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42 Ridiculously Fun Icebreaker Ideas, Games, & Activities In 2024 For Your Next Meeting

By November 22, 2023 February 6th, 2024 52 Comments

Ice Breaker Games for Work

How much does a polar bear weigh? Enough to break the ice.

Don’t you feel better now that we’ve gotten that out of the way?

BONUS Icebreaker Game
Level Up Your Career In 5 Minutes

Productivity Pictionary Icebreaker ✏️

Instructions: Divide your team into pairs or small groups and give each group a list of work-related terms or challenges. Each team member takes turns drawing a term or challenge on a whiteboard or paper, while their partner or team tries to guess what it is.

This creative and collaborative game not only breaks the ice but also encourages team members to think on their feet and engage in a fun, productivity-focused activity.

⭐️ For more team icebreakers and conversation starters, subscribe to The Assist for free.


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Icebreaker games make meetings better by loosening everybody up and getting them into “meeting mode.” Consider the icebreaker meeting warm-up, an exercise you need to avoid awkward cramps throughout a meeting.

Despite persistent cliches, icebreakers for adults do not have to follow any particular format, and they definitely do not have to be lame. You can use pretty much any game or activity you want to break the ice before your meeting, as long as it gets people talking and smiling. A well-planned virtual icebreaker activity can also be a great way to ease the tension before a conference call with coworkers.

And if you’re really trying to go for some bonus points, consider pairing your icebreaker activity with snacks for the entire team to get the energy in the room pumping.

Without further ado…

1. The Solve a Murder Icebreaker

Cue The Office theme song… Michael Scott enters… “There’s been a murder…”

In all honesty, Michael was actually on to something! Solving a murder mystery can be a great way to break the ice with your team. Check out Outback’s Virtual Clue Murder Mystery for all types of mystery games that are designed for both the physical and virtual workplaces that help to develop teamwork, communication, and culture building.

Remember… If all else fails… Finger guns galore…

giphy

 

2. The Virtual Icebreaker Template

A Virtual Icebreaker Template is a pre-designed set of prompts, questions, or activities that are meant to help team members get to know each other and feel more comfortable communicating and collaborating virtually.

These virtual templates can be used in a variety of situations, ranging from online classes and online meetings to virtual team building activities and remote social events. Typically, virtual icebreaker templates will include introductions, personal preferences, games, photo sharing, and group discussions.

The real benefit of using icebreaker templates is that it provides the right structure for participants to share info about themselves and their interests, bond with other team members, and participate in fun, interactive games and activities. These templates also ensure total group inclusion!

Looking to try one? Here is a list of a few templates to break the ice:

Mindfulness Bingo 🎯 Help your team incorporate mindfulness into the workday

Mindfulness Bingo

Star Wars Retrospective 🪐 Use the force to collect valuable feedback Star Wars
Shark Tank 🦈 Pitch your million dollar idea Shark Tank
Taco Tuesday 🌮 Sync with your team on Tuesday! Taco Tuesday
Conversation Starters 🗣 Ignite engaging conversations to kick off your next meeting Convo Starter

Kick off your online meetings and any other virtual activities with a Virtual Icebreaker Template!

 

3. Snack Time (5 Minutes for Everyone to Enjoy a Snack and Chat)

Stock your kitchen with office snacks

A snack time break in the workplace can boost productivity. Dedicate five minutes for everyone to enjoy a snack and engage in light conversation. In turn, employees can take a rejuvenating break and return to their tasks with renewed energy and focus. This brief pause in the workday creates a relaxed atmosphere, sharpening creativity and reducing the risk of burnout.

On top of that, snack time provides an opportunity for team members to connect on a personal level, strengthening team bonds and improving overall communication. The casual conversations during these breaks can even spark innovative ideas and collaborative solutions to work challenges.

Implement a daily snack time in your office and witness the significant impact it can have on productivity and workplace morale. Grab a snack, connect with your colleagues, and supercharge their productivity!

 

4. GeoGuessr

geoguessr

Integrating GeoGuessr into your workplace can revolutionize a typical break into an exhilarating and captivating experience. This online game immerses players into random locations on Google Street View, challenging them to guess their whereabouts. It’s entertaining and highly educational.

By playing GeoGuessr in the office, you encourage critical thinking and collaboration among team members as they combine their geographical knowledge and problem-solving skills to pinpoint locations.

It’s an incredible way to break the monotony of the workday, exercise team building skills, and stimulate the brain in fun and unexpected ways. The competitive element of the game adds excitement, fueling healthy competition among colleagues.

Schedule a weekly GeoGuessr challenge in your office to uncover who can become the ultimate geographical detective. Explore the world together, right from your workplace, and infuse an extra dimension of enjoyment and learning into our work routine!

 

5. The Movie Pitch Icebreaker

A favorite at Bonusly, split people into groups and have each group come up with a movie they want to make. Everyone should have a short pitch prepared within 10 minutes. (This film is The Avengers meets My Little Pony.) Let everyone make their pitch, and then have all virtual meeting attendees vote on which idea deserves “funding.”

Bonusly Gif

The winners won’t immediately move to pre-production, but they might get a company-wide shoutout on the Bonusly platform for their creativity – next step… Hollywood!

 

6. Create a Themed Slack Channel

Create a #gratitude-wall Slack channel

The SnackNation team set up a Gratitude channel!

