Zoom happy hours were, without a doubt, a mandatory respite from work that everyone craved at the start of the work-from-home days. Organizations adopted zoom happy hours at the end of the workweek to foster connection between employees when working remotely. However, since it has become a habit, there is no longer a fun factor. If you and your colleagues are sick of another zoom meeting in the name of virtual team building, we have some good news for you. We’ve put together a list of virtual happy hour ideas that don’t include the usual bingo or wordplay games that you and your team may have played more than you should. Even though online games like bingo and wordplay are easy to follow and play, they can become boring at times. So, to liven things up, here’s a list of virtual team activities that will keep you and your team on the edge of your seat, or at least a bit away from your home office desks and closer to the kitchen.
1) The Honeycomb Candy Craze
Do we need to explain this one? The popular Korean thriller series, followed by the massive online dalgona candy mania, has already said it all. If you’re not sure what we’re talking about, we strongly advise you to watch the Squid Game series before proceeding with this post.
Now, here’s how you can play it online with your teammates. Send out the recipe for the dalgona candy to your staff before the game begins, and instruct them to come prepared with the hardened candy with their desired shape on it and a sewing needle (if not a toothpick). The game is quite simple: every player must needle the shape out from the candy without breaking it. Now, set the timer for 10 minutes and begin the game when everyone is ready. Players who break the shape or fail to complete the task on time will lose the game. Ask the people who fail the game to perform a dare or set the timer for less than 10 minutes to make the game more exciting.
2) Suprise Cocktail Party
This one is a fun twist on the classic happy hour drinking game. Ask your team to provide the host a list of random ingredients from their kitchen before the game begins. The host will then select three or four ingredients and declare them at the start of the game. The participants must now create and drink the cocktail using these ingredients and one other ingredient of their choice. This way, people get to test out a new cocktail or end up with a strange cocktail mix for the virtual happy hour.
3) Online Group Cooking
Online group cooking is an interactive event if your staff enjoys cooking and is eager to test a new dish suggested by one of the coworkers. Once a week, a member will give out the ingredient list of the dish and host the event via zoom. Other team members can join and begin cooking according to the host’s directions. Cooking together will spark many interactions among the employees while keeping them engaged throughout the event.
4) A simple DIY Christmas Present
If you don’t want to cook, creating a scented candle at home is a better option for a happy hour zoom meeting. Send out candle-making kits to your staff ahead of schedule. Candle-making kits typically consist of basic materials such as wax, wicks, wick holders, and moldings. Participants are allowed to be as creative as they wish when it comes to making the candle. When the candle is ready, they can individually choose a coworker and send it as a gift for any upcoming holidays, such as Christmas or New Year’s. Candle making is a fun way to send out personalized gifts to your coworkers while enjoying the whole process of making it with them via zoom.
5) Professionally Hosted Team Building Games
Rather than selecting one for your team members to serve as the host, you can hire professional hosts to run virtual events and games for your company. So your employees don’t have to spend extra time at their desks planning every single detail of the event. All you have to do is choose your favorite game, share the link with your coworkers via Zoom, and let the professionals handle everything while you sit back and enjoy the game. Plymouth Point, which includes following clues, breaking codes, and hacking passwords, is one of the games offered by external agencies. Another option is The Team Quest, which allows you to create unique game sets that include Pictionary, quizzes, sing-alongs, and other online games to bring the group together.
Keep in mind that the main objective of virtual happy hour is to destress from a busy work week, engage with your coworkers, and foster new connections. Although it is healthy to stay competitive, being obsessed with the idea of winning can ruin the fun for you and everyone else. We hope that these virtual team activities motivate you to have fun with your coworkers and serve as better alternatives to your company’s usual zoom happy hours.
