Breaking the ice can be a challenge, especially when you’re working with a new group of people. That’s where icebreaker questions and activities come in. These fun icebreakers can help to break down barriers and create a more comfortable and relaxed atmosphere, allowing groups to connect and engage with each other.
Icebreaker questions and conversation starters are a great way to kick off any gathering, whether it’s a work meeting, a classroom session, or a social event. These simple prompts can help to spark conversation and get people talking, even if they don’t know each other well. Meanwhile, icebreaker activities can provide a fun and engaging way for groups to bond and work together, whether it’s through a game, a competition, or a creative challenge.
So if you’re looking for some fun icebreaker games and activities to try with your big or small groups, look no further. From classic games like Two Truths and a Lie to creative challenges like building spaghetti towers, there are plenty of options to choose from. And before you know it, you’ll be well on your way to breaking the ice and getting to know the rest of the group.
We’ve compiled a list of 58 fun and effective icebreaker games that can bring your team together and improve collaboration, communication, and morale. Whether you’re working in-person or remotely, there’s an icebreaker game on this list that’s perfect for your team and company culture. So, take a look, try them out, and watch as your team becomes more connected and productive.
Icebreaker Games for In-Person Office Settings
1. The Human Knot: This game is a classic ice-breaker and is great for getting people to work together. The group stands in a circle and each person takes the hand of someone across from them. The group has to work together to untangle themselves without letting go of each other’s hands.
2. Two Truths and a Lie: Each team member shares three statements about themselves, two of which are true and one of which is false. The other team members have to guess which statement is the lie.
3. Marshmallow Challenge: In this activity, teams of four people are given 20 sticks of spaghetti, a yard of masking tape, a yard of string, and a marshmallow. The challenge is to build the tallest freestanding structure using these materials within a set amount of time, typically 18 minutes.
4. Office Bingo: Create bingo cards with common office scenarios or traits, such as “someone wearing a blue shirt” or “someone who loves coffee.” The first person to get five in a row wins.
5. The Great Egg Drop: Teams are given a raw egg and have to construct a device to protect it from a fall. The team with the egg that survives the longest fall wins.
6. Name That Tune: This is a fun and easy game to play in the office. Simply play the beginning of a song and see who can guess the name of the song and the artist first.
7. Speed Networking: Set up a “speed dating” style event where team members have a few minutes to talk to each other and learn more about their jobs and interests.
8. Scavenger Hunt: Set a timer for a specific amount of time and have the group search for hidden items around the room or outside. The person who finds the most items within the allotted time wins.
9. What’s in the Bag?: Each team member is given a bag with a mystery item inside. They have to describe the item without saying what it is, and the other team members have to guess what it is.
10. Who Am I?: Write the names of famous people on sticky notes and stick them on each team member’s forehead. The person has to ask yes or no questions to figure out who they are.
Icebreaker Games for Online Meetings and Remote Teams
11. Virtual Scavenger Hunt: Create a list of items for team members to find online, such as a photo of a specific location or a particular item for sale on a website. The first person to find each item wins a point.
12. Virtual Charades: Use a video conferencing platform to play charades, with one person acting out a word or phrase while the others try to guess.
13. Emoji Pictionary: Use a whiteboard or screen sharing to display a series of emojis that represent a common phrase, movie or book title. The first person to guess the correct answer wins a point.
14. Home Office Tour: Each team member takes turns giving a virtual tour of their home office and sharing fun facts about themselves along the way.
15. One-Word Story: One person starts telling a story using one word, then pass a sheet of paper to the next person who adds another word, and so on.
16. Show and Tell: Each team member takes turns sharing an interesting item from their home or sharing their screen to show a project they’ve been working on.
17. Never Have I Ever: Each team member takes turns saying something they’ve never done, and the other team members who have done it have to take a sip of their drink.
18. Online Bingo: Create bingo cards with common online scenarios or traits, such as “someone with more than 1,000 followers on social media” or “someone who has used Zoom for more than 10 hours this week.” The first person to get five in a row wins.
19. Two-Minute Mixer: Divide your team into pairs and give them two minutes to chat with each other about a particular topic, such as their favorite hobbies, travel destinations, or movies. After two minutes, switch up the pairs and start again with a new topic. This game allows team members to get to know each other better and helps break down any communication barriers.
Icebreaker Games for Outdoor Team Building
20. Tug of War: Divide the team into two groups and have them compete in a classic game of tug of war. This game promotes teamwork, communication, and friendly competition.
21. Trust Fall: Have team members pair up, and have one person fall backwards while the other person catches them. This game helps to promote trust and communication.
22. Obstacle Course: Create an outdoor obstacle course with various challenges, such as crawling under ropes, jumping over hurdles, and balancing on beams. This game promotes teamwork, problem-solving, and physical activity.
23. Water Balloon Toss: Divide the team into pairs and have them toss a water balloon back and forth, taking a step back each time they successfully catch it. This game promotes teamwork, communication, and friendly competition.
24. Egg and Spoon Race: Have team members race while carrying an egg on a spoon, without dropping it. This game promotes teamwork, communication, and physical activity.
25. Sack Race: Divide the team into pairs, and have them race while hopping in sacks. This game promotes teamwork, communication, and physical activity.
26. Capture the Flag: Divide the team into two groups and have them compete in a game of capture the flag. This game promotes teamwork, communication, and strategic thinking.
