what are some good ice breakers for presentations

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Top 10 Icebreakers For Your Next Presentation

Hrideep barot.

• Presentation , Public Speaking

If you are here, this is your sign to elevate your presentations from mundane to memorable with our guide on icebreakers for your next presentation. Are you tired of the same old routine when it comes to presentations? Are you looking for ways to captivate your audience, foster connections, and ensure your message doesn’t fall flat? Well, look no further because we’ve got the secret ingredient to transform your next presentation from mundane to memorable: Icebreakers!

In this blog, we’ll explore a treasure trove of icebreaking techniques to transform even the iciest of atmospheres into a vibrant and engaged audience. So, whether you’re a seasoned presenter or stepping onto the stage for the first time, get ready to discover the magic of icebreakers and watch your presentations come to life!

Why Icebreakers are Important?

Did You Know “ Icebreakers have an ancient history dating back to ancient Greece, where they employed “paradoxography,” a storytelling form, to engage and entertain participants during gatherings?”

Breaking the ice is like warming up a room full of strangers, it’s the catalyst for transforming uncomfortable moments into meaningful connections!” 

Picture this scenario: you are in a professional setting, surrounded by unfamiliar faces, and it feels as if you are in uncharted territory. That is when someone proposes an icebreaker activity. Suddenly, you are engaged in a thought-provoking exercise, sharing insights, and gradually forming strong professional bonds.

Icebreakers are an essential tool in any social or professional setting, as they help to break down barriers, encourage interaction, and create a positive and welcoming atmosphere. Whether you are hosting a meeting, a workshop, a team-building event, or a conference, incorporating icebreakers can greatly enhance the overall experience for participants. In this blog post, we will explore the key points highlighting the importance of icebreakers and their numerous benefits.

Breaking the Ice

The primary purpose of an icebreaker is to break the ice between participants who may not know each other or who may feel hesitant to engage in conversation. By facilitating an initial interaction, icebreakers help to create a sense of familiarity, ease, and connection among attendees. They provide an opportunity for individuals to share a bit about themselves, their interests, and their backgrounds, which can lead to finding common ground and sparking conversation.

Building Trust and Relationships

Icebreakers play a crucial role in building trust and relationships within a group. When participants engage in icebreaker activities, they become more comfortable with each other, which encourages open communication and collaboration. Icebreakers foster a sense of trust and create a safe space for individuals to express themselves and share their thoughts and ideas. This improved trust and rapport can greatly enhance teamwork and collaboration throughout an event or project.

Energizing Participants

Icebreakers are an excellent tool for energizing participants and increasing their engagement. They help to shift the atmosphere from one of formality or initial awkwardness to one of energy and excitement. Icebreakers inject fun and enthusiasm into the event or meeting, making it more enjoyable and memorable for all involved. They also help to boost participants’ energy levels and attention span, ensuring that they are fully engaged and present throughout the entire duration of the activity.

Encouraging Creativity and Innovation

Icebreakers often involve out-of-the-box thinking, creative problem-solving, and innovative approaches. By engaging in activities that challenge participants to think differently or explore new perspectives, icebreakers stimulate creativity and innovation. They inspire individuals to break free from rigid thinking patterns and embrace fresh ideas. This creative environment can lead to more innovative solutions, insights, and outcomes further into the event or project.

Promoting Inclusivity and Diversity

Icebreakers are inclusive by nature, allowing individuals from various backgrounds and with different perspectives to come together and participate equally. They create a space where everyone’s voice can be heard, regardless of their role, hierarchy, or experience. Icebreakers can also be adapted to accommodate cultural differences and ensure that all participants feel comfortable and respected. By promoting inclusivity and diversity, icebreakers help to create a sense of belonging and foster a supportive environment for all.

Enhancing Learning and Retention

Here’s an interesting tidbit: People tend to remember information better when it’s associated with a positive or enjoyable experience. Icebreakers create a positive atmosphere, making your key points more likely to stick in your audience’s minds.

When participants are actively engaged and emotionally connected, they are more likely to absorb and retain information. Icebreakers help to create an optimal learning environment by providing an opportunity for participants to become actively involved in the experience. By warming up the mind and priming it for learning, icebreakers can significantly enhance knowledge retention and application.

How to Choose the Right Icebreaker?

Icebreakers are a crucial aspect of any event or gathering, as they help break down barriers, encourage interaction, and create a positive atmosphere among participants. However, choosing the right icebreaker can be a challenging task, as there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Here are some practical tips and examples to help you make the best choice for your audience.

1. Consider the Audience

The first step in choosing the right icebreaker is to consider the size and diversity of your audience. Different icebreakers work better for different group sizes and compositions. For example, an icebreaker suitable for a small team might not be as effective for a large conference. Take into account factors such as age, occupation, and cultural background to ensure that your icebreaker resonates with everyone present.

2. Align with the Event Theme and Objective

Next, consider the theme and objective of your event. An icebreaker that complements the purpose of the gathering or relates to its theme can set the right tone and create a sense of relevance among participants. For instance, if you are hosting a professional networking event, a suitable icebreaker could be asking attendees to share something about themselves that is not typically found on their professional profiles, as commonly done on LinkedIn.

3. Time and Space Constraints

The available time and space for your icebreaker activity will also impact your choice. Consider the duration of the event, whether it is a short meeting, a full-day workshop, or a multi-day conference. Tailor your icebreaker accordingly, ensuring that it is engaging but not time-consuming. Additionally, consider the physical space and ensure that the icebreaker can be executed comfortably within the given environment.

4. Familiarity and Comfort Levels

The level of familiarity and comfort among your attendees is an essential factor to consider. Icebreakers work best when they encourage participants to step slightly out of their comfort zones. However, it’s crucial to strike the right balance to avoid any discomfort or resistance. If your audience is particularly introverted or unfamiliar with each other, opt for icebreakers that are low-pressure, quick, and personal. Asking attendees to share a community or cause that holds personal meaning, as often done in Facebook Groups, can create a sense of connection without being overwhelming.

5. Be Prepared to Adapt

Lastly, be prepared to adapt and adjust the icebreaker if necessary. Sometimes, despite careful planning, an icebreaker may not work as expected or may require modifications while in progress. Stay flexible and open to making changes on the spot if needed. Being attentive to the participants’ engagement and reactions will help you gauge the effectiveness of the icebreaker and make any necessary tweaks.

6. Asking the Right Questions

• To choose the most suitable icebreaker for your event, ask yourself and your team relevant questions:
• What do my audience members like and dislike?
• What icebreakers have worked well in the past for similar groups?
• What icebreakers have they already experienced or seen before?
• What specific goal do I want to achieve through the icebreaker?

By asking these questions and conducting proper research, you can gather ideas and options that align with your audience’s preferences and the goals of your event. Combine your findings with your own experiences and observations to choose the icebreaker that is most likely to create a positive and engaging experience for everyone involved.

What is a Good Icebreaker for a presentation?

A good Icebreaker sets the pace for an effective and memorable presentation. It isn’t boring nor is it routine. It excites and energizes as you start with a bang. Here are 10 examples of the best Icebreakers in the field:

• The 5 great icebreaker questions?
• One-Word Icebreaker Game
• What’s in the Bag Icebreaker
• Two Truths and a Lie:
• Speed Networking:
• Would You Rather
• Human Bingo
• Scavenger Hunts
• Non-cringeworthy icebreaker- “Two Truths and a Dream”

1. The 5 great icebreaker questions

  What is one thing you hope to accomplish in today’s meeting?

This question sets the stage for a productive discussion by encouraging participants to clarify their goals. It also helps the meeting facilitator tailor the agenda to address these expectations. For example, someone might say, “I hope to gain clarity on the project timeline,” which signals to the group that timeline discussions are a priority.

What is one word that describes how you feel about the upcoming project?

This question allows participants to express their emotional stance regarding the project, fostering transparency and empathy within the team. Responses can vary widely, from “excited” and “optimistic” to “apprehensive” or “curious.” Understanding each other’s emotions can aid in gauging the team’s overall morale.

Share one personal or professional success you’ve had since our last meeting.

This question promotes a culture of celebration and acknowledgment within the team. Participants can share accomplishments, whether big or small, that have occurred since the previous meeting. It encourages positivity and recognition of individual and collective achievements.

What is one challenge you anticipate facing in the upcoming weeks?

Anticipating challenges is crucial for proactive problem-solving. By discussing potential obstacles beforehand, teams can strategize and support each other more effectively. For instance, someone might mention, “I foresee difficulties in aligning our schedules for the project kickoff.”

What’s a book, podcast, or article you’ve found inspiring lately?

This is a powerful icebreaker that not only promotes knowledge sharing but also opens the door to meaningful discussions and interesting recommendations. This question sets a positive and engaging tone for meetings, promoting empathy, and providing valuable resources beyond the session. It’s a simple yet effective way to tap into the collective wisdom of the group while nurturing a culture of curiosity and inspiration.

2. One-Word Icebreaker Game:

Choose one word to describe your weekend.

• This prompt encourages participants to reflect briefly on their personal experiences. Responses could range from “relaxing” and “productive” to “adventurous” or “restful.” It provides insight into individual weekend experiences and sets a friendly, informal tone for the meeting.

Pick one word that captures your goals for the coming year.

• Participants can express their aspirations succinctly, like “growth,” “innovation,” “balance,” or “learning.” This exercise promotes goal sharing and may uncover common objectives or themes among team members.

Select one word that best represents your work style.

• This prompt encourages participants to self-reflect on their work approach. Words like “collaborative,” “methodical,” “adaptive,” or “focused” can offer insights into team dynamics and help in understanding each other’s strengths.

Fun One-Word to Describe Yourself Icebreaker:

• Choose one word to describe your personality.
• Share one word that sums up your morning so far.
• Pick one word that represents your favorite hobby or activity.
• This icebreaker is versatile and can be adapted to various contexts, allowing participants to share something about themselves in a concise, engaging manner. It’s a fun way to get to know each other better.

3. What’s in the Bag Icebreaker:

In this icebreaker, a bag contains various objects that participants can draw from. Each object represents a different aspect of the meeting or project. For example:

• A stress ball to represent managing project pressures.
• A puzzle piece to symbolize problem-solving.
• A pen to represent communication and collaboration.

When someone draws an object, they must relate it to their perspective on the meeting or project. This activity encourages creative thinking and adds an element of surprise and engagement.

These icebreakers help create an inclusive and interactive atmosphere, enabling participants to connect on both a personal and professional level. Feel free to customize these questions and activities to fit your specific meeting or event goals.

4. Two Truths and a Lie:

“Two Truths and a Lie” is a classic icebreaker that encourages participants to share interesting facts about themselves while adding a bit of mystery. Here’s how it works:

• Each participant takes turns sharing two true statements about themselves and one false statement.
• The other participants then try to guess which statement is the lie.
• The reveal follows, where the person reveals the false statement and shares the actual truth behind it.

Example: Participant A says:

• “I once climbed Mount Kilimanjaro.”
• “I’m fluent in three languages.”
• “I have a pet elephant.”

Participants B and C might guess that statement 3 (“I have a pet elephant”) is a lie. After the reveal, Participant A explains that they’ve never had a pet elephant, but they did climb Mount Kilimanjaro and are indeed fluent in three languages.

5. Speed Networking:

Speed networking is a structured, fast-paced activity designed to help participants make meaningful professional connections within a short time frame. Here’s how it typically works:

• Participants are paired up for a set amount of time (e.g., 3-5 minutes).
• During this time, they introduce themselves, discuss their professions, and exchange contact information.
• After the allotted time, participants switch partners until everyone has interacted with multiple people.

Example: In a speed networking event for entrepreneurs, participants A and B have a 3-minute conversation. They discuss their business ideas, challenges they’ve faced, and potential areas of collaboration. Once the timer goes off, they exchange business cards and move on to meet new people.

6. Would You Rather:

“Would You Rather” is a fun icebreaker that encourages participants to make choices and share their reasoning. Here’s how it works:

• Each participant receives a card with two options (e.g., “Would you rather have the ability to fly or be invisible?”).
• They must choose one option and explain why they made that choice.
• This icebreaker can lead to interesting discussions and insights into participants’ preferences.

Example: Participant A receives a card with the question, “Would you rather travel back in time or visit the future?” They choose to travel to the future because they’re excited to see technological advancements. Participant A then shares their reasoning with the group.

7. Human Bingo:

Human Bingo is a great icebreaker for large groups. Each participant receives a bingo card with different characteristics or experiences, such as “Has traveled to five countries” or “Speaks more than two languages.” Participants mingle and try to find people who match the descriptions on their cards. When they find a match, they write that person’s name in the corresponding bingo square.

Example: Participant A’s bingo card includes the statement, “Has run a marathon.” They approach Participant B, who has indeed run a marathon. Participant A writes Participant B’s name in that square. The goal is to fill in as many squares as possible and shout “Bingo!” when they do.

8. Scavenger Hunt:

A scavenger hunt is an interactive icebreaker that involves participants searching for specific items or completing tasks within a set time frame. It can be done indoors or outdoors, and participants can work individually or in teams. The organizer provides a list of items or tasks, and participants race to find them.

Example: In an office-based scavenger hunt, participants might receive a list that includes tasks like “Find a red stapler” or “Take a selfie with a colleague from a different department.” The first person or team to complete all the tasks wins.

These icebreakers serve various purposes, from fostering connections and networking to sparking creativity and promoting engagement. They can be adapted to suit the specific goals and preferences of your event or meeting, making them versatile tools for building rapport and enhancing interactions among participants.

9. What are some fun facts for Icebreakers?

Facts make for fantastic icebreakers because they’re like little windows into each person’s unique world. Sharing a fact about oneself or a fascinating tidbit of knowledge not only sparks conversation but also fosters a sense of curiosity and connection. Facts are the bridges that allow individuals to relate to one another, creating a dynamic and engaging ice-breaking experience that goes beyond small talk.

– The first recorded speeding ticket in 1896 clocked in at just over 8 miles per hour, a far cry from today’s traffic violations.

– In the English language, “E” takes the crown as the most common letter, appearing in 11% of all words. Meanwhile, “A” follows closely behind at 8.5%, while the letter “Q” is a rarity, showing up in only 0.2% of words.

– While many are familiar with animals like dogs and horses in police service worldwide, some regions in China employ geese for their noisy and disruptive qualities to help maintain street order and deter criminals.

– Hailstorms are a natural occurrence, but on planets like Saturn and Jupiter, lightning strikes carbon soot, transforming it into graphite. Under immense pressure during storms, this graphite converts into diamond hail, creating extraordinary diamond storms.

– Philanthropist Bill Gates, a part of the Giving Pledge initiative, has donated approximately $30 billion to non-profits and has saved over six million lives through healthcare and vaccination initiatives. This inspiring effort has garnered the support of 231 philanthropists.

– Scotland has adopted the unicorn, despite never having seen one in person, as its national animal. This mythical creature holds a special place in Scottish history, surpassing even the famous Loch Ness Monster in cultural significance.

