The question "How is everyone?" at the beginning of every meeting isn't always the best icebreaker to encourage team bonding. Sometimes a fun icebreaker game or activity can help. The best icebreakers have the power to strengthen employee bonds, encourage better brainstorming sessions, and create an atmosphere of inclusivity. To make the most of those 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 instead of asking "how is everyone" and you're sure to hear some better and more insightful answers than "I'm fine". Are you looking for a specific type of icebreaker? Jump to: Show off the artistry of your teammates and create a scenario of their masterpieces in this icebreaker.Gartic Telefongives you a short time frame to sketch photos based on other players' prompts - and can lead to some hilarious artwork. The more nonsensical the request, the funnier the drawings will be. You'll also get brownie points if you save and share some of the funniest drawings, and then share them with the team on Slack. Featured Resource Drawasaurusis one of my favorite online drawing games that I play with colleagues. Players can choose from three random prompts to quickly interpret and draw their vision. Other players can get more points by recognizing the word the quickest and taking turns playing until time runs out. Thinking out of your head is a lot harder said than doneScattergories. The game's host can choose from topics as broad as foods and countries or as odd as "things grandma would say". Each round, the game highlights a random letter of the alphabet and lets players find any noun or phrase that begins with that letter. Best of all, players can discuss answers among themselves to achieve victory. This is a perfect icebreaker for your overly competitive peers. A pretty simple icebreaker, teammates can share an item they love via Zoom. Whether it's a valuable collector's item or an item that inspires nostalgia, there are many stories waiting to be told. Outside of the workplace, your teammates are people with aspirations and goals that you wouldn't know about over 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 up an opportunity for team members to encourage each other to achieve their dreams. It is a particularly uplifting team bonding activity that will bring your team even closer together. While distributed teams may not have the opportunity to shake hands or hug, you can still share love between one another in this icebreaker. Say something nice with another team member, and it could be anything you want as long as it's respectful and uses good judgment. For every person who receives a friendly message, they are the next to forward a message to a member of the group who didn't receive one - this ensures that everyone is given equal praise. Praise them for helping out on a project, for the energy they bring to the team, or for their lovely smile. Making something with your team can be a great opportunity to learn something new and keep decorative memorabilia in your space. Have everyone follow the same instructions to create a craft like simple origami, a drawing, or a painting from a specific teacher on the Zoom call or YouTube tutorial. This icebreaker is best for new hires who may feel more reserved about meeting the team virtually. Find common ground and start the conversation with your team members. Have a manager or team leader start the conversation by sharing something they're interested in like popular TV, music, food, or whatever they like to get everyone thinking. Give it to the most enthusiastic team member with the same interest and have them share a new one. Typical icebreaker questions can get people to say a sentence or two on the subject, but if you get passionate about it, you'll see that the most unexpected co-workers bring more personality to the call. Music brings people together, and you might be surprised to see how many of your peers rave about the hottest song on TikTok or Spotify. Take turns whistling, banging, or even playing an instrument (if you were given one) to the tune of a popular song and have your teammates guess the name. Find out who's a fan of the classics by clapping and stomping to the beat of Queen's "We Will Rock You," or do whatever it takes to help your co-workers recognize your favorite songs.
Icebreaker examples of work
Zoom Icebreaker
1. Paint a picture, build a story
Best Suited For: Virtual fun
instructions
Free corporate culture code template
Break the ice with this free workplace culture template.
2. Guess this drawing
Best Suited For: Virtual fun
instructions
3. Alphabet Brainstorming
Best Suited For: Virtual fun
instructions
4. Show and tell
Best Suited For: Team bonding
instructions
5. Bucket-Liste
Best Suited For: Team bonding
instructions
6. Share the love
Best Suited For: Team building
instructions
7. Arts and Crafts
Best Suited For: Virtual fun
instructions
8. What do we have in common?
Best Suited For: Team bonding
instructions
9. Name this melody
Best Suited For: Virtual fun
instructions
10th theme meeting
Best Suited For: Virtual fun
Hosting themed meetings is the best icebreaker for the holiday season. Share a laugh and snap photos of you and your co-workers dressed up as elves with zoom backgrounds at the North Pole or in your spookiest costumes for Halloween.
