guessing whether they’re telling the truth or not.

This game is another great way for a team to get to know one another. Give each team member a few minutes to write down a couple facts about themselves that are true, and one that is not. Each member will take turns sharing what they’ve written, and other members try to correctly guess which is which.

Now that you’ve chosen a great happy hour activity, here are some tips to keep things running smoothly.

1. Have an Engaging Host

Happy hour events work much better when there is a responsible host to manage the event. The right host will keep conversations flowing freely, on topic, and keep an appropriate time limit. The benefit to using a group such as Live In Theater, is that we will be there to help host and manage your events smoothly.

2. Have Good Time Management

Try to plan the event at a time that everyone can participate. Meetings can be scheduled in advance either at a set time on a recurring basis, or a special one off for different groups. Choosing a time that works for everyone’s schedules so they can participate is critical to the success of a virtual happy hour event. Likewise, as part of being a good host, make sure that the event starts on time. The group shouldn’t have to wait for the host to begin the event. Being punctual matters.

3. Keep the Size of the Group Manageable

Try to limit the number of people who you invite to the event to an appropriate size. Ideally, the group will be small enough to be manageable, while still being inclusive. Having a group that is too large can lead to members being left out. Live in Theater can accommodate groups as small as five, to as large as three-hundred.

With these virtual happy hour games, your next corporate event will be talked about for being tons of fun! 

Check out Live In Theater for your next corporate virtual happy hour event. Surprise your team with one of our award-winning virtual murder mystery plays. Contact us today to learn more.