Whether you’re starting a meeting or introducing new team members, an Ice Breaker Game can help set the stage for collaboration and connection. Finding the right icebreaker that engages rather than frustrates your team is key, and at polarservicecenter.net, we understand the importance of a positive and productive environment. This article will help you choose the best ice breaker game for any situation, turning mundane gatherings into memorable and effective sessions.
1. What Is An Ice Breaker Game and Why Do You Need One?
An ice breaker game is a short activity designed to warm up a group and get them engaged at the start of a meeting or workshop. Typically, an icebreaker aims to:
- Actively involve the group, whether through questions, discussions, or fun games.
- Relax the group and encourage them to be present, creating a safe space for collaboration.
- Set the right atmosphere for the meeting, seeding the topic, recalling prior learning, or warming up creative muscles.
Ice breakers sometimes have a mixed reputation, but the best ice breaker games build genuine connections and set the stage for a productive meeting.
2. 10 Effective Ice Breaker Game Questions
Need a quick, no-prep ice breaker game? These ten questions are tried and tested methods for starting a meeting and warming people up in minutes.
To use these questions effectively, start by asking the question to the group, give them 30-60 seconds to think, and then either ask for a volunteer or answer yourself to help the group get comfortable.
Breaking into pairs or small groups after asking your ice breaker game question can also be effective, putting people at ease and giving everyone a chance to speak.
- Which of your mentors had the biggest effect on you growing up and why?
- If you had $1000 to spend on an office party, what would you do?
- What’s a topic you could give a TED talk on without preparation?
- What was your first job and what did you learn from it?
- What’s been taking up the most space in your brain recently?
- What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
- What book are you reading right now? What TV show are you watching right now?
- What one word would you use to describe your mood today?
- What are you most looking forward to?
- What band or artist will always get you singing or dancing?
3. Ice Breaker Game Ideas for Meetings
Using an ice breaker game at the start of a team meeting encourages group members to be present and sets things off on the right foot. Effective opening activities energize the group and help them mentally “arrive,” leaving behind previous tasks.
They also help clarify meeting objectives and position the group for what’s coming next. Many ice breakers work well for any gathering, but we’ve found these ones especially effective for meetings.
3.1. What Are You Bringing to the Meeting?
This simple framing ice breaker can help participants mentally arrive in a session and share how they’re feeling.
In this mindful ice breaker game, ask people to “check-in” with themselves and write down their worries, energy levels, and anything else on their mind on a piece of paper. After everyone is done, ask them to put these worries and feelings aside for the meeting. This process helps everyone articulate their feelings, let go of worries, and focus better.
3.2. Rock Paper Scissors Tournament
Rock Paper Scissors Tournament is a fun warm-up to energize even the largest groups swiftly. This game uses traditional Rock Paper Scissors rules but with a twist: losers become fans cheering for the players still in the game.
Start by asking everyone to pair up and play a round of Rock, Paper, Scissors. (Go best of 3 if you’re working with a small group or have extra time.) The loser becomes a fan of the winner and cheers them on as you match winners to continue playing. Keep going until you have only two players remaining for a final round with everyone cheering on!
3.3. Weather Check-in
When time is short, Weather Check-in is a fast and fun way of understanding group sentiment and giving space for everyone to share how they’re feeling.
Start the Weather Check-in ice breaker game by asking each member of the group to share how they are feeling and what’s going on for them right now in the language of weather. For example, “I’m feeling like it’s mostly sunny skies with rain clouds looming” or “I feel like I’m in the eye of a tornado!”
The Weather Check-in game is especially useful when working with remote teams, for whom a metaphor can feel like a safe way to share in a group setting.
3.4. Have You Ever? (Stand Up If)
Have you ever? (also known as Stand up if) is an effective ice breaker to help the group start to see connections and share something about themselves in a low-pressure way.
Start by asking a “Have you ever…?” question to the group. For example, “Have you ever gone horse riding?” or “Have you ever facilitated a workshop?” Participants stand up if they can answer yes to the statement. You can then choose to either ask another prepared question or invite one of those people who answered yes to come up with another question.
Encourage movement where possible, even in an online setting. A simple wave or affirmative “Whoop” can also work depending on your team!