Professional fun facts about yourself 

Another way you can use fun facts as an icebreaker is by introducing yourself with a fun fact. It can be a great ice-breaking activity as everyone introduces themselves with an interesting fact. These examples can help you develop your fun fact answers that provide others with a clearer background of your professional goals, accomplishments, or experience:

• The bravest thing I’ve ever done was give a product demonstration to a live audience of over one thousand people.
• My role model is my dad because he immigrated to Canada when he was only 18, got a job right away, and worked hard to provide for our family.
• I have worked in marketing for over half my life.
• I have traveled to over 30 countries for business. My favorite one was Japan because they have a lot of delicious food.
• The first time I ever moved away from home was participating in a job internship 500 miles away from my hometown.
• I’m reading a book about financial technology to familiarize myself with the industry and its ongoing trends.
• I speak four languages: English, Spanish, Italian, and French.
• I was 17 when I got my first job at a fast-food restaurant, which helped me develop leadership, communication, and listening skills.
• My favorite subject in school was English, so I decided to become a writer.
• I once set the record for most products sold in one day during my previous sales job.

What is an Icebreaker that is not cringe?

A non-cringeworthy icebreaker fosters a positive and comfortable atmosphere, encourages interaction, and is relevant to the context. Here’s an example of a simple and effective icebreaker: An advanced and superior substitute of the Two Truths and a Lie icebreaker- which is called:

10. “Two Truths and a Dream”

In this icebreaker, participants share two facts about themselves and one aspirational dream or goal. This not only helps break the ice but also allows people to get to know each other on a more personal level and can lead to meaningful conversations.

Here’s how it works:

Each participant thinks of two true statements about themselves. These can be related to their personal life, hobbies, or professional background. They also think of one aspirational dream or goal they have for the future. It could be related to their career, personal growth, or a lifelong dream. Participants take turns sharing their two truths and one dream with the group. The challenge for the others is to guess which statement is the dream.

For example, someone might say:

• “I’ve traveled to five different countries.”
• “I’m learning to play the guitar.”
• “My dream is to start my non-profit organization.”

This icebreaker is effective because it allows people to share something personal and positive while also sparking curiosity and conversation. It’s not cringe-inducing and can lead to genuine connections among participants.

When to use Icebreakers?

Icebreakers are powerful tools to infuse fun and interaction into various situations. Here’s a quick guide on when to deploy them:

• Meeting Kick-Off : Start your meetings with icebreakers to get everyone engaged and set a positive tone. For example, “Two Truths and a Lie” can break the ice effectively.
• Team-building Events: During team-building activities, icebreakers help foster connections and boost team spirit. “Human Bingo” is a fun choice.
• Workshops and Training: In training sessions or workshops, icebreakers inject energy and creativity. “Would You Rather” questions can spark interesting discussions.
• Conferences and Networking: At conferences or networking events, icebreakers like “Speed Networking” facilitate connections and break the ice among attendees.
• Remote Meetings : In virtual settings, icebreakers bridge gaps and build camaraderie. Use questions like “Share your most unique quarantine hobby.”
• Post-Lunch Slump Buster: Combat post-lunch drowsiness by using icebreakers like “One-Word Icebreaker” to re-energize participants.

Icebreakers are not just for breaking awkward silences; they’re valuable tools to enhance engagement and connections across various scenarios.

How to Facilitate Icebreakers?

As the host or facilitator of the event, you have an important role in making the icebreakers successful. You’re the captain of the icebreaking ship, steering it towards success. Your role is pivotal in ensuring everyone has a great time. Start by preparing meticulously; you’re the conductor, and your baton must be in perfect sync with the icebreaker’s rhythm. When you step into the spotlight, introduce yourself with enthusiasm and clarity, setting the stage for what’s to come. Like a wise guide, explain the rules and what’s expected, ensuring everyone’s on the same page.

Equip participants with the necessary tools and materials, just as a host provides guests with all they need. Throughout the activity, be the energy monitor, adjusting the tempo to keep the vibe lively. Like an appreciative audience, provide feedback and recognition, highlighting the stars of the show. Finally, when the icebreakers conclude, be the storyteller who weaves it all together, connecting the dots between the icebreakers and the event’s purpose. Your role is to ensure that icebreakers are not just activities but memorable experiences.

Imagine the host/facilitator/MC as the thermostat in the room. While a thermometer simply measures the temperature, you, as the thermostat, have the power to set it. Your role is to bring clarity, engage the audience, and infuse energy into the atmosphere – all without crossing into cheesy territory. You’re the one who shapes the environment, making it inviting and exciting for everyone involved. 

Be clear – Be engaging – Be energizing

In wrapping up our exploration of top icebreakers for your next presentation, remember this: icebreakers are the secret spices that turn the bland into the brilliant. They’re not just warm-up acts; they’re the opening chords of a captivating symphony.

From classics like “Two Truths and a Lie” to the creativity of “What’s in the Bag” and the lightning-fast networking of “Speed Networking,” these icebreakers are your allies in engagement, your partners in connection, and your ticket to presentations that won’t be forgotten.

So, as you plan your next presentation, embrace the icebreaker magic. They’re not the side dish; they’re the star of the show. Your audience will thank you for it, and your presentations will sparkle with a charm that’s impossible to resist.

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Presentation Icebreakers that Really Work

• Audience Response Tools , Event Planning , Leadership Techniques

Meetings and presentations in the workplace can be pretty rigid, right? Not only do you have the responsibility to make sure the meeting is engaging, but you also need to effectively convey the required information to everyone in the room with a certain degree of professionalism. Striking a balance between these two goals can seem tough.

The more conversations and interactions a presentation initiates, the more fun and informative it can be. In order to make that happen, icebreakers are key. They can work absolute wonders by helping everyone there feel more comfortable and connect with one another.

Icebreakers remove the awkwardness, allow people to relax, boost audience energy, develop a friendly atmosphere, and encourage networking. Let’s take a look at some fun icebreakers that can be utilized in different situations.

What’s An Icebreaker And What Can it Do?

An icebreaker means to breaks the “ice” or coldness around your attendees . In a room (physical or virtual) full of people who may or may not know one another, the atmosphere can be cold. If you plunge into your presentation in that environment, it won’t go over as well as it could. Attendees who feel out of place won’t interact or engage. Take the time to “warm-up” the room.

There are several advantages to beginning with an icebreaker:

• They help people to relax and have fun. Relaxation allows people to learn and entertain new ideas. An icebreaker is especially useful if you plan to get audience participation at some point in your presentation.
• Icebreakers are energizers . It’s great to start the meeting with one, but also throughout the session, if you notice your audience is looking tired, restless, or down at their phones more often than necessary – pull out a lively icebreaker.
• Icebreakers provide networking opportunities . Your audience can discover what they have in common.
• Finally, icebreakers create a positive atmosphere. If you want your presentation to be remembered for all the right reasons, begin with a happy, comfortable audience.

Here are a few tips that will make your icebreakers work

• Know your audience . Not every icebreaker suits every audience. Be careful not to offend or embarrass anyone.
• Try to include everyone , but again, don’t offend or embarrass your audience.
• Keep your objective in mind . The icebreakers you choose should help you reach your objectives, not just make your audience laugh.
• Make sure everyone is having fun . It’s not an icebreaker if it results in people feeling uncomfortable.
• Finally, avoid calling it an icebreaker. Unfortunately, the term has become associated with an unpleasant experience. So if you announce that you’re doing an icebreaker, you’re likely to be met with groans and resistance. Instead, say, “I have an idea; let’s try something new!”

Icebreakers for One-On-One Sessions

Try these for one-on-one presentations:

Introduce yourself

This is obvious, but introduce yourself unless you already know one another. If you know one another, maybe you can share a fact about yourself that the other person might not know.

Have a conversation

Have a quick chat about current affairs, the weather, or family. Whatever interests both of you and creates a warm environment.

Ask open-ended questions

While you chat, use open-ended questions . These will allow you to know your prospect better.

Ask what they expect from the presentation

As you talk with your prospect, figure out what they expect to gain from the presentation . If their expectations are incorrect, you can correct them. And you can adjust your presentation, if necessary.

Give them a present

Present them with a small token of appreciation , just for showing up to your presentation. No doubt you’ve been stood-up before, so a thank you gift is appropriate.

Compliment them

There’s a lot of power in a genuine compliment . Be kind to your prospect and notice something to compliment-worthy. Now let’s take a look at some fun icebreakers that can be utilized in different situations.

‍ Related : 35 Funny Poll Questions to Engage Your Audience and Brighten Someone’s Day

Icebreakers for Small Groups

If you’re looking for some fun icebreaking ideas among small groups, here’s a place to start: ‍

Two Truths and a Lie

‍ Two Truths and a Lie can be an extremely fun game. The idea is that each and every member makes three statements about themselves. Two are true and the other is a lie. Players will then guess which ones are the truths and which one is the lie. The statements could be as simple as “I’ve gone skydiving in Spain,” “I owned a turtle as a kid,” and “I have never had sushi.”

Most Unique

‍ Most Unique, too, helps everyone in a small group loosen up before a meeting or a presentation. It takes less time than the previous game, but similarly aims to help coworkers learn fun facts about each other.

The idea is simple: every person in the room gets to state something about themselves that’s unique and makes them different from the rest. For example, “I have ten siblings‚” “I can speak five languages‚” “I have lived in six different countries till date‚” and so on.

‍ Get-to-Know-You Questions

‍ This is one of the simplest ice breakers. Each group member can ask the other some questions that will help them get to know each other better. Examples of great questions to ask include:

• What do you enjoy doing on the weekend?
• Do you own any pets?
• What is your favorite holiday destination?
• What are your pet peeves?
• What are your future goals?

‍ Would You Rather

‍ Would You Rather is a game that initiates discussions on perspectives and individual personalities. It helps your team members learn a little more about each other. Every person is given a choice between two scenarios, and they have to pick one. After making a choice, they also have to explain why they picked that option.

The choices could be something like:

• Would you rather have summer or winter your whole life?
• Would you rather prepare your meal yourself and have different options each day or have your meal prepared for you without getting to choose the dish?
• Would you rather watch a new movie every day or re-watch your favorites without getting to watch anything new again?

And so on. The questions might seem silly, but you’d be surprised about what you can learn about your colleagues’ unique perspectives.

Going on a Picnic

‍ If you’re giving a presentation to people who don’t know each other that well, this is a great way to get group members to learn each other’s names in a fun way.

For example, if your name is Pauline, you will state your name, say you’re going on a picnic, and then say you’re bringing an item that starts with the first letter of your name. So, the sentence will be, “My name is Pauline, I am going on a picnic, and I’m bringing popcorn.”

The next person has to state not only what they’re bringing, but what the person before them is bringing as well. It’s basically a memory game and a name game combined.

‍ Related : 20 Interactive Presentation Games

Icebreakers for Large Groups

If your group is slightly bigger and has more members, there are even more options for icebreakers. Here are some interesting ones to opt for.

‍ Scavenger Hunt

‍ Remember the scavenger hunts your school made you participate in? Remember how it helped bring out your positively competitive side while you and your team members came together to win the game? The idea is the same here, with office members engaging in developing their problem-solving skills and working together towards a common goal.

You can divide the members in about 4-5 groups, and have the clues take them from one place to another. Try keeping fun prizes as well for the team or teams that perform the best.

Marshmallow Challenge

‍ Dividing everyone into groups of about four to five members, give every group a long piece of string, 20 sticks of dry spaghetti, some tape, and a marshmallow. The aim is to see which group can use the given elements to build the strongest structure with the marshmallow on top. This allows everyone to collaborate and pitch in ideas to execute the plan.

‍ Celebrity Heads

‍ For this game, there are about six members in every group. Two players are required for every round, where one member will have the picture of a celebrity stuck on their forehead. They will ask “yes or no” questions about the celebrity until they can guess who it is.

‍ M&M’s Exchange

‍ Give every member the same amount of M&Ms. Have everyone say one thing that they haven’t done that they think the others might have. Anyone who has done that thing needs to give the speaker an M&M, and if there’s someone who hasn’t done it, the person who made the statement gives that person an M&M. The game goes on till someone runs out of M&Ms.

‍ True or False Running

‍ Yet another fun icebreaker for large groups is the True or False Running game. Draw a line in the middle of the room, with the right side being the true side and the left side being the false side. Make statements related to general knowledge, and have members hop on either side depending on whether the statement is true or false. The one who gets the most correct answers wins.

‍ Related: How to Get People to Take a Survey

Ice Breakers for Training Seminars

Those attending training seminars are often nervous about the whole process. In order to make the attendees more comfortable, these are some great icebreaker sessions to choose from.

Blind Drawing

‍ This game requires two members to pair up. They need to be made to sit back-to-back, with one person having a picture, and the other person having a pen and a paper. The person holding the picture needs to describe it to the other individual, and the latter needs to draw it. The duo with the best picture can be given a small prize as a token of appreciation. Image source

‍ Five of Anything

‍ Divide the members of the training seminar into groups of four or five. Each group gets a topic, such as a book or a movie or so, and every member needs to list their five favorite things under that topic. After that, everyone gets to discuss their answers and learn a little more about the people around them.

‍ 10 Things in Common

‍ This game can help members find common traits with one another. Pair up two people and let them list 10 things that they have in common. It could be something as simple as them both having three siblings or owning a dog, and so on.

‍ For One Word, divide the members into groups and give each of them a discussion topic. Using this topic, they all have to come up with a word that they think will best describe the subject. For example, if it’s about company culture, ask them the one word they think best describes it. This facilitates interesting discussions among everyone.

‍ Related: How to Moderate Panel Discussion

Icebreakers for Team Building

The main aim of most icebreakers is to create a spirit of team effort and team bonding. If that’s what you’re looking to build before a meeting or in any other situation, the following icebreakers can help:

‍ Whodunit works well with both small and big groups. Have every member write something they have done on a piece of paper, be it scuba diving or going for a solo trip, and put all the notes in a basket. Every member picks a random note, and depending on which one they’ve picked up, they have to guess who it belongs to or which person had that particular experience.

The Egg Drop

‍ This team building icebreaker gets everyone engaged and is super-fun to both witness and perform. Divide the members into groups of about five people, and give each group an uncooked egg.

Have a few office supplies ready in a pile, and using those supplies, each team has to build a contraption around the egg that prevents it from breaking when it’s dropped. Image source

‍ The Barter Puzzle

‍ In this icebreaker game, groups are made and each team is given a puzzle to solve. However, some pieces of every puzzle are mixed with the other groups. Every group then has to decide how to acquire the piece from the other group in order to complete their puzzle.

‍ Human Rock-Paper-Scissors

‍ Who knew this classic game could be turned into an icebreaker method? Well, turns out it can. Break the members into different teams, and have each team come up with unique body signals for rock-paper-scissors. Each team can have a face-off in a best-of-five series, and the team that performs the best wins the game.

A Final Note

Keeping your audience engaged with icebreakers can help set the tone for the rest of the meeting. For more advice on how to make your presentations engaging, and for unique meeting tools visit Meeting Pulse !

You can use our live polling features to make question-and-answer games easier and visually pleasing, and gauge audience engagement with upvotes, downvotes, and emojis. With a slew of great icebreakers and simple, yet innovative tools, you can kick off your meetings right.

Get started with MeetingPulse today!

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10 Public Speaking Ice Breakers That Actually Work

An icebreaker is an activity in public speaking that is designed to engage the audience and break the ice to get them ready to hear what you’re about to say. However, many of the icebreakers out there that the internet sites recommend are pretty average at best and in most cases downright awkward to use.

