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Top 15 Problem-Solving Activities for Your Team to Master

May 27, 2022 - 10 min read

Some people see problems as roadblocks, others see them as opportunities! Problem-solving activities are a great way to get to know how members of your team work, both individually and together. It’s important to teach your team strategies to help them quickly overcome obstacles in the way of achieving project goals.

In this article, you’ll explore 15 problem-solving activities designed to enhance collaboration and creativity. Additionally, if you want to discuss the insights and outcomes with your team after the activities, you can use Wrike’s actionable meeting notes template. This template allows you to record meeting discussions, assign action items, and ensure that everyone is on the same page.

The importance of problem-solving skills in today’s workplace

According to a 2019  report by McKinsey , soft skills are increasingly important in today's world — and problem-solving is the top area in which skills are lacking. A company or team’s success weighs heavily on the willingness of managers to help employees improve their problem-solving abilities. Team building activities targeting focus areas like communication and collaboration, adaptability, or strengthening decision-making techniques help.

All problem-solving processes start with identifying the problem. Next, the team must assess potential courses of action and choose the best way to tackle the problem. This requires a deep understanding of your team and its core strengths. A problem-solving exercise or game helps identify those strengths and builds problem-solving skills and strategies while having fun with your team.

Problem-solving games aren't for just any team. Participants must have an open mind and accept all ideas and solutions . They must also have an Agile mindset and embrace different structures, planning, and processes. Problems usually arise when we least expect them, so there's no better way to prepare than to encourage agility and flexibility.

Another aspect to keep in mind when engaging in problem-solving games and activities: There are no winners or losers. Sure, some games might end with a single winner, but the true goal of these exercises is to learn how to work together as a team to develop an Agile mindset. The winning team of each game should share their strategies and thought processes at the end of the exercise to help everyone learn.

Here’s a list of fun problem-solving activity examples to try with your team. From blindfolds to raw eggs, these problem-solving, team-building activities will have your team solving problems faster than Scooby and the gang.

Classic team-building, problem-solving activities

1. a shrinking vessel.

Helps with: Adaptability

Why adaptability is important for problem-solving: Adaptability is highly associated with cognitive diversity, which helps teams solve problems faster , according to the Harvard Business Review. Innovation and disruption are happening faster than ever before . People, teams, and organizations that can adapt will come out on top.

What you’ll need:

• A rope or string

Instructions:

1. Using the rope, make a shape on the floor everyone can fit into.

2. Slowly shrink the space over 10-15 minutes.

3. Work together to figure out how to keep everyone within the shrinking boundaries.

2. Marshmallow Spaghetti Tower

Helps with: Collaboration

Why collaboration is important for problem-solving: “Collectively, we can be more insightful, more intelligent than we can possibly be individually,” writes Peter Senge in The Fifth Discipline . We can solve problems better as a team than we can alone, which means developing your team’s collaboration skills will lead to better problem-solving outcomes.

What you’ll need (per team):

• 20 sticks of uncooked spaghetti
• 1 roll of masking tape
• 1 yard of string
• 1 marshmallow

1. The goal of this exercise is to see which team can use the materials provided to build the tallest tower within an allotted time period. The tower must be able to stand on its own.

2. To make this exercise more challenging, try adding a marshmallow to the top of the tower. This team problem-solving exercise helps people think on their toes while building camaraderie and leadership.

3. Egg Drop

Helps with: Collaboration, decision-making

Why decision-making is important for problem-solving: Making decisions isn’t easy , but indecision leads to team paralysis, stagnant thinking, and unsolved problems. Decision-making activities help your team practice making quick, effective choices. Train your team’s decision-making muscles and they will become more adept at problem-solving.

• A carton of eggs
• Basic construction materials such as newspapers, straws, tape, plastic wrap, balloons, rubber bands, popsicle sticks, etc., tarp, or drop cloth
• A parking lot, or some other place you don’t mind getting messy!

1. Each team gets an egg and must select from the construction materials.

2. Give everyone 20-30 minutes to construct a carrier for the egg and protect it from breaking.

3. Drop each egg carrier off a ledge (i.e. over a balcony) and see whose carrier protects the egg from breaking.

4. If multiple eggs survive, keep increasing the height until only one egg is left.

4. Stranded

Helps with: Communication, decision-making

Why communication is important for problem-solving: More employees work remotely than ever before. Good communication skills are vital to solving problems across  virtual teams . Working on communication skills while your team is together will help them solve problems more effectively when they’re apart.

Here's the setting: Your team has been stranded in the office. The doors are locked, and knocking down the doors or breaking the windows is not an option. Give your team 30 minutes to decide on ten items in the office they need for survival and rank them in order of importance. The goal of the game is to have everyone agree on the ten items and their rankings in 30 minutes.

Creative problem-solving activities

Helps with: Communication

What you'll need:

1. Divide everyone into small teams of two or more.

2. Select an overseer who isn't on a team to build a random structure using Lego building blocks within ten minutes.

3. The other teams must replicate the structure exactly (including size and color) within 15 minutes. However, only one member from each group may look at the original structure. They must figure out how to communicate the size, color, and shape of the original structure to their team.

4. If this is too easy, add a rule that the member who can see the original structure can't touch the new structure.

• A lockable room
• 5-10 puzzles or clues (depending on how much time you want to spend on the game)

1. The goal of this exercise is to solve the clues, find the key, and escape a locked room within the time allotted.

2. Hide the key and a list of clues around the room.

3. Gather the team into the empty room and "lock" the door.

4. Give them 30 minutes to an hour to find the key using the clues hidden around the room.

7. Frostbite

Helps with: Decision-making, adaptability

• A blindfold
• 1 packet of construction materials (such as card stock, toothpicks, rubber bands, and sticky notes) for each team
• An electric fan

Instructions:  Your employees are Arctic explorers adventuring across an icy tundra! Separate them into teams of four or five and have them select a leader to guide their exploration. Each team must build a shelter from the materials provided before the storm hits in 30 minutes. However, both the team leader’s hands have frostbite, so they can’t physically help construct the shelter, and the rest of the team has snow blindness and is unable to see. When the 30 minutes is up, turn on the fan and see which shelter can withstand the high winds of the storm.

8. Minefield

• An empty room or hallway
• A collection of common office items

1. Place the items (boxes, chairs, water bottles, bags, etc.) around the room so there's no clear path from one end of the room to the other.

2. Divide your team into pairs and blindfold one person on the team.

3. The other must verbally guide that person from one end of the room to the other, avoiding the "mines."

4. The partner who is not blindfolded can't touch the other.

5. If you want to make the activity more challenging, have all the pairs go simultaneously so teams must find ways to strategically communicate with each other.

9. Blind Formations

1. Have the group put on blindfolds and form a large circle.

2. Tie two ends of a rope together and lay it in a circle in the middle of the group, close enough so each person can reach down and touch it.

3. Instruct the group to communicate to create a shape with the rope — a square, triangle, rectangle, etc.

4. If you have a very large group, divide them into teams and provide a rope for each team. Let them compete to see who forms a particular shape quickest.

Quick and easy problem-solving activities

10. line up blind.

1. Blindfold everyone and whisper a number to each person, beginning with one.

2. Tell them to line up in numerical order without talking.

3. Instead of giving them a number, you could also have them line up numerically by height, age, birthday, etc.

11. Reverse Pyramid

Helps with: Adaptability, collaboration

1. Have everyone stand in a pyramid shape, horizontally.

2. Ask them to flip the base and the apex of the pyramid moving only three people.

3. This quick exercise works best when smaller groups compete to see who can reverse the pyramid the fastest.

12. Move It!

• Chalk, rope, tape, or paper (something to mark a space)

1. Divide your group into two teams and line them up front to back, facing each other.

2. Using the chalk, tape, rope, or paper (depending on the playing surface), mark a square space for each person to stand on. Leave one extra empty space between the two facing rows.

3. The goal is for the two facing lines of players to switch places.

4. Place these restrictions on movement:

• Only one person may move at a time.
• A person may not move around anyone facing the same direction.
• No one may not move backward.
• A person may not move around more than one person on the other team at a time.

13. Human Knot

1. Have everyone stand in a circle, and ask each person to hold hands with two people who aren’t directly next to them.

2. When everyone is tangled together, ask them to untangle the knot and form a perfect circle — without letting go of anyone's hand.

Our last two problem-solving activities work best when dealing with an actual problem:

14. Dumbest Idea First

Helps with: Instant problem-solving

1. "Dumb" ideas are sometimes the best ideas. Ask everyone to think of the absolute dumbest possible solution to the problem at hand.

2. After you have a long list, look through it and see which ones might not be as dumb as you think.

3. Brainstorm your solutions in Wrike. It's free and everyone can start collaborating instantly!

15. What Would X Do

1. Have everyone pretend they're someone famous.

2. Each person must approach the problem as if they were their chosen famous person. What options would they consider? How would they handle it?

3. This allows everyone to consider solutions they might not have thought of originally.

Looking for more team-building and virtual meeting games? Check out these virtual icebreaker games or our  Ultimate Guide to Team Building Activities that Don't Suck.

Additional resources on problem-solving activities

• Problem-Solving Model : Looking for a model to provide a problem-solving structure? This detailed guide gives you the tools to quickly solve any problem.
• The Simplex Process:  Popularized by Min Basadur's book, The Power of Innovation , the Simplex Process provides training and techniques for each problem-solving stage. It helps frame problem-solving as a continuous cycle, rather than a “one and done” process.
• Fun Problem-Solving Activities and Games : Looking for more ideas? Check out this list of interesting and creative problem-solving activities for adults and kids!
• The Secret to Better Problem-Solving:  This article provides tips, use cases, and fresh examples to help you become a whiz at solving the toughest problems.

How to organize problem-solving activities with Wrike

If you want to make problem-solving activities more effective, consider using team collaboration software such as Wrike. 

Wrike’s pre-built actionable meeting notes template helps you keep track of meeting discussions, assign action items, and keep everyone in the loop. It’s an effective tool to streamline your problem-solving sessions and turn insights into real projects.

Brianna Hansen

Brianna is a former Content Marketing Manager of Wrike. When she’s not writing about collaboration and team building games, you’ll find her in the kitchen testing out the latest recipes, sharing her favorite wine with friends, or playing with her two cats.

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Making Mistakes at Work: What to Do if You're in the Wrong

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Follow these steps to overcoming work-related stress and bounce back stronger than before after you’ve messed up:  Step 1: Process your emotions It’s natural to feel frustrated and embarrassed when something goes wrong at work. But, after a few seconds, the feeling should pass and you can begin to think logically. If it doesn’t happen quickly, take some time to process these emotions. Talk it out with a trusted friend, voice journal about it in your car, or take a walk outside to get some fresh air before starting fresh.  It can be hard to maintain a sense of balance when you’re upset. Try to make sure that your emotional response is proportional to the mistake you made. Step 2: Keep perspective If you make an error at work, it’s likely not a life-or-death situation. Most of the time, it can be corrected or resolved quickly. If you don’t find the right perspective, your mind may get too focused on the negative consequences of your mistake, which can trigger more errors in the future. 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20 icebreaker games and activities for every team

• 31 Aug 2021

As your team’s de facto spirit guide, icebreaker games are definitely your friend. But please, promise us one thing: don’t bring down the mood with boring icebreakers. Don’t go around the circle asking people to awkwardly introduce themselves. That’s stressful for everyone and doesn’t do much to actually bond your team.

Push the envelope and try bolder activities instead.

We’re talking meaningful get-to-know-you games that actually help create a sense of belonging and positive team culture. Or out-of-the-box ideas that work well in a remote setting, like  making videos  that take your icebreakers up a notch. (Don’t worry. We’ll give you plenty of tips for that!)

These 19 icebreaker games are tailor-made to help your people think deeper, connect, and maybe even look forward to team meetings. Win, win, win.

Fun online icebreakers

These icebreaker activities are a perfect fit for remote teams and teams working from home.

1. Scavenger hunt

Break the ice with a game that doesn’t require too much brainpower. List off a few items and send your team on a quest around their house or office to find something that matches.

Ask your team to hunt for something specific like “a broken phone charger” or leave a little room for creativity with items such as “something that represents your favorite hobby”.

A scavenger hunt is a great way to get a little insight into what your people like to do outside of work. Your team just might find shared hobbies and interests to bond over.

Who it works for:  Remote teams or people working from a home office.

Level up with video:  Turn your scavenger list into a video or build the hype for your upcoming scavenger hunt with a video that covers all the must-know details.

2. Two truths and a lie

Two truths and a lie is a great way to get to know new people. The premise is simple: everyone gets a chance to share three things about themselves — two that are true and one that’s a lie.

It’s the perfect balance of getting-to-know-you material and ice-breaking creativity. After each person states their facts, have the group try to discern the truths from the lie.

Who it works for:  Teams (either remote or in-person) who don’t know each other well.

3. Kahoot quizzes

University lecturers know what’s up when it comes to hyping up a room full of people — it’s all about  Kahoot . Kahoot quizzes are easy-to-access live quizzes that anyone can take part in from their own internet-connected device.

As the host, you’ll create the quiz content yourself, so the sky is the limit. If your team just finished an important training, use this as an opportunity to reinforce the material in a fun way.

Create a sense of camaraderie with your staff by grouping people together, or pit them against each other and see who can rise up the leaderboard.

Who it works for:  Particularly effective for teams who need specialist know-how to work well. Shore up their industry knowledge in a fun way.

Level up with video:  Take team quizzes to a whole new level with a personalized quiz video.

4. Jackbox.tv games

Jackbox.tv  games are similar to Kahoot quizzes but a lot less serious. You can buy a suite of games on your laptop or gaming console. To play, your team just needs access to a device and the password to get into the team game. All games can be played remotely or in person.

The most popular Jackbox.tv game has to be  Drawful  (with a player limit of 8), where each person draws a different obscure phrase and racks up points if their competitors guess it right. No prep is needed to play Jackbox.tv games.

Who it works for:  Teams who need to improve their communication.

Level up with video:  Create a  video montage  of everyone’s Drawful sketches and guesses (they’re usually quite funny) and play it at your next meeting.

Create videos that drive action

Activate your audience with impactful, on-brand videos. Create them simply and collaboratively with Biteable.

Really makes you think…

These getting-to-know-you games are a great way to level up your team’s critical thinking. Hype up your team in advance with a video invite full of the need-to-know details.

5. Team trivia

Trivia ignites the competitor in everyone, and it’s the perfect way to pull people out of their shells. If your people are a little shy about creative activities, trivia is the perfect team-building game that doesn’t require them to put themselves out there too much.

There are plenty of sets of trivia questions you can borrow from the internet. Or, you can custom-make trivia questions that help your team get to know each other (like “When did Ellen join the team?” or “What type of coffee does Dan drink?”).

Who it works for:  New teams who need to get acquainted; remote teams looking to build camaraderie from afar.

Level up with video:  Do your trivia sesh right by turning your questions into a video quiz. You can even include snippets of video or images for multimedia questions.

6. Problem/solution

For a problem/solution game, break people into small teams and assign each team a different problem. Be ambitious with the problems you assign. Make it big enough to be complicated, with many possible solutions.

Try questions like “How would you prevent animals from ending up at the pound?” or “If the government implemented a healthy eating initiative, what would be most effective?”.

Teams have 15 minutes to come up with a plan that’s as comprehensive as possible and present their ideas to the larger group. The aim isn’t to solve the problem entirely, it’s to think around different approaches and the possible outcomes that arise from each.

Who it works for:  Remote or in-office teams that need to practice working and problem-solving together closely.

Level up with video:  Introduce the problem with a video perfect for online teams. Press play to explain the rules and what the solution should look like, then send teams off into their breakout rooms to come up with an answer.

Debating the different sides of an argument is a skill that doesn’t have to end after high school.

Teaching your team how to form an argument and debate each other respectfully is an investment that’ll pay off ten-fold. Creating an environment where everyone feels comfortable and able to raise (and resolve) a disagreement is a bonus.

Set up two teams of three and assign a moderator. To ease any possible friction, don’t declare a winner. Instead, make your debates simply about having a well-formed argument. It can work well to create debate topics relevant to your industry so everyone already has the expertise to argue either side.

Who it works for:  Both in-person and remote teams.

Better in person

These activities are best saved for when you can gather in the same room. Use the office or turn these ideas into a team outing — either way, use a video to share the who, what, when, wheres.

8. Structure

This is a seemingly easy challenge that might test your team once they get started.

Break everyone into small groups (three per group work well here). The aim is simple: use whatever materials you can find to build the tallest structure. The way people interpret the rules and treat their competitors without a strict etiquette guideline is always revealing.

This icebreaker is also a great way to flex a different part of the brain. For employees who work on laptops all day, using your hands is a refreshing change of pace.

Who it works for:  Big teams with space to stretch out.

Level up with video:  While everyone is running around trying to build their structure, play an infographic video in the background that gives out valuable hints and tricks.

9. Electric fence

Warning: neither a fence nor electricity is needed for this one. Just grab a piece of string or yarn and suspend it across a walkway. The string represents an electric fence, and the goal is to get everyone in the team over without touching it.

To succeed requires a bit of team organization and a lot of practical sense. It’s interesting to see the roles people naturally fall into when faced with a new challenge.

Who it works for:  In-person teams who need a little more cohesion.

10. Silent line up

No, not that kind of lineup (we hope). This one is exactly as advertised. No one is allowed to talk but the group needs to find a way to wordlessly communicate and get into a line in the right order.

The easiest version of this challenge is to have everyone line up according to height. But you can kick it up a notch by asking them to line up according to date of birth or when they started working at your company.

Who it works for:  In-person teams.

Icebreakers for team bonding

These icebreakers are perfect for teams who’ve known each other for a while but need to connect on a deeper level.

11. Unique and shared

Unique and shared is an easy way of building links between your team members. For the first round, divide everyone into randomly assigned groups of two or three. During each subsequent round, increase the group sizes.

The goal for each round is to find a commonality between all people in that group. It can be something as easy as “We all work on the same floor of the office” or as obscure as “We all saw Shrek 2 in the cinema on opening weekend”.

The trick is, no one can use the same shared trait twice. As the groups grow in size, they’ll need to share more and more information to find a common link. Assign points on a sliding scale based on how quickly groups find their shared trait.

Who it works for:  In-person teams. This icebreaker game also works for remote teams if you can put them in smaller breakout rooms.

12. Critical conversations

Facilitating deep and critical conversation is a great way to help your team align on a deeper level. But it ain’t easy!

For this getting-to-know-you activity to succeed, spend time researching critical (and work-appropriate) questions beforehand. During the activity, pitch a few of the best questions to your team.

Questions like “What’s more important in the long run, kindness or ambition?” or “What advice would you give your younger self?” can pull thoughts out of the team and help them get to know one another’s values.

As the moderator, your job is to ensure everyone has a chance to speak equally. Otherwise, this icebreaker can easily become a contest for the spotlight.

Who it works for:  Established teams who work together in-person. It’s always better to have these types of conversations face-to-face.

Level up with video:  Create a quick  animated text video  displaying the rules of engagement (asking people to be respectful and open-minded, for example), followed by a 10-minute countdown timer to keep the meeting on track. (Discussions like this can go all day if you don’t put boundaries around them.)

13. Describing blind

In the lead up to this getting-to-know-you game, collect a few weird items that would be difficult to identify just from touch (mind puzzles, strange toys, or obscure tools are always a winner).

Divide everyone into teams of two. Give one person on each team a piece of paper and a pen, and sit them where they can hear — but not see — their partner. Ask the second teammate to close her eyes, then place an object in her hands. She must describe the object while their partner attempts to draw it.

This is such a hard challenge, but a great way to highlight potential communication problems between people. Once your team gets the hang of it, they’ll want to do it over and over until they improve, so make sure you have enough items on hand.

Who it works for:  In-person teams who need to improve their communication.

Getting-to-know-you games

Brand new teams usually need a bit of help getting comfortable with each other. Use these getting-to-know you games to loosen things up and begin building a sense of camaraderie.

14. Teammate introduction

As a new hire, it can be stressful getting up in front of the whole team to introduce yourself. Take the pressure off your new team member and make a video about them instead.

Film an interview where you ask them a bit about themselves, their new role, and their work history. And don’t forget to clearly display their name for everyone to absorb — most of us are bad at remembering new names.

Who it works for:  Any team with a new addition

15. Name game

No one remembers names the first time they hear them, especially in a high-pressure situation. If you have a new team or a workshop with new people, do them all a favor and start with a name game.

The game starts with one person saying their name. The person to the right of them in the circle (or the Zoom grid) says the first person’s name and adds their own. The next person continues the chain, saying the first two names and adding their own. And so on.

If someone forgets a name in the chain, start again (but start with another person so everyone gets a turn). The game finishes when you make it around to everyone and end with a full list of names.

Who it works for: New teams or groups, remote or in-person.

16. Speed dating

Speed dating is the quickest and easiest way to help big groups of people get to know each other.

Set up a long table with pairs of chairs facing each other all the way down. The group on one side of the table should be stationary, the group on the other side should move one chair to the right at the sound of the buzzer.

Give each round a minute and start them off with a few easy questions. Cat or dog person? Favorite dessert? Best travel experience? It’s amazing how much these quick interactions help build connection and create a more relaxed atmosphere.

Who it works for:  New in-person teams who’ve never met before.

17. Getting-to-know-you bingo

This icebreaker is so much fun but does require a fair bit of prep work from the moderator. To prepare, find an online template for bingo and populate it with facts you know about individual team members.

Include things like “Someone who orders chai lattes” or “Someone with a birthday in October”. It’s best if you make a few variations of the bingo sheet and distribute them randomly to slow the game down.

If people start racing to get through, you can add extra rules to make it trickier. Try things like not allowing them to ask the question directly. For example, you can’t say “When’s your birthday?” but you can say “What would the weather normally be like at your birthday party?” to hone in on a bingo square.

Who it works for:  In-person teams who are new to each other but not to you.

Creative play icebreakers

Sometimes it pays to have fun, especially at work. Use these icebreaker ideas to shake things up and let your team enjoy themselves.

18. Murder mystery

There are two versions of murder mystery — one that’s more low-key and one that’s more elaborate. Both versions take some time, so it’s best to save this game for a longer workshop or a company retreat.

In the easy version, you can play with no props and no required reading. Set up a  game of Werewolf  and see how your team interacts to uncertain alliances.

If you really want to put on a show, find a more elaborate murder mystery structure. (There are plenty of free versions online.) As the host, you’ll have to do a lot of legwork to progress the story and resolve the mystery, but it’s a lot of fun.

Who it works for:  In-person teams who need to loosen up.

Level up with video:  Create a video that guides your team through the mystery or sets the mood with atmospheric music and backgrounds. (Try searching “creepy” in Biteable’s  stock video footage library …if you’re brave enough.)

19. Draw your coat of arms

This icebreaker activity is perfect for helping staff get to know each other’s values. It also helps managers understand how staff perceive themselves and their role in the office.

It’s pretty simple. Provide drawing tools and print off a  coat of arms template  for people to fill in. Coats of arms were created for important families in medieval England and worn by knights so they, and their heroic deeds, could be distinguished on the battlefield. As such, they contain a lot of symbolism.

You can ask your staff to think about the animal that represents them, the colors they like, even the saying that resonates with them the most as a motto. After they’ve finished drawing, have them explain their choices to the group.

Who it works for:  Remote or in-person teams who need to get to know each other.

20. Movie pitch

Movie pitch is pretty much what it sounds like. In movie pitch, each person has to pitch a movie based on prompts. It’s a creative exercise to make your group laugh, loosen up, and get to know each other.

Here’s how it works: choose a motif — A block of cheese? A plot twist involving a pair of twins? — that must be included in the story. Give everyone a few minutes to prepare their pitch. (Keep it short.) If you want, the moderator can award an Oscar for best pitch after everyone’s had their say.

Who it works for:  Teams who already know each other a little; teams working in a creative field.

Level up with video:  Task your team with making their pitch into a movie trailer. (You can give them the video template below as a starting point.) Then, crack open the popcorn machine and set up a viewing of all the movie trailers (they are, after all, the best part of the movie).

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Looking for more ways to shake up your people ops game? Check out the Biteable blog for loads of other  HR video ideas .

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35 Fun and Hilarious Ice breaker Games (That Aren’t Cheesy!)

It’s tough to know what to say or do in an uncomfortable situation when awkward silence sets in. These ice breaker games should get conversation flowing!

Sometimes, it’s tough to know what to say at an organizational event, social gathering, or during that awkward silence that often takes over a team meeting. One of the best ways to lighten the mood and get people mingling is with fun ice breaker games. To help you get started, we’ve put together a list of the best conversation starters to help make everyone feel welcome. We hope you enjoy them!

Explore new places on scavenger hunts !

Over the past few decades, employers have really begun to see the value of team building .  Well-planned exercises allow colleagues to see each other in a different light, build bonds, improve communication skills, and collaborate with ease. They’ve also been proven to boost productivity , increase staff engagement, and foster a positive company culture. We believe in the power of team-building so much that we’ve created 20+ highly-rated activities to help companies achieve their goals! Contact our expert guides to discuss how we can help you.

Team-Building Ice Breaker Games

We all know the feeling of being “the new kid on the block,” onboarded to a large group, or the latest addition to a project. It can be a little nerve-wracking, to say the least. Even if you’ve scouted out the company and staff on social media, it’s still tough to try to integrate yourself into a team of strangers.

Luckily, the best leaders have been in that same position and know that team-building exercises can make introductions a little easier. The icebreaker activities that made this list will have staff members feeling like family in no time!

Note: While these icebreaker ideas are formatted for use as team-building games in the work environment, they can easily be adapted for use with small teams of any kind.

1. Charades

Most people know this old-school party game where you act out a person, place, or thing without saying any words. Your team has to guess what you’re trying to convey and if they do, you get a point. The game is normally segmented by time periods (e.g. 30-seconds or one minute), but since it’s so simple, you can change the rules in any way that works for you!

Around the world, you can find people playing trivia whether it be at a house party, bar, work event, etc. There is a very good reason for that—it’s fun! It’s easy to download trivia questions and scorecards online and you can keep track of everyone’s scores on a simple piece of paper. Depending on what the event is, you can also create your own questions about your company, its history, and perhaps some fun facts about the upper management. 

3. The Line-Up

This game may sound very simple but can get surprisingly hard as you go along. To start, team members must stand in line according to a physical characteristic (height, hair color, eye color, etc) without speaking to one another. If the group knows each other well, you can make the topics even harder. This is a particularly interesting icebreaker game to do at both the beginning and the end of a multi-day event to see how people’s behavior has changed. Were there people at the beginning who took charge? Are they the same people as at the end or did some of the attendees come out of their shells a bit during the event?

4. Jigsaw Puzzles 

This fun icebreaker combines teamwork and critical thinking skills into one challenge. During this game, each team gets a puzzle of equal difficulty. They then work together to try and put it together faster than the other teams. To make it a bit more challenging, make sure to switch a few of the puzzle pieces before the game starts. Teams will then have to negotiate with the other teams to give them the necessary pieces in order to finish the puzzle. Since everyone is trying to finish the fastest to win the game, this may take some considerable skills!

5. The Artist and the Muse

During this game, two people sit with their backs towards one another. One person is given a picture of an object that they then need to describe to the other person without using specific words of what it is. This is a great way for teams to work on verbal communication skills and listening skills. It also gives a unique perspective into how people view the world based on the descriptions that they were given. When the game is done, make sure to hang the drawings up on the walls both as a way to showcase the “art” and to remind people of the importance of clear communication. 

6. The Stick Game

This is an easy and quick icebreaker that can get people moving a bit. You simply need to long, thin stick (think something like a broom handle). Have the entire team hold out their hands and lay the stick across their hands. They then need to work together to keep the stick complete straight as they lower it all the way to the floor without anyone letting go of it until the very end. If you want to make it even more challenging, make it a silent activity where people can only use nonverbal communication. It’s amazing to see how creative people can get with signaling even when they aren’t able to use their hands. 

7. The Floor is Lava!

In this energetic game, teams are required to cross a large section of a room or park stepping only on certain spots. They must then help each player cross the “lava”. You can make this as difficult or as easy as you like by making the “safe” areas bigger or smaller or by adding extra obstacles along the way which helps develop problem-solving skills. The goal of the exercise is to get people thinking one or two steps ahead at all times while ensuring that everyone in their group is successful as well. 

8. Egg Drop

This is another great game that requires some major teamwork. To start, each team is given “construction materials” that they must use to create a protective case for an egg. The egg will be dropped from a high height (6-8 feet is good). The team’s egg that manages to survive the drop is the winner. In the case that more than one team is successful, you can either declare both teams as winners or try dropping the eggs again from a slightly higher height. Just make sure that you don’t go too high. While it’s entertaining for the eggs to be in “danger”, it’s slightly less enjoyable when it comes to your own safety!

9. Marshmallow Challenge

Aspiring engineers get ready—this one is for you! The marshmallow challenge is a team-building activity where teams must create the tallest free-standing structure using just 20 sticks of spaghetti, one yard of tape, one yard of string, and a marshmallow. The marshmallow must be at the top of the structure, but that’s basically the extent of the rules. Teams get 18 minutes for brainstorming, planning, and building their creations and although it seems like playtime for grown-ups, it’s the perfect way to promote leadership skills, collaborations, innovation, communication, and communication techniques. 

10. Movie Pitch

Imagine this… you are the executive at a Hollywood studio. A group of hopeful filmmakers comes to pitch their movie idea and you get to decide which one could be the next Hollywood blockbuster. Pretty cool, huh?

To start this icebreaker, you need to divide teams into small groups and then give them an allocated time to come up with their movie pitch (usually 10 minutes is sufficient). The players get to vote on the movie that they would most like to see and depending on the group dynamics, the winners can either get a prize or they can have the chance to act out a scene from their movie in front of everyone. This is a great way to keep extroverts engaged and also give introverts the chance to speak more. 

11. Team Members Squared

During this game, each team member is blindfolded, and the facilitator places a long piece of rope into everyone’s hands. The team members then need to form a square with it. While the minimum amount of people needed for the game is four, the more people that you add, the more challenging it gets. When everyone thinks that they’ve made the square, you can ask them to remove their blindfolds and see how they’ve done. 

After they see what went well and what didn’t, they can put their blindfolds back on and try the whole exercise again. This is a great way for them to practice problem-solving skills and work on clear communication. 

12. Flash Mob Dance

About a decade ago, flash mobs swept through the United States with people breaking out in choreographed dances across the country. While they seemed a bit cute and silly at the time, they’ve also proven to be great icebreakers. 

