If you’re looking for a way to relax and destress, look no further than these virtual retreat activities! From meditation to yoga, there’s something here for everyone. So why not take some time out for yourself and give one of these activities a try?

You may be surprised at how beneficial they can be!

22 virtual retreat activities that don’t rip off your soul

It is difficult to connect remote workers and build a shared identity without physical interaction. By scheduling regular virtual retreats and team bonding activities, loneliness can be overcome at work.

Virtual retreats are company gatherings that can be held online through platforms like Zoom, Slack, and Webex. These include company updates, workshops, and fun activities. They can include virtual tasting events, online games, and everything in between.

They encourage team collaboration, strengthen interpersonal relationships, increase communication skills and morale among remote workers.

NoHQ compiled a list of virtual team retreat activities that you can use to bond your team.

Checklist for Conducting a Virtual Retreat:

Determine the goal of your online team-building activity.

• What problem do you want to solve with this team bonding experience
• What is your ideal outcome?

Make sure that retreat goals and objectives are met

• How many employees will be there?
• Does retreat cover the whole company or just a few people?
• What’s the retreat’s theme and duration?
• What is the budget?

Perform test runs

• Keep everyone informed about the schedule.
• You must ensure that the software/platform can handle traffic.
• All activities must be equal. Participants are not allowed to cheat or be excluded from the activity.
• Safety and enjoyment should be promoted in all activities
• Zoom fatigue can be managed by audio-only sessions.

Rough outline

• Agenda outline — Let participants know the basics of the retreat and give them a rough timetable.
• Begin by welcoming everyone. Engage with participants to keep them entertained by asking questions, polling, and so forth. Participants will feel more at ease knowing that children or background noises are okay.
• Virtual Icebreaker — Use just 1-2 games to get the ball rolling.
• Discussions and activities
• Intermission — Lunch break, dinner break, etc.
• Reflection and follow-up — Before you dismiss everyone, have a reflection session where participants can discuss their key takeaways. You can also schedule a follow-up session if you have more time.
• Closing — Participants are asked to thank hosts and organizers before saying goodbye.

1. Workshop sessions

Workshops allow specialists to share their knowledge. A product manager could lead a session on the next product release features for marketers and salespeople who are not involved with product development. These sessions foster cross-team interaction and help team members to share knowledge.

2. Online Escape Games

Each member of the team will have to work together to solve puzzles and find clues in order to escape the room within a given time. You can choose from many themes to match your retreat theme. These escape games encourage collaboration and teamwork.

3. Virtual Trivia

Trivia is best when you ask the most interesting questions. To encourage participants to share their knowledge with family and friends, use memorable questions. Watercooler Trivia is an excellent tool to bring trivia into your workplace.

4. Swag Bags

Employees look forward every retreat to the prize pool. This doesn’t mean that you have to cut corners on surprises just because it’s not a physical retreat. Instead, you can mail door gifts to your retreat participants.

You could send customized tote bags, T-shirts, or a portable charger to your retreat attendees.

5. Virtual tasting experiences

Virtual tastings can be done online. This can be a great way for people to connect. This will require extra effort to identify dietary restrictions and tailor to them.

Participants will be able to taste the samples that were sent to them. The experience will last approximately one hour and be led by an expert.

6. Virtual Scavenger Hunts

It is important to make sure the rules are clear and that your family is familiar with the items you are searching for. You can use broad clues like breakfast items or more specific ones such as cereal. Participants must be motivated and competitive.

7. Online Office Games

It’s a great way for your employees to host a virtual office Olympics and to encourage friendly rivalry. The office games experience lasts 90 minutes and includes entertainment for your employees. There are many fun options, including making video trailers for company events or other activities.

8. Employee Wellness Sessions

These activities could include guided mindfulness, meditation, a joint home workout or desk stretching for posture, yoga, and other new habits. Your goal is to improve health and relaxation among your participants.

9. DIY Craft Challenges

Participants can be given a time limit or allow them to use items from their home to create something that fits a specific theme. You will need to share some video resources with them in order to get them started. You can give your teams money to buy items for the session if you have a budget.

10. Confetti

Confetti is your one-stop-shop for online team-building activities. You can browse and book online experiences immediately through their platform. Their platform allows you to book drag bingo, museum storytelling tours and cookie decorating classes.

Your team can save time by having the kits shipped directly to their offices.

11. Scattergories

This game encourages creativity, quick thinking, and imagination. It requires players to identify objects within a specific category and within a given time limit. The moderator will be required to act as host, assign scores, and serve as moderator.

12. Clue Virtual Murder Mystery

For solving cases, it is essential to communicate effectively and work together. It’s a race against the clock to solve the mysteries and find the killer! It can increase team morale and foster teamwork among your team members.

13. Coworker Feud

The coworker feud can be described as a corporate version of Family Feud! The session will include multiple rounds and a host who entertains. Each team will be competing to find the most popular answers for each survey question. This game can be used as a friendly competition or a virtual icebreaker.

14. Woyago’s virtual Paris trip

You can learn, laugh, or connect with your team in Paris from the comfort of your home. There will be a variety of activities that are related to French culture such as trivia questions, vocabulary lessons, and stories and quirky stories. You can add “picnic box,” which will send everyone a box with French delicacies.

15. Virtual Dance Party

Although it may seem awkward at first glance, it is a great idea for the host to start the conversation. Be prepared with a playlist and open to song requests. Before you start dancing, make sure everyone hears the host’s music.

16. Game Show Extravaganza

This activity can last from 30 minutes to two hours depending on your preference. This virtual game show will feature teams competing against one another to solve trivia questions on a variety of topics. You can also host the games or create your own question pool.

17. Team Pursuit

Remote teams can compete against each other in a series of virtual mental, physical, and skill challenges. This encourages teamwork, strategic communication skills, and collaboration between cross-functional groups.

18. Virtual Happy Hour with cocktail recipes

This activity is best for small groups of 20 people or less and will require a budget. Participants will be provided with a Happy Hour Box that contains snacks and drinks. City Brew Tours offers a range of Beer and Cheese Pairing Experiences and custom-made tasting packages that you can view.

19. Live Home Brew Experience

Remote workers can become brewers for one day! This experience can be done via Zoom and lasts 2 hours. Participants receive all equipment and ingredients at no cost.

20. Atlassian Learning Circle

How about learning something together? Atlassian’s learning circles templates make it easy for you to create a virtual educational activity. This can be used to encourage continuous education between teams. This activity can also help to foster team unity and shared understanding.

21. Book clubs on-line

Ask remote workers to read independently, and set up times for virtual meetings or sharing sessions. Ask remote workers to share their learning points. To encourage knowledge sharing, you can host discussions. If your team isn’t sure where to begin, you can suggest titles to be read.

22. Hackathons

Hackathons are often software-focused but can also be used for brainstorming sessions. You might be surprised by the ideas you get if you include topics such as “new services we can offer” or “how to reduce spending on certain subjects.”

 

Conclusion

Virtual retreat activities can be a great way for remote employees to stay engaged and active. They also provide them with a platform to connect with other people within the company. It can help to create a remote culture that everyone loves.

Although there is no one right way to organize a virtual retreat, the essence of it all lies in creating new ways to foster human connections within a virtual world.