So I wanted to compile the list of 10 icebreakers that actually work.

[youtube id=”7hXF7vVEs5A” mode=”normal”]

So what are these 10 icebreakers that actually work?

Now I’m going to break these into two distinct categories:

1) icebreakers for larger groups of people

2) icebreakers for smaller groups of people.

Now I’m going to assume that you’re in a more formal public speaking setting.

When you’re in a more informal, maybe a really small training group, where it is very hands on then these icebreakers might not work as well and you might need something that is more interactive.

But I’m assuming we’re at corporate meeting or a conference,or a church event or something like that Where it’s more formal public speaking engagement. So what are some of the icebreakers that we can use?

Public speaking ice breakers for large groups

1. make a joke at your own expense.

Now, I want to say – avoid making really lame,very generalised jokes that don’t have to do with you. Definitely avoid jokes that might offend someone as well!

You don’t want to make a joke at the expense of anyone in the audience, a joke at the expense of the company, or a joke at the expense who’s introduced you, but the joke at the expense of yourself tends to work really well because you’re pointing at yourself so people can just laugh along with that.

Jokes like…

“Before coming here tonight I was discussing my talk with my wife and she said to me: ‘Don’t try to be too charming, too witty or too intellectual, just be yourself.’”

Don’t expect full blown laughter with any of these jokes, but it’s just kind of a teaser, just kind of warms it up.

If you’re at a formal dinner setting, and everyone’s getting the same meal or they have two alternating meals, you can say:

“Don’t you think it’s amazing that 200 of us all came together tonight and we all chose the same meal?”

They’re corny but sometimes they can work.

You could say: “Look, I have a bad feeling about this, I was talking to [whoever introduced you], they said they were going to tell a joke before I spoke but instead they just introduced me.”

So you’re implying you’re the joke.

These are some ideas for a couple of jokes that you can do, obviously one that you come up yourself is probably better.

Tie in the context of the company you work for or the situation you’re in. The more personal and more appropriate to the situation, the better are the jokes going to work.

2. OPEN WITH ‘RAISE-YOUR-HAND’ QUESTIONS

You want to do a couple of things before when you’re doing raise your hand questions.

Firstly, you want to be positive with your raise your hand questions . Like: “Raise your hands if you want to be happy in life!” “Raise your hand if you want to make a million dollars!”

You don’t want to create negative raise your hand questions , because then you’re going to create a negative environment. So you’re saying: “Raise your hand if you don’t have much to show for the last year!” It’s not going to make people feel very good about themselves.

And when you’re doing raise your hand questions try to ask questions that most people are going to raise their hand to.

The whole idea of the raise your hand questions is to get audience’s engagement, and to get group involvement, so the people on the outskirts who aren’t really getting into your talk feel like they should get into your talk.

So if you open with a raise your hand question to which only person in the room can raise hand to, it’s going to be pretty awkward for that person. But if you ask a question where 9 out of 10 people raise their hand, that one person that doesn’t raise their hand kind of feels awkward because they’re not doing it.

It’s like using positive peer pressure.

3. START A STORY BUT DON’T FINISH IT

So when you get there, just say: “I just want to tell you a story that I think it is very important for my speech today.” Or you go on and tell your story, but you leave the conclusion out and you say: “I’ll get back to that towards the end.”

And so what you’re doing – you’re drawing people in with stories, but you’re not finishing your story so it keeps them engaged.

4. GET AN INTRODUCTION

A lot of people wouldn’t classify this as an icebreaker, but it really is. Get someone to introduce you and talk you up a little bit and get people warmed up for you as you come on to the stage.

Then the audience is anticipating your coming and you don’t need to break the ice as much because it’s already been a little bit broken for you.

5. BREAK SOME NEWS (BIG OR SMALL)

I was recently reading Robert Kiyosaki’s book, Retire Young, Retire Rich. And he talks about an investment talk that he did, and he couldn’t think how to open his presentation.

As he was reading the morning paper, he came across a story about a couple who had retired about 10 years early. But he then used that news to tie into his story.

So when you get up on stage and you say: “I’ve read this really interesting article in the paper today,” or “Something really interesting or strange happened to me today.”

We are inclined as a culture to want to be ‘in the know’ so when something is happening in the news and people are talking about it we want to hear what it is.

So that’s a good way to get people engaged – to break some sort of news, whether it’s news that’s happened in your country or on the globe or whether it’s just something new that has happened in your life that’s a bit odd and a bit interesting.

6. ASK EVERYONE TO COMPLETE A SIMPLE TASK

Get the audience to say to the person next to them: “I’m so glad you’re here today.”

So everyone in the audience has to say that. Or tell them to give the person next to you a high five or give the person a handshake or turn around and say hello to the person behind you or in front of you.

So you get people to complete this small menial task that engages them with people around them and just kind of opens them up and gets them a little more engaged in your presentation.

7. OPEN WITH A QUOTE

Probably not the best icebreaker in the world but it can work especially if it’s a great quote and if it’s very specific to what you’re going to be talking about. Keep it specific to the context or make it a little bit funny.

So surf the internet and look for some quotes and potentially open with a quote.

PUBLIC SPEAKING ICE BREAKERS FOR SMALLER GROUPS

So public speaking icebreakers for smaller groups.

8. GET EVERYONE TO INTRODUCE THEMSELVES AS A SUPERMARKET ITEM (OR SOMETHING ELSE)

Get everyone to introduce themselves in a strange way.

You could say: “I want everyone to go around the room and I want you to introduce yourself, introduce your name, and then tell us what item in the super market you would be?” or “what item in a hardware store you would be?” or “what kind of fruit you would be?” or “what kind of dish you would be?”

Or you could even do something like: “What is your porn star name?” (which is the name of your first pet, and then your last name as your porn star name is the name of the first street you lived in). So use these sorts of funny things, funny ways for people to introduce themselves.

9. GET EACH PERSON TO INTRODUCE THE PERSON NEXT TO THEM, GIVING THEM A FICTITIOUS LIFE

This can work if the group doesn’t know each other at all, but it can also work if the group does each other and so you just say: “Look, this is Bob, and he’s actually a super hero at night, he moonlights as a super hero, and his super power is that he can spit fire,” or you make up whatever it is and people are inspired to use their creativity.

10. DO A QUIZ

This can be something like you just asking questions to the audience and they have to raise their hands if it’s yes or leave it down if it’s no.

You can have it in such a way that people stand up and if they’re wrong, then they have to sit down.

If you’re at a conference, you can do it based on previous content that they should have heard and remembered. Or you can do it based on anything.

Ice Breakers That Actually Work

So there’s some icebreakers for you – 10 icebreakers that aren’t too awkward.

They aren’t mindblowingly amazing but they do work. They are very effective and I hope that gives you a starting place to look out where you’re going to open up your speech.

12 thoughts on “10 Public Speaking Ice Breakers That Actually Work”

very exciting kind of ice breakers. I like them

I enjoyed that.

We would like to know more about ice breakers

super way to address meetings

It’s really interesting and hope to learn more in future.

this is so gonna help me with my presentation next tuesday thank you so much

Pingback: A Common Problem Among Scientists: Not Being the Best Presenters – Lesson One – The Early Career Voice

I love this! I have a graduation speech next month and will be speaking and am going with number 6! I’ve tweaked it a little bit I know its going to loosen the mood and make us connect more!

this helped me so much during my speech!!!! i recommend that you read this!!!!

I really, really liked these icebreakers. I’m gonna use them for sure in the future.

thanks so much. this is really helpful for my public speaking speech i have to prepare and give over. i feel a little more confident now.

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35 Icebreakers Perfect for Virtual and Hybrid Meetings

We’ve all been there – the start of a virtual or hybrid meeting where there’s an awkward silence. But this can be a thing of the past when you introduce the humble icebreaker to get people talking and loosen them up.

Our list of  35 different virtual icebreakers and team-building activities for 2023 have all been tried, tested, and enjoyed by team Slido – even by the introverts among us.

We’ll enlighten you first on what exactly a virtual icebreaker is, and why it’s good to have one on hand for your next meeting. Breaking the ice has never been this easy!

What are virtual icebreakers?

Virtual icebreakers are small interactive activities that are used to lighten the mood, typically at the start of a meeting.

They are great conversation starters – they help energize people, drive lively discussions, and encourage the participants to be more active throughout the meeting.

With online and hybrid meetings , virtual icebreakers can help make your video conference call more personal and allow your colleagues to get to know each other better and enjoy some social time.

From quick icebreaker questions to longer ice-breaking games – pick your favorite ones!

• Quick icebreaker questions
• Short virtual icebreaker activities
• Icebreaker games & Team building activities

1. Quick virtual icebreaker questions

These are great rapid-fire questions to energize your participants and kick-start a conversation.

Read also: List of 200 Icebreaker Questions For Meetings and Tips On How to Use Them

#1. Mood barometer: How are you feeling today?

The classic “So, how are you folks doing?” usually gets you only a couple of reluctant answers. Ask your team how they are in a different way this time – try it with a poll .

For example, check the overall energy in the room by running a rating poll such as: “On a scale of 1-7, how are you feeling today?” Or, “What’s your energy level today?”

Everyone can contribute and so you’ll take an instant pulse check on how everyone is feeling before the meeting.

Use the poll results as a discussion starter: “I can see that not everyone is feeling at their best. Does anyone want to share their thoughts?”

Create your own poll in Slido and engage your audience. Sign up below and try it for yourself.

Sign up for free

#2. Would you rather…?

A would you rather virtual icebreaker question is guaranteed to spark a lively discussion at the start of your meeting and help with breaking the ice.

Simply ask your participants a thought-provoking ‘this or that’ poll question with two options to choose from. Then, drive a discussion around how people voted and why.

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?

Read also: 101 Would You Rather Questions to Cheer Up Your Meetings

#3. Quiz question of the day

Or, why don’t you start with a little guessing game? Everyone loves quizzes as ice breakers and so a little brain teaser at the beginning of your meeting will perk your colleagues up.

This is an ideal virtual icebreaker for recurring meetings. If you and your team meet regularly, you can turn this into a tradition and run one quiz question at the start of every one of your meetings.

How to pull this off?

Simply create a quiz poll question in Slido and mark one option as correct. You can use our integrations with Google Slides and PowerPoint to insert the poll directly into your slides.

What’s more, you don’t even have to think up quiz questions. Our ‘magic cube’ random question generator will do that for you.

#4. Where are you joining from?

If your teammates are scattered around the world, kick off your meeting by sending a virtual hi to each one of them.

At the beginning of your conference call, run a word cloud with the question: “Where are you joining from?”

This is one of the best virtual icebreakers for large meetings or virtual events – the more locations, the better the word cloud will look.

As your colleagues post their locations, give them a special shout-out.

You’ll even be able to see if participants are still typing or not with Slido’s typing indicator feature when you’re in present mode – so that everyone gets their chance to participate before you move on.

Read also: 35+ Word Cloud Examples for Your Meetings and Events

#5. In one word, how would you describe…?

You can also use word clouds to pick up your team’s thoughts and feelings. Open your meeting with a question such as: “In one word, how would you describe the past week/month?”

This is one of the virtual ice breakers that will help you take a pulse check of the overall atmosphere in the team and detect possible downturns – especially handy in a virtual setup.

Or, you can even try something different like: “If you were to describe our company in one word, what would it be?”

#6. 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.

There will be a lot to talk about, maybe even some arguments about which candy or which movie is the best. You’ll start a meeting with some laughs and get your colleagues in a good mood before a meeting.

Read also: The Best 110 Trivia Questions for Team Bonding Quizzes

#7. Rank your favorites

Similar to the previous virtual icebreaker, you can engage people in ranking their favorite things, whether from their childhood or not – the possibilities are endless.

Use a ranking poll question, add as many options as you wish, and let your participants rank them.

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.

After your participants are done voting, display the chart with the winners and the runner-ups. Expect a lively discussion – people tend to passionately root for their darlings!

#8. Say it with an emoji

Here’s another way to get a sense of how your team members are feeling – let them express it with emojis. For example, at the start of your meeting, ask your colleagues:

“Which emoji best describes your current state of mind?”

You can use a Slido word cloud for that, but instead of words, your participants will submit an emoji. This works best with larger meetings and events when a large number of emojis gets submitted.

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?

This is an ideal virtual icebreaker if you’re looking for a simple activity that anyone can participate in, for example, as you’re waiting for others to join the meeting.

Read also: 80+ Best Poll Questions To Ask Your Online Audience

2. Short virtual icebreaker activities

These are great if you want to surprise your participants with a fun little activity and enjoy some bonding time.

#9. Draw your mood

Instead of verbally asking your colleagues how they are at the start of your meeting (which often results in a half-baked ‘fine’, or ‘okay’ here and there), ask them to draw how they are. It’s much more fun and you’ll spark creativity among your colleagues.

During our recent Brand Team meeting, our colleague, Sabine, shared a Zoom Whiteboard with us and asked us to draw our current mood on it. So we channeled our inner Basquiat and came up with something that remotely resembles art. But it was so much fun, we swear!

Note: Are you running your meetings in a hybrid setup ? Then make sure that each of your on-site team members joins the video conferencing call from their own device so they can participate in the activity.

#10. Highlight of the month

Here’s a great way to lift people’s spirits. Crowdsource your colleagues’ personal or professional highlights from the last week or month.

Thanks to this virtual icebreaker, you can see what other people have been up to and have experienced, and you can celebrate some of your top moments.

As you kick off your meeting, ask your teammates to post their highlights in an open text poll . Then, display the highlights on the screen, and give a shout-out to each one.

It’s good to remind people of all the remarkable work that they’ve done. For example, in our Slido marketing team, we share highlights as part of our monthly all-marketing meeting.

#11. Unsung heroes

This is not only an icebreaker but a morale booster as well. And we all need that now and then, especially when working in isolation.

Give kudos to the heroes in your team. Kick off your meeting with a word cloud poll such as: “Who was your silent hero this month?”

Acknowledging people for the effort they’re putting in is a wonderful way to start a meeting. Expect lots of hearty “awws”.

💡 Tip Combine the word cloud with an open text poll , so that people can also leave a heart-warming message for their nominated silent hero.

#12. What are you thankful for?

This ice-breaking activity is ideal, for instance, before Thanksgiving or as a morale booster during special team meetings.

Ask people to submit what they are grateful for or who from the team they would like to thank.

You may open your meeting with this question, either via word cloud or an open text poll , and wait for your team members’ submissions.

Then, display people’s submissions on the screen and ask your colleagues to share what they put in and why.

It’s a nice bonding moment and helps you start the meeting on a positive note.

#13. Team photo

A list of virtual icebreakers wouldn’t be complete without a group photo! This one’s as much fun through a video chat as much as it is in real life. And you can repeat it time and time again by taking a different picture each time — make funny faces, bring in your pets, do a crazy gesture, be creative.

Take inspiration from our Customer Care Team!

💡 Tip These photos also make nice content for your social media, internal newsletters, or Slack channels!

#14. Guess whose desk?

Get to know your colleagues a little better, and take a sneak-peek into their home work stations. This virtual icebreaker is a mixture of ‘Guess who?’ and a house tour.

Collect pictures from your colleagues of their desks at home and add them into Slido multiple choice polls with a question: “Can you guess whose desk this is?” and give several options.