Promote team camaraderie and enhance workplace dynamics through crowdsourcing team interests. Gather insights into everyone’s hobbies, favorite activities, and passions to create dedicated Slack channels that serve as hubs for both professional and personal engagement.

From bookworms and fitness enthusiasts to tech geeks and gourmet foodies, these specialized groups provide a platform for team members to connect, share, and discover common interests beyond work-related tasks. This approach breaks the ice and cultivates a more inclusive and engaging office culture.

By implementing interest surveys, you can form Slack channels that perfectly align with the interests of your team members.

 

7. The One-Word Icebreaker

I feel alpaca.

The company culture leaders at Assembly (a free employee recognition software) keep things simple by having everyone describe their current mood in one word. You can have people explain their one-word mood descriptor if you want to add more depth to your icebreaker activities, but you can also just go with the flow and enjoy how cryptic some of the answers can be.

The free Assembly Icebreaker Template allows you to:

  • Design a quiz about any topic and personalize it for the specific occasion
  • Engage employees in a fun and creative way while growing participation
  • Gather interesting feedback or perspectives from the workforce
  • Set different types of questions to keep things fun and interesting

 

8. The Friendly Competition Icebreaker

A Friendly Competition Icebreaker is an icebreaker activity that pits participants against each other in the throes of serious — yet super fun competition. This category of icebreakers is designed to stimulate team members and engage them, while allowing them to get to know each other on a deeper level.

The key benefit of these types of games and activities is that they gamify that early getting-to-know-each-other stage, so your team can bust right through it without even realizing it. You could try scavenger hunts, trivia games, two truths and a lie, pictionary, and charades.

Try out a few challenge-based activities to let employees bond together:

Coworker Feud 🙋🏻‍♀️ Survey says, your team will love this Coworker Feud
Jewel Heist 🔐 A virtual escape room experience Jewel Heist
Knives Out Murder Mystery 🔪 Can you solve the crime before it’s too late Knives Out
Online Team Mini Games 🕹 The ultimate team challenge Mini Games
Virtual Team Jeopardy ❓ Time to wager your trivia knowledge Jeopardy

Break the ice with a little friendly competition!

 

9. The All-Inclusive Icebreaker

Virtual icebreakers are needed now more than ever. As the workplace is being reimagined, it’s looking like one or more days a week working from home or remotely is going to be the standard.

Having said that, the Fun Bundle For Adults is the perfect icebreaker idea for keeping friends, families, coworkers, and employees entertained. These 6 thoughtfully designed PDFs can help you spice up Zoom meetings or be used in just about any situation where you want people to get to know each other better!

 

10. The Virtual Game Icebreaker

What happens when you combine fun online games with built-in video conferencing technology? The ultimate Zoom icebreaker!

These Fun and Affordable Virtual Game Icebreakers were designed specifically with remote teams in mind. The games (trivia, charades, impersonations) will show you new, hilarious sides to your coworkers. For an extra layer of get-to-know-you goodness, each icebreaker activity integrates personalized player trivia into the game – how well do you know your teammates? You’re about to find out!

👉 Check Out The Library of Virtual Game Icebreakers 👈

 

11. The OMG Icebreaker 😮

Brought to you by The Assist, a free weekly email that delivers workplace culture and productivity inspo, this icebreaker activity will have your teammates dropping jaws and sharing laughs. Ask your colleagues this question:

“What is the craziest request you’ve ever gotten in your career?”

Be prepared for some major team bonding and left field answers like the one below:

Early in my career I was a Legislative Assistant to a local politician. I have a laundry list of inappropriate requests, but one that’ll always stand out to me is when she handed me and another staffer the keys to her State-issued vehicle and requested that we pick her granddaughter up from the holding cell at her high school! She was fighting and the school police arrested her. Needless to say, I didn’t spend much more time employed by her. Oh, she’s still in office. – Kendall H., The Assist Subscriber

 

12. The Budget Friendly Icebreaker

A Budget Friendly Icebreaker is an activity or a game that can be enjoyed with little or no equipment. Whether your team is looking to play two truths and a lie, a name game, scavenger hunt, group juggling, or human knot, you’ve got plenty of ways to execute this idea.

The best part about Budget Friendly Icebreakers is that they are inclusive, cost-effective, and can be adapted to different settings. On top of that, a smartly-designed icebreaker facilitates relationships and picks up the pace to develop deep work connections.

Start your next icebreaker on a budget with minimal setup and minimal materials!

 

13. The Online Quiz Icebreaker

Pop quiz! The folks at The Go Game created a really fun and easy-to-use icebreaker tool that will help your team get to know each other a little more each week through ice breaker quizzes and games.

With a huge catalog of ice breaker options to choose from, you will be cracking up with your coworkers in minutes! Choose from activities as short as 5 minutes to longer activities where you and your colleagues can play multiple games via an online icebreaker showdown. Split into teams and participate in rapid-fire activities that are sure to break some ice!

Here are just a few of the icebreaker quiz games you can try out…

  • 🙊 Two Truths and a Lie
  • 🗣 Low Stakes Debate
  • 🎨 Art Draw
  • 🎤 Name That Tune
  • 🙅‍♀️ Wrong Answers Only

To start quizzing your coworkers, get more information at The Go Game.