3.5. 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique
The 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique is a mindful ice breaker that allows groups to be more present in the session and leave stress behind.
To practice this technique, the facilitator starts by explaining the process of doing a roll call of everything that you’re seeing, touching, smelling, and hearing right at this moment. By asking participants to engage all their senses and take a breath, you can help bring them back to the present moment and rule over anxiety and stress.
Using the 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique as an ice breaker presents an opportunity to center, but also to discuss well being and stress with your team in a simple and effective manner.
3.6. Conversation Questions
This collection of 25 conversation questions is a great starting point for helping a group get to know each other or open a meeting dynamically.
Small groups might wish to mingle and ask these conversation questions one on one, while you might invite larger groups to answer questions by raising their hand to answer. The great thing about these questions is that you can tailor them to your group and use as many as you have time for. Even adding a single question for folks to answer in chat at the start of a virtual meeting can have a profound effect on team cohesion over time.
3.7. Diversity Welcome
The Diversity Welcome ice breaker game is a great way to create and kick off a session while promoting diversity and creating an inclusive environment for your participants. Start by naming a possible trait of someone who may be present and saying they are welcome. For example, “If you love dogs, you are welcome here! If you prefer cats, you are welcome here!”
Slowly move into deeper territory by naming traits and concepts that resonate with your audience. With established groups, invite participants to share their own welcome, focusing on helping everyone in the room feel safe and welcome.
3.8. Celebrate the Wins in Your Team
Celebrate the wins in your team is a fast, easy ice breaker game that will have everyone feeling good at the start of a meeting. Start by asking participants to think of a recent achievement, personal or professional, big or small. Then, go around a circle and ask each person to highlight the achievement that they’d like to celebrate with the team.
Ask everyone to share in the celebration, either with applause, kudos or chat emojis and then move onto the next person in the group. Celebrating wins as a team is a great mood boosting ice breaker. By lifting each other up, the energy in the room tends to build and people in the group tend to feel seen and values as a result.
4. 5-Minute Ice Breaker Game Options
When you have a tightly packed agenda, it’s useful to have some quick ice breakers you can use to warm up the group in a pinch. These activities are simple to explain, fast to run, and work great in large or small groups. They also can double as after-lunch energizers to encourage team members to engage in what’s next!
4.1. One Word at a Time
One Word at a Time (or the One Word Method) is one of my favorite ice breakers – it’s simple, effective and can easily be tailored to any group. In this activity, groups must work together to create a sentence by contributing one word each while going round the circle. Start by giving a general topic or a guiding word to continue the sentence in a way that makes sense and is likely to result in a complete sentence.
For example, if you are running a training session on how to manage time, you might begin with the word “time” or “clocks.” The sentence that emerges will respond to that prompt and will help the group begin to turn their minds to the session at hand.
This is a fun and energizing ice breaker that works well with students and coworkers alike. Try speeding up or challenging the group to tell a story for added fun!
4.2. Count Up
Count Up is a deceptively simple yet engaging ice breaker game that challenges teams to count sequentially from 1 to a set number—but with a catch. Participants must say the numbers one at a time, in random order, without speaking over each other or establishing a pattern. If two people speak at the same time, the group starts over.
This activity requires patience, awareness, and teamwork, making it a great way to build focus and connection in a fun, low-pressure way. It’s perfect for energizing a group while subtly reinforcing the importance of active listening and collaboration.
4.3. Apple, Orange and Banana!
Apple, Orange and Banana is a great game that encourages the group to get synchronized and fully arrive in a space. It’s a favourite ice breaker to use when kicking off an after-lunch meeting where participants need a jolt of physical energy.
Start the Apple, Orange and Banana ice breaker game by asking your group to stand in a circle with their hands on the shoulders of the person in front. Explain that when you shout either apple, orange or banana they must perform the associated action: moving forward, backward or spinning around. When the group is comfortable, mix it up by saying two or even three words in sequence!
4.4. Stress Balls
Stress Balls is a fast-paced ice breaker game that helps highlight the importance of communication and teamwork while also encouraging lots of fun.