Then, once at a meeting, let your colleagues guess away!

#15. Weekend photo contest

A slow start after the weekend? Run a quick weekend photo contest to get your teammates talking. Tell them to share a cool photo from their weekend – for example in a Slack channel.

You can then put people’s names in a Slido multiple choice poll and have your colleagues vote for the best shot!

#16. What’s the last picture that you took?

Similar to the previous virtual icebreaker, this one is probably even more fun: Ask your colleagues to go to their phones, and dig out the last photo that they took. Ask them to either post it to your Slack channel or simply show it to the camera. Then, ask them to share a story behind the picture (if it’s not a secret!).

It’s a sweet little activity to make people talk and get to know one another better.

#17. Random question of the week

Here’s another one from the ‘Get to know your colleagues better’ virtual icebreakers. Set up a new tradition and ask your team one random question each week or month.

For example:

• What’s the most useless thing you have in your home?
• What would your superpower be if you had one?
• What one thing should everybody stop doing right now?
• What’s one song or artist that you’re embarrassed to admit you like?

We actually started doing this as a weekly activity in our #random Slack channel. We’ve since learned so many cool new things about one another!

3. Virtual icebreaker games & Team building activities

These are great get-to-know-you games and longer team-building activities that will both entertain and bring the team closer together.

#18. Home scavenger hunt

Begin this team building activity by getting your colleagues out of their chairs. This virtual icebreaker is fun and you’ll all get a chance to move around a little. Give your teammates a little task such as: “You have 25 seconds to fetch something yellow,” or “Get the weirdest thing in your apartment, then bring it back to show us”.

You can even take it a little further and play a full-scale virtual scavenger hunt. We recently played it in our Brand team and it was so much fun. Our colleague, Nadia, gave us 5 minutes to fulfill 20 tasks such as:

• Take a picture of a view from your window and post it to Slack
• Find something smaller than your fingernail
• Bring the softest thing you own
• Change your background to your favorite movie set
• Bring an item that’s older than you are

And on a hunt we went.

When the time was up, we got back together on the call and shared funny stories behind the objects that we brought. We shared some good laughs together!

#19. Team trivia quiz

Using virtual icebreakers during your meetings also helps you get to know your colleagues better.

Try a fun trivia quiz with questions about your team. Collect interesting facts about each team member, then let other colleagues guess away. We’re sure you’ll dig out plenty of fun stuff!

We run this type of quiz when we introduce a new team member, or as a holiday fun activity.

Read also: 7 Awesome Quizzes for Your Virtual and Hybrid Meetings

#20. Background challenge

Share some laughs with your teammates on the call. Before your next all-hands or town hall meeting, set a theme and ask your colleagues to pick a virtual background image that, for them, represents it best.

Get creative. Favorite movie scenes, 80’s disco, memes, dream vacation places – the possibilities are endless.

Seeing each other’s backgrounds will break the ice and give you something to talk about during the first minutes of the call.

But virtual backgrounds do more than just entertain . They’re also great for hiding a messy kitchen behind you, or a trespassing family member!

If you need inspiration, visit this huge library of virtual backgrounds by Canva, or get more quirky ones here .

💡 Tip You can also let your colleagues vote for the best background through a Slido poll .

#21. Two truths & one lie

This fun game is great for introducing new colleagues or getting to know each other better. Collect three statements about each of your colleagues – two of them should be true facts and one should be a lie. Tell your colleagues to provide a lie that’s not so obvious so as to make it harder for others to guess.

Next, put all of the collected statements into Slido multiple choice polls , or you can make it a live quiz .

💡 Tip Don’t forget to ask the person who the poll is about to share at least one story behind the statements.

#22. Struggle sharing

Sharing is caring – and that should apply to both the good and the bad. Similar to sharing highlights (see point #10), it’s important to also give our attention to things that didn’t go so well; things that we can learn from, and move forward together.

It makes for a great team bonding experience.

Depending on the setup you’re in, divide your colleagues into smaller groups (if you’re in an online setup, use breakout rooms) and ask them to discuss their struggles. It can be both professional and personal.

Using an open text poll , encourage your team to share their failure or struggle in Slido as well so that people can see that they’re not alone in being imperfect. You can then regroup and open a discussion about lessons that people learned from their failures.

As a leader, don’t forget to contribute as well. Showing vulnerability is also a form of strength.

Read also: How Talking About Wins and Struggles Helped Our Team Bond

#23. Show & Tell

Inspired by the classic kindergarten exercise where kids bring an object to school and describe it to their fellow pupils, show and tell is a great activity for getting to know the team better.

Tell your colleagues to bring an object that has special meaning to them or that is tied to an exciting story. Give each group member 3-5 minutes to tell the rest of the group about it.

This virtual icebreaker is ideal for small teams (or done in groups) because people might not be willing to talk in front of larger crowds of people.

💡 Tip Don’t forget to give people enough time to think about their story and prepare for the short presentation. Not everybody is happy with improvising.

#24. Guess who?

This is another great get-to-know-each-other-better game, inspired by our Head of User Research, Neil Sharman.

In one of the meetings, he asked everyone to anonymously submit into Slido three brands they know they ‘love a bit more than is logical’.

Then, he displayed people’s submissions on the screen and the team guessed who is who just from the three brands. It’s fun to identify people, plus everyone gets to share something about themselves. You’ll definitely learn a lot of interesting stuff about each other.

💡 Tip It doesn’t necessarily have to be about brands. It can be music, hobbies, movies, etc.

#25. Coffee time

Have you heard of Fika ? It’s a Swedish word often interpreted as ‘a coffee and cake break’.

For Swedes, however, it is much more than that. It’s about taking a break from everything for a while and enjoying quality time with friends or colleagues over a cup of coffee or tea.

Take Fika to an online environment. You can call it whatever you like – virtual watercooler talks, virtual happy hour – it’s your choice.

But be sure to schedule an informal team catch-up from time to time just to chat with your teammates about something other than work. In remote times, it will help you feel less isolated.

#26. Visual brainstorming

Good productive idea exchanges make for great virtual icebreakers too. Instead of just shouting ideas at each other, try visual brainstorming.

Take advantage of one of the visual collaboration tools such as Mural . We tried it recently during our Brand team meeting and it was an hour well spent – productive, creative, and fun.

We set up a virtual whiteboard, and each of us was supposed to write our ideas on little stickers that we then posted on the board. It nicely simulated a real-life brainstorming session .

#27. Meet up in a virtual bar

If remote work or distributed team setup doesn’t allow you to enjoy an after-work beer with your colleagues, why don’t you go for a virtual alternative?

In our Brand team, we recently tried Kumospace – an immersive video chat that allows you to ‘meet’ your colleagues in a virtual bar (or other space), move around, or create smaller chat groups.

Oh, and don’t forget to get a drink. The app will even remind you when it’s time for a refill!

There are other apps that provide immersive team experiences, for example, Topia . With this one, you can even design your own virtual world. It’s good to have a change of scenery, isn’t it?

#28. Never Have I Ever

While you’re all hanging out together in this virtual bar (see point above), why don’t you play a game? If you’re familiar with Never Have I Ever, you surely know how much fun it is – especially with more juicy questions. It’s simple: Each of you will hold out your hand so everyone can see your fingers.

One of you will read questions such as: “Never have I ever gone skinny dipping.” Whenever one of you has done it, he or she will put one finger down.

This icebreaker activity is awesome for getting to know your colleagues better and have a good laugh together while sharing funny stories behind each finger down!

If you need inspiration for Never Have I Ever questions, find 250 of them here .

#29. Donut friends

When was the last time you randomly bumped into someone in a hallway in your office and shared a good chat with them? Or, had a deep conversation about life, the universe, and everything with a bunch of colleagues in a kitchenette or by the watercooler? Before we can enjoy this again, try Donut.

Donut is an app for Slack that randomly pairs two or three colleagues together for a scheduled video call. You can make use of that time however you like: Have a virtual coffee, a peer learning session, or a chat about a book that you recently read.

The best thing is that it gets you together with teammates with whom you wouldn’t normally talk or interact on a daily basis. Sounds like a nice way to foster new friendships in the workplace, doesn’t it?

#30. Online escape room

Need a full-scale team-building activity? Try a virtual escape room. If you’ve ever experienced the real thing, you surely know that it’s as much fun as it is nerve-wracking! It involves dealing with various challenges, finding codes, and completing puzzles in order to “get out of the room”.

It’s the ultimate team bonding experience – if your teammates love a good game, they’re going to be fans. There are plenty of escape room platforms out there, for example, Escape Live . You can choose from various different session types or themes.

#31. Virtual wine tasting

Even if you’re remote, you don’t have to give up the good old wine or beer-tasting sessions. Sure, it’s a bit harder to pull off in a virtual setting, but not impossible. Just agree on a brand or type – or buy a different wine each, so you can tell each other about the subtle tones you’re getting!

Our People team has recently done a wine-tasting call and it was a great team bonding experience.

It lets you enjoy some informal time with your colleagues, which, amid all the meetings is a nice change. Plus, you get to indulge in some fine beverages, what a treat!

#32. Pair & Share

This is a great virtual icebreaker that allows for more intimate conversations among your teammates. If you’re familiar with breakout rooms , you’ll appreciate this one.

Give your colleagues a thought-provoking question to ponder, then pair them randomly using breakout rooms (check whether your video conferencing tool allows for it).

Next, allow all groups a couple of minutes to discuss the topic before coming back to the main room to share what each pair talked about.

This is a great alternative to the ‘turn to your neighbor’ kind of exercise – it’s interactive, and allows for more in-depth discussion between people. Introverts will appreciate this, as it feels more comfortable to share something in a pair, compared to the whole team.

#33. Online games

Online team-building games are fun and social – they encourage interaction among coworkers and help bring back the camaraderie of a physical office.

The depths of the internet is full of options, but to inspire you, we recently discovered Bored – a suite of Slack games for remote teams. You simply add the tool to your company Slack and play fun games with your colleagues right in the Slack channel.

Apart from the ever-popular game of trivia, Bored has games in which you roast your colleagues, or play a game of accusations and deception. Recently, they launched ‘Icebreakers’ to help teammates get to know each other better by answering questions that are unconventional and fun.

#34. Name that sound

Looking for a more sophisticated guessing game? How about guessing the sounds? This is one of the most challenging virtual icebreakers, but it’s ultimately very satisfying!

It’s simple. You turn your cameras off, leaving only audio on, and then you make some sort of a sound close to the mic so that your colleagues are able to hear it, and guess where it comes from.

Here are the instructions:

#35. Group storytelling

Put your improvisation skills to the test. This virtual icebreaker is inspired by my colleague Sabine, who decided that since our team-building trip couldn’t happen this year, at least we’ll make up a cool story of how it went.

She created a slideshow of random travel pictures, started a story, and then called on one of our teammates to follow up on what she had said, based on what picture was currently up.

We took turns in telling crazy things we did during our imaginary trip and let me tell you, it was some ride!

Ready to break the ice at your meetings?

We hope you’ll try one of these virtual icebreakers at your next online meeting. Let Slido help you connect with your teammates, wherever they are.

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25 engaging ice breakers for virtual meetings (that won’t bore your team!)

Virtual ice breakers can be an effective method of kicking off a project, onboarding a new team member or enlivening your team meetings. Choose the right method and you can get your meeting off to an energizing start that encourages participation and builds connections . Get it wrong and risk being met with groaning team members or indifference.

In this post, we'll share some proven virtual icebreaker games used by real facilitators and help you find the right method for your virtual team. Whether you need a short activity to kick off a conference call or to help onboard new team members without making things awkward, we have you covered!

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When teams start their meetings and workshops effectively, the outcomes and overall enjoyment of a session follows suite. An effective virtual icebreaker not only helps a team warm-up and arrive in the session, but it also helps build alignment and set the tone for the team meeting ahead. But how can you choose the right one for your remote team? What do you need to look for when choosing a virtual icebreaker ?

Read on to discover what makes an effective icebreaker for virtual teams and how to run them effectively. We’ll also share instructions and tips for 25 ready-to-use activities you can employ in your next video call or online meeting!

What is a virtual icebreaker? 

Virtual icebreakers are activities or games that are designed to help break down barriers and kick-off virtual meetings or events in a productive, welcoming manner. They are great for building relationships, warming up groups and establishing connections among remote teams.

The purpose of a virtual icebreaker can vary depending on the session you’re running, but generally, the goal is to create a comfortable and engaging atmosphere which prepares your virtual team for the work of the session ahead.

Virtual icebreakers can range from simple, short activities that invite participants to check-in with the group or share their progress, to more complex games that require teamwork and collaboration.

Sometimes, the purpose of a virtual icebreaker can be as simple as getting people talking or to learn one another’s names before dropping into breakout rooms. Whatever the format, the goal is always to help your team be present in the meeting and begin making connections.

Why virtual icebreakers are important

All sessions benefit from an effective opening. When kicking off a virtual meeting, we have additional work to do in order to position the session for success. When working remotely, our attention is often split between windows, laundry and what meeting is coming after this. Connection is harder in a virtual environment where it’s more challenging to fully engage with others or easily read body language.

This is where virtual icebreakers come in. By using interactive activities to kick off meetings or team events, you can help your remote team fully arrive in the space and bridge gaps between your teammates . If you’re struggling with overall engagement and participation from your remote team during meetings, maybe you’re missing the right icebreaker!

Virtual games can also serve to encourage behaviours or introduce concepts that will be useful for later in the meeting. Creative team building activities can get your group primed for out of the box thinking. Ice breaker questions can help improve connections ahead of a collaborative workshop.

Virtual team ice breakers can also be effective ways to catch up and save time later in the meeting. A quick check-in round can help surface issues, wins and potential discussion points. They can also help set expectations and ensure alignment before the group moves forward.

In all cases, these activities encourage communication and contributions from your entire virtual team. For this reason alone, their inclusion at the start of a meeting can be transformative.

Ready to design an online session around your chosen icebreaker?  SessionLab makes it easy to  build an agenda in minutes . Start by dragging and dropping blocks, add timings and share your completed agenda with your participants for an engaging session.

What makes a good virtual icebreaker?

Not all virtual icebreakers are created equal. 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.

In addition to knowing your audience and purpose, there are a few things you want to look out for when selecting online icebreakers . Helpfully, all of our virtual icebreakers have been developed with these in mind!

Here are a few key qualities that make for a good virtual icebreaker:

• Simplicity : The best virtual icebreakers are simple to explain, easy to run and participate in. Generally, you want to spend only a short time breaking the ice with your group, and so simplicity is vital. This can be dependant on your audience and session, but a general rule of thumb I try to follow is that you shouldn’t take more than thirty seconds to explain your icebreaker and it should be simple enough that everyone in the group can grasp it easily. The net result is an ice breaker that is both engaging and time-effective too!
• Inclusivity : A good virtual icebreaker should be inclusive for all team members, regardless of their backgrounds or experiences. It should not rely on cultural references or inside jokes that may exclude some team members. Think too of your audience’s needs and differences. Not all participants will feel comfortable or able to participate in a dance party. Choose an icebreaker that is right for your group and design for inclusivity – add alternatives and choose activities suitable for all attendees.
• Relevance: Every activity in your agenda should be relevant to the group you are working with. An icebreaker that is designed to help learn people’s names can be great for newbies, but for teams that have worked together for a long time, it can feel like a waste of time. It can also help to think about the shared interests and experiences of your virtual team and choose an activity that will resonate. Lastly, try and choose an icebreaker that fits with the session you are running. If you’re running a problem solving session, pick a creative icebreaker. If you’re running a weekly stand-up, a quick energy check-in might be more appropriate. In any case, pairing the icebreaker with the theme of your session to keep it relevant will help it land with your audience.
• Interactivity: Try and choose an activity that encourages team members to participate and collaborate, rather than simply listening or watching. Remember that your virtual meeting is not the only time your team will be looking at a screen that day. Keeping things fresh and creating an opportunity for a novel interactive experience can help your group be present. Getting people talking and interacting early can also pave the way for deeper collaboration later on.

