7 Cringe-Free Zoom Icebreakers for Remote Teams

Switch up your office get-togethers with these virtual team building activities and build stronger team bonds over fun and creative Zoom icebreakers!

Even as things slowly return to how they were pre-pandemic, many companies have decided to continue with hybrid work or the WFH setup kickstarted in the Australian lockdowns. Sure, Zoom is terrific and certainly makes it easy for remote teams to carry out projects efficiently, but when it comes to online team building, it can't always provide the same level of bonding as a spontaneous chat over a cup of coffee in the office kitchen.

Unfortunately, no matter how well technology like Zoom helps people stay in touch with each other, many employees may find it hard to be spontaneous on video calls, making it difficult for them to feel at ease with each other in a work environment. 

Want to break these barriers? Check out our range of unconventional Zoom icebreakers! These fun virtual team building activities don't just promote a positive work culture and help colleagues get to know each other better, they also open new channels of communication that can help your team build stronger relationships. 

Read on for online team games and Zoom parties that your team will absolutely love, no matter what the occasion.

Unleash your team’s creativity with online art classes 

You can never go wrong with encouraging your teammates to stay creative. It will inspire them to flesh out their ideas, think outside the box, and make the most of what they have. So, maybe it’s time you consider taking online art classes with your team! 

It doesn’t matter if your colleagues are stuck in a lockdown in Sydney or Brisbane. They can take part in virtual crafting classes without any problems. You won’t run out of activities to try together, from making DIY pottery and participating in paint and sip classes to upcycling used items and crocheting a scarf.

Arts and crafts also help people deal with workplace stress better, prevent burn-outs, and achieve a better work-life balance. And those are indispensable in these anxiety-inducing times! Click here to discover more ways to improve wellbeing in the workplace in 2024. 

Spice up your Zoom icebreakers with cooking lessons

Take your teammates on a culinary adventure with an online cooking class! Not only will they hone their kitchen skills and learn a new recipe, but they’ll also have something delicious to enjoy after every session. 

Because online cooking classes come with a myriad of steps, your colleagues won’t run out of topics to talk about even days after the class. They can commiserate over the parts they struggled on, share tips and tricks, and celebrate their accomplishments. They’ll also walk away from the cooking lesson with a wonderful sense of accomplishment once they’ve learned how to cook a new dish. 

Encourage creativity with calligraphy

Calligraphy classes may seem like an unconventional team building activity, but they certainly work. They teach your colleagues focus and patience. Creating beautiful scripts isn’t about how fast they can use their pen or brush. It's about control, from knowing when to be heavy-handed with their stroke and when to lift their writing tool. 

A virtual calligraphy class will help your team bond as members encourage one another to improve their skills. It can also help them de-stress as they concentrate on perfecting their craft. 

Once your teammates are confident with their lettering skills, you can make this activity more competitive by hosting virtual team games. You can give prizes to whoever can make the most creative designs when writing a poem or passage. 

Play with clay at online pottery workshops

One of the best ways to engage your teammates and have them feel refreshed is with an online hand building class! Think about it. Everyone gets to sink their hands into squishy clay as they chat and connect, building team bonds as they build beautiful ceramic art.

Learn how to shape and mould ceramic mugs or let your team get a bit more creative with sculpture making workshops or ceramic painting classes. Whatever you choose, the tactile and playful nature of clay is guaranteed to captivate your team and ease any tensions in the group.

Green up your team’s workstations with terrarium workshops

With the WFH setup, most of your team are probably stuck to a desk—one that’s fully customised to their work style or simply furnished with the essentials. Help them breathe new life into their workspace with a DIY terrarium.

Terrariums are beautiful miniature gardens encased in a glass container. Not only will they brighten up any desk they’re placed on, but they’ll also remind their owner of what a great time they had crafting it with their teammates. After all, making a terrarium is one of those Zoom activities that let people unleash their creativity.

Having a little greenery on their desks can also help ease everyone’s stress. And giving them a chance to create a unique patch of nature for their workstation is a step up from sending them a potted plant. 

Celebrate achievements with cocktail making classes

The local bars may have closed their doors completely, but that doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate your team’s hard work without a cocktail in hand. Take virtual cocktail making classes together!

Cocktail making workshops rank high among the most popular Zoom party ideas, and with good reason. They let people enjoy delicious drinks and each other’s company without leaving the safety and comfort of their home. Unique and relaxing, making DIY cocktails is a team-building activity that will have your teammates bonding and having fun in no time. 

Consider making it a part of your next online company celebrations or adding it to your virtual Christmas party ideas. Celebrate your company’s milestones or toast to your colleague’s accomplishments as you savour refreshing cocktails!

Achieve inner peace with mindful virtual team building activities

Mindfulness is a relatively new concept, but it’s been gaining popularity in the work world for some time. And that’s not really surprising given that studies have found that mindfulness helps people reduce stress, be more productive, and improve their well-being. 

Follow the trend with virtual team building activities that promote mindfulness. These can include everything from yoga, meditation, and shared self-compassion sessions to colouring book parties, group dancing, and flower arranging classes. Help your team feel relaxed and at peace with a mindful activity. 

Booking one of our online classes is a convenient option if this type of activity sounds good to you because many of our virtual classes also come with a DIY kit to be delivered before the session! All your team needs to do is to show up and have a good time.

Physical distance can make it difficult for remote teams to form meaningful connections. More often than not, it limits the ways people can interact with each other. While your teammates can have casual video call conversations, it’s not the same as them commiserating over their troubles while they enjoy their lunch break. 

So, make the most of the online team-building activities available to you and check out our curated collection of Zoom party ideas that will get the office banter going and revitalise your team!