Make sure your topic is chosen with good judgment. Since some holidays have cultural ties, keep this icebreaker for more commercial holidays.
instructions
- Let your team know in advance that you will be doing this activity.
- Either share what costume you're wearing or something unique about your ensemble (eg, "I've had this ugly sweater since 1999").
- Give everyone popcorn on their turn or go alphabetically.
- Enjoy!
12. Guess the childhood photo
Best Suited For: Team bonding
Need a healthy icebreaker? At your next Zoom meeting, ask everyone to send the leader a cute (or funny) photo from their childhood and randomly throw them all into a slideshow.
When it's done, the leader shares their screen and has the group guess which team member is in each photo. Try not to blush too much when they get to you.
instructions
- Let your team know in advance that you will be doing this activity.
- 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 either throw their guesses into the chat or privately write their guesses on a notepad.
- At the end, have everyone share which slide was theirs.
- Enjoy!
13. Zoom-Photo-Ops
Best Suited For: Team building
In this icebreaker, the first thing you should do is ask everyone involved if they're okay with having their photos taken before the meeting starts (I know I'd like advance warning in case I was wearing an old band shirt instead of my usual business casual attire.)
You can try to get everyone to make silly or scary faces, or even try to mimic the Brady Bunch title sequence. There are many poses or facial expressions to capture, especially when you have a crazy team to work with.
instructions
- Let your team know in advance that you will be doing this activity.
- At the beginning of the meeting, provide instructions for the pose that team members should strike (Stupid? Creepy? There are many ways!).
- Take a screenshot of the zoom window.
- Share the photo through your team messaging app and pin it for posterity.
- Enjoy the memories!
14. Hobby Webinars
Best Suited For: Virtual fun
During weekly video chats, you can designate a member of staff to teach the team how to pursue a hobby they're good at—something that doesn't require you to be there in person.
This can range from showing you how to make quick origami, doing a magic trick, or even sharing a couponing tip or two from your colleague who is always on the lookout for the latest deals.
instructions
- Contact individual team members to find the most suitable instructor.
- Alternatively, you can create a running table of team members' names and their hobbies.
- Manually select an instructor for the upcoming meeting, or use a tool to randomly select a namelike this one.
- If supplies are needed, let your team know in advance.
- Have the instructor lead the meeting from the start, ideally with a time limit on the activity.
- Enjoy!
Icebreaker for meetings
15. A word
Best Suited For: Personal team building
The one-word icebreaker is a great way to provide initial context on a meeting's topic and get everyone in the right mindset for the discussion.
For example, let's say you're running a meeting about culture. Tell the groups to describe the 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 beforehand, which could increase participation during the meeting.
instructions
- Divide meeting participants into smaller groups.
- Ask them to think about the meeting topic for a minute or two.
- Have each of their group say a word that describes the topic, and then have them make popcorn.
- Have fun with the varied answers!
16. Pop-Quiz
Best Suited For: Team building
To successfully loosen everyone up and get them in the mood for a meeting, 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 “Connect the lyrics to this '80s song.” However, you can also use the pop quiz as an opportunity to introduce attendees to the topic of the meeting.
For example, when discussing company changes, you might start by asking team members about facts about the company's history (e.g., "What year was this company founded?").
instructions
- We recommend not informing your team members about this activity in advance.
- If you're on Zoom, post the question in chat or share it from your screen. If it is a face-to-face meeting, write it on the board.
- Allow team members to type their responses in chat or write them on a notepad.
- If you get it right, you can get a small prize or the right to brag.
- Have fun!
17. Birth card
Best Suited For: Personal team bonding
This activity is short but wonderfully insightful - you'll learn where your team members were born without having to ask and let everyone take their turn. You create a physical map for your teammates to place a pin at their place of birth. As the map fills with pins, people learn how different their teammates could be.
instructions
- Before a large meeting, place a map and a row of pins at the front of a large conference room.
- As people come in, ask them to put a pin where they were born or grew up.
- At the end of the meeting, give your colleagues some time to come over and take a closer look at the map.
- Save the map or take a picture.
- Have fun with the team keepsake!
18. Filmplatz
Best Suited For: In person or virtual fun
Perfect for larger groups and movie fanatics, this icebreaker is as crazy as you make it. Divide players into groups of four and give them 10 minutes to create the plot of the next award-winning film. You can give them restrictions by setting genres like horror, action, comedy, thriller and more.