Flash mob dances work best when you have a multi-day day meeting with a big group of people. The group is divided into smaller groups and everyone is taught part of a dance. The dance is timed to fit in with the song and each group learns a different part without knowing what the other groups are doing. When the closing dinner comes around, make sure that that song is played and each team can get up and show their dance moves. 

While it may seem awkward to learn a particular dance at the start of an event, it’s a fun way to break the ice and get some energy pumped into the crowd. It’s always the perfect way to finish the event memorably.

13. Scavenger Hunts

Many of us remember the thrill of doing scavenger hunts as kids. Well, we have good news—you don’t have to be a child to enjoy one! We’ve created more than 400 adventures that offer fun ways to learn a lot about the history and culture of places around the world. These activities are great for just about any group and perfect for team-building events . You can even use online hunts as virtual icebreakers! 

Use scavenger hunts as a conference warm-up activity, introduce a new office space to your employees, welcome visitors to your city, or merge recent hires with the rest of the group. When you’re looking to break the ice, there are so many options, and our helpful experts can walk you through each step of the planning process. Fill us in on your specific objectives and we can produce an event that suits your needs and exceeds your expectations!

Everyday Conversation Starters

There is something so incredibly uncomfortable about walking into a silent room where no one is talking to one another. You can hear every footstep, every cough, and every paper shuffle as people wait for the event to start. Rather than having everyone endure this awkwardness, why not kick things off with some fun icebreaker games that will get people chatting and hopefully, some conversations rolling! They are participating great if you have a group of people who are new hires that are getting their first introduction to the company and their colleagues. 

The great thing about these games is that they work with both small and large groups and you can get started even before everyone has arrived. Many of the games below include questions and answers so, if you need some inspiration, be sure to check out our lists of “ Funny Icebreaker Questions That Will Have You In Stitches ” and “ 25+ Icebreaker Questions for Small Groups .”

14. Guess Who

Most of us have played this board game when we were younger. During the game, players have to give clues about a person and the other person has to guess which one it is. This is a really great icebreaker game especially when you know interesting information about everybody attending the event The statements could be something like “This person has been to 100 countries” or ” this person loves to eat octopus”. Try to focus on things that are light-hearted and will make people strike up a conversation so that the fun can keep going even after the game ends!

15. Two Truths and a Lie 

This is another simple ice breaker that allows people to learn a surprisingly large amount about one another and it works really well with large groups. During the game, each person stands up and says three statements about themselves. Two of them should be true and there should be one lie. The other people need to guess which one is the lie. The more outrageous the truth statements are the better as it makes the game even more fun!

16. Diversity Bingo

This game starts the same way as a normal game of bingo. Each contestant gets a card with a grid on it. However, instead of having numbers, it has statements that will apply to some of the people in the group but not all of them. After everyone has a card, they get a chance to mingle with one another and find people who “match” the statements. These people will then sign their cards. The first person to have a straight or diagonal line gets a “Bingo”. Make sure to limit the number of times one person can sign another one’s card to ensure that two people don’t simply fill up their cards together (trust us, it happens).

Another fun party game, Jenga is normally used as a way to promote hand-eye coordination and problem-solving skills. To make it even more engaging, you can write questions on the Jenga pieces. When a person draws a game piece, they will need to read an icebreaker question aloud and answer it before putting the block back on top of the tower. These questions can be as silly or as deep as you want them to be ranging from things like favorite color to career goals.

While you’re creating the questions, make sure to think about what kind of environment you want to create through it. (Oh, and use dry erase markers so you can wipe it off the pieces and use them for another game later!)

18. The Human Map

As companies become more and more globalized, people from around the world find themselves working closely with people from different countries and even continents. If you’re part of an organization with people from across the country or around the world, how about creating a human map to show where people are from? To get the game going, you simply need to “draw” an imaginary map on the ground and tell everyone what the “borders” are.

People can then stand on a spot to show where they are from. They can then give one or two facts about their hometown or they can even share one of their favorite childhood memories. This is a great way for team members to connect on a deeper level and it helps people learn more about the world around them.

19. Unique and Shared 

This is another quick way to help teams from diverse backgrounds to uncover their similarities. To start, you need to divide the attendees into groups of four or five people. They can then discuss what they have in common and also ask about other team members’ unique characteristics.

To help guide them, you can give topic ideas like “who likes the New York Knicks?” or “who loves to travel?”. As people begin to feel more comfortable around one another, it’s likely that they will begin talking more about themselves which helps everyone connect on a higher level.

20. Speed Dating

While the words “speed dating” may not seem like a great icebreaker for a work event, they are actually a great way for people from different teams to get to know each other a little bit better. You can have them keep things at a personal level if you want to help develop relationships or you can ask them to speak about their day-to-day tasks and working style. This situation is particularly useful if you have departments that are constantly butting heads (e.g. finance vs. sales) and you may be surprised at how well it works to smooth over any friction points in the future. 

21. Keychain Stories

This icebreaker is a unique way for team members to share a bit of their personal life based on their comfort levels. During the game, everyone sits in a circle and shows their keys. They then describe what they are for (house, car, storage) and give a brief description of any keychains that they may have. This is perfect for people who tend to be a bit more introverted as it gives them the chance to give as much or as little information as they want. 

22. Tic-Tac-Toe

While most of us have played this game at some point in our lives, we might not have considered that it could actually be used as an icebreaker game. This is a fun way to get to know one another at the beginning of an event. You simply need a 3 x 3 grid to get things going. Have each person fill in each block with a personal passion and then walk around the room trying to find someone with a similar passion. Just like in bingo, any person who manages to get a vertical, horizontal, or diagonal line is a “winner”. If the game is going well, you can continue playing until everyone is a winner. 

23. The Name Game

We all know how tough it can be to remember a bunch of names (and how embarrassing it is to have to ask people what their names are later on). The name game can help make it easier to keep track of who is who and is a fun memory game. 

To start off, one person says their name. The next person says the first person’s name and then their own name. The third person says the first two names and then their own and so on. This works really well with groups of eight to ten people and by the end, hopefully, people will have remembered the majority of people’s names. If someone gets stuck, make sure to encourage the other attendees to step in and help. This helps transform the activity from a conversation starter to a basic teamwork activity.

24. Never Have I Ever

While a version of this game is played at frat parties across the country, it can easily be incorporated into a professional event as a fun-filled icebreaker. Before the event begins, the facilitator puts together a list of “Never Have I Ever” statements. These can range from things like, “Never have I ever been to Iceland,” “Never have I ever seen Jurassic Park ,” or “Never have I ever gone snorkeling.” 

After each statement is read, people can either stand up or simply put their hands up to show that it’s something they’ve done. It’s best to start off slowly with things that most people have done to make sure that everyone is engaged before launching into some of the more random questions.

25. Storytime

To start this game, each player writes down a true story of something funny that happened to them. They then fold the paper and put it into a container or in a pile. The facilitator will then read each of the stories and everyone has the chance to guess who wrote the story. It’s an interesting way to learn a little bit more about how coworkers see the world, their sense of humor, and their writing style. 

26. Cards Against Humanity

While this hilarious game is played at parties around the world, it can work surprisingly well in a professional environment if people already have a strong interpersonal relationship and you simply need something to set the right mood for the event. You may want to take some of the most offensive cards out of the pile before you start just in case and then see where the game takes you!

27. Show and Tell

Most of us have had “Show and Tell” during our elementary school days and the premise for the icebreaker version of it’s much the same as the childhood activity. During “Show and tell”, each team member has the opportunity to talk about or show something that they are interested in. It could be anything from a new cookie recipe that they’ve mastered to a history book that they read.

Show and Tell not only allows people to get to know each other on a more personal level, but it also gives everyone the chance to speak about something that they are passionate about. This may be incredibly useful for introverted team members who may not have a chance to speak publicly to practice these skills.

28. Who Am I?

At the start of the game, each team member has a name tag put on their back featuring the name of a famous person. They then need to ask their colleagues yes or no questions to try to figure out who they are. Keep going until everyone is reasonably certain that they know who the famous person is. Have them say the name in front of the group and then show them whether or not they were correct.

If you’re playing this game with people from around the world, try to make sure that the people are well-known globally (football players and basketball players may not work so well here and only use really, really important historical figures). 

29. Would You Rather?

This is one of my all-time favorite icebreakers. The name pretty much says it all but in this game, each team member gets to ask another person what they would rather do. One of the easiest ways to facilitate this is by printing off a list of questions for each participant and allowing them to mingle with their fellow attendees. Try to make get people to ask a few follow u questions and keep the conversation going. For example, the question could be ”Would you rather be stuck on a desert island or in the middle of the Amazon jungle?” The follow u question could then just be a simple “why?”. The answers can tell you a lot about the way people think and even a bit about their problem-solving skills. 

Ice Breaker Games for Remote Teams

While icebreakers are a lot of fun and a great way to increase engagement, they can be a little tricky to do with remote teams. However, online communication tools like Zoom have made this a million times easier. Below is a list of great activities specifically designed for teams located around the world. Let the team bonding begin!

30. Let’s Draw

Get ready to get your creativity flowing! Attendees can take turns drawing out a random word while everyone else tries to guess what it is as fast as they can. The first person to guess correctly wins the round. The scoring is done virtually so you don’t have to keep track of anything and our experts will make sure that everything goes flawlessly.

In our version of this virtual Pictionary game , professional hosts lead teams through a series of clever drawing challenges, ensuring that everyone feels comfortable and participates. It’s a popular choice on our team-building platform!

31. Virtual Draw and Sip

If you love the idea of drawing but arent sure Pictionary is the right game for your event, you may also want to consider Virtual Draw and Sip where a skilled artist teaches attendees how to create their very own masterpiece. Before the event, our team will let you know exactly what materials are needed to complete the project and you can either provide this for the attendees. On the day of the event, they will then walk the attendees through the creative process with a drawing or painting tutorial. This is a great option if you’re managing a hybrid event and want to do something really creative.

32. Virtual Trivia

While we normally think of trivia as something that we do in a bar with friends, it’s just as fun virtually! Since dealing with technical issues can be a bit tiresome, Let’s Roam is here to help by offering a customized virtual trivia game full of fun facts. If you want to keep the fun going, you can also try a number of other fun virtual office games. 

33. Virtual Escape Room

Escape rooms have become extremely popular worldwide over the past decade and it’s easy to see why. Combining problem-solving, critical thinking, and teamwork, this is a great activity for groups of friends or families who want to try something new and challenging and equally as good for team members who could benefit from a team-building activity (which, honestly, is pretty much everyone).

34. The Hot Seat

While many people don’t necessarily like being in the spotlight, this is one activity that’s designed to bring even the most introverted people out of their shells. During the game, each person takes the hot seat while other people get to ask them questions. To get started, you may want to provide a list of sample questions for people to choose from and if you sense any tension between people, it may be a good idea to keep a close eye on the game to make sure that no drama unfolds. 

35. No Smiling!

Icebreakers definitely can’t get any easier than this one! The premise of it is very easy. People must keep a straight face and are not allowed to smile for a period of time (five minutes is usually good to shoot for). While it seems a bit contradictory compared to what icebreakers are trying to achieve, trust us. It really works. 

In real life, most people find it really difficult to follow this instruction and may begin looking around the room to see what their fellow attendees are doing. It usually only takes one person to start to chuckle and, next thing you know, you’ll have a room full of gigglers! It usually works even faster when you’re in a virtual setting with all of the funny aspects of everyday life happening offscreen. 

 It may sound a bit silly but think back to the last time that you had a case of uncontrollable giggles and how happy that made you feel. Now imagine a room full of event attendees that feel that same way. Talk about starting off on the right foot!

Ready to start breaking the ice?

We hope that this list has given you some great ideas to use as icebreakers for your next event. Don’t forget to focus on the end goal of the icebreaker and choose the games that work best for you and your group.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you’re facilitating or hosting a meeting, it’s helpful to have a few ice breaker games ready. Consider using the Name Game , Charades , Guess Who , or even a quick Team-Building Scavenger Hunt .

If you’re hosting a work event, help attendees get to know each other with the Name Game or The Artist and the Muse . If you’re throwing a party, Guess Who or Never Have I Ever can get conversation flowing.

There are many icebreaker activities that translate well to video. To get your virtual event off to a good start, try a drawing game like Pictionary , trivia , or an ice breaker game like the Hot Seat .

Featured Products & Activities

Fun icebreaker questions and games for all teams

Icebreakers are a fantastic way to get team members acquainted with each other—especially if teams work remotely or there are new faces in the office. We often spend more time with our coworkers than family or friends. But teams don’t always know the best icebreaker questions or games. You can use these simple team-building activities to quickly help diffuse anxiety or awkward silences in meetings. Ice breakers are especially valuable for remote teams that conduct virtual meetings via video conferencing since team building is even harder when the whole team is distributed. Read on to find out how easy it is to create funny, insightful, and meaningful icebreakers.

• What are icebreakers?

Icebreakers are team-building exercises that aim to bond team members and facilitate collaborative work. They can ease team cohesion and even boost friendship and goodwill among the group. They can be questions that elicit profound answers, or fun games that help small groups connect through laughter.

Why businesses consistently use icebreakers

Every organization can benefit from simple and fun icebreaker activities. These team-building events can help whether you have a new team, welcome a new team member, or just want to work more closely together and facilitate team bonding. The best icebreakers allow attendees to warm up, understand each other, and face work challenges as a team. They are also super useful when you are starting remote meetings — they help the team bond and get ready for the task at hand.

Here is how you can use icebreaking games in your team:

To get to know each other

Getting to know your coworkers can be a powerful catalyst for better work results. Icebreakers are a lot more fun than just having everybody introduce themselves. They can help your team learn everyone’s names, understand each other’s backgrounds and interests, and then start a meaningful conversation.

To break down the “work” barrier

Many coworkers only interact with each other in a formal setting, which can lack the personal and human depth of regular conversation. Interactive icebreakers can significantly connect team members and help them feel more comfortable around each other. Humor and personal connection have long been used to “break the ice” in social settings. Laughter and sharing help us relax, whether we’re in the same room together or half a world away.

To interact with new faces

New member on the team? Maybe there’s a whole new team? An icebreaker can speed up the cohesion process so people feel comfortable and ready to work with each other. Interacting with new coworkers can be intimidating and challenging, but bonding over interests like sports or pop culture or family similarities comes easily using icebreaker questions and games.

To bond as a team

Icebreakers also provide a great opportunity for participants to voice expectations and concerns, and address the topics of meetings. They open up, empathize with their colleagues, and work together better. Icebreakers are a proven way to focus and motivate the team.

To encourage creative thinking

Icebreaker games help creativity to flourish. Coming up with fun stories instead of just following a meeting agenda sets the tone for the rest of the meeting. Participants are more likely to come up with good ideas, be more creatively confident, and express themselves without fear.

• Icebreakers are more important than ever

Icebreakers are especially important for virtual teams that can’t all physically interact with each other. They can reduce the inherent challenges of working in distributed teams in a fun, easy way. Remote team members may not know one another, and may not have shared office space or personal interactions. But a quick virtual icebreaker activity can start things off right!

• 12 great icebreaker questions to ask in groups

Icebreaker questions can be fun or funny, deep and meaningful—or both. People’s answers can be surprising indicators of values and personality. They can also show team members’ work styles, and how they collaborate with colleagues.

Here’s the full list of icebreaker questions:

1. What was your favorite childhood movie? 2. What is one item you couldn’t live without? 3. If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be? 4. If you were an animal, what kind would you be? 5. If you could have dinner with anybody in history, dead or alive, who would it be, and why? 6. What unusual or quirky things do you do regularly? 7. What’s your favorite 80s movie? 8. What’s your unusual talent? 9. If you were stranded on a desert island, what band or music would you want? 10. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? 11. What’s your biggest guilty pleasure? 12. What’s the greatest challenge you overcame?

1. What was your favorite childhood movie?

What did the movie make you think and feel at the time? This question can show what makes experiences memorable to the participant.

2. What is one item you couldn’t live without?

What made you choose that item? This is a great question to ask because it shows what participants value. It can also provide opportunities to discuss use and design.

3. If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Answers to this question can reveal the breadth of participants’ tastes. They can also reveal how well they tolerate regular routines.

4. If you were an animal what would you be?

This is a great question because choosing an animal to identify with can reveal participants’ thoughts on what traits these animals have. Why are these traits desirable? How do they relate to us humans?

5. If you could have dinner with anybody in history, dead or alive, who would it be, and why?

By choosing a historical, literary, artistic, political, sports, or entertainment figure, this question shows the characteristics and achievements participants value. What is it about this person that inspires you?

6. What unusual or quirky things do you do regularly?

This probing question can show self-confidence in revealing vulnerabilities. It can also reveal characteristics uniquely suited to solving workplace issues.

7. What’s your favorite ’80s movie?

This question can show how participants spend time outside of work. Also, it can show their lighter sides, as well as how seriously they take themselves.

8. What’s your unusual talent?

What do you do better than anyone you know? This question can reveal how participants view themselves, and their strengths.

9. If you were stranded on a desert island, what band or music would you want?

Do you play music? This is a great question to find out people’s tastes and hobbies outside of work.

10. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

This question can reveal people’s breadth of travel and experience. In addition, it can show their openness to new cultures and people.

11. What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?

Answers to this question can reveal much about people’s values. It also can show how comfortable they are sharing their weaknesses.

12. What’s the greatest challenge you overcame?

What did you learn from it? People’s answers to this show their resilience, diligence, and perseverance.

• 10 great icebreaker games

Icebreaker games can be a fun way to refine goals and dissolve monotony in meetings. Employees may come in already stressed about work tasks. Using tools as simple as a piece of paper, a whiteboard, or a shared document, these quick games can help team members motivate and focus ahead.

Here’s the list of icebreakers games you can try:

1. Rock paper scissors tournament 2. Interview a partner for 5 minutes and then tell the group about them 3. Aliens have landed 4. The birth map 5. Mindfulness icebreaker 6. Two truths and a lie 7. A picture of your life 8. 10 common things 9. Scavenger hunt 10. Guess the artist 11. Marshmallow challenge 12. Line up 13. One-word exercise 14. Flat lay your desk 15. A tour guide

1. Rock paper scissors tournament

This twist on the classic game is played by two people. The losers of each game then go on to cheer for the winners who go on to the next rounds, until the final two compete to the cheers of everyone. It can show people’s reflexes, responsiveness, and spontaneity, and can even be a springboard for brainstorming. The game energizes the team and emphasizes teamwork and collaboration.

2. Interview a partner for 5 minutes and then tell the group about them

Ask about their hobbies, what especially stimulates or challenges them at work, and other important interests in their lives. Switch places and do the same for your partner. This game highlights listening and communication skills and can help team members discover common interests with one another.

3. Aliens have landed

This icebreaker can be useful for teams with remote participants with language and cultural differences. Tell the group to imagine aliens have landed on Earth and want to learn about your company. But since they don’t speak your language or understand your product, it needs to be explained with five symbols or pictures. Ask each participant to upload five simple images that best describe and communicate your company’s products and culture to a shared document/folder. Take a few minutes and look at all the images. Are there common themes?  Aliens Have Landed is a great game to play to break the ice with your remote team.

4. The home map

This is especially great for international teams. Print a map of the world or upload it to a shared document or visual workspace, like Miro. At the beginning of your meeting, ask everyone on your team to put a sticker or a pin on the map to show where they’re from. Then encourage everyone to share a short story about what they love most about that place. If they traveled around growing up, as which place they loved the most.

This great activity shows the diversity of voices represented on your team. It allows people to share their cultural values and reveals what everyone shares, no matter where in the world they live.

5. Mindfulness icebreaker

Participants write down ideas, thoughts, or feelings they’ve brought to the meeting. People often enter meetings stressed about tasks they’re working on or other issues. This helps them check in with themselves, and process these thoughts and feelings. They then rip up their answers, which allows them to maintain their privacy, and then focus on group tasks ahead.

6. Two truths and a lie

This popular game has team members guess which of your three statements is a lie. It can encourage colleagues to pay close attention to your personal traits and stories. As well as attention to detail, it also encourages focus on consistency.

7. A picture of your life

Add every member of the team to a shared document or an visual workspace before the meeting begins, and ask them to post a picture of something from their life. It can be anything that will tell a story about who each member is or how they work: a picture of the shoes each member is wearing, the view out their window or a photo of their desk. Then ask them to share the story behind their picture.

Here at Miro, we used this icebreaker game before a remote workshop about User Personas. The task was to share a picture of something on your desk that tells a story about who you are or how you work. In addition to this, we shared one thing we learned recently. It was fun and surprising in some cases, allowing us to get to know each other more and set the casual atmosphere we needed for the workshop.

8. 10 common things

This game is good for starting a brainstorming session. Divide your team into small groups and ask them to come up with a list of 10 things they have in common. If you prefer to keep the topic more business-oriented, limit the list to work or industry-related topics.

It can be as simple as, “We all wear shoes,” to something more specific like, “We were all hired in 2020.” Regardless of the answers, it will create a bond, generate discussion and laughter, and get the group thinking creatively. Allow time for each group of remote workers to share their list with the larger team in the visual workspace. This will create an electric, dynamic atmosphere, well suited to brainstorming.

9. Scavenger hunt

This versatile game often has fond childhood associations and can be done anywhere, whether in the office or outside. In many creative ways, it uses a variety of skills, strategic thinking, and problem-solving methods, to find the hidden items. It can especially help people who might have different styles or don’t normally work together and bond together as a team.

10. Guess the artist

Before your meeting, ask every remote employee to create an image or find a picture they can use to tell a unique story or fact about their lives. Everyone should upload their images to a visual workspace in advance. At the beginning of the meeting, everyone puts stickers on each image, guessing who each picture belongs to. Then you can start to figure out together which picture belongs to which person. When a correct guess is made, that person needs to share their story with the group. Include a video for the storytelling so everyone can connect the name, face, and story.

When a correct guess is made, that person needs to share their story with the group.

11. Marshmallow challenge

This well-known icebreaker game has teams build the tallest free-standing structure out of dry spaghetti, tape, string, and a marshmallow (which must be on top). It emphasizes group communication, leadership dynamics, collaboration, innovation, and problem-solving strategy.

12. Line up

In this game, participants must quickly line up without any written or verbal cues, or any other help. The criteria are predetermined and include factors such as height, hair color, or eye color. This game encourages nonverbal communication and teamwork, and tasks get more complicated as the team grows closer.

13. One-word exercise

Starting from your designated meeting topic, pick a phrase that relates to the central theme. Have participants write down a word that they associate with it. This game allows everyone to share hesitations and expectations, and then focus on the task ahead.

14. Flat lay your desk

This is a remote team-building exercise we picked up from 6Q team . “You could get your team members to take a flat lay of their desk and share it with the rest during your team meetings ,” they suggest, adding, “A flat lay is basically a photo of items from directly above, and these items are usually arranged or styled on a flat surface.” Sharing the story behind an object can also be a good way to learn more about your colleagues’ personalities.

15. A tour guide

When your team members are remote, it can be a great idea to schedule an actual tour of each remote employee’s location! They can show their office space, guide the team through their home, or co-working space, or, if technology allows, livestream from a place they love in their city or town. You can use a live streaming service or a social network like Snapchat or Instagram. This exercise is great for building empathy and giving each remote team member some context to understand their colleagues’ backgrounds (particularly great for international teams). Just make sure your team is on board and has access to the technology needed to do this game before attempting.

To learn more, check out Miro’s  Icebreaker Game Guide

Create icebreakers for your team.

Personal interactions are the key to building positive relationships and results. By facilitating strong connections with colleagues, you can increase employee fulfillment and ensure success at work. Icebreakers can work for any type of organization. Best of all, they don’t have to be complicated. With the Miro Icebreaker Template , you can make them easily!

• How Miro helps remote teams collaborate

The greatest projects are created when teams collaborate, and when individuals can share their creativity with ease. Miro’s visual workspace and templates and tools help create the most amazing products faster, by allowing remote teams to quickly understand how best to work together.

Whether you are an agile product team, UX and UI designer, project leader, marketer, or developer, you can collaborate with your distributed team in real time — just as if you were in the same room. You can use the infinite canvas and a wide range of tools to organize your teamwork in a visual way:

• Сreate agile boards (user story maps and retrospectives)
• Manage backlog
• Brainstorm and organize ideas
• Create wireframes and mockups
• Collect references
• Create flowcharts and diagrams
• Get feedback on visuals
• Work with sticky notes

You can also use collaboration features like simple sharing options, real-time collaboration, mentions, comments, and integration with Slack, JIRA, Google Drive, and other tools. Join thousands of businesses that use Miro to boost collaboration!

Try Miro Today!

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• Why businesses consistently useicebreakers

Keep reading

6 activities and templates to unite your cross-functional team.

8 agile games to boost team building & creativity

10 virtual games for your next team building meeting.

February 18, 2023 by Andrea Rajic

35+ Icebreaker Questions and Games for Remote and In-Person Meetings

Table of contents

Icebreaker questions for external meetings

Fun icebreaker games for virtual meetings, best icebreakers for small groups, conversation starters and icebreaker games for large group meetings, icebreaker activities for outdoor gatherings, enjoy your team meetings with gable.

We’re not fans of cheesy—unless we’re talking about pizza. Nobody looks forward to worn-out icebreaker games and questions they’ve heard a million times, even if they miss socializing with their team around casual topics. Asking cliche questions may get you a few eye-rolls but not true engagement and team bonding.

If you’re looking to break the ice in a relevant and fun way and lighten up the atmosphere in your team meetings, here’s a list of awesome virtual and hybrid icebreaker activities to help you set the right tone and boost creativity and teamwork.

External meetings may have a more professional tone than internal team meetings, depending on who you’re meeting. For example, if you’re speaking to partners or investors, the questions you’d typically use to warm up your team aren’t appropriate. The set of icebreaker questions for this purpose should be relevant and serious but also engaging.

Here are a few icebreaker questions to help you ease into the meeting, whether it’s face-to-face or via Zoom.

• What do you think about (insert the latest industry news)?
• What do you see as the biggest challenge facing your industry right now?
• What are your thoughts on our latest product or service offering?
• How do you stay up to date with the latest trends and developments in your field?
• What do you hope to achieve in this meeting, and what outcomes are you looking for?

If you’re meeting with an external collaborator you outsource specific tasks to, here are a few ideas on how you can break the ice at the beginning of your meeting.

• What’s an interesting thing you’ve learned/read this week?
• What are your professional plans/goals for this year?
• Have you faced any professional challenges recently, and how did you overcome them?
• What inspired you professionally this week?
• How do you usually manage your workload?*

Remote team meetings usually take a few minutes to actually start, but you don’t need to sit in silence while everyone joins and settles in. This is the perfect time to get your team members to relax and prepare for the chat. Before you start with the first item in your agenda, here are a few quick ice-breaker suggestions that don’t take more than five minutes nor require physical presence.

Question of the week

Similarly to team building activities, icebreakers can help build connections among team members . Starting the meeting with the question of the week can set the mood for the rest of the call and allow your team to get to know each other on a more personal level. To make this simple icebreaker inclusive, create a section in your meeting agenda where anyone from the team can add their suggestion for the question of the week prior to the meeting.

A few ideas:

• What was the highlight of your weekend?
• What’s a book you’ve read several times and why?
• What’s one goal you have for the upcoming week?
• What do you secretly enjoy eating/listening to/watching but don’t want to admit?
• Who do you consider your role model?
• What’s a fun fact about you that few people know?

Two truths and a lie

This icebreaker game is well-known, but here’s how you can make it more interesting for teams that have been working together for a long time. Instead of stating two truths and one lie in the first person, have your team members do it for a co-worker. Then, the rest of the team has to guess who this person is and then guess which statement isn’t true. This fun game will ensure a daily dose of laughter and help your team bond.

Desert island (but make it work-related)

You’re probably familiar with the “What would you bring to a desert island” game, but try the work edition with your team. Ask your co-workers to share three items they’d bring to a desert island if they had to work from there. The answers might inspire your shopping list the next time you decide to give your home office a makeover. If you don’t want to talk about work, you can choose any other topic: food, books, people, household items, etc.

Would you rather (remote and hybrid work edition)

We’ve already heard all the classic would you rather questions like: would your rather give up chocolate or french fries”? But what about work preferences? This game is perfect for team meetings in which you’ll present new hires so that everyone gets a chance to learn something new about the rest of the group. Here is a list of questions you could ask:

• Would you rather work from a coffee shop or a co-working space?
• Would you rather have a late night or an early morning meeting?
• Would you rather choose flexible working hours or a flexible workspace?
• Would you rather work in your pajamas or dress up for a meeting?
• Would you rather work with a bad Wi-Fi connection or in an uncomfortable chair?

What’s in a name?

This icebreaker game can also be a great conversation opener for co-workers who know each other well. Each team member gets assigned the name of another co-worker and then has to come up with an acronym for it, but only using words they think describe this co-worker.

For example, if a person’s name is Callie, their colleagues could write Competitive, Ambitious, Loyal, Light-hearted, Intelligent, or Enthusiastic.

When a meeting involves a small group of people, it’s easier to ensure everyone gets to interact with each other. You’re also likely to have more time at your disposal, which means you can unlock your creativity and come up with unique games and activities to boost your energy before the meeting. Here are a few of our favorite icebreakers for small teams.

AI writing assistant

ChatGPT is the hottest topic nowadays, so why not use it to have fun with your team? You can ask the tool to write a poem about your team or a team member. You can divide the team into pairs and organize a competition for the best movie pitch based on specific prompts, with your co-workers as the main characters. This guarantees lots of laughter, so you can be sure the meeting will continue in the same manner. If showcasing your team on social media is aligned with your company culture , you can even share the poem or movie pitch on your company profile.

Pictionary might be challenging to play in big groups, but a quick round of drawing on a whiteboard in teams of two can work well. If some team members join virtually, they can use a virtual whiteboard available in tools like Google Meet and easily play the game with the team on-site. You get bonus points for drawing and guessing work-related or company-related terms!

Quick brainstorming session

Here’s another good icebreaker suitable for hybrid teams . On-site meeting participants can use sheets of paper, while team members joining remotely can use an empty Google doc or a virtual whiteboard. The goal of brainstorming activities is to give your team a prompt to get their creative juices flowing and let them work on developing an idea around it for a specific amount of time. You can carry this out in pairs or individually, but either way, brainstorming will activate everyone’s problem-solving mode, so new strategies and ideas may emerge during the meeting.

