Muogbo Ifunanya PeaceAre you tired of staring at blank faces on your screen? Tired of awkward silences and people forgetting to unmute? Are you aware there are practical ways to make virtual meetings fun?
Virtual meetings can be boring sometimes. But they don’t have to be. You can turn those boring meetings into fun, engaging sessions with a little creativity.
This blog post will discuss 10 awesome ways to spice up your next virtual meetup. Prepare to banish boredom and make your team look forward to logging on.
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1. Icebreakers That Don’t Suck
Forget the lame “tell us your favorite color” stuff. Let’s get creative! Try these instead:
– Two Truths and a Lie is always a classic. Everyone shares three statements about themselves. Two are true, one is false. The group guesses which is the lie. It’s a great way to learn surprising facts about your coworkers.
– Virtual scavenger hunt: Give everyone 60 seconds to find something in their house. Make it weird. “Find something older than you!” “Grab the ugliest thing in your room!” It gets people moving and laughing.
– Guess the baby photo: Have everyone submit a baby photo beforehand. Display them during the meeting. Let people guess who’s who. Guaranteed giggles.
Keep it quick and light. The goal is to warm people up and get them chatting.
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2. Theme It Up
Who says work meetings can’t have themes? Pick a different one each time:
– Crazy hat day: Everyone wears the wildest hat they can find or make.
– Beach party: Encourage Hawaiian shirts, sunglasses, and tropical backgrounds.
– Time travel: Each person dresses up as their favorite historical figure.
– Superhero meeting: Capes and masks encouraged!
It’s amazing how a simple theme can change the whole vibe. People will look forward to seeing what everyone comes up with.
3. Breakout Room Challenges
Breakout rooms don’t have to be boring. Turn them into mini-competitions:
– Trivia battles: Split into teams. Each round, they answer trivia in their breakout room. Come back and compare scores.
– Escape room challenges: Set up digital escape rooms. See which team can “escape” first.
– Collaborative storytelling: Each room has 5 minutes to create a wacky story. One person from each group shares it when you reconvene.
– Problem-solving races: Give each room a fun puzzle or riddle. First to solve wins.
This adds excitement and builds teamwork. Plus, it breaks up the monotony of one big group.
READ ALSO: The best strategies for staff retention in a remote setting
4. Virtual Background Shenanigans
Zoom backgrounds aren’t just for looking professional. Use them for laughs:
– “Where in the world?”: Everyone uses a background from a place they’d love to visit. Play guessing games about the locations.
– Meme backgrounds: Let people choose their favorite meme as a background. See who can keep a straight face the longest.
– Gradual changes: Start with a normal background. Slowly change it throughout the meeting. See who notices first.
– Green screen fun: If you have a green screen, the possibilities are endless. Appear to be floating in space or swimming with sharks.
It’s a simple way to add visual interest and spark conversation.
5. Gamify Your Meetings
Turn boring agenda items into games:
– Buzzword bingo: Create bingo cards with common meeting phrases or project-related terms. The first to get bingo wins a prize.
– Wheel of topics: Use an online wheel spinner to randomly select discussion topics or who presents next.
– Points system: Award points for participation, good ideas, or completing tasks. Keep a leaderboard. The winner gets a fun prize at the end of the month.
– “Don’t Smile” challenge: Try to deliver your update without smiling. Harder than it sounds.
Games make even serious topics more engaging. They keep people alert and involved.
6. Surprise Guest Stars
Shake things up with unexpected appearances:
– Invite a relevant expert for a quick Q&A.
– Have the CEO drop in for a casual chat.
– Bring in a comedian for a 5-minute stand-up set.
– Arrange for a celebrity cameo (there are services for this now).
It doesn’t have to be long. Just enough to create a memorable moment.
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7. Show and Tell for Grown-Ups
Remember how fun Show and Tell was as a kid? Bring it back:
– Cool gadget showcase: Everyone shares their favorite tech toy.
– Pet introductions: Let the fur babies have their moment in the spotlight.
– Hobby spotlight: In each meeting, one person gets 2 minutes to share their passion.
– Home office tours: See who has the coolest setup.
It’s personal, fun, and helps people connect on a deeper level.
8. Musical Interludes
Who says virtual meetings can’t have a soundtrack?
– Meeting DJ: Rotate who gets to pick the pre-meeting playlist each time.
– Musical chairs: When the music stops, the person speaking has to stop mid-sentence.
– Guess that tune: Play 5 seconds of a song. First to guess gets a point.
– Lip sync battles: End the meeting with an epic showdown.
Music lightens the mood and energizes people. Just keep it appropriate for work.
READ ALSO: The best strategies for staff retention in a remote setting
9. Virtual Team-Building Activities
Dedicate some meeting time to strengthening bonds:
– Online drawing games: Try Pictionary-style games like skribbl.io.
– Multiplayer trivia: Use apps like Kahoot for custom quizzes.
– Collaborative playlist creation: Everyone adds their favorite work-from-home song.
These activities improve communication and build trust. Plus, they’re just plain fun.
10. Embracing the Unexpected
Sometimes, the best moments are unplanned:
– Encourage silly props: Keep a box of props near your desk. Use them randomly.
– Impromptu dance parties: When energy is low, call for a 30-second dance break.
– Spontaneous compliment rounds: Take a minute for everyone to say something nice about someone else.
– “You’re on mute” jar: Like a swear jar, but for forgetting to unmute. Donate the proceeds to charity.
Being open to spontaneity keeps things fresh and exciting.
READ ALSO: Remote Time Tracking: Employee Rights and Signs You’re Monitored
Conclusion
Ten awesome ways to make your virtual meetings fun has been explained in details.
Start small. Try one or two of these ideas in your next meeting. See what works for your team. Not everything will be a hit, and that’s okay. The important thing is to keep experimenting and having fun with it.
Virtual meetings aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. So why not make the most of them? With these tips, you’ll have people looking forward to that next Zoom call. Who knows? You might even have trouble getting them to log off.
So go forth and sprinkle some fun into your virtual world. Your team will thank you. And hey, you might just become known as the meeting maestro of your organization. Now that’s a virtual badge of honor worth having.
Muogbo Ifunanya Peace
