The start of January is a time to refresh, reconnect, and set the tone for a productive year ahead. After the holiday celebrations, virtual team-building activities can help energize your team, strengthen bonds, and promote collaboration—all during work hours. With National Trivia Day on January 4th, there’s no better opportunity to engage your team with fun, impactful activities.
Here are five curated virtual activities to help you start the year right, focusing on teamwork, creativity, and communication.
1. Quick trivia challenges: build knowledge and camaraderie
Trivia sessions are a fantastic way to encourage collaboration, spark friendly competition, and add energy to team meetings. Kickstart the year with a themed trivia activity in honor of National Trivia Day!
How it works:
- Create rounds of trivia questions with increasing difficulty.
- Begin with light, general knowledge questions and gradually move to niche or company-related topics.
Examples of trivia questions by difficulty:
Easy:
- What planet is known as the “Red Planet”? (Answer: Mars)
- What is the largest mammal in the world? (Answer: Blue Whale)
Medium:
- What is the chemical symbol for gold? (Answer: Au)
- Who wrote Pride and Prejudice? (Answer: Jane Austen)
Hard:
- Which U.S. state has the most lighthouses? (Answer: Michigan)
- What year was the Eiffel Tower completed? (Answer: 1889)
Pro Tips:
- Use slides or visuals to show questions, logos, or related images for context. For example, display a blurred movie poster and ask participants to identify the film.
- Incorporate sound clips (e.g., a song snippet for music trivia) to make the activity dynamic.
- Award small prizes like digital gift cards or bragging rights for an added competitive edge.
For more trivia inspiration, explore our blog: Virtual Trivia: 9 Trivia Games and 1,000+ Trivia Questions for Remote Team Fun.
2. Play Superglue’s escape room Spirit Speak
For a team-building experience that’s both fun and impactful, consider Spirit Speak. This escape-room-style game challenges teams to solve puzzles, communicate effectively, and collaborate to escape from an alien spaceship before it crashes.
Why choose Spirit Speak?
- Encourages quick thinking and problem-solving.
- Promotes teamwork and creative collaboration.
- Offers a unique way to re-energize your team after the holiday break.
This game brings excitement and a sense of accomplishment to your team during work hours.
3. Icebreakers for connection and engagement
After a holiday break, team members may feel a bit disconnected or out of sync. Icebreakers are an excellent way to bridge that gap, bringing everyone back together with lighthearted activities that promote engagement and set a positive tone for the meeting or workday. These activities are quick, easy to implement, and adaptable for any team size.
Ideas to try:
- Emoji/meme mood check-in
Start meetings with a visual and interactive check-in. Ask each team member to drop an emoji in the chat that represents how they’re feeling or what their day has been like.- Why it works: This activity is quick and non-intrusive but provides insight into team morale. Emojis are universally understood and add a lighthearted, relatable touch to any conversation.
- Variations: Use specific categories like “What’s your energy level right now?” or “What’s the weather of your mood?” Encourage team members to elaborate briefly, such as, “🌞 because I had a great morning run!”
- Two truths and a lie
This classic icebreaker never gets old! Each participant shares three statements about themselves—two that are true and one that’s a lie. The group guesses which statement is false.- Why it works: It encourages personal storytelling and helps team members learn unique or surprising things about each other. It’s especially great for fostering connections in a fun, informal way.
- Pro tip: Make it work-related by asking for statements about previous projects, favorite tools, or career highlights. For example:
- “I once closed a deal worth $1M.”
- “I’ve never used Excel.”
- “I’ve attended 10+ virtual conferences this year.”
- Rapid-fire would you rather
Engage your team with a fast-paced game of hypothetical choices. Use fun or work-related scenarios like:- “Would you rather have an extra hour of sleep or an hour of uninterrupted focus?”
- “Would you rather work on a solo project or collaborate with a team?”
- Why it works: This activity reveals preferences and sparks lighthearted discussions, helping team members understand each other’s personalities and working styles.