 

14. “Treat Yourself” Icebreaker 

Recipient-Choice

What’s an even better way to break the ice than any ol’ icebreaker activity? A little online shopping! The folks over at Caroo provide an ever-expanding catalog of premium gifts, delicious treats, gift cards, and more that let you and your guests pick out a perfect gift to cap off your team event.

Simply send over the link, give everyone a few minutes to window shop, and their next treat will arrive at their doorstep. With Recipient Choice rewards starting at $25, this is the kind of icebreaker that your team members will remember!

 

15. The Marshmallow Challenge

This challenge from Tom Wujec, a business visualization expert, makes the perfect icebreaker and team-building hybrid. Break your meeting attendees into groups of four. Give each group 20 sticks of spaghetti, 1 yard of tape, 1 yard of string, and one marshmallow. Ask them to build the tallest freestanding structure they can. Sit back and see what happens. Here’s Tom Wujec talking about the team-building virtues of the Marshmallow Challenge:

 

16. Scream for Ice Cream

This Ice(cream) breaker will place your meeting guests in a fun and lively how-to icebreaker where your coworkers will learn how to make ice cream in a bag! Listen to some tunes, get to know each other a bit better, and shake your ice cream ingredients until everything is perfectly frozen. Yum! The folks at Unboxed Experiences can even provide pre-made kits to be sent directly to remote employees tuning in from home.

Cap off your icebreaker activity by cracking open a soda and pouring rootbeer, orange soda, or cherry cola over your fresh ice cream for a delicious float to sip on as you get down to business.

Pro-Tip: If you are scheduling a meeting for the afternoon, why not segue into a Virtual Beer & Cheese Tasting where you and your coworkers will learn how to identify matching flavors and aromas to create a perfect pairing of craft beers and gourmet cheeses.

Beer & Cheese web image

Sample your next beer flight from home!

 

17. The Foodie Icebreaker

Who doesn’t love talking about food? Chopped, Master Chef, Cutthroat Kitchen, Top Chef, Cake Boss, Restaurant: Impossible… There is even a Master Chef Junior folks… Point is: food is a common ground that we all share and an excellent way to break the ice. 

Bambee, a company dedicated to helping small businesses with their HR needs, sees eating as a fantastic team bonding experience and icebreaker for new hires.

Food can also be the perfect topic for a short icebreaker. Everyone eats, and most people love eating, so it’s a perfect opportunity to get out of the office in a group setting to learn more about each other.

“There’s many benefits about living and working in Los Angeles: the weather, the scenery, the fours days a year when there’s no traffic. One of our favorite things, however, is the food. World-renowned for the available cuisine, our team loves to take advantage by grabbing a bite to eat with a new hire or after a full day of work to unwind.”

-Emily Hill on the Bambee team.

Break the ice by asking everyone what dish they would want to prepare for the team. Ask them how they learned to make it, why it’s significant to them, and what powerful memory they associate with it.

 

18. The Speed “Dating” Icebreaker

Have everyone sit near people they don’t work with. Tell everyone to look to their right and announce that they’ll be spending the next 5 minutes speed networking with the person next to them. The goal: 5 conversations in 5 minutes. Set a timer; every time the buzzer goes off, it’s time for people to find a new conversational partner.

Pro-Tip: Take this team bonding idea online and skip the awkward weather talk with this speed dating inspired corporate activity. Groups will be presented with an icebreaker, and randomly paired one-on-one with a coworker to answer the question in breakout rooms. Participants will then be brought back to the main room for a different question and re-randomized for another round.

At the end, everyone will come together to share their most fun, interesting, or weird fact. Only rule is, you can only share someone else’s fun fact, not your own! Check it out here 👈

 

19. The Escape Room Icebreaker

Escape from prison, uncover ancient treasure, or even steal priceless art with this engaging icebreaker activity!

Escape Room Team Building Hub

If you’re going to escape, you HAVE to work together. Escape rooms give your team a fun way to connect and learn about each other’s strengths and weaknesses. The experts at Team Building Hub have mastered the art of the remote adventure that will ensure your team bonds while also having a blast!

 

20. The Trivia Results Icebreaker

Water Cooler Trivia gives you and your team weekly trivia quizzes that spark conversation and competition. The trivia is super-customizable so you can choose the categories and difficulty that work for your team. You can even choose a “personalized” category like Coffee, NYC, or Tech that their professional question-writers will write just for you.

It’s like all the fun of pub trivia but without the logistics of coming up with questions or getting everyone together in the same room at the same time.

The best way to use Water Cooler Trivia as a meeting icebreaker? Set up the quizzes so that the results are sent right when your weekly meeting starts. Then your team can celebrate the winner and laugh at the funniest responses as a light-hearted way to break the ice. Thousands of companies use Water Cooler Trivia to make their work week more fun and there’s a free four-week trial.

“I’ve been having a ball. It’s interesting to compete with colleagues on the other side of the country I usually wouldn’t interact with.”

-Investor at General Catalyst

 

21. The Holiday Icebreaker

Ho-Ho-Ho… The holidays are (practically) here!

Kick off your next virtual meeting this holiday season with an icebreaker activity that all Rudolph and Frosty enthusiasts will love. Break out the egg-nog, fire up the Zoom app, and get ready to experience one of these holiday-themed icebreaker games:

 

22. The ‘Start Happy Hour Early’ Icebreaker 

Mix things up with a fun virtual happy hour icebreaker to start the last meeting of the week off right. This online mixology icebreaker event includes a delicious beverage team members can sip on as they crush the big meeting and get down to business.