Begin this ice breaker by simply asking participants to stand in a circle and pass a ball to their left. Debrief and ask how the task went before asking participants to try again while moving the ball faster. Introduce further complexity until the game becomes a mess! While the result of Stress Balls is chaotic fun, it also offers a very teachable lesson about how teams can communicate in order to achieve great results.
4.5. Object Meditation
Object Meditation is a calming and mindful way to open a meeting and encourage everyone to be present.
First, have everyone choose an object that is close to them and invite them to close their eyes. Next, ask the group to notice how they feel and to consider any feelings that aren’t serving them right now. Invite them to transfer these feelings into the object they are holding for the duration of the meeting and then come back to the room.
Combined with a quick debrief, Object Meditation is a great way to gently break the ice with your group.
4.6. Name Game
Name Game is an effective ice breaker to use at the start of a course, workshop or meeting where people don’t know each other’s names.
Start the Name Game by having the group sit in a circle where they can see everyone else clearly. Pick someone at random to say their name out loud. The next person continues, but after saying their own name, they repeat the first person’s name. This continues with each person repeating one more name. Reassure people towards the end that it’s ok if they get stuck and encourage the others to jump in to help if anyone is lost.
4.7. Rain Ice Breaker
The Rain ice breaker is a simple, zero-prep way to help everyone to be present and engaged at the start of your meeting. By getting everyone in the room participating in the same goal, this ice breaker can quickly help everyone “arrive” in the session.
Start the Rain ice breaker by having everyone in the front of the room rub their hands together vigorously. Row by row, get more people to join in until you reach the back of the room. Next, have the first row switch to clicking their fingers and proceed through the room in the same way. Go back and forth between clicking and rubbing in order to replicate the sound of rain and then invite the group to stop and enjoy a break in the shower.
4.8. Line Up
Line-Up is a quick ice breaker game where players have to form an orderly line without any discussion or verbal cues. Start by asking people to form a line based upon a predetermined criteria (like height, length of company tenure or color of each person’s eyes etc.). and ask the group to get themselves in order without speaking.
With a more familiar group, try adding more complication to the Line Up activity to encourage your team to think more deeply. For example, line up according to the distance to where you born. The Line Up ice breaker is an effective way to develop team collaboration and non-verbal communication.
5. Fun Ice Breaker Game Ideas
The best ice breakers have the power to strengthen coworker bonds, stimulate better brainstorming sessions, and create an atmosphere of inclusivity.
Fun ice breakers like those listed below can also serve as a welcomed break from regular work activities that leaves teams feeling more connected and at ease.
5.1. Portrait Gallery
Portrait Gallery is a fun, creative ice breaker game where each member of the group must create a quick portrait of another member.
Start by splitting the group into team A and team B, with each team facing the other. Let the group know that team A will be subjects while team B will be artists. Hand team B some drawing materials and then give them 15 seconds to begin drawing a portrait of the person in front of them. After 15 seconds, shout “rotate” and have each person on team B move one space to the left. The new artist then continues drawing the portrait of the new person in front of them.
The outcome of Portrait Gallery is a wonderfully varied (and probably quite mess!y) set of images that can be put up in the meeting room once you’re done!
5.2. What Is My Name (Celebrity Party)
What is my name is a well known ice breaker game that begins wit everyone receiving the name of a well-known celebrity or public figure which they must attach to their back or forehead without looking.
Have players mingle and ask each other yes/no questions to find out who they are. For best results, have players ask only one question of one person before moving onto the next one, ensuring people mix and spread the good fun around!
5.3. Minefield
The Minefield ice breaker is a fun physical game that can help build trust and more effective group communication. Start Minefield by setting up harmless obstacles on the floor of the meeting room you’re in. Use things like squeaky toys, bubble wrap, books, cushions and other soft objects you don’t mind getting stepped. Everyone in the group then takes turns to move through the course while blindfolded, guided by their teammates.
Minefield often results in lots of laughter but also lots of teachable moments in relation to clear communication and listening skills. Once the last person has made it through the minefield follow with a debrief and ask the group to consider what they’ve learned from the game.
