Interesting ice breaker games

They must surprise other players by pointing to them. Fun icebreakers where you can come up with many different strategies on how to surprise people like Bang are great for kicking of meetings. Bang hyperisland energiser. Bang is a group game, played in a circle, where participants must react quickly or face elimination. A good activity to generate laughter in a group.

It can also help with name-learning for groups getting to know each other. Have new team mates tell a joke at their first all-hands meeting. This is a great way to encourage people to be vulnerable and also ensures the meetings start on a cheery note.

The activity involves participants standing in a circle and throwing imaginary ball s to each other in increasing pace. When throwing the first ball, the person starting should make a special sound that has to be repeated by the catcher upon receiving the ball. Once the ball is being thrown around at a fairly brisk pace, you can introduce another imaginary ball and start throwing it.

When the group gets proficient at it, you can have three or four balls in play. Another classic among ice breakers for meetings, Sound Ball deserves your attention. Sound Ball energiser ice breaker thiagi team outdoor.

This a simple icebreaker activity energising participants, also suitable for debriefing learning points towards spontaneity and teamwork. This is a seemingly contradictory ice breaker that actually results in lots of smiles. Instruct everyone to keep a straight face and do not smile under ANY circumstance in the first five minutes of the meeting. People turn into children with an instruction like this, and immediately start looking at others, seeing how they cope.

The anticipation makes everyone giggly, so after a while they cannot suppress their laughter anymore. We love ice breaker ideas that encourage people to try new things and are surprising too.

Some of the best ice breaker games are those that encourage laughter, and the no smiling game is great for that! We hope you have found some useful tips for practical and fun ice breaker games and ice breaker ideas in the list above. Remember that some ice breakers for meetings can scale to the size of your group while others work best with lots of people. Find the best team icebreakers for your specific group and purpose and you can help ensure they are successful!

What are your favourite ice breaker activities? Have you tried any of the methods above? How did you find them? Let us know about your experiences in the comments. I forgot that I had to present a game or what-ever for a Red Hat meeting tomorrow. Thanks for this list!

Great list! Here are some of the icebreakers I use: 1- Batikha Watermelon in Arabic The group sits or stands in a circular form. One person starts by placing their palms on their mouth as if they are holding a ball watermolon and passing it to the person on their side if they pass it to the person on their right, they must use their left hand pointing to the right direction , the next person carries on with this rhythm. At any point anyone could decide to reverse the path of the ball by changing their hand and the pointing to the other person.

This is when it gets tricky because if anyone else -other than the person pointed to takes an action by raising their hands they get out of the circle. Additional if someone points the ball upwards, it means the next person will be skipped and the following person should complete the cycle. This games involves a person usually the trainer asking each one individually a series of questions.

The participant will probably say no and lose. Thank you, Nahla, great to see your favourite ice breaker activities, too — thanks for sharing! These are all so good! Thanks so much! Excellent list and love the card format of the activity. For Icebreaker questions I use icebreakrs. This will help each other in the team professionally and personally , we can share ideas and solve problems. Thank you for this great collection of wonderful and fun icebreakers and activities.

Objectives: To get participants to share their opinions, encourage listening, and promote better discussion in the group. Ask participants of the training event to imagine themselves in each of the cities above. And, what they would like to do there? What would they work at? Would their life be different? If so, in what ways? Once each person has described who they would like to get the group in a circle to discuss the exercise. Discussion Questions: Did anyone feel uncomfortable doing this exercise?

If so, why? Of all the places presented does anyone want to change? If so why or why not? Your email address will not be published.

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Team building activities can prove to be the missing link that…. Remote working is often touted as the future of work. Studies show that remote workers are happier and more productive than their office working counterparts and the benefits for companies moving to distributed workforces are great too! As teams and organizations begin to transition to working online, the need for well-designed and effectively facilitated remote…. Delivery Matters. Diversity Bingo ice breaker get-to-know opening teampedia action This game helps participants to get information on each other in a fun, competitive way.

Icebreaker: The Group Map get-to-know ice breaker remote-friendly Ask people to place themselves on an imaginary map laid out in the room representing the country according to where they grew up.

Common and Unique get-to-know teambuilding ice breaker Create groups of people, and let them discover what they have in common, along with interesting characteristics that are unique to a person in the group. Coat of Arms teambuilding opening ice breaker team get-to-know thiagi Coat of Arms exercise provides a way for participants to introduce themselves and their colleagues, particularly for groups who think they already know each other very well.