Star your Zoom call with an expert mixologist in the break room teaching you and your teammates how to prepare a delicious drink! Cocktails & mocktails will be crafted, your team will settle into the meeting, and you will get to enjoy your tasty drink as you hop into your agenda.

Sip, Sip, hooray!

Tip: Send everyone joining your virtual mixology get-to-know-you activity a box of snacks that pairs with their drinks.

 

23. The Office Charades Icebreaker

Kick off your meetings by playing a few rounds of charades where the presenters can pick only office-related things. If you’re rusty on your charades skills, here’s a quick refresher:

  • Pick a “presenter” to start things off.
  • Ask the presenter to think of an office item or activity. They can announce the category, but that’s the last time they can talk.
  • Then have the presenter explain the item using only gestures. Any spoken words lead to an immediate disqualification.
  • Laugh a lot. All charades manuals agree the game cannot be played without lots of laughter and yelling.

Pro-Tip: There is also an virtual version of office charades that can be found here.

 

24. Let’s Build a Story Together Icebreaker

We all love a good story, right? Building a storyline is one of the oldest and most fun ways to have a good laugh!

In this icebreaker activity, the meeting host begins the story with an opening sentence on Empuls (an employee engagement platform). They then tag one of the attendees and leave them with an incomplete sentence. The tagged attendee completes the sentence and tags another person to continue the story.

By the time all attendees have completed their turn building out the storyline on the Empuls discussion thread, you will have one crazy hilarious story that you can all read together. Quick, simple, and easy to set-up — this meeting icebreaker is a good mix of engagement and creativity for your group.

 

25. The Boss Q&A Icebreaker

pexels-photo-1059111 Bring in the head of your department or project and give everyone 15 minutes to ask any questions they have, no holds barred. This icebreaker gets everyone thinking about the topic of your meeting. It might even clarify some of the issues the meeting aims to solve.

 

26. Tea & Mindfulness

 

For teams looking for a slightly longer icebreaker, this 30 minute virtual session will refocus and destress your team members via a guided meditation and goal setting activity with Unboxed Experiences’ Guided Tea & Mindfulness Experience. Participants will also learn how to brew and taste 3-6 globally sourced loose leaf and flowering teas as they experience a guided mindful exercise and goal-setting meditation.

Guided mindfulness tastings are fun and can enhance collaboration amongst teams by creating shared experiences. This icebreaker might just be the perfect thing you schedule for your team on a busy day!

 

27. The Logo Love Icebreaker

pexels-photo-697059 During this icebreaker from the American Management Association, participants choose a brand logo they identify with and explain why. Here’s how to play:

  • Hand out name tags and pens.
  • Have participants write their names and draw logos they love.
  • Have everyone share why they chose their logos. Share in a group, or have everyone share thoughts with their neighbors.

 

28. The Yankee Swag Swap Icebreaker

Did someone say swag???

michael-swag

Here is a creative idea to try out during your next company meeting that will quickly help to break the ice and get everyone smiling:

  1. For every person that will attend, order one piece of swag ranging in monetary value
  2. Throw all of the pieces of swag into a box or bag that you can hold up above their head
  3. When the event begins, assign everyone a number 1 through… X
  4. Start with person 1
  5. That individual proceeds to blindly pick (3 seconds) from the assortment of swag items
  6. The piece of swag that they pick becomes theirs… for now… Proceed to person 2
  7. This new individual now picks another item at random and…(this is when the REAL fun happens)… they can then choose to swap swag items with one of the revealed pieces or keep what they’ve selected
  8. Rinse and repeat until the final person picks the last item and they can keep or swap it
  9. You go home with what you have in your hand

Side-Note: this is also a great feedback mechanism to help you determine which pieces of swag people really want based on how many times they are traded. 

 

29. The Trading Card Icebreaker

Meeting with cards Gamestorming recommends kicking off meetings by having everyone make trading cards to represent their personalities.

  • Hand out index cards and markers.
  • Tell everyone to draw a self-portrait and write their names, their nicknames (real or imaginary), and a fun fact.
  • Everyone jumps up and trades cards. People can trade as many times as they want, but they have to read each card they get before they trade.
  • After a few minutes, have everyone announce the name on the card they ended up with. People can even ask questions of the card’s owner if they want.
  • Let the conversations flow!

 

30. The Problem-Solution Icebreaker

pexels-photo-1020313An excellent strategy to highlight your company culture, give everyone about ten minutes to pick out the biggest problems they see in the office and quickly dream up solutions. People can volunteer to pitch their ideas. Encourage problem solving and creative thinking by declaring the room a safe zone, even if the boss is in the room. These quick ice breaker ideas will break the thickest of ice, and it might even inspire some projects if someone pitches an idea that resonates with the room.

 

31. The Shoe Icebreaker

pexels-photo-267202 This icebreaker from Chron requires zero prep and very little time to complete, but it’s pretty unforgettable. Have everyone leave one shoe by the door. Redistribute the shoes so everyone has one shoe that doesn’t belong to them. Set a timer for five minutes, and tell everyone to find the shoe’s owner and then strike up a 2-minute conversation, preferably about a subject other than shoes.

