18 Best Online Diversity and Inclusion Activities for 2023

Here is our list of online diversity and inclusion activities.

Online diversity and inclusion activities are virtual games and events you can do with your team to help employees from different backgrounds feel welcome. Examples include Virtual Museum Tours, Online DEI Art Galleries, and Multicultural Movie Nights. These activities aim to promote an inclusive virtual work environment and acceptance of diverse practices among employees.

Diversity and inclusion activities fit nicely into a lunch-and-learn agenda, and hosting these events promotes team building.

This list includes:

• online DEI activities
• online diversity and inclusion exercises
• online diversity games for groups
• online diversity ideas for adults

Here we go!

List of online diversity and inclusion activities

From DEI Book Club to My Heritage to Multicultural Music Fest, here is a list of fun online activities that encourage diversity and inclusion.

1. Host a Diversity Themed Lunch

Hosting a Diversity Themed Lunch is one of the best online diversity and inclusion exercises because it gives employees the chance to learn about authentic dishes from around the world. In this activity, teammates will meet using any video conferencing software and share local meals from their respective countries. The attendees will take turns introducing the local meals they made and educating their colleagues on how they prepared the meal.

You may also host a cook along, where employees will guide each other on how to cook local meals from their country. For example, your team could try African, Italian, Creole, or English dishes. This activity is a great way for teammates to learn and appreciate each other’s cultures, enjoy new cuisines, and promote acceptance among remote employees.

2. Diversity Bingo

Diversity Bingo is one of the best online diversity games for groups. In this activity, teammates will mark off a set of descriptive words they relate to on a card. To organize this game, meet on any video conferencing platform and split the groups into breakout rooms. Next, send each group a link to the cards and have players tick items off their cards. Players who mark five items in a row off their card get a Bingo.

Some prompts for this activity include:

This activity is a simple and fun way to make folks comfortable with their identities and uncommon traits. Employees will also engage and interact with each other during this exercise. Since some of these identifiers are very sensitive, it is a great idea for the host to promote acceptance and respect for participants who are bold enough to speak about their identities with the team.

3. Inclusive Language Workshop

An Inclusive Language Workshop aims to help attendees learn the impact language can have on an inclusive workplace.

Here is how to host this workshop:

1. Explain why it is important to use inclusive language, and share case studies of firms that successfully use it.
2. Show examples of inclusive and exclusive language to show the difference.
3. Share guidelines, such as not using stereotypes and using gender-neutral terms.
4. Do activities like role-playing where members can practice using inclusive words.

Be sure to leave time at the end of the presentation for a Q&A session. In addition, provide materials and resources so members can continue learning after the workshop.

4. Social Justice Challenge

A social justice challenge is a great addition to a list of online diversity ideas for adults. To run this exercise, start by creating a series of daily activities or tasks that bring attention to social justice issues. These tasks can include reading articles, watching short videos, or participating in discussions related to equity and justice. Further, teams can volunteer for local or online DEI initiatives. Then, start a shared document or online forum where participants can share their thoughts and experiences during the challenge. The goal is to raise awareness, promote learning, and create a space for conversations about social justice topics.

5. Diversity Deck of Cards

Making a diversity deck of cards is a simple way to start DEI discussions. To run this activity, make a deck featuring DEI questions.

Here are some example questions:

• What are some of your favorite cultural traditions?
• How do you think we could enhance inclusivity on the team?
• What is your experience with microaggressions in the workplace?
• What types of DEI training would you find valuable?

After you create your digital cards, you can use them during team building sessions or discussions. Participants will take turns answering each question. Be sure to encourage open and honest conversations about the topics. This simple yet effective activity helps teams explore diverse perspectives.

Check out VirtuDeck to create a digital set of playing cards.

6. My Heritage

My Heritage is a fun and exciting activity where teammates proudly share their heritage with colleagues. In this activity, participants will take turns discussing their religion, ethnic background, or culture with each other. For this exercise, colleagues will meet using any video conferencing software like Zoom or Google Meet.