Tips for running virtual icebreakers

To ensure that your virtual icebreakers are effective and enjoyable, keep the following tips in mind:

• Be mindful of time : Virtual icebreakers should be brief and to-the-point, especially if you have a large team or a busy agenda. Use SessionLab’s Time Tracker or an online stopwatch to effectively timebox your icebreaker and keep on track. Ideally, you don’t want to cut someone off mid response, but it’s also important to remember that this is just the first part of a larger workshop or meeting.
• Ask participants to go on camera : Where possible, invite your team to go on camera while participating in any virtual games. The instant feedback of a smile or a laugh can really elevate the sense of connection and improve team bonding. In some cases, this step is optional, though note that some games require cameras, and so you should select your ice breaker accordingly.
• Go first and model an ideal response : Some virtual icebreaker games are easier to grasp when demonstrated. As a leader, it’s often helpful to go first and show your team how to break the virtual ice. Being vulnerable and demonstrating the kind of responses you’d like to see can also help remote teams build team rapport and be a little braver in their responses.
• Give positive feedback : Thanking participants for getting involved and noting contributions can help create a positive feedback loop and encourage further interactions. This almost should go without saying, but its worth noting how important this can be for setting the right tone for the meeting and making it feel good for everyone to contribute.
• Encourage participation : Make sure that everyone has a chance to contribute and that no one feels left out or excluded. In some groups, this might mean calling on people to jump in or simply leaving space and being comfortable with a little silence instead of prematurely bringing an activity to a close.
• But make it okay for people not to participate too! As with any activity, non-participation is okay if it’s agreed upon by the group. Forcing people to contribute if they’re not comfortable can be detrimental to team rapport so definitely consider this point depending on your group and design activities to be as comfortable as possible by default.
• Ask the group to select the next participant : in sequential activities, where people take it in turns to answer a question or take part in a game, try to encourage each person to call on someone else to go next. This not only keeps things moving but it also encourages people to talk to other team members, rather than simply to you as a facilitator.
• Use breakout groups : when groups get over a certain size, certain icebreakers end up taking too long and can stop being fun or dynamic. Consider using breakout groups and running your virtual icebreaker in parallel with groups of over 10-15 people, or when the icebreaker calls for more in-depth responses and discussion.
• Use music : just as a film score is a vital accompaniment to the images onscreen, music can elevate your choice of virtual game. Play relaxing music at the start of a session to set a calming tone, or put on something with a beat to build energy during an active game!

Short virtual icebreakers

Short virtual icebreakers are activities that are designed to take only a few minutes, but still provide an opportunity for groups to connect and engage with each other at the start of a meeting. Here are a few examples:

Remote: Change 3 things

Getting people to pay attention during a virtual team building session can be challenging. This icebreaker is designed to perk up remote teams, ask them to pay attention and also have some fun too!

Start by getting the whole team on camera and ask everyone to observe other team members closely. Next, ask everyone to turn off their camera and change three things in 30 seconds. They might change something about their appearance, perhaps with a hat or costume change, or move something in the background! When everyone is done, get them back on camera and ask other team members to spot the differences and guess what has changed.

Remote: Change 3 things   #energiser   #energizer   #warm up   #remote-friendly   Light, energising exercise that helps the group to observe the other people on the call.

Take a Picture of Your Shoes

What we wear and how we move through the world can say a lot about us as individuals. This activity is a quick and simple way to get meeting attendees quickly warmed up by simply asking them to take a picture of their shoes and share it with the group. Set a time limit and encourage creativity – wacky shoes or fun photographs are absolutely encouraged.

If you have time, ask for a few people to share a story behind their shoes or even get people in breakouts to discuss in small groups. You can even modify this activity to have your group vote on the best pair of shoes or story! We love the fact this icebreaker is incredibly simple but always invites fun and creativity into the meeting.

Take a Picture of Your Shoes   #energiser   #teambuilding   #icebreaker   #remote-friendly   Get to know the other members of your team and share something interesting about yourself in this quick energiser activity.

Rollercoaster Check-in

Checking in is one of the best ways you can quickly break the ice and start your session off on the right foot. When working in online meetings, it can be helpful to include interactive, visual elements to any activity.

For this virtual icebreaker, invite your team to an online whiteboard and draw a line resembling the ups and downs of a rollercoaster. Next invite each member of your group to place a picture or a post-it on the rollercoaster to represent where they are and how they’re feeling. Simply asking people to be aware of how they’re feeling is a great addition to any morning routine!

You might then ask people to share why they put themselves where they did, or simply use this as an opportunity to gauge overall energy in the room. I find it particularly effective to return to the rollercoaster at the end of a session and to ask people how their position might have changed.

Rollercoaster Check-In   #team   #opening   #hyperisland   #remote-friendly   This playful method creates a powerful shared picture of the feelings in the group. Checking-in is a simple way for a team to start a meeting, workshop, or activity. By using the metaphor of a rollercoaster this alternative version supports participants to think differently about how they are feeling. People place themselves at different points on the rollercoaster, explaining their dominant feeling right now.

Rock, Paper, Scissors Tournament

Running a familiar game in a virtual setting is one of my favourite ways to start a meeting. Not only do you get to play with expectations, but it can prove to be a great conversation starter too!

In this online version of Rock, Paper, Scissors, randomly select a pair to face off in your video call and play a round. The winner stays in the game while the loser turns off their camera and becomes a cheerleader for another player. Keep playing until you have only one player remaining!

This fun virtual icebreaker is best played in gallery mode on Zoom so all participants can see each other and while it can sometimes descend into chaos, it is guaranteed to get people involved and generate laughter too.

Rock, Paper, Scissors (Tournament)   #energiser   #warm up   #remote-friendly   This is a fun and loud energiser based on the well-known “Rock, Paper, Scissor” game – with a twist: the losing players become the fan of the winners as the winner advances to the next round. This goes on until a final showdown with two large cheering crowds! It can be played with adults of all levels as well as kids and it always works! 

Chat Waterfall

In remote meetings with large amounts of participants or you are very short on time, asking people to speak up and share on camera can be tricky. Chat Waterfall is an effective way of getting contributions from large groups and avoiding cross-talk.

First, invite people to open up the chat in your video conferencing app. Next, ask an icebreaker question, but instruct people not to send their answer until you say so. Give a few moments and then have everyone press enter at the same time. The result is a wonderful cascade of answers you can then choose to highlight as a facilitator. Add a follow-up if you can or sum up the results as a segue for your next activity.

Chat Waterfall is an incredibly flexible icebreaker activity: whether you want to use it to start an in-depth discussion or just get people virtually communicating quickly.

Chat Waterfall   #zoom   #group mind   #virtual   #remote-friendly   Using the chat in zoom, participants share ideas / challenges and then additions / solutions.

One Word Method

This is one of my favourite activities for virtual team building. It’s quick, effective and can be modified for almost any scenario. The game works by having one person start a sentence with by saying a single word. The next person then jumps in to add the next word to the sentence and play continues with each person in the room contributing a single word until the sentence is complete.

Sentences can end up random, funny or nonsensical, but for an added challenge, set a theme for the group to follow and see if the group can collectively create a sentence that makes sense!

I particularly like setting a theme that matches the purpose of the workshop and using this to segue in a discussion, but it can also be fun to just see what strange places virtual teams go with this!

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

Virtual icebreaker questions

Sometimes, all you need for a good icebreaker is an effective conversation starter that lets people get to know each other and start communicating. Whether it’s about what’s on their bucket list, whether they’re a dog person or cat person, or simply what fictional character they most identify with, these kinds of questions are tried and tested.

For best results, pair these questions with Chat Waterfall, call on people to speak or break people into smaller groups to talk among themselves. Dropping a question into a group without structure or clear rules of engagement can be met with an awkward silence. I prefer to use these kinds of ice breaker questions in breakout rooms or in smaller groups and to tailor the specific questions to fit the team I’m working with.

Conversation Questions   #connection   #icebreaker   #trust   #meeting facilitation   #opening  

Virtual ice breakers for new team members

Virtual icebreakers can be particularly helpful for new team members who may feel isolated or disconnected in a virtual setting. Here are a few virtual icebreaker ideas that are ideal for welcoming new team members into the fold and to supplement your onboarding efforts.

The Desert Island

Creative games that allow your team to demonstrate their problem solving skills while collaborating can be an engaging way to kickoff a session. This icebreaker poses that age-old question of what we would do if stuck on a desert island while asking your team to think about what they would need to survive.

Start by sharing a list of items, some obvious and some less so. Ask each participant to choose 1-3 items they would take with them in order to survive on a desert island. In smaller groups, ask each person to select items, though with teams of over 10 people, it can be great to separate into breakouts and deliberate which items to bring as a team. The Desert Island is great for offering a framework for conversation with no single correct answer and which allows creative, individual responses.

The Desert Island   #relationships   #icebreaker   #teamwork   #remote-friendly   Many of us have played a game similar to this before – if you were stranded on a desert island, what essential items would you choose to survive? Participants are given a list of items to choose from and must work together to decide which items will help them stay alive. A great, remote-friendly exercise for a team to work together and share opinions.

Break the Ice with The Four Quadrants Activity

Icebreaker activities that go a little deeper and encourage individuality are great for helping teams get to know each other. In this fun game, each team member is given space for drawing the answers to four questions you’ll ask. You can run this using a virtual whiteboard or by asking participants to draw on paper and share their completed image with the whole team.

Start by sharing four questions with the team: for example, 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? Give each person 5-10 minutes to draw their answers and then bring the group back together to share what they’ve drawn. This activity encourages connection and is a great way to introduce something tangible and visual into a remote working environment.

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. It is EASY to prep for and set up. It can be MODIFIED to work with any group and/or topic (just change the questions). It is FUN, COLORFUL and works every time!

Who are you? The pirate ship exercise

Every member of a team is also an individual, and in this game, participants are invited to imagine themselves as the member of a pirate crew! Start by sharing the image of the crew of a pirate ship and ask each person to choose who they most identify with. Then ask everyone to share, either in the chat, verbally on in breakout groups.

This exercise can be as quick or as deep as you need and I love that it is easy for everyone to participate while also encouraging some critical thinking. Why do I feel more like the lookout than the Captain? Such games can prime team members work in the rest of the session and give rise to more ideas too!

Who are you? The pirate ship exercise (dinámica del barco pirata)   #team alignment   #team   #remote-friendly   #teamwork   #warm up   #icebreaker   This an easy but powerful exercise to open a meeting or session and get participants to reflect on their attitudes or feelings about a topic, in the organization, team, or in the project.

9 Dimensions Team Building Activity

For teams looking for a more in-depth icebreaker, this activity is a great way to share strengths, weaknesses and preferred ways of working with the group. It’s especially effective at the start of a team building session where you want to build relationships, though it works equally well when inviting people to get to know each other.

Start by posting the 9 dimensions (Adventure, Career / Profession, Community Service, Creative Outlets, My Environment, Family & Friends, Health & Fitness, Personal Growth, Spirituality) in your virtual whiteboard or Google Doc for the team to copy. Next, ask everyone to add a coloured dot to each dimension based on whether they’re crushing it or have room to improve.

Finally, invite everyone to share one dimension for each coloured dot if they’re comfortable and have a short debrief on what everyone learned. By sharing and being vulnerable in this way, teams can learn a bit more about their colleagues and start to strengthen their relationships as a result.

9 Dimensions Team Building Activity   #icebreaker   #teambuilding   #team   #remote-friendly   9 Dimensions is a powerful activity designed to build relationships and trust among team members. There are 2 variations of this icebreaker. The first version is for teams who want to get to know each other better. The second version is for teams who want to explore how they are working together as a team.

Snapshot of my Life

Photographs can do a lot of heavy lifting for remote teams, effectively bridging communication barriers and building connections. In this game, invite your team to break the virtual ice by sharing a photograph from their life with the group. For new team members, this method can be a memorable way of getting to know their virtual colleagues!

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.

A snapshot of my life   #remote-friendly   #energiser   #teambuilding   This exercise is great for building empathy amongst team members, and giving each participant a deeper understanding of their colleagues’ backgrounds (particularly great for international or remote teams). It’ll also set a casual atmosphere for the workshop ahead.

Guess the Desk

A companion method to the above, Guess the Desk asks that participants take a photograph of their workspace and anonymously post it to the group. Next, have the group guess which desk belongs to whom and then invite the desk owner to talk a little bit about their workspace.

This activity can be great during an onboarding call or first meeting, as it naturally flows into conversations about how to work effectively and tech set-up, which can help position new members of the team for success. It can also serve to truly humanize everyone in the virtual team and kickstart team bonding you can follow up with later in the session. Who doesn’t like seeing the cute knickknacks, mementos or cool tools their colleagues are using!

Guess the desk   #remote-friendly   #energiser   #teambuilding   An energiser game for remote teams where participants share images of their work set-up and attempt to guess opponents’ desks while bluffing their own!

Virtual icebreakers to get people moving 

Virtual meetings often involve sitting in front of a computer screen for extended periods of time, which can be physically and mentally draining. Virtual icebreakers that involve movement can help to energize team members and improve their focus, productivity and general mental wellbeing. Even a quick stretch can do wonders for engagement!

Here are a few examples of virtual icebreakers to get people moving:

Stand up if

Combining movement and questions can be an effective way to warm-up both the body and the mind. In this virtual icebreaker activity, start by making a statement to the group such as, Have you ever climbed a mountain? If this statement is true, you must stand from your chair. Nominate the next person to make a statement and continue until everyone has had a chance to make a statement.

After a few statements, I like to invite the group to include a stretch or other optional movement when speaking, which other team members must then try to follow. Be sure to invite groups to be creative with their statements and perhaps take over towards the end to use statements which then apply to the session at hand.

Stand up if   #icebreaker   #sharing   #opening   #energiser   #online   #remote-friendly   short, fun, energizing team activity

One of the quickest icebreakers I’ve ever run, Shake down is as simple and effective as they come and it has the bonus of encouraging physical activity among your virtual team! Begin by asking the group to stand if they’re able and then shake each of their limbs eight times in turn. After shaking both arms and legs, then repeat the cycle for four shakes, two shakes, then a final shake with a ninja kick or big cheer.

This game is proof that icebreakers do not need to be complicated in order to be fun, and I love that it can often shake a group awake and get them involved off the bat. It’s especially good for meetings in the after-lunch slump!

Shake Down   #hyperisland   #energiser   #remote-friendly   In this short and very physical energizer, the group shakes out their bodies one limb at a time. Starting with eight shakes of the right arm, then eight shakes of the left, eight shakes of the right leg, then eight shakes of the left. It continues with a round of four shakes of each limb, then two, then one, ending in a big cheer. A good energizer when time is limited and the main aim is to get people moving.