5.4. Crazy Handshake
The Crazy Handshake ice breaker is a lighthearted and memorable game where pairs must create a new, fun handshake before teaching that handshake to other people.
Start by having pairs introduce themselves and creating a handshake. After a minute or so, split the pair up and have them partner with someone else. The newly formed pair then teaches each other the original handshakes and together creates a new one. Repeat a third time and ask the group to share each of their previous handshakes before creating a final handshake and bringing everyone back together. Close by asking volunteers to share all the handshakes they’ve learned and to reflect on the process.
5.5. The Movie Pitch Ice Breaker
The Movie Pitch Ice Breaker is a fun, fast-paced activity where small groups create and pitch an original movie idea based on a random or chosen theme. Teams come up with a title, a brief plot, and even cast imaginary actors, then present their pitch to the group as if selling it to a studio.
The Movie Pitch ice breaker sparks creativity, encourages teamwork, and adds a dose of humor, especially if you ask teams to create a movie based on the topic of the session or even the subject of meetings!
5.6. Bang!
Bang is a fast-paced ice breaker game where you have to have quick reactions or you’ll be eliminated. Start by having everyone stand in a circle with one person in the middle as the ‘sheriff’. They must surprise other players by pointing to them. These people must quickly crouch and those on either side of them have to quickly ‘draw’ their weapons. If you are too slow, you switch places and become the sheriff.
Bang is a wonderful way to increase group energy before starting a meeting in earnest. If you’re working with an especially large group, note that it’s better to play in parallel before finishing with a final showdown!
5.7. Sound Ball
Sound Ball is simple ice breaker activity that energizes participants while also highlighting the power of spontaneity and teamwork. Start by asking your participants to stand in a circle and throw an imaginary ball to each other with 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, often going in different directions. The result is often silly, but it has some teachable moments too.
5.8. Hello Kitty
Hello Kitty is a simple, zero-prep way to kick-off a meeting with smiles and laughter. In this fun ice breaker, separate your group into teams of kittens and puppies. Puppies must try to make the kittens laugh or crack a smile by simply saying, “Hello Kitty” in an amusing manner. Any kittens who smile or laugh join the puppies until their is only one kitten left standing!
Hello Kitty is at its most effective when you encourage the group to be creative and try varied and original ways of making others smile and laugh. Be sure to give kudos to the funniest participants or those who manage to keep a straight face!
6. Virtual Ice Breaker Game Ideas
Virtual ice breakers are short games that are especially effective in an online environment such as Zoom. While most of the ice breakers in this collection can be easily adapted to run with a virtual team, the activities below are those we’ve found work especially well in this format. They’re easy to run, teach and scale well too.
6.1. Take a Picture of Your Shoes
Take a Picture of Your Shoes is a quirky and low-pressure way to spark connection among virtual teammates. Everyone takes a photo of the shoes they’re currently wearing (or not wearing!) and shares it with the group. Once the photos are shared, either by screen share, chat, or uploading to a whiteboard, participants can explain their choice or share a related story.
Take a Picture of Your Shoes invites an opportunity for humor into online meetings while offering a light glimpse into each other’s lives. You’ll be surprised at the kind of stories that can come out, and I particularly like the grounding and humanizing effect this remote ice breaker can have.
6.2. Chat Waterfall
Chat Waterfall is a high-energy virtual ice breaker game that gets everyone participating at once. The facilitator poses a question like “What’s your favorite snack?” or “What’s one word to describe your week?” and asks everyone to type their answer in the chat but not to hit send yet. After a moment, the group sends their answers all at once, creating a “waterfall” of responses.
It’s a fun and visually engaging way to get everyone involved instantly, especially in larger groups. Chat Waterfall adds a burst of energy to virtual meetings and creates a shared moment of surprise and laughter.
6.3. Emoji Check-In
Emoji Check-In is a quick and playful way to start a virtual meeting by encouraging participants to share how they’re feeling—using only emojis. Everyone posts their chosen emoji(s) in the Zoom chat or uses reaction buttons to express their current mood, energy level, or mindset.
This ice breaker creates space for emotional expression without putting anyone on the spot. It’s fast, lighthearted, and adds a bit of fun to check-ins. It’s especially useful for easing into more serious discussions with remote teams.