For example, employees may discuss their experiences with growing up within a specific cultural or religious group or what practices are compulsory in the culture and why. This activity makes it easy for employees to engage with each other and build trust. Talking about each other’s heritage also improves communication within the remote team and helps colleagues bond.

7. DEI Picture Representations

DEI Picture Representations effectively educate employees about diversity, equity, and inclusivity.

To organize this activity:

1. Meet via video call.
2. Split employees into small groups of three to four.
3. Assign each group to breakout rooms.
4. Each group must find three images on the internet that represent diversity, equity, and inclusivity.
5. The pictures must not have people in them.
6. Set a timer for ten minutes.
7. The first team to submit their images within the allocated time wins the challenge.

This exercise is a great way to promote teamwork and teach employees attributes that create a peaceful and happy work environment. This activity is also an excellent opportunity to address important topics such as racism, disability, and gender equality among employees.

8. Multicultural Movie Night

Multicultural Movie Night is one of the best ways to simultaneously entertain teammates and educate them about diversity and multiculturalism. Movie nights are also a great opportunity for remote employees to bond and get to know each other better. To organize this event, choose any movie-streaming platform like Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime Video. The host will curate a list of multicultural movies to play, and teammates will agree on which movie to watch.

Some great movie ideas for this movie include Hidden Figures, Avatar, The Prince of Egypt, Tarzan, and Heirs by Accident. The host will play any chosen film and share the screen with attendees. This activity helps colleagues learn important values and teaches them to accept and appreciate different cultures and practices.

9. Online DEI Art Galleries

Online DEI Art Galleries are great ways for employees to acknowledge and support local and indigenous artists. In this activity, participants will choose an art piece created by an artist from a particular community or social group and use the piece as their virtual background image on any video conferencing platform. The team members will then discuss these images, the artist, and the message behind the art.

This activity allows groups to support artists from different ethnic and social groups or religious backgrounds. This exercise is also an excellent way to promote inclusion and diversity among employees and ensure that teammates learn to support and accept folks from different parts of the world.

10. Celebrate Diverse Holidays

Celebrating Diverse Holidays like Pride Month, Black History Month, Ramadan, and Dia de los Muertos is a great way to show support to teammates of different races, ethnic groups, or religious backgrounds. These occasions are one of the best online diversity and inclusion activities. To celebrate these holidays, colleagues will meet using any video conferencing software and dress according to the theme of the holiday. For example, teammates may wear rainbow colors during Pride Month.

Employees can also change their virtual backgrounds to match the holiday theme and organize themed games and activities to show their support. You can also encourage employees who celebrate these holidays to educate other team members about the history and details of the holiday. For example, Muslim teammates may inform their colleagues about the importance and purpose of Ramadan. This activity is a great way to build strong relationships and promote learning among remote workers.

Here are some online team celebration ideas.

11. DEI Book Club

DEI Book Clubs are one of the best online DEI activities because they teach teammates a wide range of topics and help broaden employees’ worldviews. In this activity, members will read books covering various diversity and inclusion topics, such as sexuality, religion, disability, race, and culture. Readers will meet via video call to choose any book with the listed topics and decide on a date to finish the book.

Some good DEI books include:

• Inclusion: Diversity, The New Workplace & The Will To Change by Jennifer Brown
• So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
• Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
• Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to Be an Ally by Emily Ladau

At the end of the given timeline, the group will meet to discuss and share their opinions on the books they read. This activity is a great way to promote team interaction and encourage teammates to share ideas openly.

12. Discuss Important DEI Topics

Discussing Important DEI Topics with teammates helps build a healthy work environment and promotes trust among teammates. In this activity, employees will meet via video call and discuss topics such as the importance of racial diversity in the workplace, the multigenerational workforce, and understanding unconscious bias. Addressing these issues reduces instances of microaggression between employees and improves employee engagement.

Having impactful DEI conversations with employees also helps build morale and improves team communication. You may also share resources, e-books, or content on related topics with employees and have a Q&A session where they can ask questions about the company’s DEI policies and programs.

13. Multicultural Music Fest

Multicultural Music Fest is a great way for teammates to appreciate music from around the world.

