October has officially begun, which means the season of Fall is well underway. Numerous organizations are looking for virtual ways to engage their teams with events inspired by Fall, not to mention incorporating the approaching holiday of Halloween. As such, I have put together a brief list of virtual, Fall-themed (and Halloween-centric) team-building activities, perfect for Halloween buffs and “scaredy-cats” alike!

1. Murder Mysteries

Looking for an event that’s entertaining, captures the eerie nature of Halloween, develops problem-solving skills, and encourages teamwork? An online murder mystery may be just the thing! The best part about this activity is that dozens of potential mysteries are available, meaning there’s a mystery perfect for every team. Murder Mystery Zoom Parties Hosted by Detective Ness, fitting 8-12 participants, is a great event for beginners, as the titular Detective Ness is there to help guide the case along. For groups interested in a more hardcore, Halloween-esque mystery, Zombie Cannibal Asylum is set during the apocalypse and can accommodate up to 100 people. Murder in the Queen’s Court is a mystery that’s “part history lesson, part fantasy story, part true crime tale, and all fun,” perfect for those seeking royal drama!

(Worried about budgeting? Check out Sour Grapes of Wrath, The Movie Murder Mystery, and The Business of Murder, all of which are free!)

2. Escape Rooms

For organizations that want an event as suspenseful and exciting as what’s expected from Halloween, but maybe with a little less death than murder mysteries, a virtual escape room is the perfect choice. Like online murder mysteries, these escape rooms will increase communication, improve problem-solving skills, and encourage teamwork! One option is Jewel Heist, which involves teams of 4-8, where participants must work together to recover the hidden jewels. International Monster Hunter, on the other hand, is a Halloween classic, where participants work together to track down legendary creatures (from the Loch Ness Monster to Chupacabra).

(Worried about budgeting? Check out The Minotaur’s Labyrinth Escape Room, Escape: The Midnight Express, and Romeo & Juliet Escape Room, all of which are free!)

3. Ghost Stories

Looking for a Halloween activity that’s on the nose? Prior to the event, all participants receive a small treat box in the mail, containing delights such as s’mores and cookies. The event itself is run by multiple guides, some of whom are professionally trained in telling ghost stories and others who will lead participants on a live, on-location tour of a Victorian cemetery. Other aspects of the event include storytelling contests, arts and crafts, and more!

4. Ghost Tour of Salem, Massachusetts

For teams still interested in a spooky tourist experience but may lack the option to ship members treat boxes around the world, a virtual tour from Salem Ghosts could be the perfect fit! The organization offers virtual tours both live and on demand, meaning if a participant cannot attend for any reason, they can view the experience on their own time afterwards. It’s a win-win!

5. Ghost Hunt: The Haunted Online Halloween Scavenger Hunt

There’s only one thing better than a scavenger hunt: a Halloween-themed scavenger hunt! Watson Adventures describes this event as follows:

“On teams, you’ll go for a virtual walk to and within haunted places and learn the stories of their ghosts. You’ll meet our host on Zoom, then your team will go into a breakout room and use our browser-based app to follow a trail of clues across surprising websites, in search of answers to tricky questions.”

This event captures the Halloween spirit while simultaneously involving creative puzzles and challenges, making it perfect for both intense brainiacs and Halloween buffs. Best of all? The organization reports that “[a]n international version of the hunt is available for groups with ESL participants,” meaning it’s one of the most inclusive experiences on this list!

6. The Magic of Fall

Now, I doubt I’m the only person out there who isn’t quite as keen on the horror aspects of Fall, especially those associated with Halloween. As such, it felt only right to include a team-building activity fitting for those of us interested in an event that’s a little less spooky stress and a little more fun relaxation! The Magic of Fall is an autumn-themed Bob Ross painting tutorial; teams can hop on a Zoom call and follow the tutorial together, allowing everyone to complete their own autumnal scene. For those eager to go the extra mile, they can even buy a Bob Ross painting kit (though this isn’t required). This activity builds patience and conversation, and overall helps team members grow more comfortable with each other.