When your organization meets to brainstorm ideas for specific projects, go ahead and incorporate the theme into their film presentation prompts to get the creative juices flowing.
instructions
- Divide the team members into groups.
- Have each group come up with a plan for the next blockbuster.
- Each group should have a turn to share, and they could even act out parts of the storyline.
- Have fun!
19. Pause for stretching
Best for: Team wellness
Perhaps the week has been busy for you and your team, or you may have your fourth meeting of the day. If that's the case, let everyone take a breather and stretch before the next big meeting begins.
Someone can either lead by example and do some arm and back stretches, or just let everyone freestyle. You'll be amazed at how a little exercise can wake you up and help people get their jobs done.
instructions
- Designate a team member in advance to lead the stretches (or lead them yourself).
- Take 5-10 minutes to do a round of stretching exercises.
- Enjoy the much needed break!
20. Rose, thorn, bud
Best Suited For: Team building
In meetings, it can be difficult to communicate or understand everyone's perspective on a project unless everyone has the floor to say what they think. With the Icebreaker Rose, Thorn, Bud, team members can quickly convey what they're thinking by sharing three pieces of information:
Rose: A recent positive event such as a personal highlight or win
Thorn: A challenge or roadblock they need assistance with
Bud: An idea for the future they want to share, or excitement about ongoing events
instructions
- Make sure you have the right team size for this activity. Less than 10 people would work best.
- Start with a random team member or with yourself.
- Give everyone popcorn on their turn or go alphabetically.
- Enjoy!
21. Frivolous Debate
Best Suited For: In person or virtual fun
There's nothing like a light-hearted banter to warm everyone up before a meeting.
For this icebreaker, everyone will discuss a silly topic and chime in with an equally silly answer and reasoning. Make a statement like "cats are better than dogs" and "summer is better than winter" or create chaos by explaining that pineapple belongs on pizza (because it does).
instructions
- Designate a team member in advance to share their popular or unpopular opinion.
- Have everyone say individually whether they agree or disagree.
- Each team member should have their turn to popcorn, or you can go alphabetically.
- Have fun finding out who agrees (and who doesn't) with you!
Fast icebreakers
22. Would you rather
Best Suited For: Team bonding
A classic game played at summer camps everywhere, Would You Rather be an excellent fast-paced icebreaker for the workplace. The next time you get involved in a meeting or team outing, take turns walking around the table and asking each person a "would you rather" question.
Here are a few "would you rather" questions to get you started:
- Would you rather have only summer or winter for the rest of your life?
- Would you rather hike or go to the cinema?
- Would you rather never use social media websites and apps again, or never watch a movie or TV show again?
- Would you rather have terrible short-term memory or terrible long-term memory?
instructions
- Designate a team member in advance to ask their "would you rather" question.
- Let everyone take turns in providing their answers.
- Each team member should have their turn to popcorn, or you can go alphabetically.
- Enjoy!
23. Benefits before the age of 18
Best Suited For: Team bonding
Achievements before 18 is an engaging and unique way to encourage team members to share fun or interesting stories with each other. Before a meeting, simply walk around the room and ask each person to share an achievement they had before they turned 18.
No doubt you'll get some of minor importance, like "I bought a skateboard," but you never know what hidden abilities you might discover in your peers.
instructions
- Start with a random team member or with yourself.
- Let everyone take turns in providing their answers.
- Each team member should have their turn to popcorn, or you can go alphabetically.
- Enjoy!
24. Two truths and a lie
Best Suited For: Team bonding
One of the more classic icebreakers on the list, Two Truths and a Lie can be used for anything from family gatherings to corporate events.
For example, I might say, "I auditioned for the TV show onceZoom. I have three brothers. I once went ziplining in Switzerland.” Colleagues can take turns guessing what the lie is. (FYI I have two brothers not three so that's the lie. Unfortunately I auditioned for Zoom.)
Two Truths and a Lie is a fun and engaging game, and more importantly, it can help your team learn facts about each other so they can start forming deeper bonds.
instructions
- Ask each person to collect three "facts" about themselves - two of the facts will be true and one will be a lie.
- Have the team members guess what the lie is.
