There’s nothing like a face-to-face meeting to foster engagement with colleagues, get everyone’s creative juices flowing, and brainstorm new ideas. But with the rise of remote work, virtual meetings have become the new norm and it can be challenging to recreate the same spirit of collaboration and engagement in virtual meetings or virtual happy hour.
That’s why we’re talking about ways to make your virtual meetings infinitely more fun and engaging. Whether you’re looking for fun virtual backgrounds, dress up themes, poll questions, energizers or virtual team building games, we’ve got all the fun activities for virtual meetings covered!
Fun Virtual Backgrounds For Virtual Meetings
A great way to get your team excited about virtual meetings is to start off by having a fun virtual background. It can help create a sense of community and make the team members feel more connected to each other. Plus, it gives everyone a much-needed break from the standard blank wall style backgrounds that often come with popular video meeting software.
When it comes to choosing a fun virtual background, you have plenty of options. You can opt for something more professional like custom company logos or quirky abstract backgrounds for those more lighthearted meetings. If you want something a bit more humorous, there are plenty of meme-style backgrounds available online too!
20 Popular Virtual Background Ideas For Your Virtual Meetings
1. Tropical beach paradise
2. Outer space or galaxy backdrop
3. Famous landmarks (e.g., Eiffel Tower, Great Wall of China)
4. Hogwarts Castle (Harry Potter series)
5. Underwater ocean scene with colorful fish
6. Enchanted forest or magical garden
7. Cozy cabin in the mountains
8. Superhero headquarters or lair
9. Vintage library or bookstore
10. Classic movie set or iconic film scene
11. Sci-fi or futuristic cityscape
12. Cartoon or animated world
13. Serene Zen garden or tranquil Japanese tea house
14. A picturesque European village or town square
15. Retro diner or vintage arcade
16. On-set of a popular TV show or sitcom
17. Wild West saloon or desert landscape
18. A bustling, colorful street market
19. Inside a famous art gallery or museum
20. A festive holiday scene, such as a winter wonderland or a spooky Halloween backdrop
Fun Dress Up Themes For Virtual Meetings
Getting the team to come together for a virtual meeting can be hard enough, but keeping them engaged throughout? That's a real challenge! A fun and easy way to spice up your virtual meetings is to make them dress up themes. It may sound silly, but it's actually a great way to get people out of their routine, take off their work hats for a few minutes, and have some fun.
Here’s 10 Dress Up Theme Ideas To Try Today
1. Decades Day
Encourage your team to dress up in styles from their favorite decade, whether it's the roaring 20s, groovy 60s, or the grunge era of the 90s.
2. Crazy Hat Day
Have participants wear their wackiest, most creative hats to add a touch of whimsy to the virtual meeting.
3. Around the World Day
Invite team members to dress in traditional clothing or accessories representing a specific country or culture they admire or are connected to.
4. Sports Day
Ask participants to wear jerseys, hats, or other gear from their favorite sports team, or even dress up as a famous athlete.
5. Monochromatic Day
Assign each participant a specific color and have them dress in that color from head to toe for a visually striking virtual meeting.
6. Futuristic Day
Encourage team members to dress up in sci-fi or futuristic-inspired clothing, allowing them to express their creativity and imagine what the future might look like.
7. Formal Day
Invite participants to wear their best formal attire, such as suits, ties, or dresses, to bring an air of sophistication and elegance to the virtual meeting.
8. Animal Day
Have team members dress up as their favorite animal or wear clothing and accessories with animal prints, creating a wild and playful atmosphere.
9. Cartoon or Anime Character Day
Encourage participants to dress up as their favorite cartoon or anime character, adding a fun and nostalgic twist to the meeting.
10. Twin Day
Pair up team members and have them dress alike for the day, promoting teamwork and coordination.
Fun Ways To Start Virtual Meetings
There are plenty of fun ideas for virtual meetings including fun ways to start your meeting on the right foot! Here are a few ways to kick off your meeting in a fun and engaging way.
Icebreakers
Ice breaker questions are a great way to kick off virtual meetings with a personal touch. Try asking questions like “What was your favorite experience with this team?” or “What is one thing you would like to accomplish during this meeting?” Not only will these help team members get to know each other better, but they'll also help them stay focused and engaged.
Start with a Story
To keep your team members entertained and engaged, start off your virtual meetings with an inspiring story - it can be about anything! Whether it's an inspirational biographical story or just a funny incident you experienced recently, sharing it will get the conversation flowing, break any awkwardness and help set the tone of the meeting.
Fun Introductions
Introducing yourself in an unexpected way is always entertaining! Have everyone in the meeting introduce themselves using their favorite emoji, or ask them to pick their celebrity doppelgänger. It's sure to bring some laughter and lighten up the mood - plus, it will help everyone get more comfortable with each other.
Fun Poll Questions For Virtual Meetings
Polls are a great way to get everyone involved in the virtual meeting! Take advantage of the polling features built into popular video conferencing software to help break up the monotony of the meeting.