- How to play: Share questions verbally or via slides, and have team members respond in the chat or raise hands for their choice.
- Add a twist: After everyone chooses, ask a few participants to explain their reasoning. It can lead to surprising and hilarious insights!
- Speed show and tell
Each participant has 30 seconds to share an object from their workspace that represents how they’re feeling or reflects their personality.- Why it works: This activity adds a personal touch and helps team members connect over shared experiences or interests.
- Examples:
- “This mug represents my love for coffee and how it fuels my creativity!”
- “I’m showing this plant because it reminds me to stay grounded and take care of myself.”
- Virtual rock-paper-scissors
A simple but energizing game that’s perfect for larger teams. Pair participants in breakout rooms or play as a group using the chat.- Why it works: It’s playful, competitive, and requires no preparation. A great way to boost energy levels quickly!
- Variation: Organize a mini-tournament to determine the ultimate champion.
- Themed icebreakers
Tailor icebreaker questions or activities to seasonal events or team milestones.- For January: “What’s one thing you’re looking forward to this year?” or “What’s your favorite winter activity?”
- Tie it to National Trivia Day by asking, “What’s the most random trivia fact you know?”
- Silent storytelling (nonverbal icebreaker)
Each team member uses gestures or facial expressions to act out a personal hobby or recent experience, and the group guesses what it is.- Why it works: This nonverbal activity encourages creativity, observation, and laughter, making it a refreshing break from verbal communication.
- Rapid-fire icebreaker polls
Use polling tools like Zoom polls, Mentimeter, or Google Forms to ask quick questions:- “Coffee or tea?”
- “Morning person or night owl?”
- “Would you rather work from a beach or a mountain cabin?”
- Why it works: It’s interactive and can reveal shared preferences or fun differences among team members.
Why icebreakers matter
- Boost team morale: They create a positive start to meetings, helping everyone feel engaged.
- Strengthen connections: Icebreakers provide opportunities for team members to share and bond.
- Set the tone: A lighthearted activity can establish an atmosphere of creativity and collaboration for the rest of the day.
For more icebreaker ideas, visit 70+ Lightning-Fast Icebreakers for Remote Teams.
4. Nonverbal team-building activities
Activity suggestions:
- Back-to-back drawing: One person describes a simple shape or image using only gestures or taps, while the other draws it based on cues.
- Silent pictionary: Use a virtual whiteboard tool like Zoom or Miro for participants to draw clues while others guess without any verbal explanation.
- Gesture chain: One person starts a gesture, and others pass it along, adding their twist to it. This activity encourages creativity and observation.
- Building blocks challenge: Teams construct a structure (like a tower or bridge) without talking, using only hand gestures to coordinate.
For more nonverbal activities, check out our blog: Nonverbal Team-Building Activities for Stronger Collaboration and Trust.
5. Mini scavenger hunt
A scavenger hunt is an easy-to-organize activity that gets your team moving and thinking creatively.
- How it works:
- Prepare a list of common household items or themes (e.g., “Find something blue,” “A book you love,” or “An item that sparks joy”).
- Set a timer for 5–10 minutes, and have participants race to find and share their items on camera.
- Twist for extra fun: Add a storytelling element where participants explain the significance of the items they found. This adds a personal touch and fosters deeper connections.
Goals of virtual team-building activities
The purpose of these activities goes beyond just fun—they serve to:
- Re-establish connections after time off.
- Boost morale and energy levels in the new year.
- Encourage collaboration and creative problem-solving.
- Enhance communication and understanding among team members.
By integrating these activities into your workday, you can create a more cohesive and motivated team environment.
Kickstart your year with fun and connection
January is the perfect time to bring your team together, set the tone for the months ahead, and remind everyone of the value of working as a team. Whether it’s engaging trivia, immersive games like Spirit Speak, or creative nonverbal challenges, there’s something here for every team to enjoy.
Ready to plan your first activity?
Contact us to learn more about Superglue’s virtual team-building experiences or to schedule a session. Let’s make this year one to remember!