- If you guess correctly, you get boasting.
- Enjoy!
25. The handshake
Best Suited For: Personal fun
One of the first ways to greet someone in the workplace is to shake hands.
With this icebreaker, individuals can relax and have a little fun without any hassles. It's simple - everyone will do a fun, creative handshake.
If you have more time, have the couples split up after showing off their super cool shake and get even more creative with new partners. It's hard to play these games without a laugh, which we could all use in the workday.
instructions
- Divide the group into pairs of two.
- Have them do the most creative handshake they can in a few minutes.
- If desired, rotate all partners.
- Have fun!
26. Bad Joke Contest
Best Suited For: In person or virtual fun
This icebreaker will not waste your team's time at all if you give them advance warning to prepare. In the Bad Joke Contest, you have to have everyone recite the cheesiest joke they can come up with and have everyone vote on who was the worst.
Beware, some colleagues have been saving impressively bad dad jokes for these moments, so the competition will be tough.
instructions
- Let your team know in advance that you will be doing this activity.
- Start with a random team member or with yourself.
- Give everyone popcorn after they tell their joke, or go alphabetically.
- Get everyone to vote on the cheesiest joke, either via Zoom poll or by keeping an eye on a notepad.
- Don't forget to laugh - or cringe!
The list goes on below - read on for fun icebreaker games, icebreakers for big teams and more.
Funny ice breaker games
- tall tales
- Say your name backwards
- Jenga
- Frown king or queen
- The envelope please!
- Random talent show
- Celebrity Impressions
- Fast portrait gallery
- Soundball
- Beatboxen
27. Tall stories
This ice breaker game will make everyone think. In Tall Tales, each player invents three sentences that they add to a continuous story. The third sentence must have a plot twist beginning with "Suddenly..." before moving on to the next.
Each player has the opportunity to put their own spin on the budding story and can even try to mislead the next contestant with a crazy situation.
28. Say your name backwards
This game is pretty easy, or straight backwards.
Each player writes their name backwards on a piece of paper, folds it, and places it in a bowl. Once all the papers have been collected, someone pulls one out of the bowl and reads what the paper says to the other players. Whoever guesses the name of their colleague correctly gets a point, and whoever has the most points at the end wins.
29. Jengga
Jenga is considered a classic game for good reason, and because it's easy to play and easy to put down. Have your team take turns pulling blocks of wood out of your Jenga tower and laugh as it all falls apart.
30. Frown king or queen
Make it a contest to see which of your teammates has the scariest frown and give them the title of Frown King or Queen. Bonus points if you really put an effort into making a paper crown.
You'll be surprised how hard it is to keep a frown when you're surrounded by your favorite co-workers, not to mention how funny they'll look throughout the game.
31. The envelope please!
In this icebreaker game, have everyone write down 10 facts about themselves and put them in their own envelopes. The envelopes are shuffled and selected one by one by the leader to read 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 able to rely on their answer as each player only gets one chance to guess per envelope.
32. Random Talent Show
A talent show is one thing, but a random talent show is another. Let your colleagues take turns showing off their cool party (or office) tricks. And let's face it, you've been trying to find the right opportunity to show someone you can lick your elbow for a while.
33. Celebrity Impressions
In this icebreaker game, the leader puts a label on the back of each player with a famous or well-known name. Once that's complete, each player will ask each other yes or no questions about their celebrity label's attributes, latest news, or talent.
If a player can correctly identify their own celebrity, they can remove the tag from their back and continue mingling if they wish.
34. Quick portrait gallery
You don't have to be a Picasso to take part in this icebreaker. Instructions are simple, each group member is randomly assigned a different person to draw in a few minutes. It's a fun way to connect and chuckle here and there at everyone's artwork.
35. Sound ball
Sound Ball is an imaginative icebreaker that gives everyone the opportunity to move and recharge their batteries.
In this icebreaker, the leader holds an imaginary ball and "throws" it to other players, making whatever sound he thinks possible with the gesture. Whoever "catches" the ball next must repeat the sound and then throw the ball to another person, who will make their own unique sound. It sounds crazy, but it's easy to get into the flow.
36. Beatboxen
This is probably one of the silliest icebreakers on this list, but it's definitely worth trying for fun. Have one team member start making a sound you would hear in a song, such as percussion, and have others gradually add to the beat.
