The New York Times recently published an article titled “There’s a Name for the Blah You’re Feeling: It’s Called Languishing.” It says that this sense of “stagnation and emptiness” may dominate 2021 as we stumble through the final months of the pandemic. While the article lists some ways to help you get out of this phase, we have some ideas for you and your employees to stay engaged this summer as well. Here’s our list of virtual employee engagement activities:

1. Local Food Adventures Virtual Event

“Ice cream, brownies, and Mai Tais don’t make anything better,” said no one ever. Check out Local Food Adventures’s guide to book your Virtual Ice Cream Social, Virtual Brownie Bake Off, or Virtual Mai Tai Cocktail Party. If you want to celebrate #GirlPower with your team, we also have a BREAK(the glass ceiling)FAST Meeting , inspired by Vice President Kamala Harris and all of the incredible women who empower us daily. All of the ingredients will be conveniently delivered to you. Find out how you can bring your team together for a fun virtual event here !

2. Themed Work Days

Do you remember when you would have themed dress-up days (Backwards Day, Jersey Day, Disney Day, Crazy Hair Day, etc.) in high school? Those were great ways to celebrate school spirit, and you can bring the same joy to your work environment by organizing a dedicated day. It may also motivate you to change out of the pajamas that you’ve been living in since the start of the pandemic and transition to the Zoom world.

3. Virtual Office Olympics

If you want to keep employees motivated and engaged while working remotely, then awakening their competitive spirits may be the perfect way to do that. With Online Office Games , you’ll have a 90-minute experience filled with games like trivia and “Can You Hear Me Now?” In addition to employee engagement, you’ll be able to develop team-building skills and increase morale.

4. Virtual Meeting Games

It’s easy for our minds to wander while on Zoom. Instead of hosting a dedicated game night, you can play games throughout meetings to keep employees focused and engaged. For example, you can hide digital “Easter eggs” (hidden symbols or images, like emojis) in your presentations. Then, at the end of the meeting, ask everyone how many times the image appeared in the slides. Whoever is closest to the actual amount will be declared the winner!

5. Coffee Breaks

According to Psychology Today , taking breaks increases productivity and restores motivation. One of the most common forms in pre-pandemic, non-work-from-home times was coffee breaks. Bring these to your remote work space by implementing short video calls where employees can convene in small groups, check in with each other, and enjoy a cup of coffee or tea.

6. Virtual Whiteboard

If you used to brainstorm and work by putting up sticky notes and writing on whiteboards, you can do the same thing digitally with websites like Padlet and Note.ly. They both allow for an unlimited number of contributors, so everybody will have their voices heard. This is a great way for you to bounce ideas off of one another and mimic pre-COVID collaborations! Alternatively, you can use these websites to give special shoutouts to employees going above and beyond, to share photos from recent excursions or baking success/failure, to post song and video recommendations, and so much more.

7. Special Guests

Another employee engagement idea? Bring in a special guest! Last year, Cameo , a platform that lets fans get personalized video messages from their favorite celebrities, introduced a Zoom call feature. You can book a 10-minute live video chat with stars like Kate Flannery from The Office and Carole Baskin from Tiger King. With Cameo, you can also purchase pre-recorded messages from athletes, singers, dancers, TV personalities, actors, and actresses if you are just looking for a special greeting. Either way, this opportunity is sure to excite!

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