Almost invariably participants discover something about their colleagues of which they previously had no idea. Because this activity forces people to use drawings rather than words, it is particularly useful as a dual-purpose introductory exercise in training sessions that deal with such topics as innovation, creativity, and problem-solving. Line-Up hyperisland energiser In the short group challenge, participants must organize themselves in a line according to a certain criteria like height without speaking.

Quotes ice breaker energiser online warm up remote-friendly For participants to get acquainted with each other in a meaningful way. Stand up if ice breaker sharing opening energiser online remote-friendly short, fun, energizing team activity.

Get started for free! Break the Ice with The Four Quadrants Activity team icebreaker get-to-know teambuilding The Four Quadrants is a tried and true team building activity to break the ice with a group or team. BackBack Drawing communication collaboration trust ice breaker teampedia action This is a communication exercise when participants in pairs have to use only verbal communication to help their pair to draw a specific picture.

There are several variations of the exercise detailed in the instructions. Low-tech Social Network gamestorming ice breaker opening The object of this game is to introduce event participants to each other by co-creating a mural-sized, visual network of their connections. Marshmallow challenge with debriefing teamwork team leadership collaboration In eighteen minutes, teams must build the tallest free-standing structure out of 20 sticks of spaghetti, one yard of tape, one yard of string, and one marshmallow.

Egg drop teampedia collaboration teamwork ice breaker team This fun activity could be used as an icebreaker for people who have just met but it can be framed as a method that shows and fosters team communication, collaboration and strategic thinking as well.

Helium Stick teampedia team teamwork ice breaker energiser A great and simple activity for fostering teamwork and problem solving with no setup beforehand. Blind Square — Rope game teamwork communication teambuilding team energiser thiagi outdoor This is an activity that I use in almost every teambuilding session I run—because it delivers results every time.

I can take no credit for its invention since it has existed from long before my time, in various forms and with a variety of names such as Blind Polygon. The activity can be frontloaded to focus on particular issues by changing a few parameters or altering the instructions.

Portrait Gallery hyperisland team ice breaker The Portrait Gallery is an energetic and fun icebreaker game that gets participants interacting by having the group collaboratively draw portraits of each member. It can be played with adults of all levels as well as kids and it always works!

One Word Method product development idea generation creativity ice breaker online warm up Creating a sentence relating to a specific topic or problem with each person contributing one word at a time.

Search Search. What are virtual icebreakers? From quick icebreaker questions to longer ice-breaking games — pick your favorite ones! Quick icebreaker questions These are great rapid-fire questions to energize your participants and kick start a conversation. Mood barometer: How are you feeling today? Would you rather…? Here are some of our favorite would you rather questions: Would you live in the Arctic or in the Sahara Desert?

Would you rather be always overdressed or underdressed? Have 2 meter long legs or 2 meter long arms? Time travel back to the past or to the future? How to pull this off? Where are you joining from? As your colleagues post their locations, give them a special shout-out. In one word, how would you describe…? Good old times If you need a guaranteed conversation starter, try a question that brings back childhood or teenage years memories — they provide an inexhaustible source of amusement.

You can use word clouds here as well. Which was your favorite candy you were hoping to get when trick-or-treating? A perfect icebreaker to use before Halloween. Which music band was your favorite growing up? After people submit their answers, ask volunteers to share how they voted and why.

Rank your favorites Similar to the previous icebreaker, you can engage people in ranking their favorite things, whether from their childhood or not — the possibilities are endless. Here are some ideas: Rank these 90s movies from your most favorite to your least favorite. Rank these Christmas movies from a must-watch to the most passable one. Rank these Harry Potter movies from the best to your least favorite.

Here are some other ideas for emoji icebreakers: Describe our team with an emoji. Use an emoji to describe your ideal vacation. Which emoji do you use most frequently? Short virtual icebreaker activities These are great if you want to surprise your participants with a fun little activity and enjoy some bonding time. Unsung heroes This is not only an icebreaker but a morale booster as well.

What are you thankful for? Ask people to submit what they are grateful for or who from the team they would like to thank. Take inspiration from our Customer Care Team! Guess whose desk? Then, once at a meeting, let your colleagues guess away! Weekend photo contest A slow start after the weekend?

What would your superpower be if you had one? What one thing should everybody stop doing right now? Home scavenger hunt Get your colleagues out of their chairs. Team trivia quiz Using virtual icebreakers during your meetings also helps you get to know your colleagues better. We run this type of quiz when we introduce a new team member, or as a holiday fun activity. Zoom background challenge Share some laughs with your teammates on Zoom. Struggles sharing Sharing is caring — and that should apply for both the good and the bad.