To organize this activity:

1. Meet using any video conferencing tool.
2. Teammates will choose three of their favorite songs from their country.
3. Employees will send the title and artist of the song to the host.
4. The host will compile these songs into a playlist and share it with the attendees.
5. The attendees will listen to the playlist and discuss their favorite songs from the list with the group.

This activity is a great way for music lovers to appreciate music from artists from different races and religions. Listening to music as a group also improves employee engagement and interaction. A music fest will also create a fun and exciting environment where teammates can be themselves.

14. Virtual Museum Tour

A Virtual Museum Tour is a fun activity for remote teams. A museum tour is a great way for employees to study and learn about important historical artifacts and notable historical moments. For example, the National Museum of African American History and Culture offers interactive tours of virtual 3D artifacts and teaches about their origin, importance, and history.

Museumgoers may then meet via video call and discuss the history and origin of the artifacts displayed during the virtual tour. To make this meeting even more fun, attendees can organize a trivia game on the displayed artifacts and their history. This activity is a great way for teammates to learn about the history of certain cultures and develop an understanding and appreciation for other folks’ backgrounds.

Learn more about the National Museum of African American History & Culture virtual tour and check out more online tours.

15. Never Have I Ever

Never Have I Ever is a fun and interactive activity where colleagues share activities they have never done. To play, employees will meet using any video conferencing tool, then take turns saying “Never have I ever…” followed by specific prompts or activities.

For example:

• had to fast
• been in a relationship with someone of the same sex
• lived in a foreign country
• had to learn a new language
• eaten sushi
• gotten a tattoo
• dyed my hair
• celebrated a religious holiday
• been arrested
• been disrespected because of my race

This exercise promotes team bonding and improves the workplace community. This activity will also make colleagues feel comfortable with each other and help employees get to know each other better.

16. Invite DEI Guest Speakers

Inviting DEI Guest Speakers to educate employees on important topics is a great way to ensure that teammates understand and learn to respect each other’s differences and unique attributes. These guest speakers are professionals specializing in social justice and cultural awareness topics.

To organize this activity:

1. Invite a DEI guest speaker, such as Lee Jourdan, Soledad O’Brien, Ginny Clarke, and Nicola Adams.
2. Meet using any video conferencing platform.
3. The host will speak and educate teammates on important DEI topics.
4. The host will organize a Q&A session where employees can ask questions on the related topic.

After the event, employees can meet virtually, discuss what they learned, and even share ideas and insights on reducing stereotyping, segregation, and racism among colleagues.

17. The Name Story

The Name Story is a fun and exciting activity where teammates share their full names and tell the story behind them.

Some questions to ask include:

• What is the meaning of your name?
• Are you named after a specific individual?
• Does your name mean something in your native language?
• Does your family have any cultural naming traditions?
• Do you have any nicknames?
• Are there any famous historical figures who share your name?
• How do you feel about your name?

The purpose of this activity is for employees to share cultural and family stories and for colleagues to get to know each other better. This exercise is also a great conversation starter, improving communication and helping build camaraderie.

18. First Impressions

First Impressions is a fun game that helps reduce stereotyping or profiling in the workplace.

To organize this activity:

1. Meet over a video call.
2. Each employee will send the host three facts about themselves.
3. The host will read out the facts, and the group will take turns guessing who each fact describes.
4. At the end of each fact, the employee who owns the description will reveal themselves.
5. The teammate with the highest number of guesses wins the game.

This activity is an excellent way for teammates to get to know each other better and foster a friendly work environment where employees can be themselves. To make this exercise even more fun, employees can take turns telling each other what impression they have of each other at first glance and how that impression changed after getting to know each other better. This game is an easy way for remote employees to learn facts about each other and build strong work relationships.

Conclusion

Diversity, equity, and inclusion ideas and activities help to educate teammates on inclusive leadership, culture and identity awareness, sexual orientation, and racial diversity. DEI initiatives help create a healthy and happy environment where workers can be themselves and interact with each other.

It is important to ensure that teammates have DEI training to reduce microaggression, segregation, and racism among employees. These activities also help create an equitable workspace for workers.

Learn more about team building tips for the workplace.