 

32. Laugh Out Loud Icebreaker 

Break a smile to break the ice! Nothing warms up a group quite like shared laughter. What most folks don’t know is that laughing together also relieves stress, connects teammates and boosts productivity.

Laughter On Call has a variety of distinct and effective services that use a unique mix of Improv games and Stand-up prompts, led by a team of professional comedians. Starting off a big meeting, conference, or culture building activity with a laughter icebreaker can help settle everyone in and open up the lines of communication.

Laughter-Icebreaker

Also, because Laughter On Call started in the healthcare space all their programs put mental health first creating a space that is compassionate, inclusive and downright fun!

Whether your goal is team-building, improving communication skills, encouraging innovation or simply sending the message, “We care about your well-being,” LOC will customize a icebreaking workshop exactly right for you. Available virtual, hybrid and in-person.

 

Bonus: The Props Icebreaker

pexels-photo-1083623 To conduct this inspirational icebreaker, give everyone five minutes to think of a recent situation where one of their co-workers blew them away with their skills and kindness. (It’s a major plus if the situation involves someone in the meeting!) Now have everyone tell the stories to the rest of the group.

 

33. The Company History Icebreaker

SignUpGenius’s icebreaker helps employees learn some valuable company history. Make a list of icebreaker questions, pop them on the projector, and ask employees if they know the answers. (Individual buzzers could be totally cool if you have any on hand!) Here are some question ideas:

  • Mission statement
  • Founding year
  • Biggest goal
  • Founder’s name
  • Number of employees
  • Biggest competitor

 

34. Paint & Sip Icebreaker

This virtual icebreaker brings colleagues together to flex their creative minds and sip some bubbly in a relaxed atmosphere! Drawing and painting can keep employees engaged while taking them to a place free of competition and workplace pressures. Coworkers can bond through their shared creative journey, and walk away with a fun experience and a beautiful keepsake to remember after!

Pro-Tip: Try adding a theme to this icebreaker activity. Some of our favorites:

  • Hawaiian luau
  • Emo artists
  • Pirates
  • Silly accents
  • Shakespeare
  • Famous royals
  • Food Network star

Paint Nite offers fun icebreaker activities and food/drink packages for in-person, remote, or hybrid teams looking to add even more flair and energy to the party.

 

35. The No Smiling Icebreaker

Govloop has a counter-intuitive icebreaker that actually leads to lots of laughter. Tell everyone they can’t smile during the first five minutes of the meeting. You’ll be amazed at how humorous some people become when they’re told not to smile. Get the camera ready to take some silly pictures.

 

36. The Instagram Icebreaker

pexels-photo-174938 To conduct this idea from William Joseph, just give employees a few minutes to scroll through their Instagram photos and pick a snapshot they want to share with the group. They can share the photo and explain why they picked it. This will help some personality shine through, especially if people on your team need to get to know each other. You can also pick a photo to caption together and schedule the Instagram post for a time to review at your next meeting. If you were looking for some team icebreakers – this would be the one.

Bonus: The Friendly Debate Icebreaker

pexels-photo-601170 Use this student-centric icebreaker idea from the Cult of Pedagogy in your next meeting. Start out by posing a harmless would you rather question that prompts people to choose a side. Here are some examples:

  • Which food is better: pizza or tacos?
  • Would you rather go on a hike or to a movie?
  • What skill is more valuable: creativity or logic?
  • Which is worse: being bored or being too busy?

Have everyone physically divide into sides—pro pizza to the right; pro taco to the left. Let all the like-minded people discuss the virtues of their position for a while, and then have a representative try to sell the other side of the room. This will give everyone a chance to see things from different perspectives. It will open everyone’s minds for a productive meeting.

 

37. The Employee-Driven Icebreaker

This icebreaker takes the cake on ease. Have each meeting attendee bring their favorite icebreaker. This “icebreaker” can be a funny joke, a quote, a phrase, an activity—anything at all. This icebreaker works because it removes the “Why are you making me do this?”  factor. Everything employees do will be self-inflicted.

 

38. The Electric Fence Icebreaker

This icebreaker from Toggl gets employees up and moving as they build an imaginary electric fence and try to cross it without getting “electrocuted.” Make the fence by tying some string between two chairs. They can cross the fence however they like as long as they don’t go under it.

 

39. The Things-in-Common Icebreaker

pexels-photo-711009

This FairyGodBoss icebreaker helps teammates get to know each other on a deeper level by discovering what they have in common. Split people into groups and tell them to find out how many things they have in common.

The group who discovers the most things in common wins, so it pays to be persistent and thoughtful. (Physical features and clothing colors do not count!) Each group will announce what they have in common to the rest of the group. Have everyone else raise their hand if they also have the thing in common.

 

40. Conflict Resolution Role Play

Most people, especially in work environments, avoid conflict like the plague. That’s amazing right? Why shouldn’t we all just get along? Because just “getting along” isn’t that simple all the time. And if most people eschew conflict, then most people probably don’t know how to deal with it, or more importantly, resolve it, when it does come up.

This role-playing ice breaker deals out some conflict-resolution takeaways, and it also captures everyone’s attention and get them invigorated for your meeting. Why? Because this exercise involves drama, and there are few things people find more compelling than that. Start by selecting your conflict premise. You can make up your own based on your personal office experiences or use/borrow some of these for inspiration. Keep things simple by sticking to just two “characters.”

