Team Building Activities in Los Angeles for Teams Spread Across the City
Team building activities in Los Angeles for spread-out teams: five improv games in a 45-minute Zoom agenda, the best times to schedule, and a checklist.
By Scott Topper · October 29, 2026 · 5 min read
Planning a team event in Los Angeles usually starts with a map. Half the team is on the Westside, a few people are in the Valley, someone lives in Long Beach, and two colleagues are in another state. Pick any venue and somebody faces a long drive on the 405 or the 10.
That is why the best team building activities in Los Angeles are often the ones your team can join from anywhere. This guide gives you five improv games in a 45-minute agenda you can run yourself on Zoom, the best times to schedule it, and a checklist for the day. If you want a host to run it for you, see our page on team building in Los Angeles.
Why Virtual Works Well for LA Teams
Nobody loses an afternoon to traffic. A two-hour event across town can cost some people two more hours in the car. On Zoom, the event takes exactly as long as the event.
Remote and in-office people are equal. When everyone joins from their own laptop, the person in Pasadena and the person in Denver are on the same screen at the same size. Nobody is the face on the TV at the end of the conference room.
It fits inside a workday. You can run it as part of a regular team meeting instead of asking people to stay late or come in on a day they normally work from home.
When to Schedule It
Timing matters more than the activity. A few patterns that work for LA teams:
| Time slot (Pacific) | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| 9am to 10am | Monday or Tuesday kickoffs | People who start early may already be deep in work |
| 11:30am to 12:30pm | A lunch-hour break | Ask people not to eat on camera during active games |
| 2pm to 3pm | Teams with East Coast colleagues (5pm Eastern) | Check that East Coast folks are fine staying |
| 4pm to 5pm | Friday wind-downs | Energy is lower, so pick active games |
Avoid the first and last weeks of a quarter, and avoid stacking the event right before a big deadline. People will attend, but they will be checking email.
Five Team Building Activities in a 45-Minute Agenda
This agenda works for 6 to 20 people on Zoom. Ask everyone to join from their own device with cameras on.
0:00 to 0:05: Welcome and one rule. Explain the rule: there are no wrong answers and nobody is performing for anyone. Then ask everyone to unmute and say good morning in the most dramatic voice they can. Do it yourself first.
0:05 to 0:12: Local Hot Takes. Go around in a set order, calling each name. Each person gives a one-sentence opinion on an LA question: best taco spot, the most overrated beach, the 101 versus the 405. Everyone gets 15 seconds. Light debate is welcome.
0:12 to 0:20: Mirror Pairs. Use breakout rooms of two. One person moves slowly on camera and the other mirrors them exactly. Swap after 90 seconds. Then try it with no leader. This is the quietest game on the list, and it gets people paying full attention to one other person.
0:20 to 0:30: One-Word Story. Back in the main room. The group tells a story one word at a time, in an order you call out. Set it somewhere in LA, like a road trip from Burbank to the beach. When the story falls apart, start a new one.
0:30 to 0:40: Yes, And Team Plan. Breakout rooms of four. Each group plans an imaginary team day anywhere in Los Angeles with unlimited budget. Every idea must start with “yes, and.” After 7 minutes, each room shares its plan in 60 seconds.
0:40 to 0:45: Close. Ask each person to name one moment from the hour that made them laugh. End on time.
These games come from improv training, and each one practices a work skill: listening, building on ideas, and speaking up. For more options, see improv games for team building.
The Organizer’s Checklist
One week before
- Send the calendar invite with the Zoom link in the body, not just as an attachment.
- Say “cameras on, no prep needed” in the invite.
- Check with managers that nothing big is due that day.
The day before
- Test breakout rooms if you plan to use them.
- Write out your name order for games so you are not deciding on the spot.
During the event
- Start on time, even if two people are missing.
- Call names instead of saying “who’s next?”
- Never single out how one person did. Praise the group.
After
- Send a one-line thank-you and ask for one word on how it went.
When to Bring In a Host
Running it yourself works, but it means you are the host instead of a participant. Many organizers would rather play with their team. A live host also reads the room, adjusts when energy drops, and makes sure quieter people are included.
The Virtual Office Shenanigans Game is a 60-minute session I host live on Zoom. I trained at The Groundlings in Hollywood and was a three-time Emmy-nominated FOX-TV kids show host. The session includes Vocal Warm-Up, Theme Song Silent Disco, Super Hero Copy Cat, Whoosh, Bang, Pow, and Slow Motion Fast Ball.
Yash, a self-described introvert, put it this way:
“Scott’s energy opened me up, especially since I am an introvert. I enjoyed it.”
If your goals lean more toward skill building, read about corporate improv training in Los Angeles or our four-week plan for communication workshops in Los Angeles.
Booking Team Building for Your LA Team
Sessions run weekdays, with start times from 7am to 7pm Pacific. The price is $300 for up to 10 people, plus $25 per additional person, up to 50 people. Your team joins from wherever they are, whether that is Downtown, Culver City, the Valley, or another state. See the team building activities in Los Angeles page to choose a date and time.