Large group meetings can also start with amusing icebreaker activities. For easier management, you can divide the team into smaller groups. To incentivize participation and dedication, you can announce a reward for a team that comes up with the best solution. If you’re running a big group meeting, make sure you act as a facilitator or designate another team member to have this role to make sure everyone understands and follows the rules of the activity.

Here are a few quick games you can play before diving into your meeting agenda.

A virtual scavenger hunt

A scavenger hunt can be organized virtually, which makes it perfect for hybrid teams . Whether they’re participating in person or from home, your team members will be using their computers to find the items from the list you’ll provide. These items can be some random facts like: “What’s the deadliest animal in Australia?” or something work-related, like: “A blog post on [insert topic that’s important in your industry]”. The team that finishes first gets a symbolic reward!

Celebrate your win

Not all activities need to make your team laugh, but they should definitely make everyone feel good and motivated. This is why sharing your co-workers’ wins is a great way to start a meeting. Have a team member start the round by sharing one thing they achieved in the previous week that they’re proud of. The next person should congratulate them and share their own win. Repeat until everyone has had a chance to share their accomplishments.

A quick round of “Have you ever?”

The more people are involved in this quick icebreaker game, the funnier it will be. You can start by asking one of your co-workers a question starting with “Have you ever...” but make sure the topic is work-related to make the game relevant and fun. Here are a few ideas:

• Have you ever fallen asleep during a meeting with your camera off?
• Have you ever worked from a country other than yours?
• Have you ever had a snack stash at the office?
• Have you ever worked all day in your pajamas?
• Have you ever brought your pet to the office/worked with a pet in your lap?
• Have you ever embarrassed yourself at work?
• Have you ever played a prank on a co-worker?
• Have you ever slept in on a workday and missed a morning meeting?

The jukebox game

What’s a better way to boost your team’s mood than playing some music? Have your team prepare YouTube or Spotify on their phones so they can play different songs as response to your questions. Ask things like:

• What was your favorite song when you were a teenager?
• What’s a perfect song for the first dance at a wedding?
• What’s your life theme song?
• What song describes your morning mood?
• What song gives you summer vibes?
• What song were you listening to on repeat so much that you can’t listen to it anymore?

Marshmallow challenge

If you haven’t heard of the marshmallow challenge, here’s a brief explanation. It’s a design thinking activity that involves building the tallest free-standing structure possible with only marshmallows and spaghetti. The challenge was created by Tom Wujec, a business visualization expert, as a way to encourage innovation and creativity in teams.

The challenge typically involves teams of 4-6 people who are given 18 minutes to build a structure using 20 sticks of spaghetti, a yard of tape, a yard of string, and a single marshmallow. The marshmallow must be placed at the top of the structure, and the team with the tallest structure at the end of the time limit wins.

The challenge is designed to encourage collaboration, communication, and creative problem-solving, as teams must work together to come up with a design and execute it quickly. It also highlights the importance of prototyping and testing, as teams often need to try multiple designs before they find one that works.

This game can easily be played outdoors, but you’ll need as many tables as you have teams.

Finish the lyrics or...

Get wet! This funny icebreaker should be played in warm weather only because someone is bound to get water spilled on their head at some point.

Create a list of popular songs you believe most people know and divide them into several levels based on popularity. Have your team members take the “hot seat” one by one and start singing or simply telling the lyrics of the easy-level songs. When you stop, the person sitting in the chair should finish the lyrics. If they can’t, they get a water balloon tossed on their head!

We only recommend this game if no team members had visited a hair salon before the meeting.

Charades are another classic, but this game is undoubtedly more fun when played outdoors. There’s enough space for your team members to be as creative as necessary to explain their word, movie, book, object, TV show. You can have themed charades or imitate each other, while other co-workers must guess who’s being imitated.

You can divide the team into smaller groups for this game or have them play it individually, depending on the team size.

If you’ve already gone through all the virtual icebreaker ideas, maybe it’s time to tap into the on-site ones. Don’t let the fact that you don’t have an office stop you: Gable has a solution.

Gable helps you book, manage, and ensure maximum use of flexible workspaces no matter where your distributed team is . Organizing hybrid and in-person meetings doesn’t need to be an administrative and logistics nightmare anymore. You can now make on-site team gatherings happen in just a few clicks.

Learn how sourcing and booking flexible office spaces works with Gable .

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101+ Ice breaker games & activities for team meetings to try at work in 2024

If you've ever found yourself trapped in a virtual or physical room, staring at your coworkers as if they were aliens from another planet, you're not alone. Meetings can be as cold as the Arctic, but fear not, for we're about to melt that ice faster than a microwave on full power.

To set the stage for our adventure into the world of great icebreakers, let's turn to a bit of wisdom from none other than Michael Scott, the iconic Dunder Mifflin regional manager from "The Office":

"Would I rather be feared or loved? Easy. Both. I want people to be afraid of how much they love me."

While Michael might not be the pinnacle of management wisdom , his quirky take on leadership is surprisingly applicable when it comes to team meetings. After all, the best way to lead your team is to have them genuinely enjoy your meetings rather than dread them. And that's where icebreakers come into play.

Now, let's get down to business. If you're reading this, you're on the lookout for some fantastic icebreakers to thaw out those awkward silences and transform your team meetings into events everyone looks forward to.

What is an icebreaker?

An icebreaker is a term often used in various social settings, including team meetings, workshops, conferences, and gatherings. It refers to a structured activity or technique designed to help people get to know each other, build engagement , and feel more comfortable in a group setting, especially when they may be unfamiliar with each other or starting a new interaction.

The primary goal of an icebreaker is to break the initial "ice" or tension that can exist in a group of people who are meeting for the first time or who haven't interacted much before. Icebreakers come in various forms, such as:

• Introduction games: These involve participants sharing some personal information or fun facts about themselves.
• Team-building activities: These involve collaborative tasks or challenges that require teamwork.
• Question and answer sessions: Participants take turns answering interesting or thought-provoking questions.
• Games and puzzles: Fun games or brain teasers that require group participation.
• Storytelling exercises: Participants share personal stories or experiences related to a given topic.

Purpose of icebreakers

Icebreakers serve a multitude of purposes in team-building events, meetings, and professional settings. They are not just about breaking the ice but about creating a vibrant, inclusive, and productive atmosphere where participants can connect, communicate effectively, and achieve common objectives. Let’s take a look at why they come in so handy-

Building relationships and rapport

Icebreakers are excellent tools for team bonding and fostering a sense of camaraderie. In team meetings, they can help team members, including new hires or colleagues from different departments, get to know each other more personally.

This interpersonal connection goes a long way in building trust and rapport among team members.

Easing tension and reducing anxiety

There can be an initial sense of tension or anxiety in many situations, especially when people meet for the first time or discuss challenging topics. Icebreakers act as social lubricants, helping individuals relax and feel more at ease . This relaxed atmosphere is conducive to open and honest communication.

Fostering effective communication

Effective communication is the backbone of successful teamwork and collaboration. Icebreakers encourage participants to engage in conversation, share ideas, and listen actively.

By breaking down communication barriers, they create a space where team members can express themselves more freely and confidently.

Enhancing engagement

Meetings and professional gatherings can sometimes become monotonous and uninspiring. Icebreakers inject energy and enthusiasm into these events. Participants are more likely to remain engaged throughout the meeting when actively involved in fun and interactive activities.

This, in turn, leads to better retention of employees and ideas discussed during the meeting.

Promoting inclusivity

Icebreakers can help create a more inclusive environment by ensuring that all participants have a chance to contribute. In larger meetings or diverse groups , some individuals may be hesitant to speak up. Icebreakers provide everyone with an opportunity to participate, regardless of their background or personality.

Stimulating creativity and innovation

Some icebreakers involve creative or problem-solving activities. These exercises encourage participants to think outside the box, come up with unique solutions, and explore new perspectives. This can be particularly valuable in brainstorming sessions and innovation-focused meetings.

Improving team dynamics

For teams, whether they're newly formed or have been working together for a while, icebreakers can be instrumental in improving team dynamics . They help identify common interests, strengths, and weaknesses within the remote team members, allowing for more effective collaboration.

Boosting morale and motivation

When employees feel that their contributions are valued and that they are part of a cohesive team, their morale and motivation tend to be higher . Icebreakers contribute to a positive work environment where employees feel excited about attending meetings and contributing to the organization's goals.

Enhancing learning and retention

In educational and training settings, icebreakers can create an environment where participants are more receptive to learning . Icebreakers can set a positive tone and improve information retention by engaging them at the beginning of a session.

Considerations for using icebreakers

When incorporating icebreakers into team meetings or other professional settings, it's essential to consider several factors to ensure that these activities are effective and appropriate for your specific audience and objectives. Here are some key considerations for using icebreakers:

1. Purpose and goals

Clearly define the purpose of the best and fun icebreaker games. Are you aiming to build relationships, ease tension, foster creativity, or achieve some other specific goal? Understanding your objectives will help you choose the most suitable and great icebreaker game or activity.

2. Audience and group dynamics

Consider the composition of your group. Are they familiar with each other, or are they meeting for the first time? Are there cultural or diversity considerations to keep in mind? Tailor your icebreaker to suit the demographics, personalities, and dynamics of your audience.

3. Time constraints

Be mindful of the time available for your meeting or session. Icebreakers should be appropriate in length and not take up an excessive amount of time that could detract from the primary agenda.

4. Physical and virtual settings

Whether your meeting is in-person or virtual , choose icebreakers that are suitable for the setting. Virtual icebreakers, for example, should leverage online tools and platforms, while in-person meeting icebreakers may involve physical activities.

5. Relevance to meeting agenda

Ensure that the icebreaker relates to the main topics or goals of the meeting. This alignment helps participants see the value of the icebreaker in the context of the overall discussion.

6. Comfort and inclusivity

Create an environment where all participants feel comfortable participating in the icebreaker. Avoid activities that may put individuals on the spot or make them uncomfortable.

7. Sensitive topics and boundaries

Be cautious when selecting icebreakers, especially in diverse groups, to avoid potentially sensitive or offensive topics. Always respect personal boundaries and cultural sensitivities.

8. Variety and creativity

Keep things fresh by varying the types of icebreakers you use. This prevents predictability and maintains participant interest. Creative and fun icebreakers can be particularly engaging.

9. Facilitation and instructions

Provide clear and concise instructions for the fun icebreaker game. Ensure that participants understand the rules and purpose of the activity. If you have a large group, consider having facilitators or small groups to manage the process.

10. Debriefing and reflection

After the meeting icebreaker, take a moment for reflection and discussion. Encourage participants to share their thoughts and feelings about the activity and how it relates to the meeting's goals.

11. Feedback and adaptation

Solicit feedback from participants about the effectiveness of the icebreaker. Use this feedback to adapt and improve future icebreaker activities.

12. Measuring impact

Consider how you will measure the impact of the icebreaker on the team meeting it's objectives. Did it achieve the desired outcome, such as improved team cohesion or enhanced creativity?

13. Frequency

Don't overuse icebreakers. They should be used strategically and not become a routine that loses effectiveness. Reserve the ice breakers for meetings where they can make a significant difference.

14. Technology considerations

In virtual settings, assess the technological capabilities of your participants. Choose icebreakers that don't rely heavily on advanced technology to ensure everyone can actively participate, regardless of their technical proficiency.

15. Energy levels

Take into account the energy levels of the group and the timing of your icebreaker. High-energy activities may be more suitable at the beginning of a meeting, while a calming icebreaker might be appropriate after a lengthy discussion to re-energize participants.

16. Icebreaker alternatives

Consider having alternative icebreakers in mind in case the initially planned activity doesn't resonate well with the group. Being flexible allows you to adapt to the dynamics of the meeting and the participants' reactions.

17. Remote team considerations

For teams working remotely, choose icebreakers that not only foster connection but also combat feelings of isolation. Activities that encourage sharing personal experiences or insights can help create a sense of camaraderie among team members, even in a virtual environment.

18. Icebreaker customization

Tailor icebreakers to align with the specific goals of your team or organization. Customizing activities based on the company culture or current challenges can enhance their relevance and impact.

19. Icebreaker follow-up

Consider incorporating elements of the icebreaker into future discussions or team-building activities. Referencing shared experiences from icebreakers can reinforce connections and create a cohesive narrative for the team.

20. Icebreaker adaptability

Anticipate the unexpected and be ready to adapt your chosen icebreaker on the spot. Flexibility in modifying activities based on the atmosphere or unexpected developments ensures that the icebreaker remains engaging and effective. Remember that the key to successful meeting icebreakers is thoughtful planning and consideration of your audience and objectives. When executed effectively, icebreakers can create a positive, engaging atmosphere that contributes to the success of your meetings and professional interactions.

What are the 4 C's icebreaker games?

The 4 C's icebreaker indicate four primary goals which they are primarily used for. Here’s a breakdown of them.

1. Collaboration

The first "C" in the 4 C's icebreaker stands for collaboration. The activity aims to encourage participants to work together as a team to achieve a common goal.

Collaboration involves sharing ideas, skills, and resources, and it promotes a sense of unity and cooperation among group members. This element of the icebreaker emphasizes the importance of teamwork.

2. Creativity

The icebreaker activity encourages participants to think creatively and outside the box. It often involves problem-solving tasks or challenges that require innovative solutions and creative mindset.

Fostering creativity in a group setting can lead to fresh ideas and approaches, which can be valuable in various professional contexts.

3. Communication

Effective communication is crucial in any team or group, and this aspect of the icebreaker focuses on improving communication skills.

Participants are encouraged to express their thoughts, listen actively to others, and provide clear and concise information. Strong communication within a team enhances understanding and prevents misunderstandings.

4. Critical thinking

Critical thinking involves analyzing information, evaluating options, and making informed decisions. Participants are often presented with challenges or scenarios that require them to think critically and make choices based on the information provided.

This component encourages participants to use their problem-solving and decision-making skills.

How is icebreaker for team meetings linked to employee engagement?

Icebreakers for team meetings are closely linked to employee engagement , playing a vital role in creating a positive and productive work environment.

Employee engagement is all about fostering a deep connection between employees and their work, their colleagues, and the organization as a whole. Here's how team-building icebreakers can contribute to and strengthen this connection:

1. Enhancing communication

Effective communication is a cornerstone of employee engagement . Icebreakers encourage team members to communicate in a relaxed and informal setting. When employees feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and ideas, they are more likely to engage actively in team discussions and offer valuable insights.

2. Creating a positive work environment

Icebreakers inject energy and enthusiasm into team meetings, making them more enjoyable. When employees look forward to meetings and feel a sense of excitement, it contributes to a positive work atmosphere . This positivity can extend beyond meetings, impacting day-to-day interactions and overall job satisfaction .

3. Reducing workplace stress

Icebreakers can help alleviate workplace stress by providing a break from routine tasks. Engaging in fun and light-hearted activities during a meeting can act as a stress-relief valve, allowing employees to return to their work with a refreshed mindset and reduced tension.

4. Encouraging employee voice

Employee engagement is closely tied to the idea that employees feel heard and valued. Icebreakers that involve sharing ideas and experiences empower employees to express themselves. When employees feel their opinions matter, they are more likely to be engaged in their work and in the organization's success.

5. Boosting morale and job satisfaction

Engaged employees are more likely to have higher morale and job satisfaction . Icebreakers contribute to a more enjoyable work experience, making employees feel that their workplace is not just a location to complete tasks but a place where they can connect with colleagues, have fun, and grow as professionals.

6. Strengthening team dynamics

Strong team dynamics are essential for employee engagement. Icebreakers can help identify team strengths and weaknesses, promote collaboration, and build a sense of unity. When employees feel like they are part of a cohesive team, they are more motivated to contribute their best efforts .

7. Fostering a sense of belonging

Icebreakers create opportunities for team members to learn more about each other on a personal level. This deeper understanding fosters a sense of belonging within the team. When employees feel a strong connection to their colleagues, they are more likely to be engaged and committed to the team's collective goals.

8. Cultivating creativity and innovation

Employee engagement thrives in an environment that values creativity and innovation. Icebreakers that challenge teams to think outside the box and solve problems in a collaborative way can contribute to a culture of innovation.

Engaged employees are more likely to embrace new ideas and contribute creatively to the organization's growth.

9. Enhancing adaptability

In today's dynamic work environment, adaptability is a crucial skill. Icebreakers that require quick thinking, flexibility, and problem-solving can help develop and enhance these adaptive skills among team members.

Engaged employees who are adept at navigating change contribute positively to the organization's overall resilience.

10. Strengthening leadership and trust

Icebreakers often involve elements of leadership and trust-building. When employees experience effective leadership within the context of an icebreaker, it can positively influence their perception of leadership in the broader organizational context.

Trust between team members and leaders is a cornerstone of employee engagement and organizational success.

101+ Fun icebreakers activities and games for team meetings

Now that we know what makes icebreakers important and their huge impact on employee engagement. Here are the top ones to get you ready for your next meeting.

Icebreaker questions for virtual meetings

• What's your ideal remote work setup?
• What's the most interesting thing you've done lately outside of work?
• If you could travel anywhere right now, where would you go?
• Share a fun fact about yourself that most people don't know.
• What's the last book you read or movie/tv show you watched?
• What's your favorite work-from-home snack or beverage?
• Share a memorable work achievement or success story.
• What's your go-to productivity tip for remote work?
• If you could have dinner with any historical figure, who would it be and why?
• What's the best virtual team-building activity you've participated in?

Icebreaker activities for virtual meetings

• Two truths and a lie: Participants take turns sharing two true statements and one false statement about themselves. Others guess which statement is the lie.
• Virtual scavenger hunt: Create a list of items or themes, and participants have a limited time to find and show these items on their webcams. The first one to complete the list wins.
• Polling questions: Use a polling feature in your virtual meeting platform to ask fun and engaging multiple-choice questions. Participants can vote and see the results in real time.
• Online pictionary or charades: Use online drawing or charades tools where participants take turns drawing or acting out words or phrases for others to guess.
• The emoji challenge: Participants describe how they're feeling using emojis only. Others guess the emotions or situations being conveyed.
• Virtual bingo: Create bingo cards with fun and work-related topics, such as "Has a pet," "Loves coffee," or "Went on a vacation recently." Participants mark their cards as they find colleagues who match the descriptions.
• Show and tell: Each participant shares an interesting item from their workspace and explains its significance. It could be a souvenir, a piece of art, or a gadget.
• Themed backgrounds: Encourage participants to set a themed virtual background for the meeting, such as a vacation destination, favorite movie scene, or childhood photo. They can briefly explain their choice.
• Timeline of life events: Participants create a visual timeline of significant life events using images or emojis. They then share their timelines and discuss the events with the group.
• Group storytelling: Start a collaborative story where each participant contributes a sentence or two, taking the narrative in unexpected and imaginative directions.

Icebreaker games for virtual meetings

• Online trivia quiz: Host a trivia game using a platform like Kahoot! or Quizlet. Prepare questions related to various topics and let participants compete to see who knows the most.
• The emoji story challenge: Share a series of emojis that represent a story or phrase. Participants take turns guessing what the emojis mean and contribute their own emoji stories.
• Guess the background: Encourage participants to use creative virtual backgrounds. Others guess the location, theme, or significance of each background choice.
• Virtual puzzles: Create a digital jigsaw puzzle with an image or message related to your meeting's theme. Participants work together to solve the puzzle.
• Zoom charades: Participants take turns acting out words or phrases without speaking while others guess what they're trying to convey.
• Word association: Start with a random word, and each participant must quickly type a word that they associate with it. The game moves fast, and it's a fun exercise in creative thinking.
• Virtual board games: Play digital board games like Chess, Scrabble, or Monopoly using online platforms or apps designed for multiplayer gaming.
• The name game: Choose a category (e.g., movies, cities, animals) and take turns naming items from that category alphabetically. Each participant must continue the sequence.
• Virtual escape room: Join an online escape room experience together. Participants work as a team to solve puzzles and "escape" within a time limit.
• Digital show and tell scavenger hunt: Assign each participant a specific item to find in their home and present during the meeting. You can set a timer for added excitement.

Icebreaker games to get to know each other in team meetings

• Two lies and a truth: In this game, each team member takes turns sharing two false statements and one true statement about themselves. The rest of the group must guess which statement is true. It's a fun way to learn surprising facts about colleagues.
• The commonalities game: Create a list of unique or uncommon experiences, interests, or skills, and have team members privately select any that apply to them. During the meeting, participants share their selections and discover commonalities with others.
• Human bingo: Distribute bingo cards with various traits or experiences in each square (e.g., "Speaks multiple languages," "Has run a marathon"). Team members must interact with each other to find someone who matches each description and sign their name in the square.
• Story of my name: Ask team members to share the story behind their names, including any cultural or personal significance. This activity not only helps break the ice but also promotes understanding and appreciation of diverse backgrounds .
• The timeline game: Each team member creates a visual timeline of their life events using a virtual whiteboard or drawing tool. They share their timelines, and others can ask questions or comment on significant moments.
• The memory lane challenge: Ask each team member to bring an item or photo from their past that holds special meaning or a memorable story. They share the item and its story with the group, fostering a deeper connection through shared experiences.
• Bucket list sharing: Invite team members to share one item from their personal or professional bucket list. This exercise encourages open discussion and can reveal shared aspirations and interests.

Icebreaker games to kick off office meetings

• Office scavenger hunt: Create a list of items or clues related to the office environment. Team members must search for these items or answer questions about the office. The first person or team to complete the hunt wins a small prize.
• Office trivia: Prepare a set of trivia questions related to the company, office culture, or colleagues. Team members take turns answering questions, and correct answers can earn points or recognition.
• Mystery guest: Invite a surprise guest, such as a senior leader from remote team or an employee from another department, to join the meeting briefly. Team members can ask the guest a few questions to learn more about their roles and experiences.
• Office bingo: Create bingo cards with office-related events or scenarios, such as "Someone mentions a recent project" or "Someone makes a reference to a company value." As the meeting progresses, participants mark off items when they occur.
• Office charades: Similar to traditional charades, team members take turns acting out office-related terms, such as software tools, project names, or common office situations, without using words. Others guess what's being acted out.
• Show and tell: Ask team members to bring and briefly share something from their workspace that represents their personality or interests. It could be a book, a piece of artwork, or even a favorite office gadget.
• Company history toss: Prepare a set of questions related to the company's history, milestones, or achievements. Team members take turns tossing a soft object (like a foam ball) to each other. The person who catches it must answer the question before tossing it to someone else.

Icebreaker office games that are humorous

• Funny introduction: Have each participant introduce themselves with a humorous or fictional job title. For example, "I'm John, the Chief Coffee Drinker."
• Caption this: Share a funny or quirky image, and ask participants to come up with humorous captions for it. Vote for the funniest caption.
• Wacky storytelling: Start a story with a ridiculous or unexpected sentence, and then have each participant contribute one sentence at a time to continue the story. The goal is to create the most absurd and funny narrative.
• Comedy sketch: Divide participants into small groups and assign them a humorous scenario or theme to get the creative juices flowing. Each group must create a short comedy sketch or scene to perform for the rest of the team.
• Stand-up comedy night: Give team members a few minutes each to share their best (clean and office-appropriate) jokes or funny anecdotes. Laughter is guaranteed!
• Meme battle: Challenge participants to create office-related memes and share them during the meeting. The funniest meme, as voted by the group, wins.
• Pun-derful pictionary: Play a game of Pictionary with a twist. All the clues must involve puns, wordplay, or humorous interpretations.
• The office Olympics: Create a series of silly and lighthearted challenges that participants can do from their desks or homes. Examples include paper airplane competitions or virtual "desk chair" races.
• Impersonation game: Ask each participant to impersonate a famous personality, colleague, or fictional character briefly. Encourage creativity and exaggeration for comedic effect.
• Comedic icebreaker questions: Use ice breaker questions for work that are inherently funny, such as "If you could have any superpower for work, what would it be?" or "What's the weirdest thing you've ever eaten on a business trip?"

Fun ice breaker games for team building

• Team puzzle challenge: Divide participants into small teams and give each team a jigsaw puzzle. The catch is that each, one team member each gets a different puzzle piece and must collaborate to complete the entire puzzle within a time limit.
• Human knot: Have participants stand in a circle, and each person randomly grabs the hands of two others across from them, creating a "human knot." The challenge is to untangle the knot without letting go of hands.
• Office olympics relay: Create a series of mini-games or challenges that teams must complete in a relay format. These challenges can include paper toss, chair racing, and more.
• The great egg drop: Provide teams with limited materials (e.g., paper, tape, and straws) and an egg. Their task is to build a contraption to protect the egg from a drop of a certain height. The team with the most intact egg wins.
• Escape room challenge: Participate in a virtual escape room experience as a team. You'll need to collaborate to solve puzzles and "escape" within a time frame.
• Storytelling chain: Start a story with one participant, and then have each team member add a sentence or phrase to continue the narrative. The story can get quite creative and entertaining.
• Tug of war trivia: Combine a classic game of virtual tug of war with trivia questions. Correct answers move the rope in your team's favor, adding an exciting twist to the game.
• Human bingo-team version: Instead of individual bingo cards, create team bingo cards with teamwork-related achievements or qualities. Teams must find colleagues who fit the descriptions and mark them on their cards.
• The ball and string challenge: Provide each team with a ball and a string with the goal of guiding the ball through a series of obstacles or into a designated target area, all while holding onto the string.
• Building the tallest structure: Give teams a set of common office supplies (e.g., paper, tape, rubber bands) and challenge them to build the tallest freestanding structure they can within a time limit.

Icebreaker games to improve teamwork and collaboration

• Chain reaction challenge: Teams are given a set of materials, and each team's task is to build a chain reaction machine. Each part of the machine must trigger the next, promoting cooperation and creative problem-solving.
• Group jigsaw puzzle: Provide each team with a section of a larger jigsaw puzzle. The teams must collaborate to assemble the complete puzzle, emphasizing the importance of working together seamlessly.
• Team drawing challenge: Each team is given a portion of a larger image to replicate, but they cannot see the full image. The teams must communicate effectively to ensure that their pieces align correctly to reveal the full picture.
• Minefield: Create an obstacle course in a designated area (real or virtual) filled with "mines" (obstacles or objects). Teams must guide a blindfolded teammate through the course using only verbal instructions, reinforcing trust and clear communication.
• Office Olympics: Host a series of office-themed challenges, such as paper airplane contests, desk chair races, or sticky note darts. Teams compete in these playful activities, fostering teamwork and friendly competition.
• Collaborative story writing: Teams work together to create a cohesive story, with each team member contributing only one word, sentence or idea at a time. The resulting story reflects the collective creativity and collaboration of the group.
• Cross-functional teams: Form teams with members from different departments or roles within your organization. This encourages diverse perspectives and collaboration among individuals remote teams who may not typically work together.
• Blind drawing challenge: Pair team members, with one person describing an object, and the other has to draw it based on the description alone. This game emphasizes clear communication and active listening.
• Tower building: Provide teams with materials like spaghetti, marshmallows, and tape. The objective is to build the tallest tower within a time limit. Collaboration and creativity are key to success.
• Back-to-back drawing: Pair team members and have them sit back-to-back. One person describes a simple image to the other, who must draw it based on the verbal instructions. This exercise highlights the importance of clarity and teamwork.

Icebreaker games for small groups

• Would you rather: Participants take turns posing "Would You Rather" questions to each other, leading to interesting discussions and insights into preferences.
• Name that celebrity: Write down the names of well-known celebrities or historical figures and place them on participants' foreheads without them seeing. Participants take turns asking yes-or-no questions to guess their identity.
• Interview introductions: Pair participants and have them interview each other for a few minutes. Each person then introduces their partner to the group, sharing interesting facts learned during the interview.
• Story starters: Start a story with a single sentence, and have each participant add one sentence at a time. Continue until you've collectively created a humorous or imaginative story.
• 20 Questions: One participant thinks of an object, person, or place, and the others take turns asking yes-or-no questions to guess what it is. The goal is to guess correctly within 20 questions or fewer.
• Commonalities game: Provide a list of unique experiences, skills, or hobbies. Participants privately select which items apply to them, and then they discuss their commonalities as a group.
• Word association: Begin word game with a single word, and have participants take turns saying the first word that comes to mind. It's a fast-paced game that can lead to surprising connections and laughter.
• Picture sharing: Ask participants to share a photo or image on their devices that represents a memorable experience or a personal passion. Each person explains their chosen picture to the group.
• Memory test: One participant starts by saying, "I went to the market and bought..." and then mentions an item. The next person repeats the sentence and adds another item, continuing the pattern. Participants must remember and recite the growing list correctly.

Icebreaker questions for team collaboration

• Team superpower: If your team were a superhero squad, what would be its collective superpower? Discuss how each team member contributes to this imaginary superpower.
• Collaborative dream project: Envision a dream project that requires the unique skills and expertise of every team member. Describe the project and the role each person would play.
• Team-building success story: Share a memorable moment when your team successfully collaborated to achieve a goal or overcome a challenge. Celebrate the teamwork that made it possible.
• Role reversal: If you could switch roles with a team member for a day, who would it be, and why? Discuss how gaining different perspectives could benefit the team.
• Team values alignment: Discuss the core values that unite your team. How do these values guide your collective decision-making and interactions with each other and external stakeholders?
• Team spirit animal: If your team were an animal, what animal would it be, and why? Explore the characteristics that make the chosen animal a representation of your team dynamics.
• Team playlist: Create a collaborative playlist with songs that represent the spirit and energy of your team. Each team member can contribute a song that embodies the team's vibe.
• Collective achievement vision: Share your team's vision for a collective achievement or milestone you aspire to reach in the future. Discuss the steps needed to turn this vision into reality.
• Team-building destination: If your team were to go on a team-building retreat, where would you choose to go, and what activities would you engage in to strengthen teamwork?
• Team cheers: Come up with a unique team cheer or phrase that encapsulates the enthusiasm and unity of your team. Encourage everyone to participate in creating and adopting this team mantra.

Icebreaker questions for creativity and innovation

• Creative collaboration: Imagine collaborating with a famous artist, scientist, or inventor on a project. Who would you choose, and what kind of project would you work on together?
• Fictional innovation: If you could bring to life any fictional technology or innovation from books, movies, or TV shows, what would it be, and how would it benefit society or your team?
• Redefining a common object: Choose a common everyday object and brainstorm ways to completely redesign or reinvent it. Share your creative concepts to transform the familiar into something extraordinary.
• Reverse brainstorming: Instead of finding solutions, brainstorm the opposite – identify ways to create a problem or challenge. This approach can lead to unique insights and unconventional solutions.
• Future workplace vision: Envision the future of the workplace in 2030. What technological advancements, work structures, or collaboration tools do you foresee playing a significant role?
• Innovative team name: If your team were to be renamed to reflect its innovative spirit, what would you choose? Share your creative and imaginative suggestions for a team name that captures your uniqueness.
• Creative process showcase: Share a glimpse into your creative process. How do you approach problem-solving or generate new ideas? Discuss any rituals, methods, or sources of inspiration you rely on.
• Dream invention pitch: Pitch an invention that you believe would revolutionize the way people live or work. Describe its features, benefits, and the problem it solves.
• Collaborative art project: If your team were to embark on a collaborative art project, what medium would you choose, and what theme or message would the artwork convey? Explore the artistic side of teamwork.