  • Adam confronts Mimi, angry that she got the promotion he wanted.
  • Agatha asks Martin why he shot down an idea they’d discussed many times before during an all-hands meeting.
  • Andre asks Tim why he didn’t get a raise this year.
  • Lena tells Mary she finds her recent work inadequate.

Create your discussion questions. These are the questions you’ll discuss as a group after the role-play skit is complete. Design questions that make people examine the success of the characters’ conflict resolution efforts and explore how things could have been handled differently. For example:

  • How do you think each person felt after this exchange?
  • What would you have said if you were Mimi?
  • How do you imagine these two will behave around each other when they meet again?

When it’s meeting time, ask for 2 volunteers to play the characters. Tell them your premise and set a timer for 5 minutes. Make sure they know they can behave however they want and say anything they want. People will get the most from this 5-minute team building activity if it’s truly organic and open-ended. After the skit, set a timer for 10 minutes and pose your discussion questions with the group.

 

41. Play a Round of Spyfall

Spyfall is a role-playing and guessing game rolled into one. You can play it on phones or computers, and you don’t need any materials to get started. Game summary: The interface assigns each player an identity. One person is the “spy.” All the non-spies are in the same location (their identity assignments tell them what this location is). The spy’s identity assignment includes no location.

  • The objective for the non-spies is to guess who is the spy.
  • The objective for the spy is to guess everyone else’s location.

To play, everyone asks each other thoughtful questions until someone has enough clues to wager a guess. Spyfall makes a perfect icebreaker because it is the kind of group game that gets people thinking critically, talking to each other, and also getting unprecedented insight into how their coworkers’ minds work. It’s also incredibly fun. (Most games last less than 15 minutes.)

 

42. Thought Experiment Icebreaker

Warm up everyone’s active thinking muscles before your big meeting with a thought experiment icebreaker. Thought experiments prep people to challenge assumptions and status quos and to think outside the box. This icebreaker will be especially helpful before a brainstorming session. The Thiagi Group has a toolkit that will help you get started with some meeting-appropriate, quick thought experiments that get participants considering the work competencies and skills they value most in themselves.

 

Bonus #1 Peek Into Each Other’s Home Office/Workspace Icebreaker

An icebreaker for distributed teams, the good folks at Time Doctor recommend an exercise that encourages team members to open their home offices/workspaces to one another virtually. Each team member will make a short video showing off their home office/workspace and some of their favorite things.

This activity allows team members to get to know one another on a more personal level and can lead to feelings of welcomeness and friendship. This activity may be better suited for small teams, but it’s undoubtedly a great way to get the personal feel going. Another way to do this is by allowing one team member to show off their home office/workspace at the beginning of each week’s work meeting, on a team member’s birthday, or during a virtual happy hour cocktail kit experience.

Bonus #2 The Inspirational Speaker Icebreaker

Put meeting attendees out of the spotlight and invite an inspirational speaker to break the ice before your meeting. Pick someone with expertise in what your company does or what you’re meeting is about. Ask the presenter to make the talk super quick so there’s plenty of time for Q&A.

Bonus #3 The Personality Quiz Icebreaker

Make sure everyone has their smartphones. (We doubt this will be a problem.) Send everyone a link to a personality quiz you think they would like. Since there are probably over a million quizzes circulating, we know there will be one to pique your interest. Everyone can take the quiz and then reveal their results to the group. Have everyone explain why they agree or disagree with the results.

Bonus #4 The Toilet Paper Icebreaker

This idea from Lifehack requires minimal effort and minimal funds. To play, pass a roll of toilet paper around and have everyone rip off how much they would usually use. Everyone will probably think you’re crazy. When the toilet paper makes it all the way around the circle, have everyone count their squares. The number of squares each person took is the number of fun facts they have to reveal about themselves.

Bonus #5 The “5 Minute Vacation” Icebreaker

What better way to get to know your team than to travel together?

Grab your passport and join your fellow meeting attendees on a tour of the world. A quick virtual tour is a fun and informative way to learn about the world from the comfort of your desk. Plus, you can learn more about which countries and places your coworkers have been to before! This icebreaker encourages active collaborative participation from team members and gets them ready to engage before the next meeting.

Choose one person to be your “tour guide” and watch as you take a few minutes to uncover some of Earth’s wonders.

Tip: You can use a platform like Google Earth to make your virtual trip a success!

Bonus #6 The “Building Connections” Icebreaker

BrightfulBuild deeper relationships while having fun together with Brightful’s meeting games!

Hop into a gameroom and choose from a list of lighthearted or deep questions to get to know your teammates better. Or if you prefer, you can hang out over a game of cards, Werewolf or Draw It to let the fun times happen organically!

Brightful works with all video conferencing software. There is nothing to download or install.

Bonus #7 The Mindfulness Icebreaker

Meetings can sometimes fail because of what we bring to them, and we’re not talking about notebooks and cell phones. If meeting attendees feel stress, especially about the meeting itself, then tension will dominate the agenda.

Reduce stress by opening the meeting with a mindfulness icebreaker. Start with three minutes of silent contemplation, and then have everyone write down what is stressing them out. When everyone finishes writing, tell them to rip up their stress. Put all the scraps together in a bowl on the table.