10 Fun Poll Questions For Your Virtual Meetings With Options
1. If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
- Invisibility
- Time travel
- Teleportation
- Flight
- Super strength
2. What is your favorite type of vacation?
- Beach getaway
- Mountain adventure
- City exploration
- Cultural immersion
- Staycation
3. Which fictional world would you most like to visit?
- Hogwarts (Harry Potter)
- Middle Earth (Lord of the Rings)
- Westeros (Game of Thrones)
- Narnia (The Chronicles of Narnia)
- Pandora (Avatar)
4. What is your go-to comfort food?
- Pizza
- Ice cream
- Chocolate
- Mac & cheese
- Fried chicken
5. If you could only listen to one music genre for the rest of your life, what would it be?
- Rock
- Pop
- Hip-hop
- Classical
- Country
6. Which animal best represents your personality?
- Lion
- Dolphin
- Elephant
- Owl
- Kangaroo
7. What's your favorite way to unwind after work?
- Watching movies or TV shows
- Reading a book
- Exercising or playing sports
- Cooking or baking
- Socializing with friends or family
8. Which famous person, living or deceased, would you most like to have dinner with?
- Albert Einstein
- Oprah Winfrey
- Nelson Mandela
- Leonardo da Vinci
- Marilyn Monroe
9. If you could instantly master any skill, what would it be?
- Speaking multiple languages
- Playing a musical instrument
- Cooking like a professional chef
- Painting or drawing
- Dancing
10. How do you prefer to start your day?
- With a workout or exercise
- By enjoying a leisurely breakfast
- With a strong cup of coffee or tea
- By checking social media or news
- With a few extra minutes of sleep
Fun Energizers For Virtual Meetings
As virtual meetings become common in today's remote work company culture, it's important to keep attendees engaged and energized throughout the duration of the call. One way to achieve this is through the use of fun energizers. These activities serve as a quick break from the monotony of the meeting and can help attendees refocus their attention.
6 Fun Energizers For You Next Virtual Meeting
1. Quick stretch breaks
Encourage participants to take a one-minute stretch break. Stretching helps release tension and increase focus. Demonstrate simple stretches that everyone can do while sitting, such as neck rolls, shoulder shrugs, and wrist stretches.
2. Mindfulness exercises
Lead a brief guided meditation or breathing exercise to help participants refocus and relax. Practicing mindfulness can reduce stress and increase mental clarity.
3. One-word stories
Start a story by saying one word and ask each participant to add one word to continue the story. This creative exercise encourages teamwork and can lead to amusing results.
4. Deskercise
Encourage participants to engage in simple exercises that can be done while sitting at their desks, such as leg lifts, seated marches, or desk push-ups. This activity helps increase blood flow and re-energizes participants.
5. "Would you rather" questions
Pose a series of "would you rather" questions to the group, encouraging participants to choose between two options. This activity can spark interesting discussions and help team members learn more about each other.
6. Speedy scavenger hunt
Give participants 30 seconds to find an item related to a specific theme, such as something blue, a favorite book, or an unusual object. This activity adds a sense of urgency and excitement to the meeting
Fun Games For Virtual Meetings
Playing games is one of the best ways to make virtual meetings fun as they can help build team camaraderie and create memorable experiences.
10 Fun Games For Your Next Virtual Meeting And How To Play Them
1. Pictionary
- Divide participants into two teams.
- Use an online whiteboard tool, such as your video conferencing software’s whiteboard tool or a dedicated Pictionary website.
- One person from each team draws a word or phrase while their teammates try to guess what it is.
- Set a time limit (e.g., 1 minute) for each drawing.
- Award points to the team that guesses correctly; the team with the most points at the end wins.
2. Fun Country Poker
- Create a new group and give it a name
- Create a new game by giving it a game name and selecting a few game settings
- Go to the game lobby and invite your team to the group and game by copying the shareable invite link.
- Start the game when your team is ready or the game automatically starts at the previously selected time.
- Here’s our beginners guide on how to play poker.
3. Charades
- Divide participants into two teams.
- One person from each team acts out a word or phrase without speaking while their teammates try to guess what it is.
- Set a time limit (e.g., 1 minute) for each acting.
- Award points to the team that guesses correctly; the team with the most points at the end wins.
4. 20 Questions
- Choose one participant to think of an object, person, or place.
- The rest of the participants take turns asking yes or no questions to try to figure out what the chosen item is.
- The game ends when someone correctly guesses the item or when 20 questions have been asked.
5. Bingo
- Create virtual Bingo cards with various words or phrases related to your industry, company, or meeting topic.
- Share the cards with participants.
- Call out the words or phrases at random.
- Participants mark off the called items on their cards.
- The first participant to complete a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal row wins.
6. Scattergories
- Choose a list of categories (e.g., animals, countries, foods).
- Generate a random letter.
- Set a time limit (e.g., 1 minute) for participants to come up with one item for each category that begins with the selected letter.
- After the time is up, compare answers; participants earn points for unique answers.
- The participant with the most points at the end wins.
7. Two Truths and a Lie
- Each participant thinks of two true statements and one false statement about themselves.
