If you and your coworkers are primarily working remotely, you might think that you never get a chance to socialize together. But it doesn’t have to be this way! A virtual happy hour provides a great chance for some quality team-building. Thanks to the internet and video conferencing, virtual happy hours are a thing.
All that needs to happen is to set a time, create a virtual meeting room on Zoom, Google Meets or your platform of choice, and get started! Oh, and you’ll likely want to mix a couple of drinks—alcoholic or not, that’s up to you.
Of course, once everyone’s online, there comes the question of what to do actually do or talk about. While some groups are content to freely shoot the breeze, an activity can really help people get out of their shell. With that in mind, here are some ideas for your virtual happy hour:
- Never Have I Ever
This is a variation of a classic drinking game. Everyone starts with 5 points (tip: one way to keep track of points is to have everyone add a number to their screen name). One person announces something they’ve never done. It could be anything, such as “Never have I ever ridden a motorcycle” or “Never have I ever gone skinny-dipping.” Anyone in the group who has done said activity needs to lose one point and take a drink. Everyone has a turn announcing something they’ve never done, until it goes back around to the first person again. When someone loses all their points, they’re out of the game. The last person remaining is the winner!
- Name That Tune
In this game, everyone takes turns playing a song from their phone into their microphone. The first one to guess is the winner of that round, and everyone else has to take a drink!
- Streaming Party
Watch your favorite movie or TV series with your coworkers over drinks. For this, you’ll need an account with a major streaming service such as Netflix or Disney+, or you can watch YouTube. You’ll also need a third-party browser extension called Teleparty (don’t worry, it’s free!) as well as a supported browser (Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge).
Once you’ve installed the extension, just bring up the video you want to share, and click the TP icon in your browser. This will show a URL for others to click on, so that you can all watch the video at the same time.
- Virtual Game
Jackbox party games can work well online. One person needs to have a copy of the game. That person launches the game on his or her computer, and then presents the window for the game into the conference app. In the game, there is a URL and passcode for everyone to enter into their phones. Players watch the computer screen to see the game, and control it with their phones.
- Pictionary
Pictionary is a fun game that can be played online using the platform Skribbl. It’ s simple to set up—one person creates a game, then shares the link with everyone on the team.
Conclusion
So, there you have it! Creating a virtual social environment doesn’t have to be difficult or complicated. With the right activity, the right people, and a couple of drinks, you can have a great time with your own virtual happy hour. We encourage you to give it a try!
