Virtual meetings have become a regular part of modern work, but keeping everyone engaged can be challenging. Studies consistently show that attention drops during long online meetings, especially when participants spend hours looking at a screen without interacting.
Adding short, interactive activities can help improve participation, encourage collaboration, and make meetings more enjoyable. Whether you are leading a small team check in or a large company meeting, choosing the right activity can boost energy, strengthen relationships, and help people stay focused from beginning to end.
Top 14 Fun Activities for Virtual Meetings
Below are ten fun ideas to incorporate into your next virtual meeting.
1. Icebreaker Questions
Best for: Small to large teams
Time needed: 5 to 10 minutes
Preparation: Very low
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.
How to run it:
Ask each participant one question and give everyone about 30 to 60 seconds to answer. Encourage lighthearted responses and avoid questions that may make people uncomfortable.
2. Virtual Show and Tell
Best for: Small teams
Time needed: 10 to 15 minutes
Preparation: Low
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
Best for: Small and medium teams
Time needed: 10 minutes
Preparation: Low
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
Best for: Small to medium teams
Time needed: 10 to 15 minutes
Preparation: Low
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.
How to run it:
Create a list of five to ten household items before the meeting. Give everyone one or two minutes to find each item. Award points for speed or creativity.
5. Pictionary or Sketch Game
Best for: Small to medium teams
Time needed: 10 to 15 minutes
Preparation: Low
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.
How to run it:
Choose one participant to draw a word or phrase while everyone else guesses. Rotate the drawing role after each round to keep everyone involved.
Recommended tools:
- Zoom Whiteboard
- Microsoft Whiteboard
- Skribbl.io
6. Trivia Quiz
Best for: Small to large teams
Time needed: 10 to 20 minutes
Preparation: Medium
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.
How to run it:
Prepare ten questions before the meeting and let participants answer individually or in teams. Keep the quiz short so it fits naturally into the meeting schedule.
Recommended tools:
- Kahoot!
- Mentimeter
- Quizizz
7. Online Bingo
Best for: Medium to large teams
Time needed: 10 to 20 minutes
Preparation: Medium
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.
How to run it:
Create virtual Bingo cards using common meeting situations. Participants mark each square as the events happen, and the first person to complete a row wins.
Recommended tools:
- My Free Bingo Cards
- Bingo Baker
8. Guess the Sound
Best for: Small teams
Time needed: 5 to 10 minutes
Preparation: Low
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.
How to run it:
Play short sound clips or create everyday sounds using objects near you. Allow everyone one guess before revealing the correct answer.
9. Photo Sharing
Best for: Small to medium teams
Time needed: 10 minutes
Preparation: Very low
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.
How to run it:
Give participants a theme before the meeting, such as favorite vacation or workspace. Let each person briefly explain why they selected their photo.
10. Word Association
Best for: Any team size
Time needed: 5 minutes
Preparation: None
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.
How to run it:
Start with a random word and ask each participant to quickly respond with the first related word that comes to mind. Continue until everyone has participated.
11. Rapid Fire Questions
Best for: Any team size
Time needed: 5 to 10 minutes
Preparation: Very low
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.
How to run it:
Prepare a list of quick either-or questions and ask participants to answer instantly without overthinking. Keep the pace fast to maintain energy.
12. Rock, Paper, Scissors
Best for: Small to medium teams
Time needed: 5 minutes
Preparation: None
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.
How to run it:
Pair participants into quick rounds or organize a simple tournament. Winners continue to the next round until one champion remains.
13. Emoji story
Best for: Small to medium teams
Time needed: 5 to 10 minutes
Preparation: None
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.
How to run it:
Ask each participant to post one emoji in the chat. Work together to create a short story using the emojis in the order they were shared.
14. Simon Says
Best for: Small to medium teams
Time needed: 5 minutes
Preparation: None
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.
How to run it:
One person acts as Simon and gives simple instructions. Participants should only follow commands that begin with “Simon says.” Anyone who follows the wrong instruction is out until one winner remains.
How to Choose the Right Virtual Meeting Activity
The best activity depends on your meeting goals and the size of your group. Short icebreakers work well at the beginning of meetings, while trivia games and team challenges are better for longer sessions. For new teams, choose activities that help people get to know each other. For experienced teams, collaborative games can encourage communication and creative thinking without taking too much time away from work.
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!