6.4. Remote Change 3 Things
Remote Change 3 Things is a playful and engaging virtual ice breaker that tests how observant your teammates really are. One participant turns off their camera and secretly changes three small things about their appearance or background: think switching glasses, removing a hat, or moving a plant. When they return on camera, the rest of the group guesses what’s different.
This activity sparks laughter and encourages attention to detail while breaking up the routine of virtual meetings. It’s especially effective as a warm-up for creative sessions or as a quick way to reconnect and re-energize a remote team.
7. Ice Breaker Game Ideas to Get to Know Each Other
Whenever you bring a group of people together for a meeting, project, or event, it’s helpful to get to know each other at the outset. This can help establish trust and set the stage for further connection and collaborative work.
They can also help the facilitator or leader of the session to get familiar with everyone, get a read on the energy in the room and discover what may need to be adjusted in their workshop agenda.
7.1. Two Truths and One Lie
Two Truths and One Lie is a classic ice breaker game that can still be effective in the hands of a skilled facilitator.
The best way to start is with a demonstration from the person leading the session. The facilitator will share three statements about themselves: two of which are true, and one which is a lie. Next, participants try to guess which is the lie by asking questions and then finally voting on which statement is false.
After the demo, we recommend breaking people into small groups of 3-4 people to play this ice breaker. This allows everyone to have a voice and to actually form connections, rather than simply shouting over one another or falling into a passive role.
7.2. Diversity Bingo
Diversity Bingo is a great ice breaker that helps participants to learn about one another and share what differentiates them as people along the way.
First, create a 3×3 bingo card containing a grid of squares with a statement or question in each square. Example statements include: speaks more than one language, has lived in multiple countries or has ran a marathon. Once every player has received a bingo card, they mingle and find other participants who can say yes to one of these statements.
For best results, include statements that likely to resonate with your team or the workshop topic alongside personal statements. When everyone has reached bingo or you’re almost out of time, ask everyone to can share something they’ve learned and which squares were easy or hard to fill.
7.3. Unique and Shared
Unique and Shared is a powerful ice breaker to use with breakout groups, especially at the start of a longer project or training program. Start by creating groups of 4-5 people, and ask them to discover what they have in common, along with interesting characteristics that are unique to each person in the group.
The Unique and Shared ice breaker promotes unity as it helps people to realize that they have more common ground with their peers than expected and celebrate those things as a group. It also creates space for folks to share unique qualities in a safe container. This activity also works great with remote teams in breakout rooms – in such cases, have each group report back to help bring the whole team back into coherence.
7.4. Jenga Questions
Jenga Questions is a fresh spin on a classic game that can help spark meaningful conversations and encourage a little friendly competition. Start by collecting a set of numbered questions and adding a number or sticker to the blocks in a Jenga set.
When a participant selects a block, they read the question out loud and answer before placing the piece on the top of the tower. This can ignite exciting conversations about like favorite downtime activities or go-to-karaoke song to more in-depth stuff, like career and self-development goals.
Traditional games with a unique spin can often generate curiosity and engagement in a groups setting. Jenga Questions can also be adapted to training and team building environments with ease, so its useful to have a set in your toolkit.
7.5. Quotes
Quotes is a fast-paced ice breaker activity allows participants to get acquainted with while exploring something inspiring.
Prepare a set of inspirational quotes prior to the session equal to the number of participants on individual slips of paper. Put the pile in the center of the room. Each participant picks up one quote, then picks a partner and begins to discuss what the quote says to them, if it is meaningful, and how.
After just minute or so, give a signal for participants to switch partner and continue their discussions. This can continue for 4-5 rounds for around 15 minutes. Choose quotes that relate to your meeting topic or company culture for an ice breaker that sets the stage for the session ahead.
7.6. Speed Dating Ice Breaker
The goal of the Speed Dating ice breaker is to have a succession of very rapid conversations in an extremely short amount of time with as many people as possible.
Have people sit in pairs, ideally with colleagues that they don’t directly work with on a day-to-day basis. Determine the time limit (say 3 minutes for each conversation) and set a timer. When it starts, each pair has to start speed networking and find out as much professional information about the other as possible.