Who knows, if the beat sounds good enough, you might all consider forming an acapella group.
Large team icebreakers
37. Scharade
Charades is a game suitable for large teams, both in person and remotely.
In this icebreaker, players must communicate with teammates to identify a noun of a specific category. Divide everyone into two teams and have one player each pantomime the topic to their respective teammates. Whichever team scores the most points wins.
38. Red light, green light
I bet everyone who watchedSquid Gamesin 2021 is familiar with this game, and if you haven't already, the rules are simple (and the stakes are much, much lower).
Players in this icebreaker game line up on one side of a room and a designated leader is instructed to say either "red light" or "green light." Players in line must attempt to move 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 from the game.
39. Guess who
Similar to Charades, Guess Who is a great icebreaker where you can impersonate famous people - or even your co-workers.
Have someone write familiar names on a piece of paper, and then give them to a team member one at a time. You need to re-enact the behaviors, facial expressions, or even the iconic„I'm flying out" sceneTitanic.
40. Icebreaker Bingo
Icebreaker Bingo is a great way to team up with large teams as it can include as many people as you like.
You can use a free oneIcebreaker-Bingo-Generatorand personalize each of the squares to a topic that you will all discuss for the day, or anything that everyone can feel involved with.
41. Hot shot
This icebreaker lets everyone take turns sharing their hot takes and either connecting with their peers who agree or discussing their naysayers.
Of course, you want the topics to be fun and light-hearted, so stick to topics that aren't controversial and opt for statements like "cheese isn't that great." if you're a madman
42. "Most likely ___"
Do you remember the high school superlatives? That's the way it is, but a little less embarrassing. Have colleagues read through a list of titles that are most likely and match them to each other. During the game anyone can chime in or justify why someone deserves the title and the group consensus will make the final decision.
It's important to note that no two people have more than one tile to ensure everyone is included.
43. Whisper down the alley
Whisper Down the Lane is an icebreaker game where team members form a larger circle and share a random message that is whispered into someone's ear on their left. This game can get funny pretty quickly as a whisper down the alley can always be misinterpreted.
44. Simon says
Simon Says is a game as old as time, but it never stops being fun. The leader of the group instructs the players to perform an action that begins with the words "Simon says..." e.g. B. "Simon says touch your knees" or "Simon says grab your elbow". Anyone who does not follow the announced actions will be booted from the game.
The real trick for the leader is to confuse the players by giving quick Simon Says commands and then giving them a command without saying the keywords. It might work like this: "Simon says touch your hips, Simon says hop on one leg, Simon says touch your nose - touch your ears!" Whoever performs the action (e.g. touches your ears) will Booted out of the game as there was no action Simon says.
45. Similarities
This simple icebreaker is suitable for groups of people who are meeting for the first time. All that needs to be done is mingle with each other to find common ground and try to form groups based on those attributes. Bonus points if you can learn the names of people you are related to, and plus points if you can give all of their names on demand.
46th Team Puzzle Competition
For this game you need to prepare by buying two identical puzzles. Divide your large group into teams of two and set a timer to see which group can work together to make the most progress on their respective puzzles.
47. Lump
In a large, open space, have team members run around and mingle. The leader of the icebreaker then calls out a random number under 10. Each person mingling must then quickly form a group the size of the number called.
Gradually, people are tricked into leaving the mingling room or finding a seat until the last person standing wins.
Icebreaker games for small groups
48. Funny questions
Asking Funny Questions is a simple and effective ice breaker game. To play, just walk around the room and have each person answer a fun question. The questions are up to you, but if you get stuck, here are a few ideas:
- If you were stranded on a desert island and could bring three items, what three items would they be?
- If you could be any animal, which one would you be and why?
- What was the first concert you ever attended?
- If you could invite any celebrity to dinner who would it be and why?
These questions serve two purposes - first, they allow your co-workers to shift into a sillier, more creative mindset. Second, they encourage conversations on topics typically reserved for outside of the office, allowing members of your team to get to know each other on a deeper level.
I'm talking about, HubSpot Blog's Senior Content Marketing Manager, says, "When I started including icebreaker questions in our weekly team standup meetings, the experience was... terrifying. It felt exactly like what it was: organized fun. But we stayed. I listened to the feedback and tried to incorporate it into better icebreakers.”
