Introduction to events for an online sports day. Also recommended for team building.
Opportunities to communicate using online meeting services like Zoom have increased, haven’t they?
Zoom has become popular not only for regular meetings and interviews, but also for casual online drinking hangouts.
For working professionals, we recommend hosting an online sports day.
By using online meeting services such as Zoom, participants can enjoy a variety of events while being in different locations, which helps improve communication and strengthen team unity.
In this article, we’ll introduce recommended activities for an online sports day—from physical challenges to brain games—so please use it as a reference.
Introduction to events for an online sports day. Also recommended for team building (1–10)
Aha Experience Quiz
The “Aha” experience quiz is a game where parts of an image shown in a video gradually change, and players try to spot what has changed.
One great thing about this game is that as long as the host prepares the video in advance, participants don’t need to bring anything.
It’s also easy to adjust the difficulty—for example, you can choose a slightly harder video if everyone is solving the questions too easily.
When you figure out the answer, it’s extremely satisfying, so give it a try with everyone!
Matchstick Quiz
If you’re looking for a quiz that tests creativity rather than the amount of knowledge you have, I recommend matchstick puzzles.
A matchstick puzzle involves moving matchsticks to solve a riddle—for example, moving two sticks to make a square.
As the difficulty increases, you might be asked to form kanji characters, or the questions may become more abstract, like riddles.
They’re simple yet offer a wide range of problems, so you won’t get bored.
There are plenty of videos and websites that feature matchstick puzzles, so be sure to check them out for inspiration.
Balloon-popping race
The balloon-popping race that’s popular at sports festivals is actually perfect for an online version, too.
Typically, it’s a simple contest to see who can pop the most balloons.
But some people might find that a bit too plain.
In that case, it’s fun to add twists—like only popping them with your butt, or inflating them with your mouth until they burst.
You can also prepare balloons in unusual shapes.
Setting up the camera so your whole body is visible makes the competition feel more real and even more fun.
Ping-pong Ball One-Leg Stand Challenge
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Do you know the Ping-Pong Ball One-Leg Stand Challenge? In this challenge, you balance a ping-pong ball on a spoon and compete to see how long you can stand on one leg.
Many physical activities can be noisy, but this one is nice and quiet.
If you want to keep costs down, you can substitute a bouncy ball.
It’s also easy to tweak the rules, such as standing on your non-dominant leg or making it a team relay.
It’s great for getting some exercise, so give it a try!
Workout relay
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If you’re looking for a sport that uses both your mind and body to the fullest, try the strength-training relay.
In this relay, four people take turns doing strength exercises for 15 seconds each, aiming for a total time of exactly one minute.
Deciding which exercises to do and how many reps makes it much more challenging! For example, you might require doing 10 sit-ups no matter what.
Of course, you can also tweak the rules by increasing the number of participants or extending the time.
For preparation, it’s best to secure a spacious area and lay down yoga mats.
Don’t wear the same thing!
“Don’t Overlap!” is a slightly unusual game where your answers to riddles must not overlap with anyone else’s.
For example, if the prompt is “It’s a ‘bin,’ but what kind of ‘bin’ can’t you buy?” you might think of “takkyubin” (courier service) as an answer.
However, if anyone else also answers “takkyubin,” you’re out, and all players whose answers overlap are eliminated from the game.
Since you have to come up with responses that don’t duplicate others’, it really makes you think—highly recommended as a brain-teasing competition!
Puzzle solving
Even if it’s an online sports day, some people living in apartments may prefer to avoid physical activities.
That’s why I recommend puzzle-solving.
The hardest part of hosting a puzzle event is deciding what kinds of puzzles to present.
In that case, it’s a good idea to buy popular puzzle books like “5-Minute Real Escape Game” or “THE NAZO STORE.” They let you experience something that feels just like visiting an attraction together! Many of them can be enjoyed by both children and adults, so be sure to check them out.
Picture shiritori
If you want everyone to laugh and have fun together, picture shiritori is a great choice.
Normally, shiritori is played by saying words out loud, but in picture shiritori you play using only drawings.
That means you have to guess what the other person drew and continue with a word that starts with the final sound.
This way, multiple people can play, and no one will get bored while waiting.
If you want to make it more challenging, you can add a rule to draw with your left hand!
Online Borrowed-Item Race
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This is a game where you play the classic sports day “borrowing race” inside each person’s home.
Choose a questioner, and that person gives a prompt; the other participants search their own homes for an item that fits the prompt.
You compete on how quickly you can find something, while also judging whether it truly matches the prompt.
Simple prompts like “something yellow” are fun, but setting prompts like “something you’d recommend to others” can make it easier to spark conversation afterward.
Emergency Food Search Trial
It’s a little different from a competition, but I also recommend the Emergency Food Scavenger Trial as an event.
The Emergency Food Scavenger Trial is a challenge where you try making simple emergency meals using ingredients you already have at home.
It’s fun to see what’s in someone else’s fridge, of course, and it’s also useful as part of disaster preparedness.
You can save the emergency food you make, or use it as snacks for a get-together afterward! There are videos that introduce emergency food recipes as well, so be sure to check them out for ideas.