Follow the Follower

Encouraging movement and a little silliness can be one of the best ways to kick off a session where you need everyone to be present and willing to engage. Follow the Follower is a game that can be played virtually just as well as it can by people in the same location.

Start by designating one person as the leader and ask them to lead the group in a movement – yoga poses, terrible dance moves, whatever they like! After 10-15 seconds, the leader designates someone to take over, who chooses a new movement that everyone has to follow. Include music if you like but for best results, include a quick debrief at the end to give everyone a chance to reflect on what it was like to follow and indulge in a little bit of chaos!

Follow the Follower   #zoom   #virtual   #physical   #teambuilding   #connection   #energiser   #opening   #remote-friendly   #ericamarxcoaching   One person is designated as the leader.  Others copy exactly how the leader moves.  The leader calls on a new person to be the leader, and so on. Follow the follower variation is when the leading gets passed to the entire group and no single person is leading.

Modelling the characteristic simplicity and fun we want to see in our virtual icebreakers games, Touch Blue invites the group to find an object in their physical space matching a prompt and then bring it quickly back to the video call and show the camera. The last person to bring back an object gets to select the next one.

By using prompts like “touch something blue” or “touch something hot or noisy,” you can invite participants to be creative while sharing something from their lives. In some groups, you might ask groups to use their whole house and retrieve things from their kitchens or bathrooms. In any case, try to have space for folks to share stories about their favourite items and connect during the game!

Touch Blue   #energiser   #fun   #remote-friendly   Touch Blue is a classic energiser that is quick and easy fun for remote teams too! Challenge participants to find objects on their desk that match the attributes you select and have fun doing so!

Looking Around

This quick virtual game does double duty by encouraging participants to both do a little stretching while also learning a valuable lesson about the danger of previous associations.

Begin by asking your group to stand-up and let them know you’ll be giving them instructions for where to look. Lead them through a round of randomly saying directions while they follow your instructions. Next, make a change and let them know that down now means up and up means down while left and right remain the same. Lead another around and bask in the laughter and mistakes the group makes while warming up! If you’re feeling brave, add further wrinkles by inserting other instructions such as reverse, repeating the reverse of the previous action, or double, repeating the next action twice.

Looking Around   #thiagi   #concepts   #remote-friendly   #energiser   Here’s another jolt that explores one of our favorite themes: You have to unlearn something old in order to learn something new. A nice thing about this brief activity is that you don’t need any supplies or equipment.

Icebreakers for Zoom breakouts

Some virtual games are most effective when used in small, self contained groups where it might be easier to be vulnerable or simply quicker to share and discuss. Other times, breakouts might be necessary just because of the sheer size of your group!

While most of the games in this article can be used effectively in breakout groups, the virtual activities below are those that especially benefit from the format, whether you’re using Zoom or other video conferencing tools. Let’s take a look!

Unique Thing in Common

Finding we have things in common with our colleagues is a gift. In this virtual ice breaker for Zoom, get people into pairs and invite them to find the most interesting or unexpected thing they have in common. This can work effectively with people who know each other well or people meeting for the first time, but be sure to highlight the need for a unique or unexpected thing in common.

If you have time, encourage returning groups to share their facts, though let them know in advance of going into breakouts. Some of the facts that can come up may want to stay between those people in the breakout!

Unique Thing in Common   #virtual   #zoom   #connection   #trust   #active listening   #opening   #get-to-know   #teambuilding   #remote-friendly   #ericamarxcoaching   With a partner, find the 3 most unlikely / unusual / unique things you have in common with each other.  Each pair chooses one to share with the group. 

Virtual Scavenger Hunt

For groups who enjoy friendly competition or when wanting to encourage collaboration, a virtual scavenger hunt can be a great way to kickoff a session. Begin by preparing a list of things each team will need to gather online, such as a favorite movie from the year of each team member’s birth or a Google Maps image of everyone’s childhood home. (You’ll find a full list in the method below.)

Next, give your group a time limit (you may want a shorter timeframe and list when using this method as an icebreaker) and put everyone in breakouts. For bonus points, invite each group in your virtual scavenger hunt to give themselves a unique name and crown a winner based on how well each team has performed!

Virtual scavenger hunt   #energiser   #teambuilding   #remote-friendly   A fun team-building energiser that encourages groups to recreate the scavenger hunt experience in a fully remote environment! 

Discussions in virtual meetings are often more productive when moving into breakouts. For this virtual icebreaker game, start by collecting a heap of inspirational, relevant quotes in an online whiteboard or Google Doc. Next, put people in breakouts and invite them to choose a quote to discuss with the group. They might cover that the quote means to them, whether they think the same, or simply wonder what it has to do with the session ahead.

This icebreaker is great to use at the start of a session where the group may need to use critical thinking and get into some deep discussions. It provides a safe space to practice and get warmed up!

Quotes   #icebreaker   #energiser   #online   #warm up   #remote-friendly   For participants to get acquainted with each other in a meaningful way

Happiness Exercise

Looking for a virtual meeting activity that is guaranteed to raise some smiles? The Happiness Exercise is an incredibly simple invitation for people to share happy experiences in a breakout and discuss them in small teams. You might include a theme or framing question to help guide what people share, but in my experience, it’s best to trust the groups to share whatever comes to mind and let conversations flow naturally.

By using groups of just a few people, you can ensure each person gets space to share and the relationships that are built on this foundation can be meaningful indeed.

Happiness exercise   #teambuilding   #icebreaker   #warm up   #remote-friendly   This exercise is a simple application of the principles of Appreciative Inquiry.

Everyone is a Liar (Two truths and one lie)

This classic icebreaker works just as well online as in real life, though I’ve found it most effective in breakout rooms. The most interesting conversations that arise from this game are often about discussing the two truths that came up, rather than simply finding out if we’re right or wrong.

Start by asking the group to come up with two truths and a lie about themselves and then invite the other people in their breakout room to guess which is which by asking some lie detector questions. This activity is a tried and tested way to help create connections and can be a great icebreaker for virtual meetings too! Where possible, invite participants to share their truths and lies in an online whiteboard or shared document to make it easy to play and to debrief with later.

Everyone is a Liar (Two truths and one lie)   #warm up   #icebreaker   #remote-friendly   #online   Starting a meeting or after a break in a group where participants don’t know each other or don’t know much about each other

Three Wishes

Oh, what we might do if we all had our wishes come true! In this virtual game, you’ll use the idea of a genie that can grant three wishes as the basis for a small group discussion. In breakouts, invite your team to share the three wishes they’d make and why.

This is an incredibly simple game, but it can also create space for great conversations that help teams of any size or maturity get more familiar with one another and have some laughs too! For a more directed experience, invite groups to make a personal wish, a professional wish for the company and a wish for someone else on their team. These wishes can make for interesting discussions that can feed into the rest of your workshop.

Three wishes   #get-to-know   #icebreaker   #remote-friendly   The activity serves as a brief energiser during a workshop, and helps to get creativity flowing. At the end of this method, each team member will be a little more familiar with each other.

Breakout Room Tag

Tired of just chatting in your Zoom breakouts? This fun game is a virtual spin on a playground classic that encourages your team to jump between breakouts and attempt to not get caught! Start by choosing one person to be “it” and let them know they need to count to ten and say someone’s name in order to tag them and make them “it.” Put people into random breakouts and then let the chaos begin!

For even more fun, try the freeze tag version in the method below. Not only does this game create a sense of excitement but it can be a great way to teach people how to move between breakouts and get familiar with your video software!

Break-out Room Tag   #large group   #virtual   #zoom   #remote-friendly   #energizer   #high energy   #ericamarxcoaching   Everyone plays tag, using breakout rooms in Zoom

In Conclusion

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.

Looking for more effective icebreakers? This collection of icebreaker games is a great source of more ideas that will work in both remote and live settings.

Did you have a favourite virtual icebreaker that isn’t featured? Let us know in the comments below! We’d love to hear about what works for you and your team. Want to discuss facilitation approaches in more detail? Join our community to connect with other facilitators and talk all things facilitation!

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11 Best Icebreakers for Large Groups

Breaking the ice with a large group can be tough — but it's worth it! There's a lot of science that says that spending a few minutes ice breaking gives great returns for your team or group cohesion, and for later retention of your upcoming information.

“Ice breakers are helpful to encourage participants to bond, form a new team, get to know people from different backgrounds, and become involved with learning about new subject matter." - Jill F. Kilanowski, PhD, APN, CPNP "Breaking the Ice: A Pre-intervention Strategy to Engage Research Participants"

Struggling to figure out what to do with your big audience to get them talking, laughing, and ready to listen and engage? We've got you covered. Here are 12 great options to warm up your big group before a meeting, class, conference, or event, so you can get them ready to be open to your content. The more engaged they are to start, the more engagement you'll get!

All of these icebreakers work remote, in person, or hybrid. In other words, whether you're all in a video call, conference hall, or a mix of both, these ideas will work. So get your Zoom / Microsoft Teams / Google Meet / Webex / Hopin group together, or book your local convention hall, and get icebreaking.

1. Ask Icebreaker Poll Questions

The best way to get everyone feeling like a cohesive group that has things in common? Show them what they have in common! Ask fun live poll questions and do a show of hands or use live polling tools to let your audience answer as a single block.

Here's a list of great poll questions to get you started:

• Who here is a "morning person"? "Night time person"?
• Who here is already an expert on this topic? Who's totally new to it?
• Which of these are you here to learn? [Put in 2 or 3 of the takeaways of your talk]
• Which of these problems are you most interested in solving? [Put in 2 or 3 of your audience's pain points you would be addressing in your talk]
• Which is better: sweet brunch (pancakes!) or savory brunch (huevos!)
• Raise your hand if you've ever done a conference call in your pajamas.
• Who's at this conference alone? (Person next to them — make friends!)
• Raise your hand if you played a sport in school. Lower your hand if it was basketball. Football. Baseball. Volleyball. Swimming. Track. (those left — what did you play?) [This format works well with many things — travel destinations, food preferences, living location styles, and more]

The best icebreaker poll questions will have something to do with your content, so if you can come up with "this vs that" or "who here has ever --?" types of questions that fit with what you're speaking on, that's golden.

Poll your Audience Icebreaker Questions Game ‍ A short, ready-to-play game of fun and safe-for-work (but still interesting) poll questions. Great for large groups! ‍

Or, if you want to make your event smoother and easier on yourself, here's a pre-made poll question game you can run to let everyone respond to already-created poll questions. It has questions and automatically shows off the responses (that your audience can send in from their phones) in an interactive chart. It's free to use with up to 10 players!

2. Pairs / Breakout Room "This or That" Speed Round

If you're in person, divide everyone up into groups or pairs ("look to the person sitting next to you"), and if you're remote, send people out to a breakout room in groups of 2 or 3. Tell them they'll each have 30 seconds to answer a round of speed "this or that" questions.

Then announce spitfire "This or That" topics of discussion one by one every 45 seconds, either out loud or through zoom room "broadcast" announcements. Have the smaller groups share their preferences with each other in this speed "which would you rather" format!

Some good "This or That" questions:

• Coffee or tea?
• Hot or cold weather?
• Savory or sweet brunch?
• Beach or mountain vacation?
• Dentist or annual physical?
• Chocolate or fruity candy?
• Puppies or kittens?
• Late nights or early mornings?
• Woodsy cabin or fancy condo?
• More time or more money?
• Driving or walking?
• Music or podcasts?
• In your free time: relaxation or personal projects?

3. Make a Live Word Cloud

Letting folks interact and share their own experience as a large group can be tough — but wordclouds are great for this. There are lots of good wordcloud tools out there (try Slides With Friends , Poll Everywhere, Aha slides, and more). Ask your audience to send in a word or phrase, and then have them vote on responses they like from others. More-submitted and highly-voted words will grow and appear larger. This is great for brainstorming, getting a read of the room, and more.

Word Cloud Game ‍ 4 quick, fun word clouds for any audience. Free to play with up to 10 players

Here's a ready to play game that has word clouds already entered and ready to use with your audience. It lets your audience join in, sned words, and vote for words from others to make them live-update and grow in real time, displaying live feedback from your group. You can update the text of the wordcloud questions so you can ask your audience anything, especially things relating to the event you're running!

4. Never Have I Ever - Show of Hands

If you're in person, this is easy. If you're remote, have everyone turn their camera on! You can also use the Zoom chat or the "raise hand" function in zoom. Then take informal, fun polls by asking the group to raise their hand if they've ever done the thing you're listing. Here's a few office- and professional-conference-safe "Never Have I Ever" questions:

• Never have I ever broken a bone
• Never have I ever quit a job without planning it
• Never have I ever spoken in front of a large group
• Never have I ever taken an exercise class

Pro tip: Get creative and specific with your questions, tailor them to your group and content. So, if you're giving a talk about recruiting or hiring workflows, you could ask:

• Never have I ever done a video job interview without pants on
• Never have I ever social media stalked a job applicant candidate before hiring them ‍

5. Scavenger Hunt

Have your audience find an item or two, and bring it back!

Video / Remote This is especially good for large-audience video calls where you can call people up on center "stage" screen (and where people can get out of their home office chairs to go find something).

• Come up with a list of 1-4 "find-it items" (here's some great ideas )
• Post a list in the chat or share your screen with the items outlined, and give everyone a countdown clock
• First person to return with the items and send a "got it"note in chat, call them up to the main stage and have them show off what they found
• Or, here is a pre-made interactive scavenger hunt game you can just launch and play, it's already got a great list of find-it items

In Person in a conference

• If you're in a large conference room, ask folks to find things on their person / in their bag.
• Some item ideas folks are likely to have: a pen, a legal notepad, a second cell phone, a phone/computer charger, a business card from someone else, a sugar packet, a snack, a beverage,
• The first person to hold up the item wins!

If you're looking for a good list, here's a full blog on virtual scavenger hunts with a pre-made interactive scavenger game, downloadable hunt lists, and tons of ideas!

6. Play a Tiny Trivia Game

Put together a trivia game to play with your group. Bonus if the game is trivia specifically themed around your content. Make the answers either/or and you can use the Zoom chat or "raise your hand" style answer method. Or use tools that are made to play group trivia: You can share your screen and use a live async trivia website for free like Useful Trivia , or Buzzfeed (but you won't be able to make your own trivia questions and will need to use what's already provided). Ask the audience to vote on which multi-choice option is correct, and select the most popular response for them to see if the crowd group-sources the right answer.

Or you can make it easier on yourself while also enabling each individual to play using interactive trivia tools like Slides With Friends , Kahoot, Mentimeter, and more. With SlidesWith you can use pre-made games as-is, change a pre-made game however you want to make it your own, or create your own quiz from scratch, it's up to you. There's lots of great trivia options out there!

Quick Trivia Game A quick round of trivia for any group, work and conference-safe and fun for all.

Here's an already made, ready-to-go trivia game. You can update the questions if you want to make them more tailored to your group, or just play as-is. You audience can join in on their phones and send answers, and you can show winners at the end. ‍

7. Two Truths and a Lie

If you're looking to get a larger group to know each other better, a great way to do this is "two truths and a lie" format. This option takes a bit more pre-event work, but it's worth it!