Icebreaker questions for professional development

• Learning journey highlight: Reflect on a significant learning or growth experience in your professional journey. How did it shape your skills or perspectives?
• Mentorship moments: Share a valuable piece of advice you received from a mentor or colleague that had a lasting impact on your professional development.
• Skill exchange wishlist: If you could learn any skill from a team member, what would it be, and why? Discuss the potential benefits of skill exchange within the team.
• Book recommendation: Recommend a book that has greatly contributed to your professional development. Share why it's a must-read for your colleagues.
• Professional superpower: If you could have one professional superpower, such as exceptional time management or the ability to master any software instantly, what would it be, and how would it benefit your work?
• Learning from setbacks: Discuss a setback or challenge in your career and the lessons you gained from overcoming it. How did it contribute to your resilience and adaptability?
• Career bucket list: Share an item from your professional bucket list. It could be a specific achievement, skill acquisition, or career milestone you aspire to reach.
• Conference dreams: If you could attend any professional conference, anywhere in the world, which one would it be, and what insights or connections do you hope to gain?
• Skill swap session: If you could organize a team skill swap session, where each member teaches a skill to others, what skills would you offer, and what would you want to learn?
• Professional legacy: Reflect on the impact you hope to leave in your professional field. How do you want to be remembered for your contributions and achievements?

13 Games for work meetings that you should try

Engaging in team-building activities during work meetings can contribute significantly to achieving this goal. Here are 13 carefully curated games designed to add a touch of excitement, interaction, and creativity to your work meetings.

• Two truths and wish: This game encourages team members to share two true statements about themselves and one thing they wish were true. It not only promotes authenticity but also provides insights into individuals' aspirations.
• Dream vacation destination: By asking team members to share their dream vacation destinations and reasons behind their choices, this game allows colleagues to connect on a personal level, fostering a sense of camaraderie.
• Office pet peeves: Sharing lighthearted or humorous office pet peeves provides an opportunity for team members to bond over common experiences, promoting a positive atmosphere.
• Skill exchange wishlist: Promoting professional development, this game encourages team members to express the skills they would like to learn from their colleagues, fostering a culture of knowledge-sharing and growth.
• Cultural celebration: Highlighting diversity and inclusion, this game invites team members to share significant holidays, traditions, or celebrations from their cultures, creating a more culturally aware and respectful work environment.
• Innovative team name: By brainstorming creative team names that reflect the team's innovative spirit, this game encourages collaboration in a fun and imaginative way.
• Reverse brainstorming: This unique approach challenges teams to think in the opposite direction, fostering creativity and allowing for unconventional problem-solving.
• Professional legacy: Reflecting on the impact team members hope to leave in their professional field promotes goal alignment and a shared sense of purpose.
• Office bingo: Injecting a sense of fun and friendly competition, Office Bingo turns regular meetings into an engaging activity. Colleagues mark off items on their bingo cards as they occur during the meeting, adding an element of surprise and entertainment.
• Team puzzle challenge: This collaborative challenge involves providing each team with a section of a larger jigsaw puzzle. The teams must work together seamlessly to assemble the complete puzzle, emphasizing the importance of teamwork.
• Chain reaction challenge: Teams are given a set of materials to build a chain reaction machine, promoting creative problem-solving and cooperation among team members as they strive to make each part trigger the next.
• Collaborative art project: Igniting the artistic side of teamwork, this activity involves teams working together on a creative art project. It encourages communication, shared vision, and a sense of accomplishment upon completion.
• Learning journey highlight: Reflecting on significant learning experiences in one's professional journey, this game facilitates the sharing of insights and lessons, fostering a culture of continuous learning and development.

Ice breaker games for meetings serve as powerful tools in enhancing employee engagement within a workplace. These activities, whether used in team meetings, office gatherings, or virtual interactions, offer numerous benefits that contribute to a more motivated and cohesive workforce.

First and foremost, icebreakers break down barriers and create a more relaxed and open atmosphere. They enable team members to connect on a personal level, sharing anecdotes, interests, and experiences that might not surface during typical work discussions.

This deeper understanding of colleagues fosters trust and strengthens workplace relationships.

Moreover, icebreakers improve communication and collaboration skills. By encouraging active participation and fostering effective dialogue, these activities promote clearer and more empathetic interactions among team members.

This heightened communication leads to better problem-solving, enhanced decision-making, and a more inclusive work environment .

Santhosh is a Jr. Product Marketer with 2+ years of experience. He loves to travel solo (though he doesn’t label them as vacations, they are) to explore, meet people, and learn new stories.

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22 Unbeatable Team Building Problem Solving Activities

Problem-solving is a critical skill for professionals and with team building problem-solving activities, you can sharpen your skills while having fun at the same time.  

Updated: March 1, 2024

In the professional world, one thing is for sure: problem-solving is a vital skill if you want to survive and thrive. It’s a universal job skill that organizations seek in new potential employees and that managers look for when considering candidates for promotions.  

But there’s a problem. 

According to Payscale, 60% of managers feel that new grads entering the workforce lack problem-solving abilities – making it the most commonly lacking soft skill.  

Problem-solving skill needs to be practiced and perfected on an ongoing basis in order to be applied effectively when the time comes. And while there are tons of traditional approaches to becoming a better problem-solver, there’s another (much more interesting) option: team building problem-solving activities. 

The good news? This means learning and having fun don’t have to be mutually exclusive. And you can create a stronger team at the same time. 

16 In-Person Team Building Problem Solving Activities for Your Work Group  

1. cardboard boat building challenge, 2. egg drop , 3. clue murder mystery, 4. marshmallow spaghetti tower  , 5. corporate escape room, 6. wild goose chase, 7. lost at sea  , 8. domino effect challenge, 9. reverse pyramid  , 10. ci: the crime investigators, 11. team pursuit, 12. bridge builders, 13. domino effect challenge, 14. hollywood murder mystery, 15. code break, 16. cardboard boat building challenge, 6 virtual team building problem solving activities for your work group  , 1. virtual escape room: mummy’s curse, 2. virtual clue murder mystery, 3. virtual escape room: jewel heist, 4. virtual code break  , 5. virtual trivia time machine.

• 6. Virtual Jeoparty Social

There are a ton of incredible team building problem solving activities available. We’ve hand-picked 16 of our favorites that we think your corporate group will love too. 

Split into teams and create a cardboard boat made out of just the materials provided: cardboard and tape. Team members will have to work together to engineer a functional boat that will float and sail across water without sinking. Once teams have finished making their boats, they will create a presentation to explain why their boat is the best, before putting their boats to the test. The final challenge will have teams racing their boats to test their durability! Nothing says problem-solving like having to make sure you don’t sink into the water!

Every day at work, you’re forced to make countless decisions – whether they’re massively important or so small you barely think about them.  

But your ability to effectively make decisions is critical in solving problems quickly and effectively.  

With a classic team building problem solving activity like the Egg Drop, that’s exactly what your team will learn to do. 

For this activity, you’ll need some eggs, construction materials, and a place you wouldn’t mind smashing getting dirty with eggshells and yolks.  

The goal of this activity is to create a contraption that will encase an egg and protect it from a fall – whether it’s from standing height or the top of a building. But the challenge is that you and your team will only have a short amount of time to build it before it’s time to test it out, so you’ll have to think quickly! 

To make it even more challenging, you’ll have to build the casing using only simple materials like: 

• Newspapers 
• Plastic wrap
• Rubber bands
• Popsicle sticks
• Cotton balls

Feel free to have some fun in picking the materials. Use whatever you think would be helpful without making things too easy! 

Give your group 15 minutes to construct their egg casing before each team drops their eggs. If multiple eggs survive, increase the height gradually to see whose created the sturdiest contraption.  

If you’re not comfortable with the idea of using eggs for this activity, consider using another breakable alternative, such as lightbulbs for a vegan Egg Drop experience. 

With Clue Murder Mystery, your team will need to solve the murder of a man named Neil Davidson by figuring out who had the means, motive, and opportunity to commit the crime.

But it won’t be easy! You’ll need to exercise your best problem-solving skills and channel your inner detectives if you want to keep this case from going cold and to get justice for the victim.

Collaboration is critical to problem solving. 

Why? Because, as the old saying goes, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. This expression reflects the fact that people are capable of achieving greater things when they work together to do so. 

If you’re looking for a team building problem solving activity that helps boost collaboration, you’ll love Marshmallow Spaghetti Tower.  

This game involves working in teams to build the tallest possible freestanding tower using only marshmallows, uncooked spaghetti, tape, and string.  

The kicker? This all has to be done within an allotted timeframe. We recommend about thirty minutes.  

For an added dimension of challenge, try adding a marshmallow to the top of the tower to make it a little more top heavy.  

Whichever team has the highest tower when time runs out is the winner! 

If you’ve never participated in an escape room, your team is missing out! It’s one of the most effective team building problem solving activities out there because it puts you and your colleagues in a scenario where the only way out is collaboratively solving puzzles and deciphering clues.  

The principle is simple: lock your group in a room, hide the key somewhere in that room, and have them work through challenges within a set time frame. Each challenge will lead them one step closer to finding the key and, ultimately, their escape.    

At Outback, we offer “done-for-you” escape rooms where we’ll transform your office or meeting room so you don’t have to worry about:

• Seeking transportation for your team 
• Capacity of the escape rooms  
• High costs 
• Excessive planning  

That way, you and your team can simply step inside and get to work collaborating, using creative problem solving, and thinking outside the box.   

In this smartphone-based scavenger hunt team building activity , your group will split into teams and complete fun challenges by taking photos and videos around the city. Some examples of challenges you can do in this activity are:

• Parkour:  Take a picture of three team members jumping over an object that’s at least waist-high.
• Beautiful Mind:  Snap a photo of a team member proving a well-known mathematical theorem on a chalkboard.
• Puppy Love:  Take a photo of all of your team members petting a stranger’s dog at the same time.

It takes a ton of critical thinking and problem-solving to be crowned the Wild Goose Chase Champions!

Can you imagine a higher-pressure situation than being stranded at sea in a lifeboat with your colleagues? 

With this team building problem solving activity, that’s exactly the situation you and your group will put yourselves. But by the time the activity is over, you’ll have gained more experience with the idea of having to solve problems under pressure – a common but difficult thing to do. 

Here’s how it works. 

Each team member will get a six-columned chart where: 

• The first column lists the survival items each team has on hand (see the list below) 
• The second column is empty so that each team member can rank the items in order of importance for survival  
• The third column is for group rankings  
• The fourth column is for the “correct” rankings, which are revealed at the end of the activity 
• The fifth and sixth columns are for the team to enter thee difference between their individual and correct scores and the team and correct rankings 

Within this activity, each team will be equipped with the following “survival items,” listed below in order of importance, as well as a pack of matches:  

• A shaving mirror (this can be used to signal passing ships using the sun) 
• A can of gas (could be used for signaling as it could be put in the water and lit with the pack of matches) 
• A water container (for collecting water to re-hydrate ) 
• Emergency food rations (critical survival food) 
• One plastic sheet (can be helpful for shelter or to collect rainwater) 
• Chocolate bars (another food supply) 
• Fishing rods (helpful, but no guarantee of catching food) 
• Rope (can be handy, but not necessarily essential for survival) 
• A floating seat cushion (usable as a life preserver)  
• Shark repellant (could be important when in the water) 
• A bottle of rum (could be useful for cleaning wounds) 
• A radio (could be very helpful but there’s a good chance you’re out of range) 
• A sea chart (this is worthless without navigation equipment) 
• A mosquito net (unless you’ve been shipwrecked somewhere with a ton of mosquitos, this isn’t very useful) 

To get the activity underway, divide your group into teams of five and ask each team member to take ten minutes on their own to rank the items in order of importance in the respective column. Then, give the full team ten minutes as a group to discuss their individual rankings together and take group rankings, listed in that respective column. Ask each group to compare their individual rankings with those of the group as a whole. 

Finally, read out the correct order according to the US Coast Guard, listed above.  

The goal of this activity is for everyone to be heard and to come to a decision together about what they need most to survive.  

If your team works remotely, you can also do this activity online. Using a video conferencing tool like  Zoom , you can bring your group together and separate teams into “break-out rooms” where they’ll take their time individually and then regroup together. At the end, you can bring them back to the full video conference to go through the answers together. 

Many problems are intricately complex and involve a ton of moving parts. And in order to solve this type of problem, you need to be able to examine it systematically, one piece at a time.  

Especially in the business world, many problems or challenges involve multiple different teams or departments working through their respective portions of a problem before coming together in the end to create a holistic solution. 

As you can imagine, this is often easier said than done. And that’s why it’s so important to practice this ability.  

With a collaborative team building problem solving activity like Domino Effect Challenge, that’s exactly what you’ll need to do as you and your group work to create a massive, fully functional chain reaction machine. 

Here’s how it goes. 

Your group will break up into teams, with each team working to complete their own section of a massive “Rube Goldberg” machine. Then, all teams will regroup and assemble the entire machine together. You’ll need to exercise communication, collaboration, and on-the-fly problem solving in order to make your chain reaction machine go off without a hitch from start to finish. 

Being a great problem-solver means being adaptable and creative. And if you’re looking for a quick and easy team building problem solving activity, you’ll love the reverse pyramid. 

The idea here is simple: break your group out into small teams and then stand in the form of a pyramid.  

Your challenge is to flip the base and the peak of the pyramid – but you can only move three people in order to do so.  

Alternatively, rather than doing this activity with people as the pyramid, you can do another version –  the Pyramid Build  – using plastic cups instead.   

This version is a little bit different. Rather than flipping the base of a pyramid to the top, you’ll need to build the pyramid instead–but in reverse, starting from the top cup and working down. 

With this version, you’ll need 36 cups and one table per group. We recommend groups of five to seven people. Give your group 20 to 30 minutes to complete the activity. 

To get started, place one cup face down. Then, lift that cup and place the subsequent two cups underneath it. 

The real challenge here? You can only lift your pyramid by the bottom row in order to put a new row underneath – and only one person at a time can do the lifting. The remaining group members will need to act quickly and work together in order to add the next row so that it will balance the rest of the pyramid. 

If any part of your pyramid falls, you’ll need to start over. Whichever team has the most complete pyramid when time runs out will be the winner!  

The value of being able to approach problems analytically can’t be overstated. Because when problems arise, the best way to solve them is by examining the facts and making a decision based on what you know. 

With CI: The Crime Investigators, this is exactly what your team will be called upon to do as you put your detective’s hats on and work to solve a deadly crime. 

You’ll be presented with evidence and need to uncover and decipher clues. And using only the information at your disposal, you’ll need to examine the facts in order to crack the case. 

Like many of our team building problem solving activities, CI: The Crime Investigators is available in a hosted format, which can take place at your office or an outside venue, as well as a virtually-hosted format that uses video conferencing tools, or a self-hosted version that you can run entirely on your own.  

Each member of your team has their own unique strengths and skills. And by learning to combine those skills, you can overcome any challenge and solve any problem. With Team Pursuit, you and your team together to tackle challenges as you learn new things about one another, discover your hidden talents, and learn to rely on each other.

This team building problem solving activity is perfect for high-energy groups that love to put their heads together and work strategically to solve problems as a group.

Collaborate with your colleague to design and build different segments of a bridge. At the end, see if the sections come together to create a free-standing structure!   

Together as a group, see if you and your colleagues can build a gigantic “chain-reaction” machine that really works!

In smaller groups, participants work together to solve the challenge of creating sections of the machine using miscellaneous parts, and at the end, you’ll have to collaborate to connect it all together and put it in motion.

The case is fresh, but here’s what we know so far: we’ve got an up-and-coming actress who’s been found dead in her hotel room following last night’s awards show.

We have several suspects, but we haven’t been able to put the crime on any of them for sure yet. Now, it’s up to you and your team of detectives to crack the case. Together, you’ll review case files and evidence including police reports, coroners’ reports, photo evidence, tabloids, interrogations, and phone calls as you determine the motive, method, and murderer and bring justice for the victim.

You’ll need to put your problem-solving skills to the test as you share theories, collaborate, and think outside the box with your fellow investigators.

Using Outback’s app, split up into small groups and put your heads together to solve a variety of puzzles, riddles, and trivia. The team who has completed the most challenges when time is up, wins!

Can you stay afloat in a body of water in a boat made entirely of cardboard? Now that is a problem that urgently needs solving.

With this team building problem solving activity, you and your colleagues will split into groups and create a cardboard boat made out of just the materials provided – cardboard and tape.

Team members will have to work together to engineer a functional boat that will float and sail across water without sinking. Once teams have finished making their boats, they will create a presentation to explain why their boat is the best, before putting their boats to the test. The final challenge will have teams racing their boats across the water!

If you and your team are working remotely, don’t worry. You still have a ton of great virtual team building problem solving options at your disposal.

In this virtual escape room experience, your team will be transported into a pyramid cursed by a restless mummy. You’ll have to work together to uncover clues and solve complex challenges to lift the ancient curse.

You’ve probably never heard of a man named Neil Davidson. But your group will need to come together to solve the mystery of his murder by analyzing clues, resolving challenges, and figuring out who had the means, motive, and opportunity to commit a deadly crime. 

This activity will challenge you and your group to approach problems analytically, read between the lines, and use critical thinking in order to identify a suspect and deliver justice.  

If you and your team like brainteasers, then Virtual Escape Room: Jewel Heist will be a big hit.  

Here’s the backstory.

There’s been a robbery. Someone has masterminded a heist to steal a priceless collection of precious jewels, and it’s up to you and your team to recover them before time runs out.

Together, you’ll need to uncover hidden clues and solve a series of brain-boggling challenges that require collaboration, creative problem-solving, and outside-the-box thinking. But be quick! The clock is ticking before the stolen score is gone forever.

With Virtual Code Break, you and your team can learn to be adaptive and dynamic in your thinking in order to tackle any new challenges that come your way. In this activity, your group will connect on a video conferencing platform where your event host will split you out into teams. Together, you’ll have to adapt your problem-solving skills as you race against the clock to tackle a variety of mixed brainteaser challenges ranging from Sudoku to puzzles, a game of Cranium, riddles, and even trivia. 

Curious to see how a virtual team building activity works? Check out this video on a Virtual Clue Murder Mystery in action. 

Step into the Outback Time Machine and take a trip through time, from pre-pandemic 21st century through the decades all the way to the 60’s. 

This exciting, fast-paced virtual trivia game, packed with nostalgia and good vibes, is guaranteed to produce big laughs, friendly competition, and maybe even some chair-dancing. 

Your virtual game show host will warm up guests with a couple of “table hopper rounds” (breakout room mixers) and split you out into teams. Within minutes, your home office will be transformed into a game show stage with your very own game show buzzers! 

And if your team loves trivia, check out our list of the most incredible virtual trivia games for work teams for even more ideas.

6.  Virtual Jeoparty Social

If your remote team is eager to socialize, have some fun as a group, and channel their competitive spirit, we’ve got just the thing for you! With Virtual Jeoparty Social, you and your colleagues will step into your very own virtual Jeopardy-style game show—equipped with a buzzer button, a professional actor as your host, and an immersive game show platform! Best of all, this game has been infused with an ultra-social twist: players will take part in a unique social mixer challenge between each round. 

With the right team building problem solving activities, you can help your team sharpen their core skills to ensure they’re prepared when they inevitably face a challenge at work. And best of all, you can have fun in the process. 

Do you have any favorite team building activities for building problem-solving skills? If so, tell us about them in the comments section below! 

Learn More About Team Building Problem Solving Activities  

For more information about how your group can take part in a virtual team building, training, or coaching solution, reach out to our Employee Engagement Consultants.     

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I love how this blog provides a variety of problem-solving activities for team building. It’s a great resource for anyone looking to foster teamwork and collaboration!

170+ Fun Icebreaker Games & Activities Your Team Will Enjoy in 2023

Published: October 19, 2023

Tired of the same old discussions at the beginning of every meeting? Then this well-curated list of fun and insightful icebreaker games and questions is for you.

To help you get the most value out of your team bonding moments, we’ve compiled a list of the best icebreaker activities and games for the workplace.

Next time you get together with your team, use one of these games, and you’re sure to learn more about your team.

Let’s get into it!

Icebreaker Examples for Work

• Paint a Picture, Build a Story
• Guess That Drawing
• Alphabet Brainstorm
• Show and Tell
• Bucket List
• Share the Love
• Arts and Crafts
• What Do We Have in Common?
• Name That Tune
• Themed Meetings
• Guess the Childhood Photo
• Zoom Photo Ops
• Hobby Webinar
• Movie Pitch
• Stretch Break
• Rose, Thorn, Bud
• Frivolous Debate
• Would You Rather
• Accomplishments Before 18
• Two Truths and a Lie
• The Handshake
• Bad Joke Contest
• Say Your Name Backwards
• Random Talent Show
• Quick Portrait Gallery
• Emoji Storytelling
• Meet My Pet

Keep reading, or jump to the best icebreakers for your group:

• Zoom Icebreaker Games
• Icebreaker Games for Meetings

Quick Icebreaker Games

Fun icebreaker games, icebreaker games for large teams, icebreaker games for small groups, virtual icebreaker games for dispersed teams, would you rather icebreaker games, good icebreakers for meetings, icebreaker questions, choosing the right icebreaker questions and games for your team, purpose of icebreakers.

Interactions between people who aren’t close can be awkward, which is where icebreakers come in.

Icebreakers are typically used in group settings such as team-building activities, workshops, conferences, and social gatherings.

Icebreaker games serve several important purposes, such as:

• Breaking the ice . Icebreaker games help to break down social barriers and initial awkwardness by providing a structured and fun way for people to introduce themselves and interact with others.
• Building relationships . Icebreaker games promote bonding and relationship-building among participants.
• Energizing the group. Icebreaker games are often used at the beginning of an event to energize participants and create a sense of excitement.
• Encouraging participation . In large group settings, some participants may be hesitant to engage actively. Icebreaker games offer an opportunity for everyone to participate and contribute, ensuring that everyone feels included and welcomed.
• Enhancing communication skills. Icebreaker games can improve communication skills. Participants often have to listen carefully to instructions, convey information, and collaborate with others, thereby improving their ability to communicate effectively.
• Creating a memorable experience. Icebreaker games add an element of fun and enjoyment to any gathering. And we all remember moments where we had a lot of fun, didn’t we?

Overall, icebreaker games serve as a valuable tool to foster a sense of community, promote interaction, and create a welcoming environment for teammates to connect and engage with one another.

If done wrong, an icebreaker can turn out to be a waste of time. By choosing one of the icebreakers from our selection below, you can see results and discover a great way to open your event!

50+ Remote Team-Building Ideas

Tips, tricks, and templates to help you master team-building in the age of the remote workforce.

• Boost team morale
• Ice breaker games
• Activity proposal template

You're all set!

Click this link to access this resource at any time.

Considerations for Using Icebreakers

What do you want to achieve with an icebreaker? Do you want to set the tone for the learning community or lead into course content in engaging ways?

Think of your population in choosing or designing an activity. This includes group size, demographics, levels of knowledge, extent to which they know each other, reasons for being in your group/class/meeting, and more.

For example, larger groups might need a simple activity and new groups may require a low-risk activity.

Think through the activity ahead of time and adapt it accordingly. Will the space you have suffice? Do you have all the needed supplies? Would the activity lead to issues of confidentiality? Does the activity accommodate varying abilities?

Icebreakers do not always go exactly as planned. Flexibility and willingness to learn are part of building a positive and open community.

Let's get started with some of the best icebreakers for teams using Zoom.

Zoom Icebreakers

1. paint a picture, build a story, best for: virtual fun.

Click the " Invite " button and share the link with your colleagues.

When the game starts, everyone will be prompted to write a fun sentence.

Everyone will receive someone else’s sentence and have the opportunity to draw it.

Everyone will receive someone else’s drawing and then guess what the original sentence was.

Enjoy the hilarious results!

2. Guess That Drawing

Drawasaurus is one of my favorite online drawing games to play with colleagues. Players get to choose from three random prompts to quickly interpret and draw their vision.

Other players can score more points for guessing the word the fastest and take turns going until the timer goes out.

• Go to https://www.drawasaurus.org .
• Enter a nickname (don’t worry, this won’t automatically start a game).
• Click " + Create a Room ."
• Set the room as " Private ," choose a room name, set a simple password, and choose the maximum number of players.
• Share the link from the URL bar with your colleagues.
• The game will start once everyone designates themselves as " Ready to Play ."
• One by one, everyone will choose one word to draw, and the others will get to guess the word.
• The person who guesses correctly the quickest earns the most points. Enjoy!

3. Alphabet Brainstorm

Each round, the game will highlight a random letter of the alphabet and let players come up with any noun or phrase that starts with said letter. The best part — players can dispute answers amongst each other to take the win.

This is a perfect icebreaker for your overly competitive colleagues.

• Go to https://scattergoriesonline.net/new-game.xhtml .
• Choose the categories you’d like for the game, such as "Animals," "Long words," and "Things with tails."
• Click " Create new game ."
• Choose the game letters (most will be pre-chosen), the number of players, and the number of rounds.
• Choose when a round ends (we recommend giving everyone 30 to 60 seconds).
• Under "Who can join," click " Invited friends ."
• Copy the link and share it with your colleagues.
• Everyone will have an allotted time to fill out several categories with words that start with a single letter.
• Play all the rounds and see which one of your colleagues has the most expanded vocabulary!

4. Show and Tell

Best for: team bonding.

A rather straightforward icebreaker, team members can share an object they love over Zoom. Whether it’s a prized collectible or an item that sparks nostalgia, there are plenty of stories waiting to be told.

• Let your team know ahead of time that you’ll be doing a show and tell.
• At the start of the meeting, give everyone 5 minutes to find the item that they’d like to show (Option: Have them turn their camera off).
• Start with a random team member or yourself.
• Have everyone popcorn to someone after they show their item, or go alphabetically.
• Enjoy seeing the eclectic items in your team members’ homes!

Quick note: If you've never "popcorned" before, this technique is a simple way to keep a conversation going. When popcorning, the first person to speak will choose the next person to speak in the group. Then they'll "popcorn" to that person by saying something like, "I'll popcorn it to [name]."

5. Bucket List

Outside of the workplace, your teammates are people with aspirations and goals you wouldn’t know about from the average coffee chat. Have team members share some bucket list items they want to achieve in the future.

Not only can these be inspirational, but they also open the floor for team members to encourage one another to pursue their dreams, too. It’s a particularly uplifting team bonding activity that will bring your team even closer together.

• You or your teammate will share one bucket list item.
• Have everyone popcorn to someone after their turn, or go alphabetically.

6. Share the Love

Best for: team building.

While dispersed teams may not have the chance to share a handshake or hug, you can still share the love with each other with this icebreaker.

Say something lovely to another team member, and it could be anything you want as long as it’s respectful and in good judgment.

For each person who receives a kind message, they will be the next one to share a message with a member of the group who hasn’t received one — ensuring everyone gets an equal amount of praise.

Shout them out for their helpfulness in a project, for the energy they bring to the team, or for their lovely smile.

• Let your team know ahead of time that you’ll be doing this activity.
• We recommend pre-pairing teammates in a spreadsheet so everyone can come prepared with something to say.
• Have everyone popcorn to someone else after their turn, or go alphabetically.

7. Arts and Crafts

• You or your teammate will hum, whistle, sing, or tap the rhythm of your favorite song.
• Team members should drop their guesses in the chat.
• The correct guesser gets the next turn. If no one guesses correctly, popcorn your turn to someone else.

10. Themed Meetings

12. Guess the Childhood Photo

In need of a wholesome icebreaker? In your next Zoom meeting, tell everyone to send the leader a cute (or hilarious) photo from their childhood and randomly throw them all into one slideshow.

When it’s complete, the leader will then share their screen and have the group guess which team member is in each photo. Try not to blush too hard when they get to yours.

• Share the presentation a week before the meeting so team members can add their childhood photos.
• At the start of the meeting, share your screen.
• Proceed slide-by-slide and have team members throw their guesses in the chat or write them privately on a notepad.
• At the end, have everyone share which slide belonged to them.

13. Zoom Photo Ops

In this icebreaker, you’ll first want to ask everyone involved if they’re comfortable having their photos taken before the meeting begins. I know I’d like a heads-up in case I was wearing an old band shirt instead of my usual business casual outfits.

You can try to get everyone to make silly or scary faces or even try to mimic the Brady Bunch title sequence. There are plenty of poses or facial expressions to capture, especially if you’ve got a kooky team to work with.

• At the start of the meeting, give instructions for the pose team members should take (Silly? Spooky? There are many options!).
• Take a screenshot of the Zoom window .
• Share the photo via your team messaging app and pin it for posterity.
• Enjoy the memories!

14. Hobby Webinar

During weekly video chats, you can choose one coworker to teach the team how to engage in a hobby they’re good at — something you don’t need to be in-person to do.

This could range from showing how to do quick origami, do a magic trick, or even giving a pointer or two on couponing from your coworker who always keeps an eye out for the latest deals.

• Connect with individual team members to find the most suitable instructor.
• Alternatively, create a running spreadsheet with team members’ names and their hobbies.
• Manually choose an instructor for the upcoming meeting, or pick a name randomly using a tool like this one .
• If supplies are needed, let your team know ahead of time.
• Have the instructor lead the meeting from the start, ideally with a time limit on the activity.

Icebreakers Games for Meetings

15. one word, best for: in-person team building.

The One Word icebreaker allows you to provide initial context into a meeting’s topic and get everyone in the right mindset for discussion.

For instance, let’s say you’re leading a meeting on culture. Tell the groups to describe work culture, or your office culture in particular, in one word. Once they’ve shared with their groups, you can invite them to share their word with the entire room.

This game encourages everyone to think about a certain topic in smaller groups ahead of time, which could increase participation during the meeting.