She continued, "For example, some people on our team don't watch much TV and felt a little left out when we fell down a rabbit hole with shows we were doing. Keeping the icebreakers included keeps everyone busy. Now, our icebreakers can take 15+ minutes to get through and pull off some of our biggest laughs and revelations of the week."
49. Personality Quiz
This icebreaker can promote team bonding and is one of the easier options on the list. Just pick a short personality quiz on your phone or computer (if you get stuck, here's a list) and drag it onto a projector or send the link to everyone.
After everyone has completed the personality assessment, have each colleague mention one thing they agree or disagree with in their findings. This game allows your team members to gain a new perspective on their colleagues, and it's also a fun and easy way to start an interesting conversation.
50. Who is it?
Have everyone write a unique, strange, or unexpected fact about them on a piece of paper. Then place the pieces of paper in a hat and shuffle them around. Take off your hat and read each fact.
Have the team try to guess who wrote it. After they guess, ask the staff member who wrote the fact to identify themselves and provide further context if necessary. This could be a great way to learn surprising new things about your teammates.
51. Marshmallow Challenge
First, Tom Wujec, business visualization expertpresented his Marshmallow Challenge at TED. To play, simply divide your team into groups of four and give each group 20 spaghetti, a meter of duct tape, a meter of twine, and a marshmallow. Whichever team can build the tallest structure wins - the trick is that the marshmallow has to be on top.
There are a few reasons why this game works as both a great icebreaker and a team building exercise. First, the most successful teams are the groups of people who don't spend time fighting for power.
The game forces your colleagues to work together to brainstorm possible solutions. Second, the Marshmallow Challenge encourages people to think fast and come up with alternative solutions when their original idea fails.
With the marshmallow challenge, you can strengthen your team's brainstorming and problem-solving skills, and your team can also have fun. A win, a win.
52. Scavenger Hunt
At HubSpot, we run a scavenger hunt for new hires on the first day of their apprenticeship. It's fun and collaborative, but it can also help employees find their way around the office.
Luckily, you can set up a scavenger hunt for your team, even if they've been working in your office for years.
Simply split your team into groups and give each group a pick list of items to find - if you're working in a smaller space, you might be able to hide some fun items around the office beforehand. You can even offer an incentive to the winning team, e.g. B. A $50 Amazon gift card.
A scavenger hunt is also an exceptional opportunity for cross-departmental exchange. Consider reaching out to managers from other departments and forming groups of employees who don't often work together.
53. No smile
This game is simple andshould provide your team with energy. Get your colleagues in a circle and ask a volunteer to sit or stand in the middle. Tell the volunteer that no matter what, they can't laugh or smile. Then have colleagues take turns telling the volunteer a work-appropriate joke.
The volunteer's goal is to hear a joke from every colleague in the circle, while the other team members' goal is to make the volunteer laugh.
This icebreaker can be useful when training new employees or managers to take the pressure off when starting a new job. It can also be helpful in lightening the mood in teams that regularly deal with stressful projects or situations.
54. This is better than that
Aside from being a fun team activity, this could be a great source of energy for sales reps or others who regularly promote, market, and sell products.
Ask your team to find four through sevenItems around the officeand put them in a room. These items could be something they use every day, like a pen or a chair. However, you should encourage them to find stranger or more unique items. This makes the game more challenging.
Arrange the items and divide the group into sub-teams. Task each team with choosing an item that would allow them to survive if stranded on a desert island.
Tell the team members they can't pick more than one and assume that's the only item they'll have on that island. Give the teams time to think, and then ask them to present the item they chose and why.
Virtual icebreakers for distributed teams
55. Choose your favorite
For this icebreaker, all you have to do is answer the question about your favorite things. You ask your team to pick their favorite movie, song, TV show, etc. The question may change each week.
This icebreaker helps your team get to know each other, even when they're working remotely, and can spark conversations about what everyone likes and dislikes.
56. Trivia game
If you're looking for a remote icebreaker that's more of a game and less discussion-based, consider hosting a trivia game.
Kahootis a trivia platform that you can use for free (hosts up to 10 people). To get started, all you have to do is sign up for a free Kahoot account.