While it’s natural for group members to want to spend time with people they know, encouraging your team to mix is an important step to improving team cohesion.
7.7. Break the Ice with the Help of Your Key
Break the ice with the help of your key is an ice breaker that aims to create memorable moments and group connection with the aid of a physical object.
Start by explaining to the group that they will get to know each other through their keys. One by one, each person will present all the keys they have on their keychain and tell a few sentences about the area the key represents. This might include the city or neighbourhood they live in, the activity it represents (bike or locker key) or the person they received it from.
Be sure to start the circle yourself so the participants get the feeling of how it should be done. Bonus points if you can demonstrate openness and vulnerability for your group to follow!
7.8. Whose Story Is It?
Start the Whose Story is it ice breaker game by writing your funniest or weirdest story on a small piece of paper. It has to be a true one, no fiction! Then fold the paper up and drop it into a bowl or other container.
The facilitator or the person leading the program randomly reads every story and group members guess who the writer is. This is a great way to get to know each other and find out new things, even if you’ve worked together for a long time.
7.9. Show and Tell
Show and Tell is a wonderful opportunity for teams to share personal objects with the group and use the power of metaphors to connect deeply with others. Start by asking employees to bring an artifact for Show and Tell that, from their perspective, is representative of the topic at hand or which represents what they bring to the group.
During the session, ask each person to present their object in turn and explain why they chose it and what it means to them. Ask the rest of the team to pay close attention and listen for similarities, differences, and emotional descriptions. After everyone has shared, invite the group to reflect on what everyone has shared and celebrate to close the Show and Tell effectively.
7.10. Find Your Pair
Prepare word pairs, like salt and pepper, milk and honey, sail and wind, etc on separate pieces of paper. Tape one to each person’s back. People then have to walk around and ask closed questions (with a yes or no answer) to find out what their phrase is. Once they find out, they have to find their pair & by continuing to ask questions (these can be open or closed) they have to learn 3 new things about the other.
hands raised up at a conference
8. Team Ice Breaker Game Options for Deeper Connections
Ice breaker games are not only useful at the beginning of meetings or getting to know new people. They are also a great way to support team building, by creating a positive atmosphere, helping people relax and break down barriers.
Team ice breakers such as those below are great for enhancing team bonding and empowering everyone in the group to move forward together. They can be particularly effective at a team retreat or dedicated group gathering.
8.1. Coat of Arms
This Coat of Arms ice breaker is a great way for players to introduce themselves to others and share deeply with others in a visual and creative way.
Start by letting participants know they’ll be creating a personal coat of arms with five sections ranging from what you do at work, all the way through to a core personal value. The group then spends 10 minutes drawing their coat of arms before pairing up with the person in the group they know the least. In pairs, participants then present the coat of arms of the other person, helping everyone in the room learn about each other more deeply.
This is a longer, more involved ice breaker, but it’s a great way to open a training program or deeper team building session.
8.2. Break the Ice with The Four Quadrants Activity
The Four Quadrants Activity is a creative team ice breaker where participants share four things about themselves in a series of simple drawings. It’s a highly adaptable exercise that can help folks get to know each other as a team.
Begin by asking people draw up a 2×2 grid on a piece of paper (or virtual whiteboard) and ask them four questions. Participants will then draw their answer in each of those four quadrants. Sample questions include things like: what do I bring to the group? What do I need from the group? What is your hobby? What is your vision for this group?
Afterwards, ask participants to present their drawings and discuss their creations and watch the group connections flow!
8.3. Team Jigsaw Puzzle Game
The Team Jigsaw Puzzle is a great way to get larger teams working together collaboratively while breaking the ice. Start by separating people into teams. Give each a very different jigsaw puzzle (with equal difficulty & number of pieces). Each group has the same amount of time to complete the puzzle.
The secret twist is to switch up a few pieces with the other jigsaw sets beforehand! things up. This means that each group must figure out how to ask other teams to share the pieces they need and work collaboratively on their goals. When working with groups of people who may typically work in silos, the Team Jigsaw Puzzle is an effective way to shake things up and start conversations that might not happen otherwise.