- Participants take turns sharing their statements, and the rest of the group tries to guess which statement is the lie.
- Keep score of correct guesses for some friendly competition.
8. Jeopardy
- Create a virtual Jeopardy board with categories and point values.
- Divide participants into two teams.
- Teams take turns choosing categories and point values.
- Read the corresponding question, and the first team to answer correctly earns the points.
- The team with the most points at the end wins.
9. Who's That Colleague?
- Before the meeting, ask participants to submit a fun or unusual fact about themselves.
- During the meeting, read the facts one by one.
- Participants take turns guessing which colleague the fact belongs to.
10. Codenames
- Use an online platform to play the virtual version of the game (e.g., Horsepaste.com).
- Divide participants into two teams: red and blue.
- Each team designates a "spymaster" who knows the secret identities of their team's agents.
- The spymasters provide one-word clues to help their teammates guess the agents' codenames.
- Teams take turns guessing until all their agents have been identified or the "assassin" is accidentally guessed, ending the game.
Fun Holiday Games For Virtual Meetings
What better way to spread some holiday cheer than with fun virtual holiday games? With the right presentation and props, you can easily turn your next virtual meeting into a festive occasion! There are plenty of great games that can be tailored to whatever holiday you may be celebrating.
5 Fun Holiday Games for Your Virtual Meetings And How To Play Them
1. Virtual Secret Santa
- Assign each participant a "Secret Santa" recipient by drawing names.
- Have participants purchase a small, inexpensive digital gift (e.g., an e-book, digital gift card, or subscription) for their assigned recipient.
- During the virtual meeting, each person takes turns revealing and "opening" their digital gift.
2. Ugly Sweater Contest
- Have participants wear their ugliest holiday sweater during the virtual meeting.
- Vote on categories such as "Most Creative," "Funniest," and "Most Festive."
- Award virtual certificates or small prizes to the winners.
3. Festive Scavenger Hunt
- Prepare a list of holiday-related items for participants to find around their homes.
- Set a time limit (e.g., 5 minutes) for participants to collect as many items as possible.
- Award points for each item found; the participant with the most points at the end wins.
4. Name That Holiday Tune
- Prepare a playlist of holiday songs.
- Play a short snippet of each song (5-10 seconds) during the virtual meeting.
- Participants take turns guessing the song title and artist.
- Award points for each correct guess; the participant with the most points at the end wins.
5. Virtual White Elephant Gift Exchange
- Prior to the meeting, have participants purchase a small, inexpensive, and quirky digital gift (e.g., digital artwork, funny e-book, or unusual app).
- During the virtual meeting, assign each gift a number.
- Participants take turns choosing a number to "unwrap" a digital gift or "stealing" a previously unwrapped gift from another participant.
- Continue until everyone has a gift.
Fun Closing Activities For Virtual Meetings
Ending your virtual meetings on a high note can leave participants feeling satisfied and motivated. Here are some enjoyable closing activities.
5 Fun Closing Activities
1. Fun Fact or Joke
Close the meeting by sharing a fun fact or light-hearted joke, leaving participants with a smile on their faces and a sense of connection.
2. Meeting Highlights
Ask each participant to share their key takeaways or favorite moments from the meeting, fostering a sense of shared understanding and reinforcing important points.
3. Virtual Group Photo
Gather all participants on screen and take a screenshot to commemorate the meeting. This virtual "group photo" can be shared with the team afterward as a fun keepsake.
4. Quick Stretch or Deep Breath
Lead the group in a short, simple stretching exercise or a deep breathing activity to help participants relax and unwind before concluding the meeting.
5. Virtual Fist Bump or High Five
Have participants give each other a virtual fist bump or high five, signaling the end of the meeting and promoting a sense of camaraderie among the team.
Tips On How To Make Virtual Meetings Fun
To ensure virtual meetings are enjoyable and engaging, it's essential to create a positive, interactive environment. Below are a few tips on how to have more fun while also keeping participants attentive and fostering a sense of connection among team members.
7 Tips To Make Virtual Meetings Fun
1. Encourage Interaction
Facilitate interaction by asking open-ended questions and giving everyone an opportunity to share their thoughts or ideas, which can help keep participants engaged and feeling included.
2. Use Visual Aids
Incorporate slides, images, or videos to make your presentation more visually appealing and dynamic, capturing the attention of your attendees.
3. Breakout Rooms
Utilize breakout rooms for group activities or discussions, allowing participants to connect on a more personal level and engage in deeper conversations.
4. Keep a Steady Pace
Be mindful of the meeting's duration and maintain a steady pace to keep participants engaged. Plan for short breaks, if necessary, to help prevent fatigue.
5. Use Emojis and Reactions
Encourage participants to use emojis and reactions during the meeting to express their feelings or opinions, fostering a sense of connection and fun.
6. Share Appreciation
Recognize and celebrate team members' achievements or contributions during the meeting, creating a positive environment and boosting morale.
7. Be Flexible and Adaptable
Be open to adjusting your meeting plan based on participant feedback or the group's energy levels. Be willing to adapt your agenda or activities to keep the meeting fun and engaging.
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