• Divide meeting participants into smaller groups.
• Tell them to think for a minute or two about the meeting’s topic.
• Have everyone share with their group one word that describes the topic, then allow them to popcorn their turn.
• Enjoy the diverse responses!

16. Pop Quiz

To successfully loosen everyone up, you might consider putting a short pop quiz on the board.

If your goal is simply to encourage team bonding, your quiz can be more fun — like, "Match the lyrics with this 80’s song." However, you might also use the Pop Quiz as an opportunity to introduce participants to the meeting’s theme.

If you’re discussing company changes, for instance, maybe you’ll start by quizzing team members on company history facts (e.g., "What year was this company founded?").

• We recommend not letting your team members know about this activity ahead of time.
• If you’re on Zoom, post the question in the chat or share it via your screen. If the meeting is in person, write it on the board.
• Allow team members to enter their answers in the chat or write it on a notepad.
• Whoever gets it right may get a small prize or bragging rights.

17. Birth Map

Best for: in-person team bonding.

• Choose a team member ahead of time to share their popular or unpopular opinion.
• Have everyone chime in one by one on whether they agree or disagree.
• Every team member should popcorn their turn, or you can go alphabetically.
• Have fun finding out who agrees with you (and who does not)!

22. Would You Rather

A classic game played at summer camps everywhere, "Would You Rather" is an excellent, quick workplace icebreaker.

Next time you’re settling into a meeting or team bonding outing, take turns going around the table and asking each person a "Would You Rather" question.

Here are a few "Would You Rather" questions to get you started; see further down in this post for even more:

• Would you rather only have summer or winter for the rest of your life?
• Would you rather go on a hike or see a movie?
• Would you rather never use social media sites and apps again or never watch another movie or TV show?
• Would you rather have a horrible short-term memory or a horrible long-term memory?
• Designate a team member ahead of time to share their "Would You Rather" question.
• Have everyone chime in one by one with their answer.
• Every team member should popcorn their turn, or you can proceed alphabetically.

23. Accomplishments Before 18

Accomplishments Before 18 is an engaging and unique way to encourage team members to share fun or interesting stories with one another.

Before a meeting, simply go around the room, and ask each person to share one accomplishment they had before they turned 18.

Undoubtedly you’ll get some of lesser importance, like "I bought a skateboard," but you never know what hidden skills you might discover in your colleagues.

24. Two Truths and a Lie

One of the more classic icebreakers on the list, Two Truths and a Lie can be used anywhere from family parties to company events.

For instance, I might say, "I once auditioned for the TV show Zoom . I have three brothers. I ziplined in Switzerland once." Coworkers can take turns guessing which is the lie.

Two Truths and a Lie is a fun and engaging game, and more importantly, it can help your team learn facts about one another, so they can begin forming deeper bonds.

• Ask each person to brainstorm three "facts" about themselves — two of the facts will be true, and one will be a lie.
• Have team members guess which is the lie.
• Whoever guesses correctly gets bragging rights.

25. The Handshake

Best for: in-person fun.

One of the first ways you get to greet somebody in the workplace is with a handshake.

This icebreaker lets individuals ease up and have a little fun without a hassle. It’s simple — everyone will create a fun, creative handshake.

If you have more time on your hands, have the pairs split up after showing off their super cool shake and make even more creative ones with new partners.

It’s hard to play these games without sharing a laugh, which is something we all could use in the workday.

• Divide the group into pairs.
• Have them make the most creative handshake they can in a couple of minutes.
• Have each pair show off their handshake to the group.
• If desired, have everyone rotate partners.

26. Bad Joke Contest

This icebreaker won’t take your team long to complete if you give them a heads-up to prepare. In the Bad Joke Contest, you’ll have everyone recite the corniest joke they can muster and have everyone vote on who was the most cringe-worthy.

Beware, some coworkers have impressively bad dad jokes saved up for these moments, so the competition will be fierce.

• Have everyone popcorn to someone after they tell their joke, or go alphabetically.
• Have everyone vote on the corniest joke either via Zoom poll or by keeping tabs on a notepad.
• Don’t forget to laugh — or cringe!

The list continues below — read on to find fun icebreaker games, icebreakers for large teams, and more.

27. Tall Tales

This icebreaker game will have everyone thinking on their feet. In Tall Tales, each player will make up three sentences to add to a running story. The third sentence has to have a plot twist starting with "suddenly…" before rotating to the next.

Every player will have a chance to put their own spin on the budding story and can even try to throw the next participant for a loop with an improbable situation.

• Begin with three sentences to set the scene for your story.
• After sharing your three sentences, go to the next person around the table or popcorn it.
• Continue going around until everyone has contributed to the story.
• Enjoy the fun, strange, and creative story your team can make!

28. Say Your Name Backwards

This game is pretty straightforward — or straight backward.

Every player will write their name on a slip of paper backward, fold it, and place it into a bowl. Once all the slips are collected, someone will draw one out of the bowl and read to the rest of the players what’s on the slip.

Whoever can guess their coworker's name correctly gains a point, and whoever has the most points at the end wins.

• Hand out slips of paper and writing utensils to everyone.
• Everyone writes their names backward on their paper.
• Then everyone should fold their paper once and place it in a bowl.
• One person reads out the backward names, and everyone else has to guess whose name it is.
• Whoever guesses their coworker’s name correctly first gets the point. Keep a tally of points or have each person keep track of their own.
• The winner is the person with the most points at the end!

Jenga is considered a classic game for a reason. It’s easy to play and put away. Have your team take turns pulling woodblocks out of your Jenga tower and share a laugh when it all comes toppling down.

• Have the Jenga game set up before your meeting begins.
• Take turns removing the wooden blogs from the tower and adding them to the top.
• The game is over when the tower topples down.

30. Frown King or Queen

Make it a competition to see which of your team members has the gnarliest frown, and bestow upon them the title of Frown King or Queen. Bonus points if you actually go out of your way to make a paper crown.

You’d be surprised how hard it is to maintain a frown when surrounded by your favorite colleagues, not to mention how funny they’ll look during the game.

• Two team members will compete at a time.
• The first pair stand back-to-back in the middle of the room.
• On the count of three, they will turn to face each other with the gnarliest frown they can muster on their faces.
• They must continue frowning until one person laughs, smiles, or breaks face.
• A new team member will compete with the winner, continuing until there’s only one person left standing. Crown them the Frown King or Queen!

31. The Envelope Please!

In this icebreaker game, have everyone write 10 facts about themselves on paper and place them each into their own envelopes. The envelopes are to be shuffled and chosen once at a time by the leader to read aloud to the rest of the group.

The rest of the players will then guess the identity of the envelope in hand — but they must be confident in their answer as each player only has one chance to guess per envelope.

• Hand out paper, pens, and envelopes for everyone to write down their 10 facts.
• Once everyone has put their papers in the envelopes, collect and shuffle them.
• One by one, read out the 10 facts and have everyone else guess whose it is.
• Have fun getting to know your coworkers better!

32. Random Talent Show

A talent show is one thing, but a random talent show is another. Have your coworkers take turns showing their cool party (or office) tricks.

And let’s face it, you’ve been trying to find the right opportunity to show someone you could lick your elbow for a while now.

• Announce at the start of the meeting that you’ll be having a random talent show.
• After showing off your talent, popcorn to someone else or ask for a volunteer.
• Have fun sharing your random tricks and skills and learning about your colleagues in this lighthearted "show."

33. Celebrity Impressions

For this icebreaker game, the leader will tape a label to each player’s back with a celebrity or household name.

Once that’s complete, every player will ask each other yes or no questions about their celebrity label's traits, recent news, or talents.

If players can identify their celebrity correctly, they can remove the label from their backs and continue mingling.

• Tape a label to each player’s back with a celebrity or household name.
• Players ask each other yes or no questions about their celebrity label's traits, recent news, or talents.
• Once players correctly identify their celebrity, they remove the label from their backs.

34. Quick Portrait Gallery

You don’t have to be Picasso to participate in this icebreaker. The instructions are simple. Every group member will be randomly assigned a different person to draw in a couple of minutes.

It’s a fun way to bond and share a giggle here and there over everyone’s work of art.

• Every group member is randomly assigned a different person to draw.
• Set a timer for a couple of minutes in which everyone has to draw their person.
• When time is up, everyone shares their portraits with the group — you can even have the other players guess before the artist shares the name of their subject.
• Enjoy the hilarious portrait gallery you’ve created!

35. Sound Ball

Best for: in-person fun, team wellness.

Sound Ball is an imaginative icebreaker that gives everyone a chance to get moving and energized.

In this icebreaker, the leader holds an imaginary ball in their hand and "throws" it to other players, making whatever sound they think would go with that gesture.

Whoever "catches" the ball next must repeat the sound made, then throw the ball to another person making their own unique sound. It sounds wild, but it’s easy to get into the flow of it.

Plus, it’s a great way to get everyone moving if you’ve been sitting too much.

• The leader holds an imaginary ball and "throws" it to other players, making a sound to accompany their gesture.
• Whoever "catches" the ball next must repeat the sound, then throw the ball to another person making their own unique sound.
• Continue as long as you want, trying to ensure each person gets a turn.

36. Beatboxing

This is probably one of the silliest icebreakers on this list, but it’s definitely worth trying. Have one team member start making a noise you’d hear in a song, like percussion, and have others gradually add to the beat.

Who knows, if the beat sounds good enough, you all could consider making an acapella group.

• One team member starts making a noise you’d hear in a song, like percussion.
• Others gradually join in, adding to the beat.
• Once everyone is participating, let the song go for a bit before ending the fun.

37. Just One Lie

This method is an adaptation of the well-known icebreaker "Two Truths and a Lie" to create an activity that can be run throughout a day of meetings or workshops.

• Participants mingle and ask each other questions.
• On a stack of Post-its they’re carrying, they will write a person's name on each Post-it along with one fact they learned about them.
• Most answers the participants give will be truthful; they must tell a lie only once.
• The Post-its for each person are then collected together and given to the person whose name is on them.
• Throughout the workshop, have participants read out the facts on their own Post-its and have everyone else guess which is the lie.

38. Human Bingo

Participants mingle and try to find people who match the descriptions in their bingo grid, encouraging conversation and interaction.

Icebreaker Bingo is a great way to bond with large teams because it can include as many people as you want.

You can use a free icebreaker bingo generator and personalize each of the squares on a subject you’re all discussing for the day or for anything everyone can feel included.

• Distribute pre-made bingo grids with unique descriptions in each square (e.g., "Has traveled to Europe," "Can play a musical instrument").
• Participants mingle and find others who match the descriptions, writing their names in the corresponding squares.
• The first person to fill a row or the entire grid wins.

39. The Great Wind Blows

Participants quickly find new seats based on a statement while one person stands in the middle.

• One person stands in the middle and makes a statement starting with "The great wind blows for everyone who..." and completes the sentence with a description (such as "...has a pet," "...likes pizza").
• Anyone to whom the statement applies must find a new seat, including the person in the middle.
• The one left without a seat becomes the new statement maker.

40. Speed Networking

Ever heard of or participated in speed dating? This is similar but with your colleagues in a totally platonic way. Participants engage in brief, timed conversations with multiple individuals to meet and learn about each other.

• Arrange participants in pairs or small groups.
• Set a timer for a specified duration (e.g., 2 minutes) for each conversation.
• Participants introduce themselves, share a bit about their interests, and ask questions about their partner.
• After the time is up, they rotate to the next person, repeating the process.

41. Beach Ball Toss

Participants answer questions or complete a task related to them after catching a tossed beach ball, encouraging quick thinking and laughter.

• Write different icebreaker questions or tasks on a beach ball ahead of time.
• Participants form a circle and toss the ball to each other.
• When someone catches it, they read and answer the question or perform the task facing the hand they caught it with.
• The ball continues circulating, ensuring everyone participates.

42. Emoji Storytelling

Participants create a story collaboratively, using emojis as prompts and encouraging creativity and collaboration.

• Distribute a list of emojis or display them on a screen.
• Each participant contributes by adding a sentence or two to the story, incorporating one or more of the displayed emojis.
• Encourage the use of imagination and creativity as the story progresses.

43. Human Knot

Best for: team building in person.

Participants work together to untangle a "human knot" by holding hands, promoting teamwork and problem-solving.

• Participants form a tight circle, randomly holding hands with two different people across the circle.
• Without letting go of hands, they must untangle the knot until they form a circle or a straight line.
• This requires communication and cooperation to solve the problem.

44. Who Am I?

Participants wear sticky notes on their foreheads or backs with the name of a famous person or character written on them. They must ask yes-or-no questions to others to figure out their identity.

• Write the names of various famous people or fictional characters on sticky notes and place one on each participant's forehead.
• One by one, participants must ask yes-or-no questions to the others to figure out who they are.
• The goal is to figure out their identity by asking strategic questions. You can limit the number of questions a person can ask for the sake of time.

45. Charades

Charades is a game fit for large teams, both in-person and remote. In this icebreaker, players need to communicate with team members to guess a word of a certain category.

• Prepare several slips of paper with a single word or use a charades word generator .
• Divide everyone into two teams.
• One player at a time pantomimes (acts out) the word on their paper for their own respective teammates.
• The teammates have to guess what it is within a given time (30 seconds to 1 minute). They get a point for every act they guess correctly.
• Whichever team gets the most points wins.

46. Red Light, Green Light

I bet anyone who watched Squid Games in 2021 is familiar with this game, and if you haven’t, the rules are simple (and the stakes are much, much lower.)

• The players in this icebreaker game will line up on one side of a room.
• A designated leader on the other side of the room will be instructed to say either "Red Light" or "Green Light."
• Players in line are to try and walk to the other side of the room when the leader says, "Green Light," but once the leader says, "Red Light," everyone must freeze or be kicked out of the game.
• The first person to make it to the leader wins and gets to be the leader for the next round.

47. Guess Who

Like Charades, Guess Who is a great icebreaker where you can mimic famous people — or even your coworkers.

• Have someone write down well-known names on sheets of paper and then hand them off one at a time to a team member.
• They’ll have to act out the behaviors, facial expressions, or even the iconic " I’m flying" scene from Titanic .
• Everyone else will guess who they’re acting out.

48. Hot Take

For this ice breaker, everyone can take turns sharing their hot takes and either bond with their coworkers who agree or debate their naysayers.

Of course, you want the topics to be fun and lighthearted, so keep them to topics that aren’t controversial and opt for statements like, "Cheese isn’t all that great."

• Make a statement about your "hot take" on a lighthearted topic.
• Everyone else can join in supporting you or disagreeing with you.
• Popcorn to the next participant and continue until everyone gets a turn sharing.

49. "Most Likely To ___"

Remember those high school superlatives? This is like that but a little less embarrassing.

• Have coworkers read through a list of "Most Likely To" titles and assign them to one another.
• During the game, everyone can chime in or give reasons as to why someone deserves the title, and the group consensus will be the final decision.
• It’s important to note that no one will have more than one title to ensure everyone is included.

50. Whisper Down the Lane

Whisper Down the Lane is an icebreaker game where team members form a larger circle and share a random message whispered into the ear of someone to their left.

This game can get funny pretty quickly, as a whisper down the lane can get misinterpreted over and over again.

• Everyone stands in a circle, and the person starting the message whispers it in the ear of the person next to them.
• That person then whispers what they heard to the next person, continuing until the message has made it all the way around the circle.
• The last person says what they heard out loud, and you can all laugh at how the message has changed through the course of whispering.

51. Simon Says

Simon Says was invented in the 19th century, but it never stops being fun.

The real trick is for the leader to confuse players by giving fast Simon Says commands, then giving them a command without saying the keywords.

This could work like, "Simon says touch your hips, Simon says hop on one foot, Simon says touch your nose — touch your ears!"

Whoever does the action (like touching your ears) will be booted out of the game because it wasn’t a Simon Says action.

• The leader of the group instructs players to do an action beginning with the words "Simon says…" like, "Simon says touch your knees" or "Simon says grab your elbow."
• Whoever doesn’t do the actions proclaimed is booted out of the game.
• The last person in wins!

52. Things in Common

Best for: first introductions.

This simple icebreaker is fit for groups meeting each other for the first time.

• All that has to be done is mingle with one another to find some things you have in common and try to form groups based on those attributes.
• Bonus points if you can learn the names of those whom you relate to, and brownie points if you can relay all their names when asked.

53. Team Jigsaw Puzzle Competition

For this game, you’ll need to prepare by purchasing two identical jigsaw puzzles. It’s a fun way to foster competition and work on communication and collaboration.

• Divide your large group into two teams.
• Set a timer to see which group can work together to make the most progress on their respective puzzles.
• Whoever made it the furthest when time is up wins!

This activity is great for loosening everyone up and creating a frantically fun environment as everyone scrambles to make clumps with a certain number of people.

• Have team members walk around and mingle amongst themselves in a large, open space.
• The leader of the icebreaker yells out a random number under 10.
• Every person mingling will then have to quickly form a clump of people with the number called. If someone doesn’t make it into a clump, they’re out.
• Continue until everyone has to exit the mingling space — the last person standing wins!

55. Fun Questions

Asking fun questions is an easy and effective icebreaker game. These questions serve two purposes — first, they allow your coworkers to get into a sillier, more creative mindset.

Second, they encourage conversation on topics typically reserved for outside the office, which enables members of your team to get to know one another on a deeper level.

Meg Prater , senior content marketing manager of the HubSpot blog, says:

"When I first started including icebreaker questions in our weekly team stand-up meetings, the experience was … cringeworthy. It felt like exactly what it was: organized fun. But we kept at it. I listened to feedback and tried to incorporate it into better icebreakers."

She continued, "For example, some folks on our team don’t watch a lot of T.V. and felt a little excluded when we’d fall down a rabbit hole of shows we were binging.

Keeping the icebreakers inclusive keeps everyone engaged. Now, our icebreakers can take 15+ minutes to get through and yield some of our biggest laughs and revelations of the week."

• To play, simply go around the room and have each person offer an answer to a fun question.
• The questions are up to you, but if you’re stuck, check out this list of icebreaker questions for meetings, teams, and more.

56. Personality Quiz

This icebreaker can promote team bonding, and it’s one of the easier options on the list. This game allows your team members to gain a new perspective on their peers, and it's also a fun and easy way to get an interesting conversation started.

• Simply choose a brief personality quiz on your phone or computer (if you’re stuck, here’s a list ), and pull it up on a projector or send the link to everyone.
• Once everyone has completed the personality assessment, have each colleague mention one thing they agree or disagree with from their results.

57. Who Is It?

This game is a simple and great way to get to know surprising new things about your teammates. It can be easily adapted for a virtual setting by having everyone send their fact through the chat or by answering a question in Google Form.

• Have everyone write a unique, strange, or unexpected fact about themselves on a piece of paper.
• Then, put the pieces of paper into a hat and mix them around. Pull from the hat and read each fact.
• Allow the team to try and guess who wrote it.
• After they guess, ask the employee who wrote the fact to identify themselves and give any further context if necessary.

58. Marshmallow Challenge

Tom Wujec, a business visualization expert, initially presented his Marshmallow Challenge on TED .

To play, you simply divide your team into groups of four and give each group 20 sticks of spaghetti, one yard of tape, one yard of string, and a marshmallow.

Whichever team can build the tallest structure wins — the trick is the marshmallow must be on top.

There are a few reasons this game works as both a great icebreaker and a team-building exercise. First, the most successful teams are groups of people who don’t spend time competing for power.

The game forces your colleagues to work collaboratively when brainstorming potential solutions. Second, the Marshmallow Challenge encourages people to think quickly and offer alternative solutions when their initial idea fails.

With the Marshmallow Challenge, you can strengthen your team’s brainstorming and problem-solving skills, and your team can also have some fun. A win, win.

• Divide participants into teams of four.
• Provide each team with one marshmallow, 20 spaghetti noodles, one yard of tape, and one hard of string.
• They have a limited time (e.g., 15 minutes) to construct the tallest freestanding structure using only the materials provided.
• The team with the tallest structure at the end wins.

59. Scavenger Hunt

At HubSpot, we conduct a scavenger hunt for new hires on the first day of their training. It's fun and encourages collaboration, but additionally, it can help employees learn their way around the office.

Fortunately, you can conduct a scavenger hunt for your team even if they‘ve worked at your office for years. A scavenger hunt is also an exceptional opportunity for cross-department interaction.

Consider contacting managers from other departments and creating groups of employees who don’t often get to work together.

• Simply split up your team into groups, and give each group a shortlist of items to find. If you work in a smaller space, maybe you can hide some funny items around the office ahead of time.
• The teams have a limited time to find all the items.
• The first team that finishes first wins. You might even offer an incentive for the winning team, like a $50 Amazon gift card.

60. No Smiling

This game is simple and meant to energize your team . This icebreaker can be helpful in new-employee or management training to lighten the pressure of starting a new job.

It can also be helpful as a way of lightening the mood on teams that regularly deal with stressful projects or situations.

• Get your colleagues in a circle and ask one volunteer to sit or stand in the middle.
• Tell the volunteer that they can not laugh or smile, regardless of what happens.
• Then have each other colleagues take turns telling the volunteer a work-appropriate joke.
• The goal of the volunteer is to hear a joke from every colleague around the circle, while the goal of the other team members is to make the volunteer laugh.

61. This is Better Than That

Best for: energizing your team.

Aside from being a fun team activity, this might be a great energizer for sales employees or others who regularly pitch, market, and sell products.

• Ask your team to find four to seven items around the office and bring them to one room. These items could be something they use daily, like a pen or a chair. However, you should encourage them to find items that are odd or unique. This will make the game more challenging.
• Line the items up and split the group into sub-teams. Task each team with picking an item they would use to survive if stranded on a desert island.
• Tell team members that they can’t pick more than one and that they must assume it's the only item they will have on that island. Allow the teams time to deliberate and then ask them to present the item they chose and why.

62. Choose Your Favorite

For this icebreaker, all you have to do is answer the question about your favorite things. This icebreaker helps your team get to know each other even when they work remotely and can spark conversation on what everyone likes or dislikes.

• Choose a different question to ask your team each week.
• Ask your team to choose their favorite movie, song, TV show, etc.
• Make sure everyone has a chance to share.

63. Trivia Game

If you‘re looking for a remote icebreaker that’s more of a game, you can host a trivia game.

• Kahoot is a trivia platform you can use for free (hosts up to 10 people). To get started, all you'll need to do is sign up for a free Kahoot account.
• Then, you can choose a featured trivia game to play.
• To run this remotely, you'll want to share your screen with your team.
• Everyone will need to have a separate device to use so they can enter the game and submit their answers.

64. Share an Embarrassing Photo

Best for: virtual team bonding.

This is one of my favorite icebreakers because it's a fun way to get to know your team. For this game, have everyone share an embarrassing photo and tell the story behind it. Doing this icebreaker is a great way to build connections remotely.

• Have your team members share their screens or send a file to the team leader to share with everyone.
• To make this more interesting, you can have people guess whose photo it is before your team member shares their story.

65. One Word Pulse Check

Best for: checking in on your team.

For this icebreaker, have everyone on your team go around and share a word or phrase that represents how they feel that day.

Christina Perricone , former senior content marketing manager on the HubSpot blog, says this is her favorite icebreaker:

"The person sharing gets to decide whether or not to elaborate, and everyone listens without response," Perricone explains.

She says the purpose of the exercise is to give people a chance to release or reveal emotional setbacks, obstacles, wins, highlights, or anything else that might be impacting how they show up to work that day.

"It provides a space for participants to bring their entire self to work, and it gives the team context for how to support that team member that day," Perricone adds.

• Have everyone on your team go around and share a word or phrase that represents how they feel that day.

66. Meet my Pet

Best for: virtual sharing.

Nothing fills a meeting with smiles like photos of colleagues’ furry friends. Those who don’t have any can either make a joke pet (the infamous pet rock) or share a dream pet they would have.

• Take turns showing off the cutest pictures and videos of your pet.

67. Let’s Make a Mixtape

This icebreaker works by asking your coworkers to choose one of their favorite songs from a certain genre. Not only is it fun at the moment, but then everyone has the chance to discover new artists and tunes they hadn’t heard of before.

• Everyone chooses a song and shares it with the group.
• One person compiles either a YouTube or Spotify playlist of everyone’s choices and shares the link with everyone in the group afterward.

68. Emoji Mood Guesser

This is a fun spin on sharing one word about how you feel that day.

• With this icebreaker, you ask everyone on your team to drop the most accurate emojis of their current mood or state of mind in a chat box (assuming they’re using Zoom, Microsoft Teams, etc.)
• Everyone can guess what adjective someone is trying to convey and can even share why if they want to.

69. Food Would You Rather Questions

You’d be surprised how passionate some of your coworkers can get over food. When asking "Would You Rather" questions, ask about various savory or sweet food staples and which they would prefer to eat forever.

Example: "Would you rather eat only cake forever or eat pasta forever?"

70. Travel Would You Rather Questions

There are plenty of destinations on your coworkers’ radar. Get to know them a little better by getting to know where they want to go and why.

Example: "Would you rather travel to only island destinations or mountainous destinations?"

71. Talent Would You Rather Questions

Explore more uncommon talents and see which your coworkers would like to have in this type of questionnaire.

Example: "Would you rather your special talent be opera singing or in playing the banjo?"

72. Super Hero Would You Rather Questions

There are hundreds of superheroes from Marvel and DC, and chances are your coworkers are familiar with them, too. Ask which hero they would like to be and why based on their stories or abilities.

Example: "Would you rather be Ironman or Captain America?"

73. Super Power Would You Rather Questions

On a similar note to heroes, find out what powers your coworkers would rather have and why. Bonus points if you ask them whether they’d label themselves as a hero or villain.

Example: "Would you rather have super speed or super strength?"

74. Sport Would You Rather Questions

Your coworkers may be involved in sports outside of work, and maybe they’re fans of different leagues and teams. Ask which sports they’d rather play and see which they’d prefer and why.

Example: "Would you rather play basketball for the rest of your life or football?"

75. Fashion Would You Rather Questions

Even if your coworkers aren’t tuned into NYFW, they’re sure to recognize some of the most popular clothing brands. Ask them which they’d prefer to dress in and why.

Example: "Would you rather wear only Louis Vuitton or Gucci?"

76. TV Would You Rather Questions

With tons of streaming services to choose from, your coworkers are bound to have some favorite TV shows. Ask questions like which shows they’d rather watch or be a part of.

Example: "Would you rather be a cast member in Euphoria or Ozark?"

77. Movie Would You Rather Questions

Movie fanatics across any team or department will enjoy questions about them. Ask coworkers which genres they’d rather watch or which they’d want to be in.

Example: "Would you rather be cast in a comedy movie or an action movie?"

Meeting ice breakers can help loosen people up for better idea exchange and connection. Whether your team is in-person, hybrid, or online, these icebreakers can help you bring your meetings to life.

Icebreaker Questions for Virtual Meetings

These questions can help begin conversations, promote engagement, and allow participants to get to know each other better in a virtual meeting setting.

78. What‘s the most interesting thing you’ve learned or experienced recently?

79. If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?

80. Share one book, movie, or TV show recommendation that you've been enjoying.

81. What‘s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

82. If you could have dinner with any historical figure, who would it be and why?

83. What‘s the most memorable trip you’ve ever taken?

84. Share a time when you had to step out of your comfort zone and how it affected you.

85. What's your favorite way to celebrate a personal achievement or milestone?

86. If you could have a conversation with your future self, what questions would you have?

87. What's your go-to productivity tip or trick when working remotely?

88. Share a fun fact about yourself that others might not know.

89. If you could visit any country in the world, where would you go and why?

90. What's the last thing that made you laugh out loud?

91. Share one goal or intention you have for the upcoming week or month.

92. If you could instantly learn a new skill, what would it be and why?

93. What's your favorite way to unwind or relax after a long day?

94. What‘s the best concert or live event you’ve ever attended?

95. If you could have a conversation with your younger self, what advice would you give?

96. What's your favorite hobby or pastime outside of work?

97. Share a recent accomplishment or something you're proud of.

98. If you could have any job in the world, what would it be and why?

99. What's your favorite way to give back to your community or help others?

100. What‘s the most interesting or challenging project you’ve worked on recently?

101. Share a quote or mantra that inspires you and why it resonates with you.

Icebreaker Questions for Work

These questions can help foster a sense of camaraderie, encourage open communication, and provide insights into one another’s professional experiences and perspectives.

102. What’s one professional skill or area of expertise you would like to develop further?

103. If you could describe your work style in one word, what would it be and why?

104. What’s one project or accomplishment you’re particularly proud of from your time at this company?

105. Share a piece of advice you would give to someone starting in our industry.

106. What’s your favorite aspect of your job, and why does it resonate with you?

107. If you could switch roles with anyone in the company for a day, who would it be and why?

108. What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned from a past work experience?

109. Share a time when you faced a significant challenge at work and how you overcame it.

110. What’s one thing you appreciate about our team or company culture?

111. Do you have a favorite business book or podcast that has influenced your professional growth?

112. If you could attend a professional conference or event anywhere in the world, where would you choose and why?

113. What's one thing you think our company or team does really well, and how does it contribute to our success?

114. What's the biggest challenge you see facing our industry in the next few years?

115. If you could implement one positive change or improvement in our workplace, what would it be and why?

Meeting Ice Breakers for Hybrid Teams

As a flexible/hybrid company , HubSpot teams often use icebreakers to begin or set the tone for team meetings.

Keep reading for more fun icebreakers from the teams at HubSpot:

116. Would you rather feel hot all the time or cold all the time?

117. What’s your very first memory?

118. What is a chore that you dread doing?

119. What is your favorite way to eat potatoes?

120. What is something in your closet that you have too much of?

121. What’s the social media platform or app that you use/scroll the most? Which one would you give up?

122. What kinds of activities energize you?

123. What's your splurge morning drink (or food) of choice?

124. Where is one place you’d love to travel to & why?

125. Name a song that, if you listen to it while walking, always makes you feel like you’re the lead character in a movie.

126. What's your favorite thing you've bought this year?

127. What reality competition show do you think you could win?

128. You have to volunteer to present something for your department in 10 minutes and everyone will have to take a turn. Do you volunteer to present first, in the middle, or last?

129. What’s one song you have on repeat lately?

130. If you could have a LEGO set of any one thing, would it be?

131. What is your morning routine?

132. Show one thing on your desk or in your workspace that has personal significance to you.

133. Would you rather always be slightly late or super early?

Here are some fun icebreaker questions for building connections with friends or team members. Enjoy!

Fun Icebreaker Questions

These questions are designed to be light-hearted and encourage creative thinking, imagination, and personal anecdotes. They can be used in various social settings, such as parties, team-building events, or casual get-togethers, to break the ice and start fun conversations.

