What are the best virtual team building activities for work?

The best virtual team building activities for work are hosted quizzes, online escape challenges, collaborative problem-solving games, creative workshops, wellbeing sessions and tasting events with delivered kits. The right choice depends on your goal. For connection, keep it light and social. For collaboration, choose a structured challenge with small teams and clear roles.

How long should a virtual team building event last?

Most virtual team building events should last 45–90 minutes. A light quiz or wellbeing session can work well in 45–60 minutes, while a collaborative challenge may need 75–90 minutes. Longer sessions are possible, but they need breaks, varied formats and a strong reason for taking more time.

How much do virtual team building activities cost in the UK?

As a typical UK range, simple hosted virtual activities often cost around £10–£25 per person. More involved challenges are commonly around £20–£50 per person. Sessions with delivered kits, such as tasting or craft events, are often around £35–£90 per person depending on contents, delivery and group size.

How do you make hybrid team building fair for remote staff?

Design the event around remote participation first. Give everyone their own device where possible, use good microphones in meeting rooms, mix remote and in-room attendees into teams, and ensure instructions are shared on screen and in chat. A dedicated person should monitor remote questions so online attendees are not overlooked.

What size groups work best for virtual team building?

Virtual team building can work for small teams and large departments, but group structure matters. For discussion, keep groups to 4–6 people. For 80+ attendees, use a strong host, breakout rooms, live scoring and technical support. Large groups need simpler instructions and tighter facilitation than small teams.

Are virtual team building activities still worth doing?

Yes, when they are planned with a clear purpose. Virtual formats are useful for remote teams, multi-site teams, quick morale boosts, onboarding and inclusive events where travel is difficult. They are less effective when treated as a substitute for every in-person event, so use them where the format genuinely fits the need.

Virtual Team Building Activities That Actually Work

Practical formats, costs and planning steps for remote and hybrid teams that need useful connection, not forced fun.

5 min read

The short answer

The best virtual team building activities are short, structured and designed around a clear outcome: connection, collaboration, wellbeing or celebration. For most UK teams, 45–90 minutes works best, with hosted activities typically costing around £15–£60 per person depending on format, group size and whether kits are delivered.

What makes virtual team building activities work?

Virtual team building activities work when they are designed for how people actually behave online. Remote teams have less informal contact, but they also have limited attention for long video calls. The answer is not to copy an away day onto a screen. It is to choose a focused format, keep it well facilitated and make participation easy.

Good virtual and hybrid events usually have five things in common:

A clear purpose, such as onboarding, morale, collaboration or end-of-quarter celebration
A realistic length, usually 45, 60 or 90 minutes
A host who keeps the pace moving and includes quieter people
Simple joining instructions and minimal technical barriers
A format that does not rely on everyone being equally loud or confident

For a wider view of how this fits into an overall people plan, see The Complete Guide to Corporate Team Building.

The mistake to avoid is booking “something fun” without deciding what the event needs to achieve.

Which virtual formats are best for different team goals?

Start with the outcome, then choose the activity. A good supplier should help you shape the format, not just sell a fixed session.

For connection and morale

Choose light, hosted formats with frequent interaction. Good options include:

Online quizzes with mixed teams and short rounds
Virtual game shows with a professional host
Remote escape-style challenges
Creative workshops such as sketching, craft or cocktail/mocktail making

Best length: 45–75 minutes.

Typical cost: approximately £15–£40 per person, or a fixed host fee from around £400–£1,200 depending on group size and complexity.

For collaboration and problem-solving

Choose activities that require shared decisions rather than individual trivia knowledge. Options include:

Strategy games in breakout rooms
Virtual business simulations
Murder mystery or investigation challenges
Puzzle-based missions with timed stages

Best length: 60–90 minutes.

Typical cost: approximately £25–£60 per person.

For wellbeing and energy

Wellbeing sessions work best when they are optional in tone, practical and not too personal. Consider:

Desk-friendly stretching or mobility
Mindfulness and breathwork
Nutrition or sleep workshops
Creative wellbeing sessions such as journalling or drawing

Best length: 30–60 minutes.

Typical cost: approximately £10–£35 per person. You can also browse related formats under wellness events.

For recognition and celebration

If the goal is to thank people, make the event feel polished. Delivered kits can help, especially when teams are fully remote. Options include:

Tasting sessions with drinks, chocolate or cheese
Hosted awards with games between categories
Seasonal parties with entertainment
Shared cooking or baking sessions

Best length: 60–120 minutes.

Typical cost: approximately £35–£90 per person when kits are delivered in the UK.

How should you plan hybrid team building?