8.4. Back to Back Drawing
Back to Back Drawing is a great game for developing communication skills in a fun and memorable way.
Start by asking pairs to sit back to back. One person receives a picture of an existing image or scene. Next, they describe the image to the other person using only verbal directions. The other person then has to draw the object with the instructions they’ve been given and see how it compares to the original.
Back to Back Drawing can be easily adapted to encourage fun – using complex or well-known images – or you can also choose to focus on a specific topic by sharing images related to your team or product.
8.5. Scavenger Hunt
The Scavenger Hunt ice breaker is a great opportunity to mix people into teams who don’t typically work together and bring them together in a shared goal.
Start by creating a list of items that need to be gathered and then split your group into small teams to try and find them all to kick off your scavenger hunt. For best results, create a mix of easy and difficult to find items and use a time limit to encourage the group to think critically and collaboratively
Working with a remote or hybrid team? Try the virtual scavenger hunt below! Be sure to put in items that require a wide range of skills and thinking and diverse personalities to be completed successfully.
8.6. Electric Fence Icebreaker
The Electric Fence icebreaker is an energizing icebreaker that requires players to collectively build and cross an imaginary electric fence with a few key objects. The group has to try and cross over the fence without getting “electrocuted” but here’s the catch – all team members must be touching at least one another teammate at all times.
You can use a variety of objects to represent your fence, though you’ll always need to have a string or rope that can be tied between two “fence posts”: chairs are a great choice for your fence posts! Try bringing the Electric Fence icebreaker activity to team building events where you want to encourage quick thinking, problem-solving and negotiation skills.
8.7. Trading Card Icebreaker
The Trading Card Icebreaker is an effective way to creatively break the ice and let your team share their personalities with the group.
Start by handing out materials and giving each person 5–10 minutes to create a personal “trading card”— including a quick self-portrait, a nickname for their “player,” and one thing about themselves that people in the room aren’t likely to know.
The Trading Card activity lets people self-define and share their personality outside of their day-to-day work. This approach means people get to connect more meaningfully and authentically while also creating cards that serve as mementos of the session.
8.8. Low Tech Social Networking
Low-tech Social Network is one of our favourite ice breakers to use when working with large, multi-discipline groups where connections might not be immediately obvious.
The objective of Low-tech Social Network is to introduce event participants to each other by co-creating a large visual network of their connections. Begin by having all participants create an avatar on a piece of card with a self portrait and name.
Once their avatar is ready, each person will “upload” themselves by sticking their card to the wall. Finally, each participants will find the people they know and draw lines to make the connections known, labelling how they know that person too.
Team alignment workshop
9. Ice Breaker Game Ideas for Small Groups
While many of the ice breakers above can be adapted for any group size, these activities are especially effective when working with groups of less than 15 people.
These ice breakers are great for using the smaller group size to create opportunities for team bonding and deeper sharing between team members. You’ll find them particularly useful when creating working groups, during training sessions or when building cohesion between teams who collaborate regularly.
9.1. Interview Ice Breaker
The Interview Ice Breaker is a playful way to get team members talking at the start of a session while also introducing the topic of the workshop or meeting.
Start by getting people into pairs. One person begins by being a reporter and then other will be the interviewee. For three minutes, the reporter will interview the other person on a chosen subject and attempt to get as much information as they can before switching roles. Encourage the group to really get into their roles and provide some example questions to guide the group toward the topic of the day.
9.2. Magic Box
The Magic Box ice breaker encourages players to think creatively and share with the group in response to an object they pull from a box.
Start Magic Box by assembling a box of interesting and varied objects. Having objects of different sizes and texts is best, though even a collection of photos will do. Next, invite participants to choose an object without overthinking it and then explain who they are, why they chose the object and what they think the connection between the object and the workshop is.
9.3. Paper Telephone
Paper Telephone is a fun ice breaker that encourages creativity and laughter by combining two classic games: telephone and pictionary. Start by handing out a stack of small papers and pens, and invite each team member to write a sentence on the first piece of paper. Players then pass their stack to the next person who must read the sentence and then create a visual representation of that sentence on the next piece of paper in the stack.
Play proceeds around the circle, with players needing to