It makes for a great team bonding experience. Guess who? Coffee time Have you heard of Fika? Visual brainstorming Good productive idea exchanges make for great virtual icebreakers too. These virtual icebreakers are perfect for video conferences thanks to their simplicity—no additional tech required. Ask participants to give the group a tour of their workspace. This ice breaker for remote meetings helps to loosen up everyone on the call by reminding everyone that their coworkers are regular people, just like them!

In this icebreaker, each participant takes a turn to share three things about themselves: Two things that are true, and one that is a lie. The rest of the team then must guess which of the three facts is the lie! For this to work optimally, remind players to make their lies as believable as possible, as outlandish claims stick out like a sore thumb.

If your video conferencing platform supports sharing GIFs, you may go that route, or opt for emojis. Remind participants to keep their GIFs work-appropriate! Ask them about themselves! Ice breaker questions are a fun, genuinely interesting way to learn more about your teammates or meeting guests and foster a sense of community for the duration of your event and beyond! Keeping your work meeting ice breakers lighthearted, positive and PG that is, work-appropriate, is the best method to achieve a great outcome.

Amusing questions work well as icebreakers in a variety of settings, including as video conference ice breakers, in-person team meeting ice breakers, and more.

For these icebreakers to work best, keep the pace upbeat and snappy, so everyone has a chance to share. You might consider breaking off into smaller groups to encourage conversation and memorable connections. In these fun team icebreakers, participants are asked to identify which of two presented activities, actions or circumstances they would rather experience—hypothetically, of course.

As with all workplace icebreakers, keep your Would You Rather questions work-friendly and avoid any topics or scenarios that might make others uncomfortable. Consider some of these starter questions:. Again, participants are asked a question that requires them to weigh options, consider new possibilities, and support an argument—all of which make these types of questions perfect corporate ice breakers!

Consider these examples as a starting point:. Icebreaker games run the gamut, from head-scratching critical thinking games to silly, on-the-spot improv and beyond. Small groups are ideal for getting folks up on their feet , which helps encourage participation and connecting with their fellow attendees. You may unsubscribe from these communications at any time.

For more information, check out our privacy policy. Written by Caroline Forsey cforsey1. Bring your employees together with the help of this free company culture template. Asking "How is everyone? Sometimes, having a fun ice breaker can aid in that connection. The best ice breakers have the power to strengthen coworker bonds, stimulate better brainstorming sessions, and create an atmosphere of inclusivity. To get the most value out of your team bonding moments, we've compiled a list of the best ice breaker 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, more insightful responses than "I'm good. The One Word ice breaker allows you to provide initial context into a meeting's topic, and get everyone in the right mindset for discussion. To play, you'll want to divide meeting participants into smaller groups. Then, tell them to think for a minute or two, and then share with their group one word that describes X.

For instance, let's say you're leading a meeting on culture. Tell the groups to describe work culture, or your office culture in particular, in one word.

Once they've shared with their groups, you can invite them to share their word with the entire room. This game encourages everyone to think about a certain topic in smaller groups ahead of time, which could increase participation during the meeting.

To successfully loosen everyone up and get them in the right mindset 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, "Match the lyrics with this 80's song.

If you're discussing company changes, for instance, maybe you'll start by quizzing team members on company history facts e. Place a map and a set of pins at the front of a large conference room before a big meeting. As people walk in, ask them to place a pin where they were born or raised. As the map fills up with pins, people will learn about how diverse their teammates might be.

Allow some time at the end of the meeting for your colleagues to walk up and look more closely at the map. Perfect for larger groups and movie fanatics, this icebreaker is as crazy as you make it.

Divide players into quads and give them 10 minutes to devise the plot of the next award-winning film. You can give them constraints by designating genres like horror, action, comedy, thriller, and more. If your organization is meeting to brainstorm ideas for specific projects, go ahead and incorporate the topic into their movie pitch prompts to get the creative juices flowing.

A classic game played at summer camps everywhere, "Would You Rather" is an excellent, quick ice breaker for the workplace. Next time you're settling into a meeting or team bonding outing, take turns going around the table and asking each person a "Would You Rather" question. Before a meeting, simply go around the room, and ask each person to share one accomplishment they had before they turned Undoubtedly you'll get some of lesser importance, like "I bought a skateboard," but you never know what hidden skills you might discover in your colleagues.

One of the more classic ice breakers in the list, Two Truths and a Lie can be used anywhere from family parties to company events. To play, you simply ask each person to brainstorm three "facts" about themselves -- two of the facts will be true, and one will be a lie. I have three brothers. I ziplined in Switzerland once. FYI, I have two brothers, not three, so that's the lie. Unfortunately, I did audition for Zoom.