Hybrid is harder than fully virtual because the room can easily dominate. If some people are together in an office and others are joining remotely, design for the remote participants first.

Use these practical rules:

Give every participant their own device where possible. One laptop at the end of a boardroom table rarely works.
Use a strong room microphone and test it before the event.
Put remote participants into mixed teams, not into a separate “online team”.
Make instructions visible in the chat as well as spoken aloud.
Appoint one person in the room to watch the chat and flag remote questions.
Avoid activities that rely on physical materials unless remote guests receive equivalent kits.

For groups split across several offices, treat each location as a mini hub. Keep the same start time, same host and same scoring system, but allow local teams to compete or collaborate with other sites.

A practical hybrid format for 80 people might look like this:

10 minutes: welcome, tech check and team allocation
15 minutes: warm-up challenge
30 minutes: main team activity in mixed breakout rooms or office tables
10 minutes: results, shout-outs and closing comments

That gives you a 65-minute session, which is long enough to feel worthwhile but short enough to fit into a working day.

What group size, timing and budget should you allow?

Virtual team building can work for 8 people or 800, but the format needs to change as the numbers grow.

For 8–20 people, choose discussion-friendly activities where everyone can speak. A single host is usually enough. Allow 45–75 minutes.

For 20–80 people, use breakout teams of 4–6 people. This keeps energy up and avoids people becoming passive spectators. Allow 60–90 minutes.

For 80–300 people, use a broadcast-style host with team captains, live scoring and strong technical support. Allow 60–75 minutes for lighter formats, or 90 minutes for more complex games.

For 300+ people, keep the activity simple and invest in production. Large virtual events need clear joining links, rehearsed timings and support for anyone who cannot access the platform.

As a broad UK planning guide:

Simple hosted quiz or game: approximately £10–£25 per person
Facilitated challenge or escape-style event: approximately £20–£50 per person
Creative workshop without delivery kits: approximately £15–£35 per person
Delivered tasting, craft or cookery kit: approximately £35–£90 per person
Bespoke virtual or hybrid event: often from around £2,000+ depending on design, numbers and production

If budget is tight, reduce kit complexity before cutting facilitation. A good host usually matters more than expensive materials. For more low-cost planning options, see Team Building on a Budget: Ideas Under £30 Per Person.

How do you avoid awkward or low-energy sessions?

Most poor virtual events fail because they are too long, too unstructured or too dependent on forced enthusiasm. You can avoid that with better design.

Use these checks before booking:

Can the activity be explained in under two minutes?
Are people doing something within the first five minutes?
Is there a role for quieter participants?
Are breakout groups small enough for real conversation?
Does the host have a plan for late arrivals and tech problems?
Can people join without downloading unfamiliar software?

Avoid formats where one person performs while everyone else watches for an hour. Entertainment can work, but it should be interactive if your aim is team building.

Also think carefully about alcohol. Cocktail or wine sessions can be popular, but always offer alcohol-free alternatives and avoid making drinking the centre of participation. For inclusive teams, mocktail, chocolate, cheese, coffee or craft-led formats can work better.

Time of day matters too. Lunchtime sessions suit wellbeing and learning. Mid-afternoon is often best for games and energisers. After-work sessions can suit celebrations, but attendance may drop if people have caring responsibilities or long days of meetings.

What is the best way to brief a supplier?

A clear brief saves time and improves the event. Before contacting suppliers, write down the essentials:

Number of attendees and where they are based
Whether the event is virtual, hybrid or multi-site
Preferred date, time and duration
Budget range per person or total budget
Main goal: connection, celebration, onboarding, wellbeing or collaboration
Any accessibility, dietary or delivery requirements
Platforms you can use, such as Teams, Zoom or Google Meet
Whether senior leaders need a speaking slot

For hybrid events, include room details: screen, camera, microphone, seating layout and whether each attendee can bring a laptop. If kits are involved, confirm delivery addresses and deadlines early. UK kit delivery is usually straightforward, but you should allow at least 10–15 working days for larger groups, and longer for international addresses.

After the event, collect quick feedback while it is fresh. Ask three simple questions:

Was the session a good use of your time?
Did it help you connect with colleagues?
What would you change next time?

Those answers will tell you more than a long survey. They will also help you decide whether your next event should be virtual, hybrid or in person. If you want help comparing suitable formats, you can browse team building events or contact the Rocket Fuel team through /contact.

Frequently asked questions

Find it all, on Rocket Fuel.

Join thousands of others who have discovered the best events & venues the UK has to offer. No middlemen, no fees, no fuss - just pure fun.