Then you can select a featured trivia game to play. To run this remotely, consider sharing your screen with your team. Everyone needs a separate device to use so they can join the game and submit their answers.
57. Share an embarrassing photo
This is one of my favorite icebreakers because it's a fun way to get to know your team. For this game, have everyone bring an embarrassing photo and tell the story behind it.
Have your team members share their screen 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 teammate tells their story. This icebreaker is a great way to connect remotely.
58. One word impulse check
For this icebreaker, have everyone on your team go around and share a word or phrase that represents how they felt that day.
Christina Perrikone, former senior content marketing manager at the HubSpot blog, says this is her favorite icebreaker.
"The person sharing that decides whether or not to elaborate, and everyone listens without responding. The purpose of the exercise is to allow people to let go of and/or uncover emotional setbacks, obstacles, victories, high points, or anything else that might affect how they appear to work that day. It provides a space for attendees to fully engage with work, and it gives the team context for how to support that team member on the day," adds Perricone.
59. Meet my pet
Nothing brings a smile to a meeting like photos of co-workers' furry friends. Take turns showing your pet's cutest pictures and videos.
For those who don't have one, they can either make a prank pet (the infamous pet rock) or share a dream pet they would have.
60. Let's make a mixtape
This icebreaker works by asking your colleagues to pick one of their favorite songs from a specific genre. Once everyone has their song in their head, have someone put together either a Youtube or Spotify playlist of everyone's choices, then share the link with everyone in the group.
Not only is it fun right now, but everyone has a chance to discover new artists and tunes they've never heard of.
61. Emoji Mood Estimator
With this icebreaker, you would ask everyone on your team to write the most accurate emoji of their current mood or state of mind in a chat box (assuming they use Zoom, Microsoft Teams, etc.). Anyone can guess what adjective someone was trying to convey and even share why if they wish.
Would you rather icebreaker
62. Food you'd rather ask
You'd be surprised how passionate some of your co-workers can get over food. When you ask "would you rather" questions, ask them about different savory or sweet staples and which ones they would like to eat forever.
Example: "Would you rather eat cake forever or pasta forever?"
63. Travel Would you rather ask
There are many destinations on your peers' radar, get to know them a little better by knowing where they want to go and why.
Example: "Would you rather only travel to island destinations or to mountainous destinations?"
64. Talent "Would you rather" questions
Explore more unusual talents and see which ones your employees want in this type of questionnaire.
Example: "Would you rather play opera or banjo than your special talent?"
65. Superhero you'd rather ask
There are hundreds of superheroes from Marvel and DC, and chances are your peers are familiar with them too. Ask which hero they would like to be and why based on their stories or skills.
Example: "Would you rather be Ironman or Captain America?"
66. Superpower-would-you-rather-ask
Similar to the heroes, find out which powers your co-workers would rather have and why. Bonus points if you ask them if they would describe themselves as heroes or villains.
Example: "Would you rather be super fast or super strong?"
67. Sports Would you rather ask questions?
Your co-workers may be involved in sports outside of work, and they may be fans of different leagues and teams. Ask what sports they would rather play and find out which they prefer and why.
Example: "Would you rather play basketball or soccer for the rest of your life?"
68. Fashion: Would you rather ask questions?
Even if your peers aren't tuned into NYFW, they're sure to recognize some of the most popular clothing brands. Ask them what they would rather wear and why.
Example: "Would you rather just wear Louis Vuitton or Gucci?"
69. TV Would you rather ask
With tons of streaming services to choose from, your co-workers are sure to have some favorite TV shows. Ask questions, e.g. B. which shows they prefer to watch or participate in.
Example: "Would you rather be a cast member in Euphoria or Ozark?"
70th film Would You Rather Ask?
Film fanatics on any team or department will appreciate questions. Ask colleagues which genres they would rather watch or play in.
Example: "Would you rather be cast in a comedy or an action movie?"
Break the ice and get down to business
Icebreaker activities can seem reprehensible, but they're actually a great way to build trust in your team. We hope that our favorites list has given you some good icebreakers to incorporate into your future meetings. And even when working remotely, team bonding is an important part of a productive and effective team.
Editor's Note: This post was originally published in September 2018 and has been updated for completeness.
Subjects: remote work