• Reach out to your attendees in advance and get each of them to send you: their preferred name, a headshot, two truths, one lie (marked as the lie).
• I suggest creating a simple 4-column excel or google spreadsheet to keep track of everything as it comes in.
• Put together a slideshow using Powerpoint, google slides, or an interactive tool like Slides with Friends or Mentimeter.
• Play through it! If you're using a static presentation mode like PPT, use "show of hands" or the chat to get answers. If you're using an interactive tool, this is much easier.

Template slide deck — "Two Truths and a Lie" A form for you to fill out with your team's "two truths and a lie" content. Add pics, and their truths/lies to the multiple choice slides, and use this already-formulated deck to play a great game!

Here's a template you can use to get started: It's got placeholder slides for you to input questions, and will show off winners at the end.

8. Hot Takes

Get individual hot takes! Announce a topic, and have people raise their hand and call on them to give you their special "hot take" on the topic, or type it in the chat. This can be a great, silly, and surprising way to get people laughing and connecting.

To break the initial barrier to entry of large group ("Oh no, I don't want to talk in front of this many people, I'm definitely not raising my hand") and help people want to volunteer, it will be helpful for you to give a good first example or two ("For instance, my Hot Take on the best cartoon character for president would be Ursula from the Little Mermaid, because she's a real motived go-getter") Or, have a plant in the audience ready to provide the first answers ;) Or you can let people type things in the chat or share through interactive tools.

Some good "Hot Take" Topics: 

• best cuisine
• best cough syrup flavor
• most surprisingly attractive actor
• most surprisingly attractive cartoon character
• best villain
• worst ice cream flavor
• best celebrity for president
• best food to eat as leftovers

9. Get Audience Feedback and Information

Survey your group to find out the things you want to know about them and you'll kill two birds with one stone: Get people engaging and participating, while also getting important data for yourself. If you're in person make sure there are mics around for individuals to speak up, and if you're remote let people type in the chat.

Great topics to start with:

• What do you want to learn from this session?
• Which of the following describes you: [offer a breakdown of demographics likely to be in your talk, eg. "What's your role: teacher, speaker, hiring manager, etc"]
• What are the problems you're trying to solve?
• What would success in attending this conference look like for you?
• Are you already well versed in this subject? (hold up fingers, 1 is total newb, 5 is expert)

Here's an interactive session template: update it with your desired questions, throw in a few polls, and play with your conference audience!

Session Kickoff Template Survey and get a better understanding of your conference, meeting, or team call attendees.

10. Play a "Get to Know You" Game

Settle your group into feeling like they're part of the whole, and help them feel closeness even though they're in a large crowd.

You can ask yes or no questions (see above for some good "never have I ever" and "this or that" get to know you type questions) and ask for show of hands. You can also use the chat or the "raise your hand" functionality if you're on Zoom. Or you can take polls or do wordclouds with specific "tell us about yourselves" vibes.

Some good "get to know you" large group questions:

• Who here is a [role/job position likely to be at your event]?
• Are you here for work or not for work?
• Who here has experience with [your topic]?
• Who here is a coffee drinker? Who prefers tea?
• Who here lives within 20 miles of [current location]? 100? Who here is on a different continent?
• Do you prefer to be a sports player, or a sports watcher? Or are you totally uninterested in sports?
• Raise your hand on which of these is the best genre of music: Rock, Hip Hop, Country, Classical, Pop.
• Raise your hand on which of these is the best cuisine: French, Italian, Mexican, Japanese, American

Or you can simply play a ready-made game like this one:

"Get to Know the Group" Mini Game Great for networking or getting to know who's all in the room. 10 min, 3-250 people

11. Show & Tell for adults

This is a great way to get people invested in what you're talking about — by giving them the chance to participate and contribute and talk about *their own* content. You can do this in advance by sending out a prompt for folks to bring a specific item or topic of item (see the list below). Or you can spring the questions on them and see what they come up with!

Topics for "what to bring" to a great show & tell:

• Your favorite mug
• Your pet (if you're remote) / Photo of your pet
• Your favorite snack
• Something that you brought home from a trip
• Something that reminds you of your school days
• Something that reminds you of a good time in your life
• Something you're grateful for
• Something you got unexpectedly / that was a surprise to you
• Something that makes you laugh when you see it
• Something you love
• Something that no one but you understands

Conference Icebreaker Show and Tell Game Or, here is a ready to play interactive "Show and Tell with pictures from your phone" game that offers topics and gives people a few moments to search their camera roll for great photos to upload.

It will go through, one by one, however many photos you select (from just 1 to every photo submitted) at random from the pics uploaded by your players. This works great remote or in person anywhere that you can share your screen!

Get icebreaking!

We hope we gave you some good ideas, and want to hear about if you try them out. Or do you have great ideas you want to add? Let us know! If you've played great, simple games with large groups that should definitely be on this list, shoot us an email letting us know what has worked for you.

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5 Ice-Breakers for Your Presentation or Meeting

It can be tricky to know how to start a meeting. In fact, the introduction is often the hardest part to get right. But with a great ice-breaker you can relax yourself and your audience, making them more alert and receptive.

Here are five simple ways to put an audience in the right frame of mind.

Show the audience photos of yourself

At the beginning of your presentation you will of course introduce yourself. A great way to create rapport is to spend a minute of your introduction talking about your life outside work. Show a few photos of your pets, your hobbies, or any holidays you’ve taken recently. This will humanise you, and can get a laugh, depending on your choice of pictures.

Showing that you are a well-rounded human being will make you more relatable. The audience will be on your side and interested to hear what you have got to say.

Get participants to introduce one another

It’s always good to have participants share a little information about themselves. So why not use this as a way to get people talking?

Buddy everybody up. Instead of introducing themselves, they are going to introduce their buddy, with their name and a few details. It doesn’t have to be anything too personal, just some key facts about their life and interests. Give them a few minutes to make notes about one another and then ask them what they have learnt.

This is bound to trigger a few laughs and means that even the shyest and most retiring people have spoken.

Do a straw poll

Posing questions can be both an ice-breaker and a way to get insight into the audience’s understanding of your topic.

Ask alternating relevant and irrelevant questions to make this more fun.

For example:

• Who thinks our current sales figures are better than last year’s?
• Who thinks Brazil will win the next world cup?
• Who thinks we should budget more for sales support?

This will help the audience engage with the subject and enjoy themselves.

Truth and lies

This is a brilliant ice-breaker for occasions when you have time to spend on team building and introductions.

Ask everyone to write two facts about their life and one lie. Anything will do, although the more interesting the facts, the better. Split the group into two teams. One person at a time will read out the three statements. The other team must determine which is the lie by asking up to three questions. The winning team is the one that smuggles through the most lies.

This is a really fun way to learn about the participants, and it works best with small groups.

The old theatre adage is ‘Open with a joke, close with a song.’

Comedy and singing might be a tall order, but you can achieve similar engagement with interesting facts. Sharing unusual and surprising information will grab the audience’s attention. Try to find related facts that will lead into your topic.

For example, some businesses “facts” that you could call out:

• One in ten Europeans are conceived in an Ikea bed.
• The iPad retina display is made by Samsung.
• Google originally traded as ‘Backrub’.

The audience then have to answer true or false.

Some ice-breaker Do Nots:

You can expect people to engage, but don’t put them on the spot. Ask their name, but not their opinion on national service, or the opening line of their favourite novel. Most people will freeze up in that scenario.

If you are going to ask for contributions, do it in advance.

“In a moment I’m going to ask you your favourite ice cream flavour.”

Then give them a moment to think about it. If your question comes out of nowhere, it will confuse and disorient people, which is the exact opposite of what you’re trying to do.

Don’t criticise the subject of the presentation. It might be tempting to say “before we get into the boring stuff…”. This attitude signals to the audience to disengage with the topic because you yourself have shown little respect for it.

Don’t get personal. It might seem obvious, but sometimes a joke that goes down well in a social setting just has a bullying tone with strangers. Telling a young person “You don’t look old enough to be here” might not seem particularly offensive, but what does it actually achieve? You might get a laugh from the room, but only by putting that person in the spotlight.

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100 icebreaker questions to get the conversation started

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So… What’s your superpower?

Is it your ability to solve a Rubik’s Cube in 30 seconds? Or maybe make the world’s best lasagna? 

Whatever it is, is there a better superpower than watching your team bond over a couple of icebreakers you prepared before the meeting?  

Nope. We don’t think so, either. 

In fact, icebreakers help get the conversation going before any team meeting and even in classroom settings . They’re also wonderful activities to improve team communication and build team spirit.

If you’re looking for inspiration, we have 10 icebreaker categories to kickstart fun and productive meetings:

• Team-specific icebreakers

Get to know your team icebreakers

Funny icebreakers, would you rather icebreakers, thought-provoking icebreakers, fun and light icebreakers, seasonal and holiday icebreakers, world travel icebreakers, music icebreakers, company-themed icebreakers, 5 tips to help break the ice.

These four icebreaker tips will help you navigate the start of group discussions and get the team comfortable and excited to answer questions. 

• Whoever leads the meeting should answer the icebreaker question first. This helps break the tension and immediately opens up the conversation.
• Listen actively, and ask follow-up questions if necessary. The goal is to unite the team and give each person the opportunity to answer.
• Let people interact with one another. 
• Allocate enough time, and don’t rush the team-building activity.
• Consider the context of the meeting and the people involved when choosing your icebreaker question.

Team-specific icebreakers 

The benefit of using team-specific icebreakers is that everyone can have an open conversation about their thoughts and ideas regarding the dynamics and collaboration of a team. 

• What is your favorite team memory?
• Describe your team in one word.
• What is your team’s biggest strength?
• What are the top three must-have office items?
• Best professional development book you’d recommend?
• What is your most valuable soft skill for successful teams?
• What is your favorite tool to use for team productivity?
• How do you describe your job to a three-year-old?
• What is your go-to office lunch?
• What makes your team unique?

Our top pick: Describe your team in one word.

This question reveals what their team means to them and enables managers to spot the strengths of their team.

Related: Try these 25 icebreaker activities for virtual meetings

Use icebreaker questions to break barriers and understand the personalities and characteristics of each member. In the long run, it helps build compassion and relationships between team members, which results in improved communication and teamwork.  

These icebreakers are especially helpful when new employees join a team, as the questions enable them to meet each team member in a fun environment.

• Where did you grow up?
• What day in your life would you like to relive?
• What is the kindest act you have ever done?
• Describe yourself in three words.
• What was your dream job as a kid?
• What are the top three items on your bucket list? 
• What movie scene is worthy of an Oscar?
• Who would be the three guests at your dinner table?
• What is your proudest achievement?
• Five things that make you happy?

Our top pick: What is your proudest achievement?

This question unveils the events and achievements that are important to each individual. It gives insight into the personality and how each team member defines success.

Use funny icebreakers to lighten the mood. These icebreakers are great for Friday meetings ahead of the weekend or to bring laughter to the team after a rough week.

• Do you consider yourself a lemon or a lime? Why?
• What is your DJ name?
• What is your superpower?
• What three things would you do if you were invisible?
• What is the best prank you’ve experienced or planned?
• Tell us a weird fact you happen to know for no reason.
• If you could take one prop from any movie set, what would it be?
• Tell us your favorite joke.
• If your pet could talk, what would they say?
• If your life was captured in the “expectation vs. reality” meme, what would the two pictures be?

Our top pick: What is your superpower?

This is a fun way to ask your team members what their secret talents are and what they consider their strengths to be.

Would you rather questions are fun because they don’t put team members on the spot to come up with an answer; instead, they offer two options to choose from. This is helpful for teams that might be a bit shy or for new hires at the company.

• Would you rather get free plane tickets or free accommodations for the rest of your life?
• Would you rather spend a weekend in a tropical paradise or a snow haven?
• Would you rather speak 10 languages or play 10 instruments?
• Would you rather always be two hours early or 20 minutes late?
• Would you rather sail or van life around the world?
• Would you rather be able to control time or fly?
• Would you rather read the end of every book or always forget the story’s ending?
• Would you rather be a whale or a lion?
• Would you rather have every traffic light turn green or always have the best parking spot?
• Would you rather have slow internet or always forget your passwords?

Our top pick: Would you rather have every traffic light turn green or always have the best parking spot?

This question challenges employees to choose between practicality and patience. Both are important skills in the workplace and fun values to discuss. 

Thought-provoking questions are interesting ways to dig deeper into employees’ opinions and perspectives. However, they should only be asked when the team has already built a strong relationship with one another, as they require vulnerability and a safe space.

• Why do we create art?
• What subject do you wish was taught in every school?
• If you could know the answer to any question, what would it be?
• What would you do if you knew you couldn't fail?
• When do you feel the most courageous?
• What piece of advice would you give to your 16-year-old self?
• When was the last time you tried something for the first time?
• What are the three values you treasure the most in a friendship?
• What is the best piece of feedback you have ever received?
• Where do you find inspiration?

Our top pick: If you could know the answer to any question, what would it be?

This is our favorite question as it reveals what deeper topics employees find interesting and what problems they'd like to solve. 

Fun and light icebreakers let employees bring out their creativity and have fun getting to know one another with questions that are unrelated to work.

• What is your favorite cereal?
• Which two companies would you like to be sponsored by?
• What was your last Netflix binge?
• If you could be a character in any movie, what character and what movie would it be?
• If you invented an ice cream flavor, what ingredients would it have, and what would it be called?
• If you could make an office rule that everyone had to follow for a day, what would it be?
• What is the best concert/ festival you have ever been to?
• A genie grants you one wish; what do you wish for?
• What would you title your biography?
• What three items would you bring with you on a deserted island?

Our top pick: If you could be a character in any movie, what character and what movie would it be?

This reveals what characters employees admire, which is a fun way to understand a person! 

Related: Try these icebreakers for smaller groups

Get your team in the holiday mood with seasonal icebreakers. These are great for celebrating the change of seasons and building holiday spirit in the workspace.

• What is your favorite season?
• What’s your favorite holiday?
• Do you over or under-decorate for the holidays?
• What is your favorite summer activity?
• What is your favorite winter meal?
• If you could add an additional holiday to the calendar, what would it be and when?
• Do you have any special traditions for the new year?
• Do you create a New Year’s resolution list?
• What is your favorite holiday movie?
• What is your favorite holiday song?

Our top pick: Do you create a New Year’s resolution list?

This is a great opener to discuss each individual's New Year’s resolutions and to create a team New Year's resolution list.  

After any vacation, travel icebreakers are a great way to bring out stories and understand what type of activities and experiences your team enjoys outside of work. 

• If you had to sleep on a beach anywhere in the world, where would it be?
• If you could live in a different country for a year, which country would you choose?
• What is your favorite travel story?
• What is the most underrated city you have ever visited?
• What country impacted you the most?
• What is your favorite travel hack?
• If you could organize a team retreat, where would it be?
• Who is your favorite travel buddy or group?
• What is more important for you when traveling, comfort and relaxation or energizing new experiences?
• Who is the most interesting person you’ve met while traveling?

Our top pick: What is your favorite travel story?

Traveling always creates new memories and stories. It's a great question to understand how employees overcome challenges, their goals during their time off, and how they learn from their experiences.