Bonus #8 The Artsy Icebreaker

Prep your meeting table with art supplies. At the very least, provide 2 sheets of paper and 1 pencil for everyone. But if you think your team will be into it, then go ahead and go crazy with colored pencils, paint, glue, dry noodles, and anything else you can stick on paper.

Give everyone a prompt to avoid creative block. We love Artwork Achieve’s prompt, “Illustrate a cause or current event that you are passionate about.” Allow 10 minutes for creating and 10 minutes for sharing and discussing.

Bonus #9 The Minefield: The Obstacle Icebreaker

This classic classroom activity from TeachThought makes the perfect meeting icebreaker. Set up “obstacles” around the conference room table. (We recommend something harmless and funny, like squeaky toys.) Now everyone takes turns navigating the obstacles while blindfolded, guided only by the shouts and direction of their teammates.

(PS – Get more sh*t done with The Assist — the #1 free weekly newsletter made for assistants by assistants.)

People Also Ask These Questions About Icebreaker Games

Q: How can icebreakers boost work productivity?

  • A: Icebreaker games make meetings better by loosening everybody up and getting them into “meeting mode. With a quick 5 minute activity, employees will be energized to tackle the meeting with enthusiasm. The only tough part is finding the right activity for your team. To get you started, we have compiled our unique list of icebreaker games to try at your next meeting.

Q: What are some fun icebreaker games for work in 2024?

Q: Where can I find good icebreaker games for my next meeting?

 

Do you have any favorite fun icebreakers you want to share? Let us know in the comments below.

Motivating & Managing Employees Resources:

Thoughtful Employee Recognition & Appreciation Ideas for 2024 [Updated]

Team Building Kits For Boosting Engagement

141 Inspirational and Motivational Quotes for Work

21 Freakishly Effective Ways to Motivate Employees

11 Insanely Powerful and Motivational Videos For Your Team

Managing Millennials in The Workplace: Stop Making It Complicated

17 Lessons Most First Time Managers Make the Hard Way

How to Run a Productive One-on-One Meeting

14 Essential Team Management Skills for First-Time Managers

79 Insanely Fun Team Building Activities For Work

31 Things Successful People Do To Increase Their Productivity at Work

52 Comments

  • Alexis says:

    I have used a “Don’t Judge Me” Icebreaker before.

    I had each team member anonymously write something they’ve done and felt guilty about during the week that they haven’t told anyone.

    We had some funny ones like: I ate my kid’s last fruit snack and some others like: I accidentally banged my car door on someone else’s car (no damage though!).

    Sometimes it’s best to free ourselves of something we’ve done that may be frowned upon. 🙂

  • Steven Fales says:

    Tremendous article. Thank you. I also found Alexis’ comment helpful. Much appreciated.

  • Leena says:

    Any ideas for a conflict management training session? I found mindfulness icebreaker and problem solution icebreakers closer to my subject. I am looking at an icebreaker which will set the tone for the 2 day training program

  • Eric says:

    Re idea for a conflict management ice breaker….

    Get a two litre bottle of fizzy drink and pass it to someone. Ask them to say something that makes them feel really angry, they can say it in an angry voice and as they say it; they should give the bottle an angry shake.

    Then ask them to pass the bottle onto the person next to them; and repeat with each person in the room.

    When the bottle comes back to you, get a cloth and gently open the bottle releasing all the gas. You have choices in how you respond to anger, you can add more, or you can find ways to reduce tensions.

    • I LOVE This, Eric! There is a magic trick I perform called “Fizz Master” where people shake up a can of soda, and you transfer the combustion to another can. The secret is that the fizz calms down quickly in the shaken can and you squeeze the other can while you open it to act like it’s fizzy. I hope this contributes to you! (While this is a ‘magic secret’ these ice breaker secrets are just as valuable~

    • KayCee says:

      do you have any idea about icebreaker for a class that can be related to the topic we discussed?

  • Annie says:

    Love the idea of – ‘ Movie Pitch Icebreaker’. Going to try it in my meeting. 🙂 Thank you for the idea.

  • Rachel says:

    These are some great ideas! I run a youth club, and I’m definitely using the trading card icebreaker tonight to kick off the year.

  • Donna says:

    There is always the tried and true, 2 truths and a lie. Fun way to keep all involved and laughing. Sit in a circle and go around, each person introduces themselves the shares 2 truths and a lie. The rest has to guess.

  • Louise says:

    This one is fun. Give everyone a coin. Ask each of the participants to tell the rest something about them that made that year memorable (if the coin is older than the person, swap it out for a new one!)

  • Alex says:

    Great ideas. Enough to satisfy a range of meeting types. Some of these could be thrown in part way through the day too especially the One-Word ice breaker.

  • Esther says:

    Am new to my supervisory role ,planning a learning & reflection session for my team , No smile Icebreaker ,man that’s going to be difficult ahahah

  • meghana Patil says:

    Can anyone suggest me an ice breaker session.. For the new joiners in the company so that they know get to know each other…. Apart from introducing themselves I am searching for something new… Please suggest if anyone has some ideas

    • Jim says:

      How about getting to know you pictionary. Give them 2 minutes each with whiteboard and marker to draw as many things about themselves as they can for the others to guess…incentivise with biscuits!