27. Kickball: Have the team play a game of kickball. This game promotes teamwork, communication, and physical activity.
28. Hula Hoop Pass: Have team members stand in a circle, and pass a hula hoop around without letting go of each other’s hands. This game promotes communication, coordination, and problem-solving.
29. Giant Jenga: Set up a giant Jenga tower outdoors and have team members take turns removing and replacing blocks without knocking over the tower. This game promotes strategy, communication, and teamwork.
Icebreaker Games to Support Team Building
30. Story Starters: Give each team member a piece of paper and a writing utensil. Have them write the first sentence of a story, then pass the paper to the person on their left. That person reads the first sentence, writes the next sentence, and so on, until everyone has contributed to the story.
31. Group Charades: Write down different phrases or words on small pieces of paper, such as movie titles or common phrases. Divide the group into teams, and have one team member act out the phrase while the other team members guess. The team that guesses the most phrases correctly wins.
32. The Name Game: Each new hire says their name and an adjective that starts with the same letter as their name. The next person has to repeat the previous person’s name and adjective before sharing their own.
33. Alphabet Game: Each new hire shares their name and an adjective that describes them, with the adjective starting with the next letter of the alphabet. For example, “My name is Alex and I am adventurous. The next person could be, “My name is Bella and I am brave.”
34. Human Bingo: Create bingo cards with descriptions of different people in the office, such as “someone who has traveled outside the country” or “someone who speaks a second language.” New hires have to find people who match the descriptions and get them to sign their bingo card.
Icebreaker Games to Improve Teamwork and Collaboration
35. Paper Airplane Challenge: Give each team a piece of paper and challenge them to create the best paper airplane they can in a set amount of time. Have them then fly their airplanes, and award points for distance, accuracy, and design. This game promotes teamwork, creativity, and friendly competition.
36. Find Someone Who: Create a list of interesting facts or characteristics, such as “plays a musical instrument” or “has traveled to five different countries,” and have team members find someone who fits each description. This game helps to promote team bonding and get to know each other better.
37. Sneak a Peek: Divide the team into pairs, and give one person from each pair an image or a diagram. The other person must try to recreate the image or diagram by listening to verbal instructions from their partner, who cannot see the original image. This game helps to develop communication skills and teamwork.
38. Blind Drawing: Divide the team into pairs, and have one person describe a simple image to their partner, who must then draw the image without seeing it. This game helps to develop communication and trust.
39. Office Trivia: Create a list of trivia questions related to your workplace or industry, and splitting the groups. This game helps to promote teamwork, knowledge sharing, and healthy competition.
40. Tower Building Challenge: Give each team a set of materials, such as straws, tape, and paper cups, and challenge them to build the tallest tower possible. This game promotes creativity, problem-solving, and collaboration.
Icebreaker Games for Small Teams
41. Dream Vacation: Have each team member describe their dream vacation in detail, and then work together to come up with a group dream vacation. This game promotes teamwork and communication.
42. Categories: Choose a category (e.g., types of animals, colors, countries) and go around the circle, with each team member naming something that fits into that category. This game promotes quick thinking and communication.
43. Word Association: The first person says a word, and each person in turn says a word that is associated with the previous word. This game promotes creativity and communication.
44. Personal Logo: Each team member draws a personal logo that represents them and explains it to the group. This game promotes creativity and self-expression.
45. Pictionary: Have one team member draw a picture of a word or phrase, and the rest of the team tries to guess what it is. This game promotes creativity and communication.
46. Balloon Tower: Give each team a bundle of balloons and some tape, and challenge them to build the tallest tower they can. This game promotes teamwork and problem-solving.
47. Photo Sharing: Have each team member bring in a photo that represents them, and share it with the group. This game promotes getting to know each other better.
48. Positive Feedback: Go around the circle and have each team member give positive feedback to the person sitting next to them. This game promotes teamwork and positivity.
Icebreaker Games for Large Groups
49. The Great Debate: Divide the group into two teams and have them debate a topic (e.g. chocolate vs. vanilla ice cream). Each person has to make an argument for their side and try to persuade the other team.
50. All Aboard: Have the group stand on a tarp or small mat and ask them to flip the tarp over without anyone stepping off. The game can get progressively harder by making the tarp smaller.
51. Who Done It?: Have everyone stand in a circle and then choose one person to step out of the room. The group then decides on a secret action or gesture that everyone will perform. The person who stepped out has to guess who started the action or gesture.
52. Pass the Clap: Have everyone stand in a circle and clap their hands together twice, then clap their neighbor’s hand twice, and so on. The goal is to pass the clap around the circle as quickly as possible.
53. Telephone: Have everyone sit in a line and whisper a phrase into the ear of the person next to them. The phrase is then passed down the line, and the last person says the phrase out loud to see how it has changed.
54. The Zoom-In Game: Show a close-up picture of an object and have the group guess what it is. Keep zooming out to reveal more of the picture until someone guesses correctly.
55. The Minefield Game: Set up an obstacle course and divide the group into pairs. One person is blindfolded and has to be guided through the obstacle course by their partner, who cannot touch them.
56. The Human Board Game: Create a life-size board game and have the group play as teams. The teams roll a giant die and move their player pieces around the board, completing challenges and answering questions.
57. Blindfolded Juggle: Blindfold one or more participants and have them rely on their other senses to catch and throw the object.
58. Paper Tower: Give each team a stack of paper and some tape. The goal is to build the tallest tower possible in a set amount of time.