Music questions are helpful for teams in the early stages of getting to know one another because they are lighthearted and fun to share without needing to get too personal. 

• What song brings back childhood memories?
• Which artist would you like to meet?
• Which band would you join? And what would your role be?
• If you could name a band, what would it be called?
• What song has the most beautiful lyrics?
• How has your taste in music changed in the past 10 years?
• What is your go-to karaoke song?
• What movie has the best soundtrack?
• What song would be the anthem of your life?
• If you were a genre of music, what would it be?

Our top pick: What song would be the anthem of your life?

This is a creative question to see how your employees would describe their lives and to inspire discussions over the answers.

Company-themed questions are helpful and relevant icebreakers before any company event, like an all-hands meeting. They keep the attendees on track and focused on the company discussion.

• If you could swap roles with anyone at the company for one day, who would it be?
• What advice would you give a new hire at the company?
• What do you most enjoy about your job?
• How do you define success at the company?
• What is your favorite company value?
• What do you think is your company's biggest strength and weakness?
• Where do you see the company in a year?
• If you could change the company's name, what would it be?
• If the company had a mascot, what would it be and why?
• Who has influenced your work ethic the most?

Our top pick: What is your favorite company value?

This creates an insight into what value each employee finds the most important and chooses to live by. 

Now you’ve broken the ice...what’s next? 

Once the ice is broken, it’s time to get your team to collaborate through plans, strategies , and development. 

However, starting a meeting with an icebreaker doesn’t automatically mean your team will continue to collaborate effectively. They will still need the support of collaboration tools and continuous team spirit to maintain the trust they’ve built .

That’s where a tool like Mural can step in, helping facilitate teamwork with a collaboration platform to express ideas, share thoughts , and plan together. 

Take a peek at how our virtual whiteboards can bring your team’s imagination to life.

About the authors

Bryan Kitch

Tagged Topics

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Blog > 20 Poll Ice Breaker Questions to ask in your next Presentation

20 Poll Ice Breaker Questions to ask in your next Presentation

01.01.20   •  #icebreaker #ideas #presentation #tutorial.

Live polls are an ideal way to make a rousing start to your presentation or meeting, and to get your attendees' attention right from the beginning. Of course it is not always easy to create a suitable poll which can break the ice. That's why we've collected the best poll ideas and helpful tips for you to get started!

Tips for your first icebreaker poll

• Create Polls that at least the majority of your attendees can participate in. Your audience should be interested and have an opinion on the question. Also, be sure to keep the result exciting and not to carry out too predictable polls. The icebreaker polls are most effective as an introduction to a presentation and should therefore fit to your topic as well as possible.
• Formulate the question and the answer options clear and understandable. Here, less is more! Also pay attention to the fact that the answer options should be easy to tell apart, especially in single-choice polls.
• Avoid problem areas and try to make your icebreaker poll as positive and motivating as possible.
• Make your poll more appealing by adding emoji or your own pictures, which additionally represent the answer options.
• Don't worry if you don't know your audience very well yet: You can still add new polls, even during the presentation.

Ready to conduct a poll? Choose from these four types of icebreaker polls and get started:

• Funny poll questions

Informative icebreaker poll questions

• Communicative icebreaker poll questions
• Introductory icebreaker poll questions

Funny Icebreaker poll questions to loosen up

Lighten your audience’s mood and start with a positive first impression.

If you could have one of these superpowers, which one would you choose?

• 👀Be invisible whenever you want
• 💪🏻Superhuman Strength
• 🐶Talk to animals
• 🧠Read minds
• 🦅Be able to fly

Which Harry Potter house do you belong in?

• I’ve never seen or read Harry Potter

If you could choose any age, to stay in for the rest of your life, which would it be?

If you could travel in time, what would you want to see?

• 🤖The future
• 🛩There is enough in the present

Have you ever…

• Had a crush on your boss?
• Peed in the swimming pool?
• Taken shampoo and conditioner from hotels?
• Told barefaced lies to your mother?
• Denied receiving work emails when in fact you did?

Get to know your participants better and adapt your presentation accordingly.

Which languages do you speak? (multiple-choice)

What’s your level of understanding of the topic?

• 🧢I’m completely green
• 🤓I have some basic knowledge
• 🎓I have solid background
• 🧠I’m an expert

What is your current role?

• Business Development
• Technical Development

How old are you?

Which technology trend will have the greatest impact on our industry over the next year?

• Internet of Things and smart home tech
• Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR)
• Machine learning
• Artificial Intelligence (AI)

How did you get here?

• 🛩By airplane

How are you feeling?

Describe your mood today

Why did you decide to join this event today?

• Knowledge building
• Speaker line-up
• Networking opportunities
• My boss made me

Communicative icebreaker polls

Take the chance to get your participants, of small as well as large groups, in touch witch each other, for example in preparation for a workshop. I’d like to meet someone from…

• The person at my left
• The person at my right
• Both people next to me
• None of the people next to me yet

I believe/know that the person to my left… (multiple choice)

• Loves to read
• Works in a big company
• Has studied a year abroad
• Has children
• Likes to do crossword puzzles

Create a poll to find out how well your participants already know each other. After that, according to the outcome of your poll, ask them to get to know each other.

Introductory icebreaker polls

Use live polls to introduce yourself or your company in a fun and engaging way. Prepare a few true statements about yourself, add some lies, then let your participants vote for the answer they believe to be true. Examples: Which statement is true?

• I’ve been working in this sector for more than 10 years
• I’m color-blind
• I speak three languages

Which statement is true?

• In the last year our company’s sales increased by 10%
• At the time our Company was founded, it had a different name
• Our company has five locations for distribution in Germany

If you want to speed things up, you can rephrase the question like this: Which of the following statements are true? (multiple-choice)

SlideLizard Templates

But wait! There is no need to remember all the cool poll ideas. SlideLizard is the best tool to conduct interactive surveys in your presentation. Moreover, it has already a lot of useful poll templates directly built in. Try SlideLizard for free . Here is how you can use them in your presentations:

• In the SlideLizard Plugin click on Polls in the menu
• Click on Create from Template
• Choose one of the templates
• Optionally adapt the question or the answers to your presentation

Related articles

About the author.

Christoph Berghuber

Having realized the unexploited potential of many presentations of these days, Christoph especially uses his skills in logic an algorithms for finding creative solutions.

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Closed questions.

Closed questions are followed by a short, clear answer. There are several answer options from which you can choose one or more.

Student Response System (SRS)

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Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, the 127 best icebreaker questions to ask anyone.

General Education

We've all been there: you're with a person or group of people you don't know very well, and no one knows what to talk about. So you fall back on the cliches: How was your weekend? Any plans for tonight? How about that weather?! These questions are boring, but icebreakers don't have to be! Our guide has 127 of the very best icebreaker questions, for any situation. Whether you're looking for funny icebreaker questions, questions to ask on a first date, good ice breaker questions for coworkers, and more, we've got you covered, so you never need to stress about what to talk about.

What Are Icebreaker Questions? When Should You Use Them?

Icebreaker questions are questions you ask to get to know someone better. The person you're asking might be a new date, a coworker, or even just the person sitting next to you on a plane or at the bar. They're a great way to strike up an interesting conversation and learn more about someone. Ice breakers can get a bad rap though, because they need to tread a fine line: not be boring, but also not be too personal (you don't know this person very well, after all!). When you ask a great icebreaker question, you can fall into an easy conversation and learn more about someone. They're great for all kinds of situations, so use them whenever you're struggling to find something to talk about. While icebreakers are mostly used in situations when you're meeting someone new, a lot of these are great to ask friends and family members, too.

Icebreaker questions don't need to be deep or profound to start good conversations. In fact, it's often better if they're not because many people are reluctant to really open up to someone they don't know well. Even seemingly-simple questions can start great conversations.

For example, if you were to ask me my most irrational fear, I'd tell you that it's being eaten by a Komodo dragon. Why? When I was a kid, I watched a TV show with a very intense reenactment of a person getting killed by Komodo dragons, and I've since learned that they're basically the perfect predator. ( Oh, you want some evidence? They can take down creatures as big as water buffaloes, outrun humans, swim, climb trees, and have extremely venomous saliva that can eventually kill you even if you manage to escape being eaten.) But then, as I learned more about them, I realized Komodo dragons are endangered and often smuggled and killed for traditional medicine. I got into more of the conservation side of it, and now I want to save Komodo dragons! Just from that simple question, someone could have learned a lot about me (and also have a new and deeply unsettling fear of Komodo dragon attacks). So try out a lot of icebreaker questions, you never know what the answer will be!

Good Ice Breaker Questions for All Situations

These icebreaker questions are safe and fun to use for anyone, at any time, and any place. Get asking!

• What's your earliest childhood memory?
• If you could time travel, would you go back in time to meet your ancestors, or forward in time to meet your descendants?
• Would you rather win an Olympic medal or a Nobel prize?
• What book do you own but have never read?
• What's something on your bucket list?
• What's your favorite animal?
• Would you rather listen to country or classical music?
• Have you ever been mistaken for someone famous?
• What's your cellphone wallpaper?
• If you had your own talk show, who would your first guest be?
• What's one place you have no interest in traveling to?
• What's your most irrational fear?
• What's one thing you're really bad at?
• What's your biggest pet peeve?
• What's one thing you'll never do again?
• If you could have any new skill instantly, what would you choose?
• Do you ever think your parents gave you the wrong name?
• If you could choose to remain an age forever, what age would you choose?
• If you could only have three apps on your phone, which would you choose?
• What breed of dog do you think you would be?
• What's the most spontaneous thing you've ever done?
• What's the last new thing you tried?
• What's an unusual skill you have?
• Would you like to be famous? What for?
• Have you ever won a contest?
• What would you do if you had an extra hour in the day?
• What's the last song you listened to?
• Do you believe in ghosts?
• If you had to spend $10,000 today, how would you spend it?
• If you could go to outer space for free, as a tourist, would you do it?
• On an airplane, do you prefer the window or aisle seat?
• If you had to spend a day as a fish or a bird, which would you choose?

Funny Icebreaker Questions

Want to lighten the mood? Sharing a laugh with a new acquaintance is a great way to feel closer, so try out these funny icebreaker questions!

• If you had to swap your legs with the legs of any other animal, which animal would you choose?
• What's the strangest gift you've ever received?
• What's your favorite joke to tell?
• If you had to eat a crayon, what color would you choose?
• What's the worst idea you've ever had?
• How long do you think you'd last in a zombie apocalypse?
• Have you ever eaten an entire pizza by yourself?
• What's your biggest guilty pleasure?
• How do you feel about clowns?
• What's the worst haircut you've ever gotten?
• What's your favorite meme or viral video?
• What are you hilariously bad at?
• What song or jingle always gets stuck in your head?
• What's the weirdest food combination you enjoy?
• What assumption have you made that went very wrong?
• What's your favorite useless fact?
• What's the worst advice you've ever been given?
• What's something you're kind of snobby about?

Icebreaker Questions for Work

People often especially hate coworker/team icebreaker questions because they're often straight-up boring or weirdly personal to share at the office. These icebreakers, some of which pertain to work and others to outside-the-office life, are great conversation topics for coworkers , whether they know each other well or not.

• What's the first thing you think of when you wake up in the morning?
• What's the most recent project you put 100% into?
• What's the best book or article you've read this year?
• What's the strangest thing that's ever happened to you in a meeting?
• If the company had a mascot, what do you think it should be?
• What do you think is the best workplace snack?
• If you could be on any game show, which would you choose?
• What's the smelliest food to cook in the office microwave?
• What time of day are you most productive?
• What was your first job?
• What activity helps you relieve stress?
• What do you do during your commute?
• What is the most awkward thing that ever happened to you during an interview?
• What class you took in school has been most useful for your job?
• If there was no dress code, how would you dress for work?
• Where's your favorite place to go for lunch?
• Have you ever met anyone famous?
• If you could have any view out your office window, what would you choose?
• If you had to be a famous person's personal assistant, who would you choose?

Icebreaker Questions for Dates

There's nothing worse than being on a first date where neither of you know what to talk about, and an awkward silence settles heavily over the two of you. Avoid that by using these icebreaker questions. They're a bit more personal than the others, but still light enough to discuss with a person you've only just met.

• What's your love language?
• What's your middle name?
• Where are you a regular at?
• What's your go-to drink order?
• What's the weirdest Wikipedia rabbit hole you've stumbled down?
• What's the dorkiest thing about you?
• What's one goal you have for this year?
• Have you ever played hooky?
• What's your best travel story?
• Who was your celebrity crush growing up?
• Among your friends, what are you best known for?
• Shark diving, bungee jumping, or skydiving?
• What's your typical Sunday like?
• Did you have a nickname when you were growing up?
• Would you be more worried introducing your date to your family or your friends?
• What's the best dish you make?
• What movie do you never get tired of watching?
• How did you meet your best friend?
• Would you rather spend a year living in an RV or on a sailboat?
• Have you returned any purchases recently?
• Do you collect anything?
• What's your favorite holiday tradition?

Icebreaker Questions for Teens

Good ice breaker questions for teens are those that aren't dumbed-down, but are still fun and help the youths get to know each other better.

• What's the best animal sound you can make?
• Which emoji do you use the most?
• What's your best study tip?
• Who has been your favorite teacher, and why?
• Would you rather live in the ocean or on the moon?
• Have any of your teachers ever sworn in class?
• What kind of texter are you? (Fast? Slow? Lots of little texts? Perfect spelling and grammar?)
• How old were you when you got your first cell phone?
• What's your favorite Disney movie?
• What career do you think you would hate the most?
• What's the craziest dare you've ever taken?
• What's the most embarrassing thing your parents have ever done?
• Do you secretly think you're your parents' favorite child?
• What's the best dessert you've ever had?
• Which three emojis would you use to describe yourself?
• What's the worst movie you've ever seen?
• What's the first thing you do when you get home from school?
• What would be your ideal time to wake up every day?

Icebreaker Questions for Adults

It's good to avoid more R-rated topics with people you've just met, so these icebreaker questions for adults aren't raunchy, just more focused on life experiences and memories of lost youth.

• What was your dream job as a child?
• What's the most embarrassing thing you've ever emailed or texted someone?
• What was your favorite food as a child?
• What's the most embarrassing fashion trend you participated in?
• Where do you want to retire?
• What was the first concert you attended?
• What wastes the most time in your day to day life?
• What's a social cause you care about?
• What's a New Year's Resolution you made but never kept?
• What's the biggest risk you've ever taken?
• What was your favorite book growing up?
• Is there a household chore you actually enjoy doing?
• How did you spend your first paycheck?
• What do you wish was illegal?
• What big problem do you think technology will solve next?
• What slang word you are happiest went out of style?
• Who has been your strangest or most annoying neighbor?
• Which sport do you think is the most boring to watch?

What's Next?

Telling a joke is also a great way to break the ice.  We've collected 119 of the best jokes sure to make anyone laugh!

Writing a research paper for school but not sure what to write about?   Our guide to research paper topics   has over 100 topics in ten categories so you can be sure to find the perfect topic for you. 

A quick, fun, and easy game to play is This or That. Here’s a huge list of This or That questions that will keep you entertained and laughing for hours!

Christine graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Environmental Biology and Geography and received her Master's from Duke University. In high school she scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and was named a National Merit Finalist. She has taught English and biology in several countries.

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