134. If you could have any fictional character as your best friend, who would it be and why?

135. What’s the most unusual food combination you’ve ever tried and enjoyed?

136. What’s your favorite ice cream flavor and why?

137. If you could have any animal as a pet, what would it be and why?

138. What's the most interesting piece of trivia you know?

139. What's your favorite holiday tradition?

140. If you could travel back in time, which era would you visit and why?

141. Share a funny or memorable encounter with a celebrity or famous person.

142. What's your favorite board game or card game and why?

143. If you could visit any landmark or tourist attraction in the world, where would you go?

144. What's the most interesting or unusual thing you've ever collected?

145. If you could go back in time and change one moment in your life, what would it be and why?

146. If you could instantly become an expert in any activity or hobby, what would it be?

147. If you were a professional athlete, what sport would you compete in and why?

148. What’s the weirdest or funniest thing that has ever happened to you on a vacation?

149. If you were a superhero, what would your superpower be and what would your superhero name be?

150. What’s the most adventurous thing you’ve ever done or would like to do?

151. If you could live in any fictional universe, which one would you choose and why?

152. Share a memorable childhood toy or game that you loved playing.

153. If you were a character in a movie, who would play your role and why?

Team Building Ice Breaker Questions

These questions can be used during team-building sessions, team meetings, or retreats to promote bonding, encourage open communication, and help team members learn more about each other.

154. What’s your favorite team-building activity or exercise you’ve ever participated in?

155. Share one professional or personal goal you would like to achieve within the next year.

156. If you could swap jobs with someone on the team for a day, who would it be and why?

157. What’s one skill or expertise you bring to the team that others may not be aware of?

158. Share a team success or accomplishment that you’re particularly proud of.

159. What’s your favorite thing about working in a team environment?

160. If you had to describe our team dynamic in three words, what would they be and why?

161. Share one thing you appreciate about a fellow team member’s work or contribution.

162. If our team was a superhero squad, what superpowers would each team member possess?

163. What’s one thing you’ve learned from a fellow team member that has had a positive impact on you?

164. If our team had to solve a mystery, who would play what role in the investigation?

165. Share a time when a team member’s support or assistance made a significant difference in your work.

166. What’s one team-building activity or exercise you would like to try in the future?

167. If our team was a musical band, what instrument would each team member play?

168. Share a valuable lesson you’ve learned from a team project or collaboration.

169. What’s one way our team could improve communication and collaboration?

170. If our team was a famous sports team, which sport would we play and why?

171. Share one fun or interesting fact about yourself that most people on the team don’t know.

172. What’s one team-building activity or exercise you’ve heard about and would like to explore?

173. If our team was a movie, what genre would it be, and who would play each team member?

Icebreakers are more than just fun and games. It's true, they can improve connection and engagement. But it's also important to think about how specific icebreakers or games might affect your team.

Well-selected icebreakers will create or enhance an inclusive environment. Ideally, they'll help everyone on your team feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and ideas. Keep reading for tips on how to choose the best icebreakers for your team.

Find Icebreakers That Work for Different Personality Types

Most teams will have a mix of different personality types. For example, introverts may prefer activities that allow for reflection and sharing at their own pace. But extroverts might be hoping for interactive and energizing games. It's important to balance your approach so that everyone feels included and comfortable.

To do this, support the needs of both groups whenever you can by:

• Offering different participation options
• Setting aside time for individual reflection
• Creating small group discussions
• Encouraging active listening
• Offering appreciation for team members who may be reluctant to participate
• Checking in after icebreakers if you notice anything feels off

It's also a good idea to plan for each activity in advance. This can help other team members feel more comfortable and prepared.

For example, say you're planning to play an online game during a meeting. Test the game in advance to make sure the features are intuitive. If they take some getting used to, share this information with the team. Then, build in extra time for everyone to get used to the software before starting your activity.

Update or Invent Games to Align With Your Team Culture and Interests

Not every game is a fit for the variety of cultural backgrounds, values, and interests on your team. Games that resonate with everyone's cultures and hobbies will be more engaging and enjoyable. They can also create a sense of unity.

So, take the time to learn about your team members' backgrounds, values, and preferences. Get to know their cultural traditions, hobbies, and shared interests. This understanding will help you choose games that are both inclusive and relevant.

Then, customize games or create new icebreakers to fit your team.

Set Specific Goals for Your Icebreakers

While icebreakers can be easy and fun, it's also a good idea to choose games that align with specific team goals. For example, if your team is getting to know each other, you may want to play games that help build trust.

Here are a few more ways to connect team goals to the types of icebreakers and games you choose:

• Improve collaboration: Choose teamwork games, such as Emoji Storytelling, Human Knot, or the Marshmallow Challenge.
• Increase engagement: To boost engagement, ask questions that energize and engage team members, try a Hobby Webinar, or do some speed networking.
• Strengthen communication: Try icebreakers that involve active listening and effective communication such as One Word Pulse Check, Rose, Thorn, Bud, or Charades.
• Build psychological safety: Encourage activities that create a safe space for vulnerability, such as Bucket List or asking relevant icebreaker questions.
• Promote creativity: Start out brainstorming or problem-solving sessions with ice breakers such as Alphabet Brainstorm, Movie Pitch, or Tall Tales.
• Boost morale: Motivate and cheer up your team with icebreakers and games like Share the Love, No Smiling, or Human Bingo.

Depending on the culture of your team, you may want to share icebreaker-specific goals before or after these activities. This can help you offer context to the team, which can further build trust, and gather feedback for the future.

Encourage Active Participation

Get active engagement from your team by creating a safe and inclusive environment. You can create a safe space by:

• Setting clear expectations
• Choosing icebreakers that make sure every team member has a chance to share and feel heard
• Using a variety of icebreakers for different preferences and communication styles
• Managing time effectively, so it's easy for everyone to take part without rushing or falling behind
• Leading by example and participating enthusiastically
• Offering structure and support so it's easy for everyone to join in

Have Fun and Laugh

Icebreakers have the ability to change the energy, create a more relaxed environment, and encourage team members to express themselves in entertaining ways.

Icebreaker activities can seem cringeworthy but are actually a great way to build trust within your team. So incorporate these games into your future meetings and kick off the fun!

Don't forget to share this post!

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25 engaging ice breakers for virtual meetings (that won’t bore your team!)

Virtual ice breakers can be an effective method of kicking off a project, onboarding a new team member or enlivening your team meetings. Choose the right method and you can get your meeting off to an energizing start that encourages participation and builds connections . Get it wrong and risk being met with groaning team members or indifference.

In this post, we'll share some proven virtual icebreaker games used by real facilitators and help you find the right method for your virtual team. Whether you need a short activity to kick off a conference call or to help onboard new team members without making things awkward, we have you covered!

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When teams start their meetings and workshops effectively, the outcomes and overall enjoyment of a session follows suite. An effective virtual icebreaker not only helps a team warm-up and arrive in the session, but it also helps build alignment and set the tone for the team meeting ahead. But how can you choose the right one for your remote team? What do you need to look for when choosing a virtual icebreaker ?

Read on to discover what makes an effective icebreaker for virtual teams and how to run them effectively. We’ll also share instructions and tips for 25 ready-to-use activities you can employ in your next video call or online meeting!

What is a virtual icebreaker? 

Virtual icebreakers are activities or games that are designed to help break down barriers and kick-off virtual meetings or events in a productive, welcoming manner. They are great for building relationships, warming up groups and establishing connections among remote teams.

The purpose of a virtual icebreaker can vary depending on the session you’re running, but generally, the goal is to create a comfortable and engaging atmosphere which prepares your virtual team for the work of the session ahead.

Virtual icebreakers can range from simple, short activities that invite participants to check-in with the group or share their progress, to more complex games that require teamwork and collaboration.

Sometimes, the purpose of a virtual icebreaker can be as simple as getting people talking or to learn one another’s names before dropping into breakout rooms. Whatever the format, the goal is always to help your team be present in the meeting and begin making connections.

Why virtual icebreakers are important

All sessions benefit from an effective opening. When kicking off a virtual meeting, we have additional work to do in order to position the session for success. When working remotely, our attention is often split between windows, laundry and what meeting is coming after this. Connection is harder in a virtual environment where it’s more challenging to fully engage with others or easily read body language.

This is where virtual icebreakers come in. By using interactive activities to kick off meetings or team events, you can help your remote team fully arrive in the space and bridge gaps between your teammates . If you’re struggling with overall engagement and participation from your remote team during meetings, maybe you’re missing the right icebreaker!

Virtual games can also serve to encourage behaviours or introduce concepts that will be useful for later in the meeting. Creative team building activities can get your group primed for out of the box thinking. Ice breaker questions can help improve connections ahead of a collaborative workshop.

Virtual team ice breakers can also be effective ways to catch up and save time later in the meeting. A quick check-in round can help surface issues, wins and potential discussion points. They can also help set expectations and ensure alignment before the group moves forward.

In all cases, these activities encourage communication and contributions from your entire virtual team. For this reason alone, their inclusion at the start of a meeting can be transformative.

Ready to design an online session around your chosen icebreaker?  SessionLab makes it easy to  build an agenda in minutes . Start by dragging and dropping blocks, add timings and share your completed agenda with your participants for an engaging session.

What makes a good virtual icebreaker?

Not all virtual icebreakers are created equal. Some are great for helping established teams kick-off a video conference, others are best employed when helping remote team members get to know each other.

In addition to knowing your audience and purpose, there are a few things you want to look out for when selecting online icebreakers . Helpfully, all of our virtual icebreakers have been developed with these in mind!

Here are a few key qualities that make for a good virtual icebreaker:

• Simplicity : The best virtual icebreakers are simple to explain, easy to run and participate in. Generally, you want to spend only a short time breaking the ice with your group, and so simplicity is vital. This can be dependant on your audience and session, but a general rule of thumb I try to follow is that you shouldn’t take more than thirty seconds to explain your icebreaker and it should be simple enough that everyone in the group can grasp it easily. The net result is an ice breaker that is both engaging and time-effective too!
• Inclusivity : A good virtual icebreaker should be inclusive for all team members, regardless of their backgrounds or experiences. It should not rely on cultural references or inside jokes that may exclude some team members. Think too of your audience’s needs and differences. Not all participants will feel comfortable or able to participate in a dance party. Choose an icebreaker that is right for your group and design for inclusivity – add alternatives and choose activities suitable for all attendees.
• Relevance: Every activity in your agenda should be relevant to the group you are working with. An icebreaker that is designed to help learn people’s names can be great for newbies, but for teams that have worked together for a long time, it can feel like a waste of time. It can also help to think about the shared interests and experiences of your virtual team and choose an activity that will resonate. Lastly, try and choose an icebreaker that fits with the session you are running. If you’re running a problem solving session, pick a creative icebreaker. If you’re running a weekly stand-up, a quick energy check-in might be more appropriate. In any case, pairing the icebreaker with the theme of your session to keep it relevant will help it land with your audience.
• Interactivity: Try and choose an activity that encourages team members to participate and collaborate, rather than simply listening or watching. Remember that your virtual meeting is not the only time your team will be looking at a screen that day. Keeping things fresh and creating an opportunity for a novel interactive experience can help your group be present. Getting people talking and interacting early can also pave the way for deeper collaboration later on.

Tips for running virtual icebreakers

To ensure that your virtual icebreakers are effective and enjoyable, keep the following tips in mind:

• Be mindful of time : Virtual icebreakers should be brief and to-the-point, especially if you have a large team or a busy agenda. Use SessionLab’s Time Tracker or an online stopwatch to effectively timebox your icebreaker and keep on track. Ideally, you don’t want to cut someone off mid response, but it’s also important to remember that this is just the first part of a larger workshop or meeting.
• Ask participants to go on camera : Where possible, invite your team to go on camera while participating in any virtual games. The instant feedback of a smile or a laugh can really elevate the sense of connection and improve team bonding. In some cases, this step is optional, though note that some games require cameras, and so you should select your ice breaker accordingly.
• Go first and model an ideal response : Some virtual icebreaker games are easier to grasp when demonstrated. As a leader, it’s often helpful to go first and show your team how to break the virtual ice. Being vulnerable and demonstrating the kind of responses you’d like to see can also help remote teams build team rapport and be a little braver in their responses.
• Give positive feedback : Thanking participants for getting involved and noting contributions can help create a positive feedback loop and encourage further interactions. This almost should go without saying, but its worth noting how important this can be for setting the right tone for the meeting and making it feel good for everyone to contribute.
• Encourage participation : Make sure that everyone has a chance to contribute and that no one feels left out or excluded. In some groups, this might mean calling on people to jump in or simply leaving space and being comfortable with a little silence instead of prematurely bringing an activity to a close.
• But make it okay for people not to participate too! As with any activity, non-participation is okay if it’s agreed upon by the group. Forcing people to contribute if they’re not comfortable can be detrimental to team rapport so definitely consider this point depending on your group and design activities to be as comfortable as possible by default.
• Ask the group to select the next participant : in sequential activities, where people take it in turns to answer a question or take part in a game, try to encourage each person to call on someone else to go next. This not only keeps things moving but it also encourages people to talk to other team members, rather than simply to you as a facilitator.
• Use breakout groups : when groups get over a certain size, certain icebreakers end up taking too long and can stop being fun or dynamic. Consider using breakout groups and running your virtual icebreaker in parallel with groups of over 10-15 people, or when the icebreaker calls for more in-depth responses and discussion.
• Use music : just as a film score is a vital accompaniment to the images onscreen, music can elevate your choice of virtual game. Play relaxing music at the start of a session to set a calming tone, or put on something with a beat to build energy during an active game!

Short virtual icebreakers

Short virtual icebreakers are activities that are designed to take only a few minutes, but still provide an opportunity for groups to connect and engage with each other at the start of a meeting. Here are a few examples:

Remote: Change 3 things

Getting people to pay attention during a virtual team building session can be challenging. This icebreaker is designed to perk up remote teams, ask them to pay attention and also have some fun too!

Start by getting the whole team on camera and ask everyone to observe other team members closely. Next, ask everyone to turn off their camera and change three things in 30 seconds. They might change something about their appearance, perhaps with a hat or costume change, or move something in the background! When everyone is done, get them back on camera and ask other team members to spot the differences and guess what has changed.

Remote: Change 3 things   #energiser   #energizer   #warm up   #remote-friendly   Light, energising exercise that helps the group to observe the other people on the call.

Take a Picture of Your Shoes

What we wear and how we move through the world can say a lot about us as individuals. This activity is a quick and simple way to get meeting attendees quickly warmed up by simply asking them to take a picture of their shoes and share it with the group. Set a time limit and encourage creativity – wacky shoes or fun photographs are absolutely encouraged.

If you have time, ask for a few people to share a story behind their shoes or even get people in breakouts to discuss in small groups. You can even modify this activity to have your group vote on the best pair of shoes or story! We love the fact this icebreaker is incredibly simple but always invites fun and creativity into the meeting.

Take a Picture of Your Shoes   #energiser   #teambuilding   #icebreaker   #remote-friendly   Get to know the other members of your team and share something interesting about yourself in this quick energiser activity.

Rollercoaster Check-in

Checking in is one of the best ways you can quickly break the ice and start your session off on the right foot. When working in online meetings, it can be helpful to include interactive, visual elements to any activity.

For this virtual icebreaker, invite your team to an online whiteboard and draw a line resembling the ups and downs of a rollercoaster. Next invite each member of your group to place a picture or a post-it on the rollercoaster to represent where they are and how they’re feeling. Simply asking people to be aware of how they’re feeling is a great addition to any morning routine!

You might then ask people to share why they put themselves where they did, or simply use this as an opportunity to gauge overall energy in the room. I find it particularly effective to return to the rollercoaster at the end of a session and to ask people how their position might have changed.

Rollercoaster Check-In   #team   #opening   #hyperisland   #remote-friendly   This playful method creates a powerful shared picture of the feelings in the group. Checking-in is a simple way for a team to start a meeting, workshop, or activity. By using the metaphor of a rollercoaster this alternative version supports participants to think differently about how they are feeling. People place themselves at different points on the rollercoaster, explaining their dominant feeling right now.

Rock, Paper, Scissors Tournament

Running a familiar game in a virtual setting is one of my favourite ways to start a meeting. Not only do you get to play with expectations, but it can prove to be a great conversation starter too!

In this online version of Rock, Paper, Scissors, randomly select a pair to face off in your video call and play a round. The winner stays in the game while the loser turns off their camera and becomes a cheerleader for another player. Keep playing until you have only one player remaining!

This fun virtual icebreaker is best played in gallery mode on Zoom so all participants can see each other and while it can sometimes descend into chaos, it is guaranteed to get people involved and generate laughter too.

Rock, Paper, Scissors (Tournament)   #energiser   #warm up   #remote-friendly   This is a fun and loud energiser based on the well-known “Rock, Paper, Scissor” game – with a twist: the losing players become the fan of the winners as the winner advances to the next round. This goes on until a final showdown with two large cheering crowds! It can be played with adults of all levels as well as kids and it always works! 

Chat Waterfall

In remote meetings with large amounts of participants or you are very short on time, asking people to speak up and share on camera can be tricky. Chat Waterfall is an effective way of getting contributions from large groups and avoiding cross-talk.

First, invite people to open up the chat in your video conferencing app. Next, ask an icebreaker question, but instruct people not to send their answer until you say so. Give a few moments and then have everyone press enter at the same time. The result is a wonderful cascade of answers you can then choose to highlight as a facilitator. Add a follow-up if you can or sum up the results as a segue for your next activity.

Chat Waterfall is an incredibly flexible icebreaker activity: whether you want to use it to start an in-depth discussion or just get people virtually communicating quickly.

Chat Waterfall   #zoom   #group mind   #virtual   #remote-friendly   Using the chat in zoom, participants share ideas / challenges and then additions / solutions.

One Word Method

This is one of my favourite activities for virtual team building. It’s quick, effective and can be modified for almost any scenario. The game works by having one person start a sentence with by saying a single word. The next person then jumps in to add the next word to the sentence and play continues with each person in the room contributing a single word until the sentence is complete.

Sentences can end up random, funny or nonsensical, but for an added challenge, set a theme for the group to follow and see if the group can collectively create a sentence that makes sense!

I particularly like setting a theme that matches the purpose of the workshop and using this to segue in a discussion, but it can also be fun to just see what strange places virtual teams go with this!

One Word Method   #product development   #idea generation   #creativity   #icebreaker   #online   #warm up   Creating a sentence relating to a specific topic or problem with each person contributing one word at a time.

Virtual icebreaker questions

Sometimes, all you need for a good icebreaker is an effective conversation starter that lets people get to know each other and start communicating. Whether it’s about what’s on their bucket list, whether they’re a dog person or cat person, or simply what fictional character they most identify with, these kinds of questions are tried and tested.

For best results, pair these questions with Chat Waterfall, call on people to speak or break people into smaller groups to talk among themselves. Dropping a question into a group without structure or clear rules of engagement can be met with an awkward silence. I prefer to use these kinds of ice breaker questions in breakout rooms or in smaller groups and to tailor the specific questions to fit the team I’m working with.

Conversation Questions   #connection   #icebreaker   #trust   #meeting facilitation   #opening  

Virtual ice breakers for new team members

Virtual icebreakers can be particularly helpful for new team members who may feel isolated or disconnected in a virtual setting. Here are a few virtual icebreaker ideas that are ideal for welcoming new team members into the fold and to supplement your onboarding efforts.

The Desert Island

Creative games that allow your team to demonstrate their problem solving skills while collaborating can be an engaging way to kickoff a session. This icebreaker poses that age-old question of what we would do if stuck on a desert island while asking your team to think about what they would need to survive.

Start by sharing a list of items, some obvious and some less so. Ask each participant to choose 1-3 items they would take with them in order to survive on a desert island. In smaller groups, ask each person to select items, though with teams of over 10 people, it can be great to separate into breakouts and deliberate which items to bring as a team. The Desert Island is great for offering a framework for conversation with no single correct answer and which allows creative, individual responses.

The Desert Island   #relationships   #icebreaker   #teamwork   #remote-friendly   Many of us have played a game similar to this before – if you were stranded on a desert island, what essential items would you choose to survive? Participants are given a list of items to choose from and must work together to decide which items will help them stay alive. A great, remote-friendly exercise for a team to work together and share opinions.

Break the Ice with The Four Quadrants Activity

Icebreaker activities that go a little deeper and encourage individuality are great for helping teams get to know each other. In this fun game, each team member is given space for drawing the answers to four questions you’ll ask. You can run this using a virtual whiteboard or by asking participants to draw on paper and share their completed image with the whole team.

Start by sharing four questions with the team: for example, What do I bring to the group? What do I need from the group? What is your hobby? What is your vision for this group? Give each person 5-10 minutes to draw their answers and then bring the group back together to share what they’ve drawn. This activity encourages connection and is a great way to introduce something tangible and visual into a remote working environment.

Break the Ice with The Four Quadrants Activity   #team   #icebreaker   #get-to-know   #teambuilding   The Four Quadrants is a tried and true team building activity to break the ice with a group or team. It is EASY to prep for and set up. It can be MODIFIED to work with any group and/or topic (just change the questions). It is FUN, COLORFUL and works every time!

Who are you? The pirate ship exercise

Every member of a team is also an individual, and in this game, participants are invited to imagine themselves as the member of a pirate crew! Start by sharing the image of the crew of a pirate ship and ask each person to choose who they most identify with. Then ask everyone to share, either in the chat, verbally on in breakout groups.

This exercise can be as quick or as deep as you need and I love that it is easy for everyone to participate while also encouraging some critical thinking. Why do I feel more like the lookout than the Captain? Such games can prime team members work in the rest of the session and give rise to more ideas too!

Who are you? The pirate ship exercise (dinámica del barco pirata)   #team alignment   #team   #remote-friendly   #teamwork   #warm up   #icebreaker   This an easy but powerful exercise to open a meeting or session and get participants to reflect on their attitudes or feelings about a topic, in the organization, team, or in the project.

9 Dimensions Team Building Activity

For teams looking for a more in-depth icebreaker, this activity is a great way to share strengths, weaknesses and preferred ways of working with the group. It’s especially effective at the start of a team building session where you want to build relationships, though it works equally well when inviting people to get to know each other.

Start by posting the 9 dimensions (Adventure, Career / Profession, Community Service, Creative Outlets, My Environment, Family & Friends, Health & Fitness, Personal Growth, Spirituality) in your virtual whiteboard or Google Doc for the team to copy. Next, ask everyone to add a coloured dot to each dimension based on whether they’re crushing it or have room to improve.

Finally, invite everyone to share one dimension for each coloured dot if they’re comfortable and have a short debrief on what everyone learned. By sharing and being vulnerable in this way, teams can learn a bit more about their colleagues and start to strengthen their relationships as a result.

9 Dimensions Team Building Activity   #icebreaker   #teambuilding   #team   #remote-friendly   9 Dimensions is a powerful activity designed to build relationships and trust among team members. There are 2 variations of this icebreaker. The first version is for teams who want to get to know each other better. The second version is for teams who want to explore how they are working together as a team.

Snapshot of my Life

Photographs can do a lot of heavy lifting for remote teams, effectively bridging communication barriers and building connections. In this game, invite your team to break the virtual ice by sharing a photograph from their life with the group. For new team members, this method can be a memorable way of getting to know their virtual colleagues!

You can modify this exercise by encouraging anonymous posting and having the group guess who each photo belongs to, or ask the group to share around a particular theme. With groups where trust is high, ask each team member to share one of the most recent photographs on their phone and tell a story about it.

A snapshot of my life   #remote-friendly   #energiser   #teambuilding   This exercise is great for building empathy amongst team members, and giving each participant a deeper understanding of their colleagues’ backgrounds (particularly great for international or remote teams). It’ll also set a casual atmosphere for the workshop ahead.

Guess the Desk

A companion method to the above, Guess the Desk asks that participants take a photograph of their workspace and anonymously post it to the group. Next, have the group guess which desk belongs to whom and then invite the desk owner to talk a little bit about their workspace.

This activity can be great during an onboarding call or first meeting, as it naturally flows into conversations about how to work effectively and tech set-up, which can help position new members of the team for success. It can also serve to truly humanize everyone in the virtual team and kickstart team bonding you can follow up with later in the session. Who doesn’t like seeing the cute knickknacks, mementos or cool tools their colleagues are using!

Guess the desk   #remote-friendly   #energiser   #teambuilding   An energiser game for remote teams where participants share images of their work set-up and attempt to guess opponents’ desks while bluffing their own!

Virtual icebreakers to get people moving 

Virtual meetings often involve sitting in front of a computer screen for extended periods of time, which can be physically and mentally draining. Virtual icebreakers that involve movement can help to energize team members and improve their focus, productivity and general mental wellbeing. Even a quick stretch can do wonders for engagement!

Here are a few examples of virtual icebreakers to get people moving:

Stand up if

Combining movement and questions can be an effective way to warm-up both the body and the mind. In this virtual icebreaker activity, start by making a statement to the group such as, Have you ever climbed a mountain? If this statement is true, you must stand from your chair. Nominate the next person to make a statement and continue until everyone has had a chance to make a statement.

After a few statements, I like to invite the group to include a stretch or other optional movement when speaking, which other team members must then try to follow. Be sure to invite groups to be creative with their statements and perhaps take over towards the end to use statements which then apply to the session at hand.

Stand up if   #icebreaker   #sharing   #opening   #energiser   #online   #remote-friendly   short, fun, energizing team activity

One of the quickest icebreakers I’ve ever run, Shake down is as simple and effective as they come and it has the bonus of encouraging physical activity among your virtual team! Begin by asking the group to stand if they’re able and then shake each of their limbs eight times in turn. After shaking both arms and legs, then repeat the cycle for four shakes, two shakes, then a final shake with a ninja kick or big cheer.

This game is proof that icebreakers do not need to be complicated in order to be fun, and I love that it can often shake a group awake and get them involved off the bat. It’s especially good for meetings in the after-lunch slump!

Shake Down   #hyperisland   #energiser   #remote-friendly   In this short and very physical energizer, the group shakes out their bodies one limb at a time. Starting with eight shakes of the right arm, then eight shakes of the left, eight shakes of the right leg, then eight shakes of the left. It continues with a round of four shakes of each limb, then two, then one, ending in a big cheer. A good energizer when time is limited and the main aim is to get people moving.

Follow the Follower

Encouraging movement and a little silliness can be one of the best ways to kick off a session where you need everyone to be present and willing to engage. Follow the Follower is a game that can be played virtually just as well as it can by people in the same location.

Start by designating one person as the leader and ask them to lead the group in a movement – yoga poses, terrible dance moves, whatever they like! After 10-15 seconds, the leader designates someone to take over, who chooses a new movement that everyone has to follow. Include music if you like but for best results, include a quick debrief at the end to give everyone a chance to reflect on what it was like to follow and indulge in a little bit of chaos!

Follow the Follower   #zoom   #virtual   #physical   #teambuilding   #connection   #energiser   #opening   #remote-friendly   #ericamarxcoaching   One person is designated as the leader.  Others copy exactly how the leader moves.  The leader calls on a new person to be the leader, and so on. Follow the follower variation is when the leading gets passed to the entire group and no single person is leading.

Modelling the characteristic simplicity and fun we want to see in our virtual icebreakers games, Touch Blue invites the group to find an object in their physical space matching a prompt and then bring it quickly back to the video call and show the camera. The last person to bring back an object gets to select the next one.

By using prompts like “touch something blue” or “touch something hot or noisy,” you can invite participants to be creative while sharing something from their lives. In some groups, you might ask groups to use their whole house and retrieve things from their kitchens or bathrooms. In any case, try to have space for folks to share stories about their favourite items and connect during the game!

Touch Blue   #energiser   #fun   #remote-friendly   Touch Blue is a classic energiser that is quick and easy fun for remote teams too! Challenge participants to find objects on their desk that match the attributes you select and have fun doing so!

Looking Around

This quick virtual game does double duty by encouraging participants to both do a little stretching while also learning a valuable lesson about the danger of previous associations.

Begin by asking your group to stand-up and let them know you’ll be giving them instructions for where to look. Lead them through a round of randomly saying directions while they follow your instructions. Next, make a change and let them know that down now means up and up means down while left and right remain the same. Lead another around and bask in the laughter and mistakes the group makes while warming up! If you’re feeling brave, add further wrinkles by inserting other instructions such as reverse, repeating the reverse of the previous action, or double, repeating the next action twice.

Looking Around   #thiagi   #concepts   #remote-friendly   #energiser   Here’s another jolt that explores one of our favorite themes: You have to unlearn something old in order to learn something new. A nice thing about this brief activity is that you don’t need any supplies or equipment.

Icebreakers for Zoom breakouts

Some virtual games are most effective when used in small, self contained groups where it might be easier to be vulnerable or simply quicker to share and discuss. Other times, breakouts might be necessary just because of the sheer size of your group!

While most of the games in this article can be used effectively in breakout groups, the virtual activities below are those that especially benefit from the format, whether you’re using Zoom or other video conferencing tools. Let’s take a look!

Unique Thing in Common

Finding we have things in common with our colleagues is a gift. In this virtual ice breaker for Zoom, get people into pairs and invite them to find the most interesting or unexpected thing they have in common. This can work effectively with people who know each other well or people meeting for the first time, but be sure to highlight the need for a unique or unexpected thing in common.

If you have time, encourage returning groups to share their facts, though let them know in advance of going into breakouts. Some of the facts that can come up may want to stay between those people in the breakout!

Unique Thing in Common   #virtual   #zoom   #connection   #trust   #active listening   #opening   #get-to-know   #teambuilding   #remote-friendly   #ericamarxcoaching   With a partner, find the 3 most unlikely / unusual / unique things you have in common with each other.  Each pair chooses one to share with the group. 

Virtual Scavenger Hunt

For groups who enjoy friendly competition or when wanting to encourage collaboration, a virtual scavenger hunt can be a great way to kickoff a session. Begin by preparing a list of things each team will need to gather online, such as a favorite movie from the year of each team member’s birth or a Google Maps image of everyone’s childhood home. (You’ll find a full list in the method below.)

Next, give your group a time limit (you may want a shorter timeframe and list when using this method as an icebreaker) and put everyone in breakouts. For bonus points, invite each group in your virtual scavenger hunt to give themselves a unique name and crown a winner based on how well each team has performed!

Virtual scavenger hunt   #energiser   #teambuilding   #remote-friendly   A fun team-building energiser that encourages groups to recreate the scavenger hunt experience in a fully remote environment! 

