Next, have the group guess which desk belongs to whom and then invite the desk owner to talk a little bit about their workspace. 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. It can be MODIFIED to work with any group and/or topic (just change the questions). Creating a sentence relating to a specific topic or problem with each person contributing one word at a time. Get to know the other members of your team and share something interesting about yourself in this quick energiser activity.
You might get surprised to see the similarities (or differences) you have with your peers. You can create a team-building activity by building a collaborative story. If you want to keep it simple, just open your meetings by having everyone answer the same question.
Icebreaker #27: One Common Thing
When possible, divide your attendees into smaller groups so it’s more likely that everybody is actively involved. And, of course, you’ll need first-class facilitation skills and techniques you can adapt throughout the workshop or meeting. If you’re new to facilitation, or want to improve your existing skills, consult our ultimate guide to workshop facilitation and explore our training courses.
If you’re holding a remote workshop, ask them to have their own at the ready. Sometimes a little (unserious) competition can be a great way to build camaraderie — here are a few of our favorite icebreaker games for virtual meetings. If you’re running a larger meeting with more than 10 people, you may want to create teams and have them run the icebreaker in a breakout room. Once 5-10 minutes have passed, bring everyone back together and share the funniest moments from the activity.
Everyone is a Liar (Two truths and one lie)
Space out the rounds after breaks throughout the day, so the group has an incentive to get back to the room on time. Then instruct them to present their questions to the group and to collectively decide on the icebreakers for virtual meetings best one. Instruct the participants to interview each other and tick off the boxes that apply to each person. After this, everyone grabbed the nearest paper ball and read out some of the anonymous challenges.
Start by setting the tone with an icebreaker round of questions, which will create a safe and welcoming environment where everyone feels comfortable participating. This can be something as simple as going around the room and asking everyone to tell a short joke. Suppose your virtual team has already been functioning for some time.
How Long Should an Icebreaker Last?
If you are looking for team-building icebreakers for meetings, this activity is ideal for creating an energized yet appropriately serious vibe. Remote working has many benefits to both employers and employees, but one of the main negatives is that it is increasingly hard for teams to bond and for individuals to feel included. You’ve probably played Two Truths and a Lie at a party, but it’s also one of the best virtual games to date. A classic activity that always promises fun and camaraderie, Two Truth and Lie will help your team discover new things about each other while laughing the entire time.
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. The last person to bring back an object gets to select the next one. 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. As a one-time exercise, these questions can help improve communication.
These questions can help people open up, get to know one another, and spark further discussion (and even friendships) down the road. Have everyone introduce themselves and give a 30-second pitch for their favorite film, show, or book. Did you know that your new Product Manager was super into Film Noir because of the underlying structure that mysteries provide both the narrative and the viewer? Well, now you do — and you’ve learned a little bit about how she thinks as well.
- You can pull off this icebreaker with Slido Quizzes to give it a bit of a competitive spin, or simply create a multiple choice poll and mark the correct answer.
- Unlike virtual team-building activities, icebreaker games are often quick (between 5 and 20 minutes), easy to play, and require little to no equipment.
- In person, you can form a circle, while on video you may not even know what order your people are in.
- Then, taking turns, group members narrated their professional achievements to the rest of the group.
Each attendee takes a turn to introduce themselves by name, then states three ‘facts’ about themselves – one of which is untrue. Then leave enough time for a brief chat between attendees (you can start this off, if that’s needed) to explore the truths. This simple but hugely motivational ice breaker works well for large groups of up to 2000 people. We can powerfully incorporate your conference message into this icebreaker and share your core values, meaning your team will be focusing on the message you want to convey.