Teleconferencing is now a norm in today’s society; one can work from home or collaborate with a team in a distant place. Overcommunication is essential in virtual settings to avoid misunderstandings and keep everyone on the same page. But what is even worse is that sitting in front of the screen for hours can be tiring and boring. In fact, a recent study found that 49% of employees admit to losing focus in virtual meetings, highlighting the need for engaging strategies. Well, that is where fun activities come in! Delivering creativity into your meetings will provide many benefits, such as making the meetings fun and more effective for the participants.
Top 10 Fun Activities for Virtual Meetings
Below are ten fun ideas to incorporate into your next virtual meeting.
1. Icebreaker Questions
To make the atmosphere less formal, begin the virtual meeting with questions that can make the team members laugh. Ask simple, fun, and personal questions that get people talking, such as:
“Can you tell me what your favorite movie is?”
“Have you ever wished that you had a superpower? If so, what would it be?”
These questions ease tension and enable people to feel they know each other, which can make the meeting personal and communicate effectively.
2. Virtual Show and Tell
Do you recall the days of “Show and Tell” at school? Guess what? You can do this activity in your virtual meeting. Instruct other team members to come to the meeting with something that has personal significance, be it a book, a hobby, or a pet. Allowing people to speak something about their lives also contributes to creating a bond between them.
3. Two Truths and a Lie
This game is perfect for the virtual meeting! Ask everyone in the group to come up with three statements about themselves, two true and one false. The group then attempts to identify which among the statements is a lie. It is entertaining to get to know more about each other and engage in conversation.
4. Virtual Scavenger Hunt
Here is a rather lively and engaging idea – a scavenger hunt that can be conducted during a virtual meeting. Present them with a list of items likely to be found in a house (for instance, a pen or a mug of coffee) and allow them time to look for the items at home. The winner will be the one who gathers more items. It is a fun and easy idea that helps people get out of their seats and walk around.
5. Pictionary or Sketch Game
Virtual Pictionary is another creative pastime that can make everyone’s bellies ache through laughter. Online tools that can be used are zoom whiteboard feature and other applications like Skribbl. The first person sketches something, and the rest attempt to determine what has been drawn. It elicited creativity among the members and made the meeting even more entertaining and challenging.
6. Trivia Quiz
Everyone gets excited when they can participate in the trivia competitions! Get a list of questions for different themes, such as pop culture, history, or general knowledge, and conduct a quiz during the meeting. The tasks can be tackled in groups, where players form teams or can be solved independently by each person. This fosters healthy rivalry and ensures that everyone in the group remains motivated.
7. Online Bingo
Make Bingo cards based on realistic scenarios of virtual meetings, such as ‘someone’s dog barks’ or ‘Wi-Fi disconnects.’ Participants are supposed to check the boxes corresponding to scenarios as they play out. It is a good way of keeping one active and full of energy throughout the meeting.
8. Guess the Sound
This activity is especially suitable for small to medium-sized groups. You make a sound from your computer, for example, typing, clapping, ringing, and others must guess the sound. This makes it more challenging if you select unusual or tricky sounds. It is a fast and energetic game that helps lessen the boredom of most meetings.
9. Photo Sharing
Ask the participants to share one picture associated with any topic that comes to their mind, for instance, the best vacation spot or a moment that made them laugh. It also assists in removing barriers to communication. It makes people open up and explain more about their lives, enhancing relationships.
10. 5-Minute Games for Virtual Meetings.
Sometimes, you have a few minutes to spare, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun! Here are a few simple games that just last five minutes and are ideal for refreshing your virtual meetings:
i) Word Association
Begin with a random word and ask each individual to mention the first word that comes to mind. The game is fast-paced, requiring everyone to think quickly.
ii) Rapid Fire Questions
Ask participants rapid questions with time limits, such as “Coffee or tea?” or “Summer or Winter?” It’s a simple approach to get everyone interacting and involved without wasting time.
iii) Rock, Paper, Scissors
It is a basic hand game for virtual meetings. Players select one of three hand signs: rock (fist), paper (open hand), or scissors (two fingers extended). Paper beats rock, rock beats scissors, and scissors beat paper. Participants simply need to declare their choice live on camera, making it a brief but thrilling competition.
iv) Emoji story
Ask each individual to contribute an emoji to the conversation, and the group will create a short story based on the emojis. It’s a great way to be creative and engage everyone in under five minutes.
v) Simon Says
The famous “Simon Says” game may also be played online! The host provides directions, and players must only obey those that start with “Simon says”. It’s enjoyable and gets people moving with little time commitment.
Final Thoughts
Introducing fun activities in virtual meetings can make the meetings more creative and interesting. These fun activities can be in the form of an icebreaker or involve competition on a specific topic and can assist in enhancing team spirit, decreasing stress levels, and ensuring concentration among the participants. Therefore, the next time you arrange a virtual meeting, it is a good idea to incorporate one of these ideas into your meeting to make it lively. Well, guess what: meetings don’t have to be boring!