Discussions in virtual meetings are often more productive when moving into breakouts. For this virtual icebreaker game, start by collecting a heap of inspirational, relevant quotes in an online whiteboard or Google Doc. Next, put people in breakouts and invite them to choose a quote to discuss with the group. They might cover that the quote means to them, whether they think the same, or simply wonder what it has to do with the session ahead.

This icebreaker is great to use at the start of a session where the group may need to use critical thinking and get into some deep discussions. It provides a safe space to practice and get warmed up!

Quotes   #icebreaker   #energiser   #online   #warm up   #remote-friendly   For participants to get acquainted with each other in a meaningful way

Happiness Exercise

Looking for a virtual meeting activity that is guaranteed to raise some smiles? The Happiness Exercise is an incredibly simple invitation for people to share happy experiences in a breakout and discuss them in small teams. You might include a theme or framing question to help guide what people share, but in my experience, it’s best to trust the groups to share whatever comes to mind and let conversations flow naturally.

By using groups of just a few people, you can ensure each person gets space to share and the relationships that are built on this foundation can be meaningful indeed.

Happiness exercise   #teambuilding   #icebreaker   #warm up   #remote-friendly   This exercise is a simple application of the principles of Appreciative Inquiry.

Everyone is a Liar (Two truths and one lie)

This classic icebreaker works just as well online as in real life, though I’ve found it most effective in breakout rooms. The most interesting conversations that arise from this game are often about discussing the two truths that came up, rather than simply finding out if we’re right or wrong.

Start by asking the group to come up with two truths and a lie about themselves and then invite the other people in their breakout room to guess which is which by asking some lie detector questions. This activity is a tried and tested way to help create connections and can be a great icebreaker for virtual meetings too! Where possible, invite participants to share their truths and lies in an online whiteboard or shared document to make it easy to play and to debrief with later.

Everyone is a Liar (Two truths and one lie)   #warm up   #icebreaker   #remote-friendly   #online   Starting a meeting or after a break in a group where participants don’t know each other or don’t know much about each other

Three Wishes

Oh, what we might do if we all had our wishes come true! In this virtual game, you’ll use the idea of a genie that can grant three wishes as the basis for a small group discussion. In breakouts, invite your team to share the three wishes they’d make and why.

This is an incredibly simple game, but it can also create space for great conversations that help teams of any size or maturity get more familiar with one another and have some laughs too! For a more directed experience, invite groups to make a personal wish, a professional wish for the company and a wish for someone else on their team. These wishes can make for interesting discussions that can feed into the rest of your workshop.

Three wishes   #get-to-know   #icebreaker   #remote-friendly   The activity serves as a brief energiser during a workshop, and helps to get creativity flowing. At the end of this method, each team member will be a little more familiar with each other.

Breakout Room Tag

Tired of just chatting in your Zoom breakouts? This fun game is a virtual spin on a playground classic that encourages your team to jump between breakouts and attempt to not get caught! Start by choosing one person to be “it” and let them know they need to count to ten and say someone’s name in order to tag them and make them “it.” Put people into random breakouts and then let the chaos begin!

For even more fun, try the freeze tag version in the method below. Not only does this game create a sense of excitement but it can be a great way to teach people how to move between breakouts and get familiar with your video software!

Break-out Room Tag   #large group   #virtual   #zoom   #remote-friendly   #energizer   #high energy   #ericamarxcoaching   Everyone plays tag, using breakout rooms in Zoom

In Conclusion

A good virtual icebreaker can set up your virtual meeting for success. Set the right tone during kick-off and your team can be more prepared to participate. Break the virtual ice effectively and you’ll help people start talking and engaging without further prompts.

Looking for more effective icebreakers? This collection of icebreaker games is a great source of more ideas that will work in both remote and live settings.

Did you have a favourite virtual icebreaker that isn’t featured? Let us know in the comments below! We’d love to hear about what works for you and your team. Want to discuss facilitation approaches in more detail? Join our community to connect with other facilitators and talk all things facilitation!

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Icebreaker activities

Got 5 minutes? Then you've got time to start making the personal connections that help us do our best work together. We hand-picked a few that build relationships as well as help move your work forward. 

USE THIS PLAY TO...

Get to know the people you work with and let them get to know you. 

Prime your brains for strategic planning, brainstorming, and problem-solving.

If you're struggling with team cohesiveness , or shared understanding on your  Health Monitor , running this play might help.

Running the play

Pull these tricks out of your hat when you're waiting for people to trickle into a meeting, or at the beginning of an offsite centered on brainstorming and problem-solving. Have fun!

Whiteboard or butcher paper

• Index cards

"Dicebreakers" print-out

SUPER QUICK ICEBREAKER QUESTIONS

Got a minute or two while people trickle into the meeting? Toss out a question and have a bit of fun. 

QUESTIONS WITH PURPOSE

What will be the title of your autobiography?

• Theme: Summarizing complex events or concepts
• Purpose: Prepare for activities like crafting a vision statement.

What is your superhero name?

• Theme: Naming stuff is hard!
• Purpose: Practice packing a lot of info into a single, evocative word or phrase.

Who was your first mentor, and what qualities made them a good (or lousy) one?

• Theme: Teamwork and support is important
• Purpose: Reinforce the idea that relying on each other is a part of growth – good for projects or teams with lots of dependencies.

When did you call customer service to complain? 

• Theme: Empathizing with customers
• Purpose: Remembering what it feels like to be on the customer side of a bad product or service puts us in a compassionate frame of mind before discussing trade-offs or designing a new user experience.

What is one thing you learned from a project that went wrong? 

• Theme: Failures are learning opportunities
• Purpose: Focus on risk identification and mitigation.

"JUST FOR FUN" QUESTIONS

Print and assemble one of our  icebreaker dice   for a little extra fun, or just choose one of the questions below.

• What animal would you choose to be, and why? 
• What is the last dream you remember? 
• How do you let teammates know you're in deep work mode? 
• Where would you vacation if money were no object?
• Books, magazines, or podcasts?
• What car did you learn to drive on?
• What is one thing you're grateful for today? 
• When you read or watch TV, do you go for fiction or non-fiction?
• Coffee, tea, or soda?
• Can you remember a bumper sticker that made you smile? 

FILL IN THE BLANKS

I have never ________________.

My friends love me for my ________________.

If my pet could talk, it would say ________________.

One ____________ is better than ten ________________.

ICEBREAKER ACTIVITIES FOR MEETINGS, OFFSITES, ETC.

Exorcise the demons (10 min).

Best for groups of 3 or more. Use this activity to juice up your neuropathways before brainstorming or problem-solving, and have a few belly laughs. 

• Introduce the topic you'll be brainstorming around, or the problem you'll be trying to solve. 
• Using a whiteboard or butcher paper, ask the group to grab a marker and write down the worst ideas they can think of
• After a few minutes, step back and take 'em all in (we dare you not to bust up laughing!). 
• (optional) Ask each person to share their favorite worst idea and why it stood out to them. 

This exercise helps us resist the temptation to self-censor when the real problem solving begins. Because hey: you've already heard the worst ideas the group can come up with. Now that you've flushed them out of your system, you can proceed with your regularly-scheduled brainstorming.

Mystery Person Group Sort (15-30 min)

Best for groups of 20 or more. Use this activity to kickstart creative thinking and see different thought processes in action. 

• Ask each person to write a surprising fact about themselves on an index card, and drop all the cards into a bag, box, or hat.
• Each person chooses a card at random. 
• Now the fun begins. Stand up, mingle, and find cards that align to a theme or are of a type. Keep an open mind when thinking about what constitutes the common threads. It could be "daredevil tendencies", "origin stories", "music", or anything else. There is no limit to how big each grouping can be, but you must find groupings that accommodate all the cards. 
• Have each group read their cards and share the theme they identified.
• (optional) Now, having heard the groupings chosen so far, invite the group to stand up and re-sort themselves. Some groupings will likely stay the same, while others will be dramatically different. 

Notice how the point of the exercise was  not  to figure out which fact goes with which person? That's on purpose. In fact, remember to let participants know that at the beginning of the exercise in order to stave off any anxieties around it.

Telephone Charades (15 min)

Best for groups of 10 or more. Use this non-verbal activity to, oddly enough, warm up for a day of listening. 

• Divide into teams of 5-8 people. 
• Ask one team to come to the front of the room and stand in a line, all facing in the same direction (it's important that they can't see the person standing behind them). 
• Show the person at the back of the line a word to act out silently, but don't have them do so just yet. Show it to the "audience" as well so they know what's up, but make sure nobody else in the line sees it.
• When the person at the back of the line is ready, they will tap the shoulder of the person standing in front of them. That person turns around so now the two are standing face to face (but again: the rest of the line continues facing forward). 
• The person acting pantomimes the word as best they can. Do it 2 or 3 times so the person watching can really absorb and memorize the movements. But do not tell them the word being acted out!
• Now the person watching becomes the actor – they tap the person in front of them and repeat the pantomime as best they can. (You see where this is going, right?)
• Repeat steps 4-6 until everyone in the line has seen the pantomime.
• Laugh your arse off as the pantomime morphs dramatically from how the person at the back of the line originally acted out the word. 
• If the person at the front of the line can correctly guess the word, that team scores a point. 

Make sure each team gets a chance to act, and go until you cry "uncle". Looking for words to have the teams act out? Try these: mermaid, lawn sprinkler, firefighter, Gollum, light bulb, snow shovel, jet ski, surfer, walkie-talkie, frying pan.

Three Things (5-10 min)

Best for groups of 5 or more. Use this fast-paced activity to trigger quick, unfiltered thinking before a brainstorming session. 

• Circle up and choose a person to kick things off – we'll call them Person A. 
• Person A turns to the person next to them (Person B) and names a category – e.g., "types of sandwiches". 
• Person B rattles off 3 things that fit into that category as fast as they can. No judgement and no self-censoring!
• When they're done, the entire group give a clap and yells "Three things!"
• Go around the circle until everyone has had a chance to name the category and name the three things. 

The point isn't to make sure all things named fit the category perfectly, or to come up with the wittiest response. Just let your brains relax so your neurons can fire quickly. Celebrate even the oddest contributions and set an anything-goes tone before diving into more cerebral, strategic activities. 

Be sure to run a full Health Monitor session or checkpoint with your team to see if you're improving.

For more, check out this list of icebreaker games from our pals at Culture Amp. 

If you snapped pictures or grabbed video (especially of Telephone Charades), share them afterward. Try to resist getting a case of the giggles all over again – and good luck with that.

Related Plays

    Rules of Engagement

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If you have five minutes, the Icebreaker Activities Play can help you make personal connections and spark the kind of creative thinking that moves work forward.

Run Time 5-30 mins

People 3-100

What you'll need

• Video conferencing with screen sharing
• Digital collaboration tool
• Dicebreakers cutout
• Meeting space
• Whiteboard or butcher paper

Instructions for running this Play

Pull any of the following icebreaker activities out of your hat in any order while waiting for people to trickle into a meeting, during onboardings and trainings, at the beginning of offsites, or any time you want to put people at ease and spark creativity. Have fun!

Super quick icebreaker questions

Have an extra minute or two? These thought-provoking questions make fantastic, fun icebreakers.

Make people think, get conversations started, and warm up before tough brainstorming sessions.

1. What would be the title of your autobiography?

• Theme: Summarizing complex events or concepts.
• Purpose: Preparing for activities like crafting a vision statement.

2. If you were a superhero, what would you call yourself?

• Purpose: Practicing packing a lot of info into a single, evocative word or phrase. This is a killer icebreaker for marketing teams!

3. Who was your first mentor, and what qualities made them a good (or lousy) one?

• Theme: Teamwork and support are important.
• Purpose: Reinforcing the idea that relying on each other is part of growth. Use this icebreaker for projects or teams with lots of dependencies, and during leadership meetings.

4. Have you ever called customer service to complain? What happened?

• Theme: Empathizing with customers.
• Purpose: Putting everyone into an empathetic state of mind before discussing trade-offs or designing a new user experience.

5. What's one thing you learned from a project that went wrong? 

• Purpose: Focusing on risk identification and mitigation.

JUST-FOR-FUN QUESTIONS

Spark conversation, especially in less formal meetings. You can also print and assemble one of our dicebreakers for a little extra fun.

• What's the last dream you remember? 
• What are your favorite books, magazines, or podcasts?
• What car did you use to learn how to drive?
• What's one thing you're grateful for today?
• Do you prefer coffee, tea, or soda?
• Can you remember a bumper sticker that made you smile?

Get to know new coworkers or teammates.

I have never ________________.

My friends love me for my ________________.

If my pet could talk, it would say ________________.

One ____________ is better than ten ________________.

Curious how we created these vital signs?

First, we ran organization-wide surveys to gather data. Then, we applied the principles of outcome-driven innovation from Anthony Ulwick’s book, What Customers Want , to give each vital sign an opportunity score.

Icebreaker activities for meetings, offsites, and more

Loosen up and get engaged with these fun icebreakers for meetings. 

Exorcize the demons 10 MIN

Juice up your neural pathways before brainstorming or problem-solving, and have a few belly laughs. Best for groups of three or more.

• Introduce the topic you'll be brainstorming about, or the problem you'll be trying to solve. 
• Using a whiteboard or butcher paper — or, for remote teams, a digital collaboration tool — ask the group to write down their worst ideas.
• After a few minutes, step back and take 'em all in (we dare you not to fall on the floor laughing!).
• (Optional) Ask each person to share their favorite worst idea and why it stood out to them. 

This exercise helps teams resist the (often strong) temptation to self-censor when real problem-solving begins. After you’ve heard the worst ideas and flushed them out of your system, you can proceed with your regularly scheduled brainstorming.

Mystery person group sort 15-30 MIN

Kickstart creative thinking and see different thought processes in action. Best for large groups of 20 or more.

• Each person writes a surprising fact about themselves on an index card and drops their cards into a bag, box, or hat.
• Each person chooses a card at random from the bag.
• Now the fun begins. Participants stand up and mingle, with the goal of finding cards that align with a theme or are of a similar type. Keep an open mind when thinking about what constitutes the common thread between cards. The thread could be daredevil tendencies, origin stories, music, or anything else. There's no limit to how big each grouping can be, but you must find groupings that accommodate all the cards — nobody gets left out.
• Each group reads their cards and shares the theme they identified.
• (Optional) Invite everyone to stand up and re-sort themselves. Some groupings will likely stay the same, while others might be dramatically different.

Notice how the point of the exercise was not to figure out which fact goes with which person? That's on purpose. In fact, remember to let participants know this at the beginning of the exercise in order to stave off any anxieties.

Tip: MAP OUT YOUR DATA

If it’s helpful to visualize each of your vital signs relative to the others, you can plot your results on a scatter plot.

When to remove a vital sign

If average satisfaction is higher than average importance, the vital sign is probably not very important to your team, or your team is satisfied with it already. In the future, you can replace the vital sign with one you want to watch more closely.

Telephone charades 15 MIN

Warm up for a day of listening with this non-verbal activity. Best for groups of 10 or more.

• Divide into teams of five to eight people. 
• Ask one team to come to the front of the room and stand in a line, one behind the other, all facing the same direction (it's important no one can see the person standing behind them). 
• Show the person at the back of the line a word to act out silently, but don't have them do so just yet. Show the word to the audience as well so they know what's up, but make sure nobody else in the line sees it.
• When the person at the back of the line is ready, they tap the shoulder of the person standing in front of them. That person turns around and faces the person who knows the word.
• The actor pantomimes the word as best they can two or three times so the person watching can really absorb and memorize the movements. Do not let anyone say the word being acted out!
• The person watching then becomes the actor – they tap the person in front of them and repeat the pantomime as best they can. (You see where this is going, right?)
• Repeat steps four to six until everyone in the line has seen the pantomime.
• Laugh as the pantomime morphs dramatically from the original. 
• The person at the front of the line tries to guess the original word. If they get it right, the team scores a point. It’s up to you how strict you want to be!

Make sure each team gets a chance to act. You can continue as long as you like. Here are some example words your teams can act out: mermaid, lawn sprinkler, firefighter, Gollum, light bulb, snow shovel, jet ski, surfer, walkie-talkie, or frying pan.

Three things 5-10 MIN

Trigger quick, unfiltered thinking before a brainstorming session with this fast-paced activity. Best for groups of five or more.

• Circle up and choose a person to kick things off – we'll call them Person A.
• Person A turns to the person next to them, person B, and names a category, like "types of sandwiches.”
• Person B rattles off three things that fit into that category as fast as they can. No judgment and no self-censoring!
• When they're done, the entire group claps and yells, "Three things!"
• Go around the circle until everyone has had a chance to name a category and three things. 

The point isn't to make sure all things named fit the category perfectly, or to come up with the wittiest response. The point is to laugh and have fun. Let your brain relax so your neurons can fire quickly. Celebrate even the oddest contributions and you’ll set an anything-goes tone before diving into more cerebral, strategic activities.

Tip: DON’T SKIP THIS STEP!

Asking questions and not discussing the outcome is often worse than not asking at all.

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Team Building » Ice Breaker Ideas

42 Exciting Ice Breaker Ideas to Spark Conversations in 2024

Introduction to ice breaker ideas.

In the realm of social interaction, whether it's a corporate event, a team-building activity, a virtual meeting, a classroom setting or a casual social gathering, initiating conversation and creating a comfortable environment can often be a challenging task. This is where ice breaker ideas come into play.

Ice breakers are activities or games that are designed to 'break the ice' between participants who may not know each other well, or at all. They serve as an excellent tool to remove the initial awkwardness and stimulate conversation. The primary purpose of these activities is to create a positive group atmosphere, help individuals to relax, and facilitate communication. The beauty of ice breakers lies in their ability to adapt to various scenarios, making them a versatile tool in any facilitator's kit.

Ice breaker activities can range from simple question-and-answer sessions to more complex team-building exercises. The choice of activity depends on the nature of the group and the intended outcome of the gathering. For instance, a corporate event might benefit from an ice breaker that encourages networking and professional connections, while a classroom setting might need an activity that promotes learning and collaboration.

Ice breakers are not just for the start of a meeting or event. They can also be used to rejuvenate the group during a break or to refocus the group's attention following an intense discussion or activity.

In the sections to follow, we will delve into a variety of ice breaker ideas suitable for different settings. Each of these ideas has been carefully selected for their ability to spark engaging conversations and foster connections in 2024. Whether you're a seasoned facilitator or a first-time event planner, you'll find these ice breaker ideas invaluable in creating a lively and interactive environment.

Benefits of Using Ice Breaker Ideas

Ice breakers are more than just a fun way to kick off a meeting or event. They are powerful tools that can facilitate communication, foster team spirit, and set the stage for productive interactions. Let's delve into some of the key benefits of using ice breaker ideas:

Encourages Interaction

One of the primary benefits of ice breakers is that they encourage interaction. They provide a platform for individuals to introduce themselves, express their thoughts, and engage with others. This is particularly beneficial in settings where individuals are meeting for the first time, as it helps to initiate conversations and build connections.

Fosters Team Building

Ice breakers can significantly contribute to team building. By participating in a shared experience, team members can develop trust, improve communication, and foster a sense of camaraderie. This can lead to enhanced collaboration and productivity in the long run.

Eases Tension

Ice breakers can help to ease tension and create a relaxed atmosphere. They can be particularly useful in high-stress situations or environments, such as business meetings or educational settings. By fostering a sense of fun and enjoyment, ice breakers can help to reduce anxiety and facilitate more open and constructive discussions.

Enhances Communication

Effective communication is crucial in any group setting. Ice breakers can help to enhance communication by encouraging individuals to express their thoughts and ideas. They can also help to break down barriers and foster a sense of understanding and empathy among group members.

Promotes Creativity

Ice breakers can also serve as a platform for promoting creativity. Many ice breakers involve problem-solving or creative thinking, which can help to stimulate the mind and encourage innovative thinking. This can be particularly beneficial in corporate settings, where creativity and innovation are key to success.

Facilitates Learning

In educational settings, ice breakers can facilitate learning. They can help to create a positive and engaging learning environment, which can enhance students' motivation and interest in the subject matter. Additionally, they can help to promote active participation and engagement, which are crucial for effective learning.

In conclusion, ice breakers are more than just a fun way to start a meeting or event. They are powerful tools that can foster interaction, build team spirit, ease tension, enhance communication, promote creativity, and facilitate learning. By incorporating ice breaker ideas into your group activities, you can create a more engaging, productive, and enjoyable environment for all participants.

6 Ice Breaker Ideas for Corporate Events

Corporate events often bring together people from different departments or even different companies who might not know each other well. Ice breakers can help to break down these barriers and encourage communication, collaboration, and camaraderie. Here are six engaging ice breaker ideas that can add a spark to your next corporate event.

1. Two Truths and a Lie

This classic game is a fun and engaging way to get people talking. Each participant says three statements about themselves: two truths and one lie. The others must guess which statement is the lie. This game not only sparks conversation but also helps participants learn interesting facts about each other.

2. Scavify's Corporate Scavenger Hunt

Scavify offers a corporate scavenger hunt that can be customized to your company and event. This interactive game encourages team building and problem-solving, as participants work together to find items or complete tasks. It's a fun and engaging way to get people moving and interacting.

3. Speed Networking

In the style of speed dating, speed networking allows participants to meet many different people in a short amount of time. Each pair has a set amount of time (usually a few minutes) to introduce themselves and chat before moving on to the next person. This ice breaker is particularly useful at large corporate events where attendees may not know each other.

4. The Marshmallow Challenge

This team-building activity involves groups competing to build the tallest freestanding structure using only spaghetti, tape, string, and a marshmallow that must be placed at the top. This game encourages creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving, and it's a lot of fun!

5. Human Bingo

Create bingo cards with interesting facts or experiences instead of numbers (e.g., "has traveled to Asia", "can speak two languages"). Participants must find people who match the descriptions to fill their cards. This game encourages people to mingle and learn interesting facts about each other.

6. The Picture Game

In this game, participants are divided into teams and each team is given a picture. They have to come up with a story about the picture and present it to the rest of the group. This activity encourages creativity, collaboration, and public speaking.

These ice breaker ideas for corporate events can help to foster a sense of community, encourage communication, and make your event a memorable one. Remember, the goal of any ice breaker is to get people talking, interacting, and having fun.

7 Ice Breaker Ideas for Team Building Activities

Team building activities are an essential part of any organization's culture. They foster a sense of unity, improve communication, and pave the way for a collaborative environment. Here are seven innovative ice breaker ideas that can invigorate your next team-building session.

This classic game is an excellent way for team members to learn about each other. Each participant states two truths and one lie about themselves, and the rest of the team tries to guess which one is the lie. It encourages participants to share personal information in a fun and engaging way.

2. The Human Knot

In this physical game, team members stand in a circle, reach across to hold hands with two people, and then try to untangle themselves without letting go of each other's hands. This activity fosters teamwork and problem-solving skills.

3. Picture Pieces Game

This game involves dividing a picture into equal squares and giving one to each team member. They then have to recreate their square on a larger scale to fit together with the others. This activity encourages communication and collaboration.

Teams are given spaghetti, tape, string, and a marshmallow. The goal is to build the tallest structure that can hold the marshmallow on top. This activity promotes creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving.

5. Scavify's Virtual Scavenger Hunt

Scavify's virtual scavenger hunt is an innovative and engaging way to bring team members together, even when they're apart. It involves completing a series of tasks or finding specific items, fostering collaboration, and a healthy sense of competition.

6. The Barter Puzzle

Teams are given different jigsaw puzzles with mixed pieces and need to negotiate, trade, and strategize to complete their puzzle first. This activity encourages communication, negotiation, and strategic thinking.

7. The Common Book

Each team member writes down something they have in common with others (excluding work-related things) on a piece of paper. These are then compiled into a 'common book.' This activity promotes unity and understanding among the team.

These ice breaker ideas can help to create a more cohesive, communicative, and collaborative team. Remember, the goal is not just to break the ice, but to keep it melted, fostering a warm and welcoming environment for all team members.

5 Ice Breaker Ideas for Virtual Meetings

In the age of remote work and digital communication, virtual meetings have become a staple in many businesses and organizations. While they offer incredible convenience, they can also pose unique challenges, such as building rapport and fostering a sense of camaraderie among participants who may be miles apart. That's where ice breakers come in. These engaging activities can help set a positive tone for the meeting, encourage participation, and create a more relaxed, collaborative environment. Here are five innovative ice breaker ideas specifically designed for virtual meetings.

1. Virtual Coffee Break

Kick off your virtual meeting with a casual "coffee break." Encourage everyone to bring their favorite beverage to the meeting and spend the first few minutes chatting about non-work-related topics. This not only allows participants to catch up with each other in a relaxed setting but also mimics the casual conversations that take place in a physical office setting.

2. Two Truths and a Lie

This classic game is a great way to learn more about your colleagues. Each participant shares two true facts and one false statement about themselves. The rest of the team then has to guess which statement is the lie. This game not only sparks laughter and fun but also helps team members to learn more about each other's backgrounds and interests.

3. Picture Sharing

Ask participants to share a picture from their phone or computer that has a story behind it. This could be a photo from a recent vacation, a picture of a beloved pet, or an image of a favorite hobby. This activity allows team members to share a bit of their personal lives, fostering a deeper sense of connection.

4. Virtual Show and Tell

Just like the traditional school activity, virtual show and tell invites participants to share an item from their home and tell a story about it. This could be a cherished souvenir, a favorite book, or even a prized plant. This activity not only breaks the ice but also gives team members a glimpse into each other's lives outside of work.

5. Quickfire Questions

Start the meeting with a round of quickfire questions. These could be work-related (e.g., "What's your favorite productivity tool?") or more personal (e.g., "What's the last book you read?"). Quickfire questions can spark interesting conversations and help team members to learn more about each other's work styles and personal interests.

In conclusion, ice breakers are a powerful tool for making virtual meetings more engaging and interactive. They help to break down barriers, foster a sense of community, and make virtual meetings a more enjoyable experience for everyone involved. So, the next time you're planning a virtual meeting, consider incorporating one of these ice breaker ideas. You might be surprised at the positive impact it can have on your team's dynamics and productivity.

7 Ice Breaker Ideas for Classroom Settings

In the realm of education, cultivating an environment conducive to learning is paramount. An integral part of this process is establishing a comfortable atmosphere where students feel safe and encouraged to participate. Ice breakers can serve as the perfect catalyst to foster this environment, facilitating connection, engagement, and mutual respect among students. Here are seven innovative ice breaker ideas for classroom settings that can spark lively discussions and build a strong sense of community.

This classic game is a great way for students to learn fun and interesting facts about each other. Each student shares two truths and one lie about themselves, and the rest of the class tries to guess which statement is the lie. This activity not only promotes active listening but also encourages students to think critically and analytically.

2. Classroom Bingo

Create a bingo card with various attributes or experiences that might apply to your students (e.g., has a pet, plays a musical instrument, loves to read, etc.). Students then mingle around the classroom, finding classmates who match the attributes on their bingo card. This activity encourages students to interact with each other and discover shared interests or experiences.

3. The Snowball Fight

In this activity, each student writes down an interesting fact about themselves on a piece of paper, crumples it up, and then a mock "snowball fight" ensues. Once the "fight" is over, each student picks up a snowball, reads the fact, and tries to guess who wrote it. This is a fun and energetic way for students to learn about their peers.

4. The Human Knot

This physical activity requires students to stand in a circle and reach out to hold hands with two people across from them. The goal is to untangle the "human knot" without letting go of each other's hands. This activity fosters teamwork and problem-solving skills.

5. The Interview

Pair up students and have them interview each other. Afterward, each student introduces their partner to the class based on what they learned during the interview. This activity promotes active listening and public speaking skills.

6. The Name Game

Each student introduces themselves and shares something they like that starts with the same initial as their name (e.g., "I'm John, and I like jellybeans."). The next student must then repeat the previous introductions before adding their own. This activity enhances memory skills and helps students learn each other's names.

7. The Question Ball

Toss a ball around the classroom. The student who catches the ball must answer a question written on it before tossing it to the next student. This game encourages students to think on their feet and promotes active participation.

These ice breaker activities are more than just games; they are valuable tools to establish a positive classroom culture, promote mutual respect, and encourage active participation. By incorporating these ideas into your teaching strategy, you can help create an engaging and inclusive learning environment for your students.

5 Ice Breaker Ideas for Social Gatherings

Social gatherings are an exciting opportunity to meet new people, create lasting memories, and strengthen bonds. However, it's also common to encounter a few awkward silences or shy attendees. This is where ice breaker activities come in handy. Here are five innovative ice breaker ideas that can add a spark to your social gatherings and ensure everyone feels comfortable and engaged.

This classic ice breaker game is a fantastic way to kickstart conversations. Each participant states two truths and one lie about themselves, and the rest of the group tries to guess which statement is the lie. This game not only encourages participants to share personal tidbits but also sparks curiosity and intrigue, promoting further interaction.

This physical ice breaker game is perfect for small gatherings. Participants stand in a circle and reach out to hold hands with two people across from them, forming a "human knot." The goal is to untangle the knot without letting go of each other's hands. This game promotes teamwork and communication, and it's also a lot of fun!

In this digital age, everyone has a collection of photos on their phones. Ask each participant to share a picture from their phone and tell a story about it. This activity allows individuals to share personal experiences and memories, creating a sense of connection and understanding among the group.

4. The Name Game

This game is especially useful when the attendees don't know each other well. Each participant introduces themselves and adds an adjective that starts with the same letter as their name, like "Jolly Jessica" or "Adventurous Adam." The next person then has to introduce themselves and repeat the previous introductions. This game is a fun way to remember names and learn more about each other.

5. The Question Ball

For this activity, you'll need an inflatable ball and a marker. Write different questions all over the ball. Questions could range from "What's your favorite book?" to "If you could have dinner with anyone, who would it be?" Participants toss the ball to each other, and whichever question their right thumb lands on, they have to answer it. This game encourages participants to share interesting facts about themselves and sparks engaging conversations.

In conclusion, these ice breaker ideas for social gatherings are designed to create a welcoming environment, encourage interaction, and make your event memorable. Remember, the key to a successful ice breaker is to ensure it's inclusive, engaging, and fun for everyone involved.

Case Studies of Successful Ice Breaker Ideas

In this section, we will delve into some real-world examples of successful ice breaker ideas. These case studies underscore the significance of ice breakers in fostering a positive and collaborative environment, whether in corporate settings, classrooms, social gatherings, or virtual meetings.