7. Explore the Paris Catacombs

Last but certainly not least, exploring the Paris Catacombs is perhaps the easiest team-building activity on this list! Groups can join a Zoom call with one person screen-sharing, and together they are able to walk through the famous Paris Catacombs. With the perfect balance of being eerie but not overly horrifying, this activity is fantastic for Halloween enthusiasts and those of us who are more timid. Navigating the catacombs as a group requires patience, clear communication, and confidence in speaking, and best of all? It’s free!

Halloween is going to be here before we know it, so what are we all waiting for? It’s time to get spooky! Happy haunting—I mean, team-building! 🎃

Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. In addition, she provides guidance to business executives to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and to implement a multi-year plan for advancing quality leaders from within the organization.

Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.

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For many of us, socializing with coworkers isn’t easy. Being part of a virtual team can make developing connections between team members even more difficult, as physical separation can lead to increased emotional separation, too. Fortunately, there are numerous team-building activities out there for virtual teams! Allow me to offer 7 of the best:

1. League of Kitchens

League of Kitchens is a woman-owned and woman-run organization that hosts a variety of cooking classes taught by instructors from different cultures, from Argentina to Japan to Bangladesh and more. They are currently hosting virtual classes via Zoom, offering an Immersive or a “Taste Of” experience. Keep in mind that they only host 13 participants at a time when deciding whether or not this activity is right for one’s team.

2. Tea vs Coffee

The “food and drink” theme continues! Tea vs Coffee is a virtual tea- and coffee-tasting event, where a week in advance all participants receive “four unique drink packs [unusual teas, coffees, and infusions] from eco-friendly farms, plus a fun snack.” During the call, there are icebreakers, guided meditation, and—of course—the official tea vs coffee ceremony. This activity can accommodate any number of participants, so it’s perfect for large and small teams alike!

3. tiny campfire 🔥

There’s never a bad time for a campfire! Especially a virtual campfire, hosted indoors where no bugs or bears can get to us. Prior to the event, participants are sent a kit of “a campfire-candle, wood matches, and s’more ingredients.” The virtual campfire itself is run by a “Camp Counselor,” who leads the group in icebreakers, trivia, historic ghost stories, and an authentic s’more-making experience. As with Tea vs Coffee, tiny campfire 🔥 can accommodate groups of all sizes!

4. War of the Wizards

“But what if we want a more exciting team-building activity?” you may be wondering. Well, fear not, because War of the Wizards is here! The backstory of the event is that a group of wizards have been at war for so long, none of them can remember why the war began. Thus, participants are enlisted “as the wizards’ minions to help solve the conundrum and bring the war to a peaceful end.” Managed by a provided host, the event involves storytelling, puzzles, and more! And best of all? No previous RPG experience is required.

While the above activities fall solidly into the “entertainment” aspect of virtual team-building, it would be remiss not to include a few “practical” (but still enjoyable!) activities, too:

5. My User Manual

To put it simply, creating a user manual is creating a PowerPoint about oneself. Information in this PPT might include a person’s interests/hobbies, their culture, facts about their family, what environment(s) they work best in, etc. These PPTs can then be presented in a virtual meeting, where each employee has the opportunity to share essentially a summary of themself. And remember: this user manual should be fun! Encourage team members to incorporate pictures, memes, music—whatever they feel is relevant.

6. Strength Assessment

While CliftonStrengths is the assessment linked above, feel free to investigate any other strength assessments that feel appropriate! The value comes not from the brand but the time invested. Once all team members have completed their assessment, invite everyone to share results with the group (perhaps their top strength, their lowest strength, and a strength they didn’t expect). Discussing these results not only allows for team members to get to know each other better, but it also informs them how to better work together, a quality that is invaluable with virtual teams.

Now, some of us out there may be concerned about budgeting or the time commitment required for the above activities. Fear not, for there is one final team-building activity to be discussed:

7. Collaborative Playlists

Using an online platform such as Spotify, encourage team members to together make themed playlists, such as a “productivity playlist” for when they’re working or a “winding down playlist” for when they get off. Another possibility is a “cultural connection playlist,” where team members from around the world can share music they enjoy from their home country with their fellow coworkers. To misquote Shakespeare: “If music be the food of team-building, play on!”

All of us now possess a plentiful arsenal of team-building activities, which means there’s no reason to delay: it’s time to bond!