  • Carole says:

    I need a health/wellness ice breaker about 5 minutes long before a meeting on Tuesday.
    Help please.

    • Monica Linares says:

      Hi Carole! A simple icebreaker you could do is to have everyone say what their favorite fruit or veggie is and how they like to prepare it. This could spark some great ideas and encourage team members to eat healthier in a new way!

  • Vlad says:

    We use 2 ice breaks. First like you must say for what things you love the company. And second addition for first part. What feat is my company can do for me?
    Thanks you very mauch for article! Sorry my English.

  • Tot Ellis says:

    A great ice breaker is a human bingo. create a bingo with things like: have a tattoo, hates chocolate, speaks two languages, has a broken bone etc. participants will mingle and write names of person in meeting who matches each slot. rule varies and can be that they cannot repeat names or can repeat only once.

  • Shawn says:

    I do believe you get your arse kicked at any place I’ve ever worked for all of these except maybe the marshmallow one. Thank you for that one at least

  • Krizel says:

    Help me for an Ice breaker where we each of our team members can say thank you to our team. ☺️

    • Monica Linares says:

      Hi Krizel! As a part of our weekly team meeting, we start off with ‘Team Wins’ in which every person has the chance to call out another team member that did a great job that week. Hope this helps – we love it!

  • Richard says:

    I have a presentation on how social media influences consumer behavior . Any tips ?

  • Cailee Yielding says:

    I am an Orientation leader at my community college and i have to get the Freshman coming in involved during our orientation session! One Ice breaker I use is cheap and simple! Go to your local Walmart or Dollar General and get a soccer ball, look up questions on the internet and fill in each section of the ball with a question, then throw the ball (gently, unless the person ate your lunch) at someone and call out a finger, where ever the finger is located on the ball is the question they answer! Its fun and a really good way to get to know someone!

    • Laura Nguyen says:

      Hey Cailee. Thanks so much for sharing! That sounds really fun!

    • What type of questions do you put? says:

      What type of questions do you put?

    • Jerrie says:

      We have used an inflatable beach ball for this one as well. You can get them at the dollar tree as well and they may be a little safer, lol. We typically tell them to answer the question at their right thumb (or choose a finger). This one is really fun. Questions can be anything, What was your favorite vacation?, What was your first car?, Where were you born?, What was your first or favorite job?, What is your dream job?, What is your favorite hobby?, What is your favorite restaurant?, etc……

  • peter says:

    Very good way to make the office atmosphere more harmonious,thank you for your sharing.

  • Kris says:

    Ice Breaker Activity
    Title: Dum Dum Fun
    Time: 10-15 Minutes
    Type of Group it would be appropriate for: Educational/Discussion/Support Groups
    Population: Any
    Age: Any
    Materials Needed: Bag of Dum Dum Lollipops
    Explanation: Each member will be encouraged to choose their favorite flavor lollipop out of the bag/basket upon entry to the meeting. Once everyone has chosen, then the facilitator/leader will provide instruction. ‘Look at the wrapper of the lollipop you chose, take note of the flavor. Count the number of letters in the flavor name. Please be prepared to share that amount of facts about yourself. For example, if the flavor is -Cherry- please share 6 things about yourself with the group. They can be things like your favorite color, food, favorite place, restaurant, favorite time of year, or even how many pets you have’ Then after instruction the facilitator will provided 1-2 minutes for the members to come up with their ideas, then they will demonstrate, and then choose someone to begin.
    Benefits: The success of any group is based on the level of comfort each member has for the group. When entering a group of people you don’t know sometimes you can be shut off from building a relationship with them to establish any sort of comfort. This activity encourages you to get to know the members of your group. You, can discover that maybe you share the same likes or interests as another member which can lead you to feel more comfortable; and encourage you to open up more in the future.
    Attachments: None
    Considerations: May want to get sugar free lollipops for those who may be diabetic
    Precautions: limit each members share to about 30 seconds to a minute, discourage other members making comments on shares.

  • Julia Wolfe says:

    Mad Libs

    Did this at a meeting and it was a big hit.

    Ahead of time, write several sentences on easel paper, replacing key words with blank lines, e.g. “Members of my team are _____.” “I like my______ because they are ______.”

    Create a card for each removed word. Write the type of word on one side, e.g. group of people, noun, adjective, etc. Leave the other side blank.

    Each participant should have a card placed face down on their chair. (This will determine how many sentences you need.)

    Once you reveal the game, they can look at their card. They write a word that matches the category, e.g. elephant, blue.

    You may want to ask if everyone knows what an adjective is. Don’t assume everyone does.

    When time is up, ask “Who has a (noun? adjective?)” and fill in the blanks.

    Reveal the sentences with the new words in them.

    Laugh.

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  • Absolutely amazing list, thanks a lot for sharing. I would go for #4 – The Online Quiz Icebreaker. I love quiz games and I think it’s a great way to get to know each other. Thanks a lot for sharing these icebreakers and team-building methods with us!

  • I visited your. article! I really like it. Lots of good information. Keep it up.

  • My share is here,

    simple icebreaker you could do is to have everyone say what their favorite food is and how they like to prepare it, it would encourage team members to collaborate, have friendly time & healthy eat together ! + spark at work place

  • These are some amazing fun activities! The No Smiling Icebreaker is my personal favorite. Really glad that I came across this blog.

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