Case Study 1: The Two Truths and a Lie Game at XYZ Corp

At XYZ Corp, a global software company, the HR team introduced the 'Two Truths and a Lie' game as an ice breaker during their annual team building event. The game involved each participant sharing two true statements and one false statement about themselves, with the rest of the team guessing which statement was the lie.

The result was an atmosphere of laughter and camaraderie, as employees learned unexpected facts about their colleagues. The game not only broke the ice but also promoted a sense of unity and understanding among the team. The HR team reported an increased level of engagement and collaboration among employees following the event.

Case Study 2: Virtual Scavenger Hunt at ABC University

With the shift to online learning due to the pandemic, ABC University faced the challenge of fostering a sense of community among students. To address this, the university's student council organized a virtual scavenger hunt, a unique ice breaker idea for the virtual orientation program.

Students were divided into teams and had to find specific items in their homes, with each item revealing a fun fact about the university or the student community. The activity was a resounding success, with students reporting that they felt more connected with their peers and the university despite the distance.

Case Study 3: The Human Knot at DEF Non-Profit Organization

At DEF, a non-profit organization, the 'Human Knot' ice breaker was used during a team-building retreat. Team members stood in a circle, reached across to hold hands with two people not standing next to them, and then worked together to untangle the 'knot' without breaking the chain of hands.

Despite initial confusion and laughter, the team eventually untangled the knot, promoting a sense of accomplishment and teamwork. The activity served as a metaphor for the challenges they faced in their work, reinforcing the importance of collaboration and communication in problem-solving.

Case Study 4: The Picture Sharing Activity at GHI Marketing Agency

GHI, a marketing agency, used a picture-sharing activity as an ice breaker for their virtual team meeting. Each team member was asked to share a picture that held personal significance and explain why it was important to them.

This activity allowed team members to share a bit of their personal lives, fostering empathy and understanding within the team. It was reported that the activity led to more open and effective communication among team members during the meeting.

These case studies highlight the power of well-crafted ice breaker ideas in creating a positive, collaborative, and engaging atmosphere in various settings. Whether it's a game, an activity, or a shared experience, ice breakers can be a valuable tool in bringing people together and fostering meaningful connections.

Conclusions about Effective Ice Breaker Ideas

As we reach the end of our exploration into the world of ice breaker ideas, it's time to draw some conclusions about what makes these activities so effective and how they can be used to fuel interaction, foster relationships, and enhance productivity in various settings.

Firstly, it's clear that ice breaker activities are more than just fun and games. They serve a critical purpose in breaking down barriers, encouraging conversation, and fostering a sense of community. Whether it's a corporate event, a team-building session, a virtual meeting, a classroom environment, or a social gathering, the right ice breaker can set the tone for the entire event and pave the way for more meaningful interactions.

Secondly, the effectiveness of an ice breaker lies in its relevance and execution. The most successful ice breakers are those that are tailored to the audience and the context. They are engaging, interactive, and inclusive, ensuring that everyone feels comfortable participating. They are also well-facilitated, with clear instructions and a conducive environment for participation.

Thirdly, the power of ice breakers extends beyond the moment of the activity itself. The connections made, the insights gained, and the laughter shared during these ice breakers often carry over into the rest of the event, enhancing collaboration, communication, and camaraderie.

Lastly, the variety of ice breakers we've explored illustrates the flexibility of this tool. From quick, simple activities to more complex, thought-provoking exercises, there's an ice breaker for every occasion. And with a bit of creativity, these ideas can be adapted and expanded to suit any group or situation.

In conclusion, effective ice breaker ideas are an indispensable tool in any leader's toolkit. They are the spark that ignites conversation, the bridge that connects individuals, and the catalyst that enhances group dynamics. By choosing the right ice breaker, facilitating it effectively, and harnessing its power, we can create more engaging, productive, and enjoyable experiences for all participants.

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Scavify is the innovative team building company that combines mobile technology with experiential learning to create unforgettable team building events. Our state-of-the-art mobile app is designed to facilitate engaging team building activities, from scavenger hunts to problem-solving challenges. Our expert facilitators will help you to design a customized event that meets the unique needs of your team and helps you achieve your goals.

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An Eggs-acting Challenge - Creating a Winning Strategy

Aims: • To provide participants with a challenge that tests participants’ abilities to work together to solve a problem.

Time: This exercise will take about 30 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 40 minutes for completion.

Group Size: Suitable for use with groups of any size.

Useful For: Staff at all levels, especially those working together in teams (or who soon will be).

You'll Need: • Plenty of clear space for the activity and a way of marking the start and finish line of the racetrack.

And for each team: • Two postal tubes (stoppers removed). • Two golf balls. • Six eggs. • A flipchart pen.

Notes: This training activity can get messy, so it is best run outside in an open space.

You should also check if any participants have an allergy to eggs. If so, they can assist you in observing.

Anagram Line up!

Aims: • To energise a group. • To test participants’ abilities to work together quickly to solve a simple problem. • To introduce the concept of continuous improvement.

Time: This exercise will take about 10 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 20 minutes for completion.

Group Size: This module can be used with groups of up to 25 participants.

Useful For: All participants.

You'll Need: • Nothing other than the materials provided.

Notes: This simple activity is one you can return to several times in your training to demonstrate the principles of continuous improvement.

Provided you have more than one team, this activity adds an extra dimension to the remote delivery module, ‘ Hands up, Line up! ’ by encouraging participants to reflect on how a silo mentality might impact continuous improvement.

Remote/Virtual Delivery: The Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library is called ‘ Hands up, Line up! ’.

Balloon Chase - Creative Problem Solving

Aims: • To illustrate how assumptions about the nature of a task or problem can get in the way of finding solutions. • To explore how creativity can help solve problems and encourage continuous improvement.

Time: This exercise will take about 5 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 10 minutes for completion.

Group Size: This module is suitable for use with groups of almost any size.

You'll Need: One inflated balloon. (We recommend having a couple of spares.)

Notes: We’d like to thank Resli Costabell for inspiring this icebreaker.

Brain Power Quiz

Aims: • To provide further information about the capacity of the human brain. • To challenge some of the myths surrounding intelligence.

Time: This exercise will take about 10 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 15 minutes for completion.

Group Size: This module is suitable for use with groups of any size.

You'll Need: • A small prize for the winning team. • A stopwatch to time the quiz accurately.

Carrie’s Conundrum - Are Difficult Conversations Necessary?

Aims: • To explore why difficult conversations can be necessary and form part of healthy working relationships.

Time: This exercise will take about 5 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 20 minutes for completion.

Useful For: Anyone.

Remote/Virtual Delivery: There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library.

Course Introduction - A Basic Introduction to Training Events

Aims: • To welcome the participants. • To introduce the facilitator(s) and participants to each other. • To introduce the facilities. • To agree the course objectives and timetable.

Time: This exercise will take about 25 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 30 minutes for completion.

You'll Need: Nothing, other than the materials provided.

Creative Drawing - Artistic Problem Solving

Aims: • Explore how participants can take a more creative approach to problem solving. • Demonstrate a creative way for participants to share their workplace challenges.

Time: This exercise will take about 5 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 25 minutes for completion.

Group Size: This activity can be used with groups of between 25 participants.

You'll Need: • A selection of drawing equipment for each participant. • A blindfold for each participant (optional).

Notes: This icebreaker is designed to be run at the start of a session to encourage your participants to take a more creative approach to problem solving.

You’ll need to contact participants a few days prior to the session to ask them to think about any work-based challenges they face and to record their top three to bring with them.

Aims: • To explore and test leadership, teamwork and problem solving.

Group Size: This module can be used with groups of almost any size although you do need a minimum of 8 participants.

Useful For: All staff including managers.

You'll Need: A set of domino cards. (See trainer's notes for the number you need to print.)

Notes: You will need to prepare your dominoes in advance as per the instructions in the Trainer's Notes.

Aims: • To explore how creativity and teamwork makes problem solving easier.

Time: This exercise will take about 5 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 10 minutes for completion.

Group Size: This module can be used with groups of almost any size. However, you will need to put participants into teams if you have over 16 participants.

You'll Need: • One set of the cards per 16 participants.

Notes: If you expect to run this exercise on more than one occasion, consider laminating the cards.

Five Balls - Goal Setting and Motivation

Aims: • To energise participants. • To demonstrate the value of breaking major projects down into small goals. • To demonstrate how positive thinking will impact upon results. • To demonstrate effective teamwork.

Time: This exercise will take about 15 minutes to complete (longer for large groups). In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 20 minutes to complete this module.

Group Size: Suitable for use with groups of almost any size.

You'll Need: • A large open space. • A stopwatch. • Five balls (tennis, juggling or stress balls are ideal).

Notes: If using this exercise with very large groups, you will need to split participants into smaller teams.

Getting Knotted - Working Together to Solve a Challenge

Aims: • To test participants’ abilities to work together and solve a problem.

Time: This exercise will take about 15 minutes to run. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 30 minutes for completion.

Group Size: This module is suitable for use with groups of between 6 and 24 participants.

You'll Need: Two lengths of string (approximately 30cm long) for each participant.

Notes: This exercise involves bending and twisting and may not be suitable for all participants. Please remind participants to take care in this exercise.

Goal! - Teamwork and Lateral Thinking

Aims: • To encourage participants to think laterally about a problem. • To encourage participants to work together in order to simplify a task and achieve a better result.

You'll Need: • Soft balls (4-6 will do). • A bucket. • 2 large large newspapers (rolled up). • 2 blindfolds.

Notes: You can run this outside, or inside if you’ve sufficient space.

Golf Ball Challenge - Tactical Teamwork

Aims: • To test participants’ abilities to work together to complete a challenge.

Time: This exercise will take about 20 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 30 minutes for completion.

You'll Need: • Plenty of clear space for the activity and a way of marking the start and finish line of the racetrack. (Outside is best.)

And for each team: • Two postal tubes (stoppers removed). • A golf ball. • A flipchart pen.

Notes: A small prize for the winning team would be a nice touch.

For a similar activity, with a different approach, you might like to look at An Eggs-acting Challenge - Creating a Winning Strategy .

Hexagon Shuffle - Problem Solving and Teamwork

Aims: • To energise participants ready for the learning ahead. • To get participants working together as a team to solve a problem.

Time: This exercise will take about 5-10 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 15 minutes for completion.

Group Size: Can be used with groups of between of up to 25 participants.

You'll Need: • One set of the Hexagon Shuffle Cards. (See trainer notes.)

Inspired Rhymes

Aims: • To encourage participants to think creatively. • To help participants feel more confident in their ability to think creatively. • To recognise the positive impact another person’s ideas can have on our own thoughts.

You'll Need: • Enough cards for 1 for every pair of participants.

Notes: A great exercise to energise a group at the start of a creative thinking or problem solving workshop, or to re-energise them after a break. Larger groups may require duplicate cards and a longer running time.

Jigsaw Race - An Introduction to Communication

Aims: • To test participants' communication skills. • To demonstrate the importance of breaking complex messages down into key points. • To illustrate the difficulties of communicating using only the voice.

Time: This exercise will take about 10 minutes to run. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 20 minutes for completion.

Group Size: This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 15 participants.

You'll Need: • A blindfold and a small jigsaw puzzle for each pair of participants. (24-30 piece puzzles are ideal.)

Joining the Dots - Testing Teamwork and Accuracy

Aims: • To test the accuracy levels of your participants. • To explore how well participants can work together as a team.

Group Size: Can be used with groups of almost any size.

You'll Need: • A copy of the handout provided and a set of coloured pens/pencils for every team. • A prize for the winning team (optional).

Notes: We suggest that you try solving the challenge yourself before the session, so you can see how it’s done. It will also help you give hints and tips to participants as they complete the exercise.

Please note, although we have included symbols to aid participants who suffer from colour-blindness, this exercise may not be suitable for those who are visually impaired.

Loop the Hoop - Improving our Solutions

Aims: • To energise a group of participants. • To encourage teamwork and team problem solving.

Time: This exercise will take about 5 minutes to run. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 15 minutes for completion.

Group Size: This module is suitable for use with groups of 5 or more participants. If you have more than 10 participants, split them into smaller teams.

You'll Need: • Hula Hoops (1 or 2 per team). • A stopwatch.

Notes: This exercise may not be suitable for some people with a disability.

Prisoners of Dongia

Aims: • To test participants ability to work together to solve a communication challenge. • To encourage participants to think about communication and the importance of being able to communicate with others. • To consider the importance of checking understanding and taking your whole team with you when change occurs.

Time: This exercise will take about 15 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 35 minutes for completion.

Group Size: Suitable for use with groups of up to 12 participants.

Useful For: Staff of all levels.

You'll Need: Nothing other than the materials provided.

Pulling in Different Directions

Aims: • To explore the positive impact of assertive communication when working with others. • To describe how communication helped or hindered their problem solving.

Time: This exercise will take about 5 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 15 minutes for completion.

You'll Need: • A length of rope. (We suggest around 1 metre per participant.) • A blindfold for each participant.

Notes: If using this exercise with very large groups, you will need volunteers to take part and the remaining participants act as observers.

Shared Effort - The Importance of Teamwork

Aims: • To illustrate the nature and importance of teamwork in a fun way. • To help teams define teamwork.

You'll Need: • One ‘Bendy Person’ for each participant • One A3 sheet of paper for each participant. (Please note that A4 is not large enough.)

Notes: This icebreaker is based on an idea contributed by Kim Davies.

Stepping Stones - Team Development

Aims: • To encourage team development. • To focus discussion on the team's approach to problem solving, communication, success and failure and team leadership.

Time: This exercise will take about 15 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 20 minutes for completion.

Group Size: This module is suitable for use with groups of between 8 and 12 participants.

You'll Need: • One stepping stone per participant plus one extra. (A stepping stone could be a sheet of paper, or a carpet tile.)

Notes: If you have an odd number of participants, ask someone to observe.

The Chicken and the Fox - Clever Problem Solving

Aims: • To help participants understand the benefits of working with others when tackling problems and challenges. • To explain why taking time to nurture ideas helps us to tell the good ideas from the bad ones.

Time: This exercise will take about 10 minutes to run. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 15 minutes for completion.

The Problem with Letters - Testing Problem Solving Skills

Aims: • To test participant’s problem-solving skills. • To explore the different behaviours employed when solving problems. • To identify how these behaviours can impact team performance.

Time: This exercise will take about 10 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 25 minutes for completion.

Group Size: This icebreaker can be used with groups of up to 25 participants.

You'll Need: • One Puzzle Star and set of letters for every team in play. • To cut out the missing letters for each of the Puzzle Stars required and place each set in an envelope (or similar). • A small prize for the winning team (optional).

Notes: This icebreaker works best when participants are split into teams of 2 or 3. It is fine for different teams to have the same puzzle.

There is another module which uses the same activity as this but in a different way. This icebreaker focuses on Problem Solving skills, whereas the other is a course module, ‘Letters Get Better’, which focuses on Continuous Improvement.

The Shoe Shop - A Customer Service Dilemma

Aims: • To encourage participants to consider the difference between good and bad customer service. • To reflect on the impact good and bad customer service has on other customers.

Useful For: Staff at all levels, especially those in a customer-facing role.

Notes: This exercise can be run as a stand-alone session or you can follow it up with LACE – Handling Unhappy Customers .

The Thinking Brain - Preferred Thinking Styles

Aims: • To encourage participants to think about their preferred thinking style.

Too Close? - Benefits of a Wider Perspective

Aims: • To illustrate, in a fun way, the problem with being too close to a situation or problem.

Time: This exercise will take about 5 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 10 minutes to complete this module.

You'll Need: • A small prize for the winner would be a nice addition to this exercise.

Notes: The PowerPoint will automatically move to the next slide after a minute.

Ice Breaker Team Building: Boosting Team Collaboration and Communication

• January 19, 2024
• Employee Training Software

Table of Contents

How can team building boost collaboration and communication among you team? Team building enhances trust, breaks barriers, fosters empathy, and improves problem-solving, boosting workplace communication and collaboration.

Ice breaker team building is a popular strategy used by organizations to foster better communication, collaboration, and teamwork among employees. These activities are designed to help individuals break down barriers, build trust, and get to know each other on a more personal level.

By creating a more positive and supportive work environment, ice breaker team building can help improve employee morale, reduce turnover, and increase productivity.

Understanding Ice Breakers Ice breakers are activities or games that are designed to help people get to know each other, break down barriers, and create a more positive and supportive work environment. They can be used in a variety of settings, including team meetings, training sessions, and social events. Ice breakers can take many different forms, including games, exercises, and questions and dialogue prompts.

Effective Team Building Strategies Effective team building strategies involve more than just ice breakers. They require careful planning, clear communication, and a commitment to building a positive and supportive work environment. Designing ice breaker activities that are well-suited to your team’s needs and goals is an important part of this process. By taking the time to understand your team’s strengths and weaknesses, you can design ice breaker activities that are both engaging and effective.

Key Takeaways

• Ice breaker team building activities can help improve employee morale, reduce turnover, and increase productivity.
• Effective team building strategies involve careful planning and a commitment to building a positive and supportive work environment.
• Designing ice breaker activities that are well-suited to your team’s needs and goals is an important part of the team building process.

For more information on ice breaker team building, check out this article from Harvard Business Review

Understanding Ice Breakers

Ice breakers are activities or games designed to help people get to know each other and build relationships. They are often used in team building exercises to encourage collaboration, teamwork, and team bonding. In this section, we will discuss the purpose of ice breakers and the different types of ice breakers.

The Purpose of Ice Breakers

The main purpose of ice breakers is to break down barriers and help people feel more comfortable with each other. When people are comfortable with each other, they are more likely to collaborate and work together effectively. This is especially important in team building exercises where the goal is to build a strong and cohesive team.

Ice breakers can also be used to help people get to know each other on a personal level. This can be important in a work environment where people may not have the opportunity to interact outside of work. By getting to know each other on a personal level, team members can build stronger relationships and work better together.

Types of Ice Breakers

There are many different types of ice breakers, including icebreaker questions, team building activities, and get to know you games. Icebreaker questions are designed to get people talking and sharing information about themselves. They can be simple questions like “What is your favorite color?” or more complex questions like “What is your greatest fear?”

Team building activities are designed to encourage collaboration and teamwork. These can include activities like building a tower out of spaghetti and marshmallows or completing a puzzle together.

Get to know you games are designed to help people get to know each other on a personal level. These can include games like two truths and a lie or never have I ever.

It is important to choose the right type of ice breaker for your team building exercise. Consider the size of your group, the goals of the exercise, and the personalities of your team members when choosing an ice breaker.

For more information on ice breakers and team building exercises, visit Mind Tools . They offer a variety of resources and tools to help you build a strong and cohesive team.

Effective Team Building Strategies

Building a cohesive and productive team is essential for the success of any organization. Effective team building strategies can help foster collaboration, productivity, and trust among team members. In this section, we will explore two key strategies for building a strong team: building cohesion and trust and fostering collaboration and productivity .

Building Cohesion and Trust

One of the most important aspects of building a strong team is creating a sense of cohesion and trust among team members. This can be achieved through a variety of strategies, including team-building activities, open communication , and clear goals and expectations .

Team-building activities can help break down barriers and build trust among team members. These activities can range from simple icebreakers to more complex challenges that require collaboration and problem-solving skills. By participating in these activities, team members can develop a better understanding of each other’s strengths and weaknesses, which can help build trust and improve collaboration.

Open communication is also essential for building trust and cohesion within a team. Team members should feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and ideas with each other, and should be encouraged to do so. This can be achieved through regular team meetings , one-on-one check-ins, and other communication channels such as email or instant messaging.

Finally, clear goals and expectations can help create a sense of purpose and direction for the team. When team members understand what is expected of them and what they are working towards, they are more likely to feel motivated and engaged in their work.

Fostering Collaboration and Productivity

Collaboration and productivity are also key components of a strong team. By working together effectively, team members can achieve more than they could individually. To foster collaboration and productivity, it is important to establish clear roles and responsibilities , provide opportunities for skill development, and encourage feedback and reflection.

Clear roles and responsibilities can help ensure that team members are working towards a common goal and that everyone is contributing to the team’s success. By understanding their individual roles and responsibilities, team members can work more efficiently and effectively together.

Opportunities for skill development can also help improve collaboration and productivity within a team. By providing training and development opportunities, team members can learn new skills and improve their existing ones, which can help them work more effectively together.

Finally, feedback and reflection can help improve collaboration and productivity by providing opportunities for team members to learn from their successes and failures. By regularly reflecting on their work and providing feedback to each other, team members can identify areas for improvement and work together to address them.

To learn more about effective team building strategies, check out this resource from MindTools.

Designing Ice Breaker Activities

When it comes to designing ice breaker activities, there are a few key factors to consider. It’s important to choose activities that are appropriate for the size of the group and the setting in which they will be taking place. Additionally, ice breaker activities should be designed to encourage connection and communication among team members.

Activities for Small and Large Groups

Ice breaker activities can be designed for both small and large groups. For small groups, activities that encourage conversation and connection are often the most effective. These can include simple connection games, such as “Two Truths and a Lie” or “Never Have I Ever.” For larger groups, it’s important to choose activities that can be easily scaled up and that encourage participation from everyone. Some popular large group icebreakers include “Human Bingo” and “The Name Game.”

Indoor and Outdoor Options

Ice breaker activities can also be designed for both indoor and outdoor settings. Indoor team building activities can include anything from simple conversation starters to more complex team building games. Outdoor options can include physical challenges or games that require teamwork to complete. When designing ice breaker activities for outdoor settings, it’s important to consider the weather and the level of physical activity that will be required.

When designing ice breaker activities, it can be helpful to draw inspiration from external resources. One high authority resource for ice breaker activities is MindTools , which offers a wide range of team building activity ideas for both small and large groups. By choosing the right ice breaker activities and designing them to meet the needs of the group, team building can be a fun and effective way to promote connection and communication among team members.

Ice Breaker Games and Exercises

When it comes to team building, ice breaker games and exercises are a great way to get everyone engaged and working together. These activities can help break down barriers, encourage communication, and promote teamwork. In this section, we will explore some quick and engaging games as well as problem-solving and creative challenges.

Quick and Engaging Games

Quick and engaging games are perfect for getting everyone involved and energized. Some popular options include:

Guess Who: In this game, each person writes down a little-known fact about themselves on a piece of paper. The papers are then collected and read aloud one at a time, with everyone guessing who the fact belongs to.

5 Minute Team Building Activities: These activities are designed to be quick and easy, but still effective. Examples include “Human Knot” where everyone stands in a circle and holds hands with two people across from them, then works together to untangle themselves without letting go.

Icebreaker Bingo: This game is a fun twist on traditional bingo. Instead of numbers, each square has a different ice breaker question or task to complete.

Problem Solving and Creative Challenges

Problem-solving and creative challenges are great for encouraging teamwork and critical thinking. Some popular options include:

The Marshmallow Challenge: In this challenge, teams are given 18 minutes to build the tallest free-standing structure using only spaghetti, tape, string, and a marshmallow. This activity encourages creativity, communication, and problem-solving.

Egg Drop: In this challenge, teams are given a raw egg and a variety of materials (such as straws, balloons, and tape) and must design and build a contraption to protect the egg from a high fall. This activity encourages creativity, problem-solving, and teamwork.

When planning icebreaker games and exercises, it’s important to consider the goals and objectives of the team building activity. By choosing the right activities and tailoring them to the specific needs of your group, you can create a fun and effective team building experience.

For more ideas on ice breaker games and exercises, check out this resource from Mindtools, a trusted source for leadership and management development.

Questions and Dialogue Prompts

Icebreakers are a great way to kick off team building activities. They allow team members to get to know each other better, break down barriers, and build trust. Here are some icebreaker questions and dialogue prompts that can help facilitate meaningful conversations.

Icebreaker Questions for Different Settings

Icebreaker questions can be tailored to fit different settings such as work, school, or social gatherings. For instance, in a work setting, icebreaker questions can be focused on work-related topics such as favorite project or biggest work challenge. On the other hand, in a social setting, icebreaker questions can be more casual and fun such as favorite food or dream vacation spot.

One-word icebreaker questions are a great way to get everyone involved quickly. Participants are asked to answer a question with just one word. For example, “What’s your favorite color?” or “What’s your favorite animal?” This can be a fun and easy way to get the conversation going.

Another icebreaker activity is Jenga questions. This involves writing icebreaker questions on Jenga blocks and having participants answer the question on the block they pull out. This can be a fun and interactive way to get everyone involved.

Facilitating Meaningful Conversations

Icebreaker questions can be used to facilitate meaningful conversations that go beyond just getting to know each other. For instance, questions that prompt debate or empathy can lead to deeper conversations. Some examples of these types of questions include “What’s your opinion on climate change?” or “What’s something that you’ve always wanted to do but haven’t had the chance to?”

Facilitating meaningful conversations can also involve asking questions that reveal personal preferences or experiences. For example, “What’s your favorite food and why?” or “What’s the most interesting place you’ve ever visited and why?” These types of questions can help team members find common ground and build stronger relationships.

To learn more about icebreaker questions and dialogue prompts, check out this resource from MindTools.

Team Building for Remote Teams

As remote work becomes more popular, team building for remote teams is becoming increasingly important. Without the opportunity to meet in person, remote teams can struggle to build strong relationships and work effectively together . Here are some tips for successful team building for remote teams.

Virtual Icebreakers and Activities

Virtual icebreakers and activities are a great way to help remote teams get to know each other and build connections. These can be done during team meetings or conference calls, and can include games like scavenger hunts or connection games. One popular activity is speed networking, where team members are paired up for short, timed conversations to get to know each other better.

There are many resources available online for virtual team building activities. One great resource is TeamBuilding.com , which offers a variety of virtual team building activities and games.

Maintaining Engagement and Connection

Maintaining engagement and connection is key to successful team building for remote teams. Regular team meetings and check-ins are important to keep everyone on the same page and ensure that everyone feels connected to the team. It’s also important to encourage team members to communicate regularly and build relationships outside of work.

One way to maintain engagement is to set clear goals and expectations for the team. This can help keep everyone motivated and focused on the same objectives. Regular feedback and recognition can also help keep team members engaged and motivated.

In conclusion, team building for remote teams is essential for building strong relationships and working effectively together. Virtual icebreakers and activities can help team members get to know each other, while regular check-ins and clear goals can help maintain engagement and connection.

Special Considerations

Adapting for Adults and Youth

Icebreaker team building activities can be tailored to fit the needs of both adults and youth. When planning activities for adults, it is important to consider their experience and maturity level. Adults may prefer activities that challenge them mentally or physically, such as team trivia or outdoor challenges. On the other hand, when working with youth, it is important to create activities that are fun and engaging. Icebreakers that involve games or challenges can be effective for youth, as they promote teamwork and cooperation.

One icebreaker that can be adapted for both adults and youth is the “Human Knot” activity. This activity involves having participants stand in a circle and hold hands with two different people across from them. The group must then work together to untangle themselves without letting go of each other’s hands. This activity promotes communication and problem-solving skills, and can be modified to fit the age and experience level of the participants.

Cultural and Community Awareness

When planning icebreaker team building activities, it is important to consider the cultural and community backgrounds of the participants. Diversity should be celebrated and respected, and activities should be inclusive of all participants. Icebreakers that involve sharing personal experiences or cultural traditions can help build understanding and appreciation for different backgrounds.

One example of an icebreaker that promotes cultural awareness is the “Cultural Potluck” activity. Participants are asked to bring a dish that represents their cultural background, and then share the dish and its significance with the group. This activity promotes cultural understanding and can be adapted to fit the needs of any group.

It is important to be aware of any cultural or community sensitivities when planning icebreaker team building activities. The website Culture Crossing provides a wealth of information on different cultures and can be a valuable resource when planning activities.

Measuring Success and Impact

Team building exercises are a valuable way to improve teamwork and team cohesion, as well as achieve milestones and objectives. However, it is important to measure the success and impact of these exercises in order to determine their effectiveness and identify areas for improvement.

Evaluating Team Dynamics

One way to measure the success of team building exercises is to evaluate the team dynamics before and after the exercise. This can be done through surveys or interviews with team members, as well as observations of team interactions. By comparing the results before and after the exercise, leaders can identify changes in team dynamics and assess the effectiveness of the exercise.

Setting and Achieving Objectives

Another way to measure the success of team building exercises is to set and achieve specific objectives. These objectives should be related to the goals of the team and the organization, and should be measurable and achievable. By setting clear objectives and tracking progress towards them, leaders can determine the impact of the exercise on achieving these goals.

To ensure that team building exercises are effective, it is important to set realistic objectives and track progress towards them. This can be done through regular check-ins and milestones, as well as ongoing evaluation of team dynamics.

According to The Balance Careers , effective team building exercises should focus on improving communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills. By incorporating these elements into team building exercises, leaders can improve teamwork and achieve greater success in achieving organizational goals.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are effective ice breaker activities for new teams?

Effective ice breaker activities for new teams include games that encourage interaction and communication among team members. Some popular ice breaker activities for new teams include “Two Truths and a Lie,” “Human Knot,” and “The Name Game.” These activities are designed to help team members get to know each other better and build trust.

Can you suggest quick 5-minute ice breaker exercises for meetings?

Yes, some quick 5-minute ice breaker exercises for meetings include “This or That,” “Word Association,” and “One-Word Story.” These exercises are easy to set up and can be done quickly to help team members get focused and energized for the meeting.

Which ice breaker games are best suited for virtual team building?

Virtual team building requires ice breaker games that can be played online. Some popular virtual ice breaker games include “Virtual Scavenger Hunt,” “Online Trivia,” and “Virtual Bingo.” These games are designed to build camaraderie and encourage team members to work together, even when they are not in the same physical location.

How can humor be incorporated into ice breaker sessions?

Humor can be incorporated into ice breaker sessions by using funny stories, jokes, or anecdotes. The use of humor can help break down barriers and make team members feel more comfortable with each other. However, it is important to use humor that is appropriate for the audience and does not offend anyone.

What are the 4 C’s icebreaker and how is it used in team building?

The 4 C’s icebreaker is a team building exercise that focuses on communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking. The exercise is designed to help team members work together to solve a problem or complete a task. The 4 C’s icebreaker can be used to build trust, improve communication, and encourage teamwork.

Could you provide examples of ice breaker questions that encourage team bonding?

Yes, some examples of ice breaker questions that encourage team bonding include “What is your favorite hobby?” “What is your favorite book or movie?” and “What is the most interesting place you have ever visited?” These questions are designed to help team members get to know each other better and build relationships. For more ice breaker questions, check out this article .

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