Don’t let social distancing stop you socializing with your co-workers. It is important to maintain quality workplace relationships even if you’re not currently in the office. Co-workers who socialize outside of work will likely build trusting relationships with one another. And spending time with your co-workers during isolation will make it easier to delegate, problem-solve, and create when you’re back in your usual shared workspace. Here are a few fun ideas for getting together with your co-workers online.
Trivia Night
Get some fun competition going between co-workers and put on a virtual trivia night. Co-workers can separate into teams or play individually. Each team or player can take turns hosting trivia night, preparing questions, playing music, and revealing the answers. Trivia questions can be about history, science, sports, art, or pop culture. Or come up with questions unique to your workplace, like fun facts about co-workers or shared memories from past events.
Puzzles and Board Games
Many people have started doing jigsaw puzzles to help time pass while stuck at home. Ravensburger, a popular puzzle manufacturer since the 1800s, has shared some of their puzzles online. So, you can now start putting together the pieces of a virtual puzzle with your co-workers. Most of Ravensburger’s online jigsaw puzzles range in difficulty from 20 to 500 pieces.
Or play an online board game. There are many online platforms that allow you to play board games with anyone from around the world directly from your desktop browsers or phone. Get together with your co-workers for some wholesome old school fun and play popular games like Monopoly, Clue, or The Game of Life. Or try your hand at something different like Ticket to Ride, Carcassonne, or Catan.
Movie Night
Stream a movie or show with your co-workers and have a long-distance movie night. Chrome extensions like Netflix Party allow co-workers to sync the playback across accounts and enjoy videos at exactly the same time. With this synchronization, there is no chance of echo or spoilers.
For an added challenge, you and your co-workers can sync the movie the old-fashioned way by figuring it out over a conference call. Pressing play at exactly the same time can be more difficult than it sounds. But the challenge will allow co-workers to practice problem-solving skills and patience.
Paint Pictures
Get creative and collaborate in an online drawing application. Co-workers can all contribute to creating a beautiful masterpiece or humorous doodle. There are endless fun opportunities in the free space of a shared blank page, from games of tic-tac-toe, hangman, to an impromptu game of Pictionary.
Yoga
Grab a mat and settle in near your computer for a group yoga session via video chat. Self-isolation can be stressful. With virtual yoga, co-workers can unwind and reconnect with themselves and each other. Because exercise doesn’t just improve physical health, it also improves mental health. Exercise can even improve negative mood and alleviate symptoms of low self-esteem and social withdrawal.
