When most people hear the word “meeting”, they think of sleepy faces, dull atmosphere, and wasted time.
However, meetings can be so much fun if you use icebreakers.
With all the changes happening at work (and at home), fun meeting icebreakers take an increasingly important role that can warm up a meeting and make it feel more enjoyable and less like a job.
If you are a meeting planner, you must check this carefully-compiled list of 50 fun and unique icebreaker games and questions that will shake up your office and virtual meetings in 2023. Let’s dive in!
Why is a Meeting Ice Breaker Important?
By definition, icebreakers are a series of questions, activities, or prompts used to break the icy tension among individuals.
The main purpose of team meeting icebreakers is to start conversations positively and therefore create an atmosphere of openness and collaboration, which is essential for successful meetings.
It’s often the meeting facilitator’s job to lead the icebreaker activities at the beginning of the meeting or during a tea break. Meeting icebreakers help to achieve the following:
Establish trust: An icebreaker is a great way for employees to get to know each other and establish a sense of camaraderie in the workplace. It is essential when the team has a newcomer.
Foster a positive atmosphere: Meetings put stress on employees; however, icebreakers help create an inclusive atmosphere in which everybody feels comfortable. The use of icebreakers often spices things up and makes meetings more enjoyable.
Team bonding and creativity: Inspiring icebreakers spark team bonding and allow employees to think more strategically while they are working towards their common goal.
When properly executed, a great icebreaker can easily jumpstart any meeting, so it's well worth putting some thought into creating one that fits your particular group!
30 Good Icebreaker Questions for Any Meeting
Making sure everyone in a meeting feels comfortable is essential to a productive conversation. One great way to ensure that's the case is to start with some icebreaker questions that get group members to know one another and form bonds.
Meeting icebreaker questions may be on various subjects, including work, traveling, interests, etc. Here is a comprehensive list of funny icebreaker questions broken down into three categories that can be used in any meeting, virtual or physical.
Work-related icebreaker questions
What would you do if allowed to be the boss for a day?
What is the most memorable thing you bought with your first salary?
What business jargon would you like to eliminate from the workplace?
Do you have a particular skill that you think everyone should learn?
At which milestone would you consider yourself successful?
What is the most heartfelt praise you've ever been given at work?
What spurs you on to complete tasks?
How would you describe your job to a five-year-old?
What change can make your day better today?
What is your absolute dream job?
Funny meeting icebreaker questions
What superpowers do you want to have, and why?
Would you rather have a dragon as a pet or a dinosaur?
What was your imaginary character as a child?
Who would you choose if you could trade lives with any fictional character?
What is the weirdest food you’ve ever eaten?
What emoji do you use most?
What are the first five things you would grab in an emergency?
If you had a time machine, would you go back in time or into the future?
What fictional world would you like to visit?
What is your favorite knock-knock joke?
Simple bonding icebreaker questions
What are the top five things on your bucket list?
What’s your favorite holiday?
What would your closest friend say about you?
Which animal do you prefer, a dog or a cat?
Which particular piece of advice radically altered your life?
Are you a traveler or a stay-home person?
Beach holiday or ski trip?
What pastime activities do you engage in?
What was your best Christmas present?
What’s one thing we don’t know about you?
13 Fun Icebreaker Activities for Virtual Meetings
Virtual meetings add a unique set of challenges. Connecting while remaining physically apart can be difficult, so adding a few virtual icebreaker activities is a must! With that in mind, here are 13 fun ideas to help break the ice and get everyone connected. These fun meeting icebreakers help to build relationships across remote and hybrid teams.
It takes only a few minutes (between five and twenty minutes) and little to no equipment to promise maximum engagement!
1. Two Truths and One Lie
As the most popular meeting icebreaker activity, you may use more creativity and have fun with this game. Two Truths and a Lie is a classic game that tests one’s ability to detect deception in another’s stories. It’s a great game for large or small groups alike, easily adapted to fit the size of any gathering. All you need are some friends and some creative storytelling talents.
Team size: 4+
Duration: 15-20 minutes
Cost: Free
Setup: N/A
How to play: Ask each employee to give three unique statements about themselves, two of which must be valid and one lie. Then, the other players must determine which one is a lie!
For example, a team member could remark, "Here are three things you should know about me:
I own a dog.
I speak Spanish.
I have visited the Caribbean Island before.
Which of the three is a lie?
This icebreaker is a great way to get to know one another while having fun with the other team members.
2. Take a Picture of…
Before engaging in an online brainstorming session, use this game to inspire creativity among your team. Alternatively, make this a weekly virtual meeting icebreaker activity by selecting a different subject before your meetings.
Team Size: 4+
Duration: 15-20 minutes
Cost: Free
Setup: Choose a category such as your room, your pet, something on your desk, your socks or shoes, or the view from your window.
How to play: Ask each team member to take a photo of the set topic and share it. Allow five minutes for everyone to snap a picture and upload it, and then an additional three minutes for story sharing.
3. Show and Tell
This time-tested communication game can help team members improve their public speaking abilities.
Team Size: 4-10
Duration: 15-20 minutes
Cost: Free
Setup: Ask each team member to bring an item or anything that fits a theme to the meeting before it starts. Something like "your most valued asset" or "something that makes you smile" may be the theme.
How to play: Depending on the number of individuals in your team, invite each member to speak for roughly 1-2 minutes on their object or thing. They can discuss how they got it, why they value it, where they store it, and other details.
For a successful game, you should plan, so everyone knows what is expected of them, what topic will be presented, and by whom. Doing this helps give structure while allowing creativity to flow throughout the activity.
4. Caption This
Everyone enjoys a funny social media image or a bizarre meme. With this fun meeting icebreaker, you may test your team's creativity while making them laugh.
Team Size: 4+
Duration: 10 minutes
Cost: Free
Setup: Download 3-5 goofy or exciting images from the internet.
How to play: Start screen sharing and show each image one at a time. Give your team a minute to choose a fitting caption for each picture. After everyone has finished writing their captions, go back to the beginning and listen to the ideas. As you go through them, have the players vote for their favorite—the one who wrote the hilarious wins.
5. The Desert Island Game
Many of us have played this kind of game before: what survival necessities would you select if you were stuck on a desert island?
Team Size: 4+
Duration: 15-20 minutes
Cost: Free
Setup: Write down a list of eight random items, such as a bag of fruit and vegetables, a knife, a fishing net, a bucket, a lighter, sticky tape, a canvas bag, and a bedsheet.
How to play: The game's rules are straightforward. Imagine that your team will board a one-way ferry for a desert island and are only allowed to bring three things. Give your team a list of eight items you have already prepared and ask them to select the top three. Participants must work together to choose the objects that will keep them alive and explain why.
6. This or That
Large groups may break up into small groups and have the chance to communicate immediately with each other by playing this question game. They can get to know one another's tastes and share a few of their favorites.
Team Size: 5-10
Duration: 10-15 minutes
Cost: Free
Setup: Prepare a list of this or that prompts, such as "Pepperoni or Cheese Pizza?", "Dog or Cats?", "Breakfast or Dinner?", "Coffee or Smoothie?" etc.
How to play: Ask team members to choose a partner. The team member asks the partner any of the this or that questions prepared. Alternatively, the first person picks someone to ask a "This or That" question, and that person chooses another team member to pass the question to.
7. Virtual Scavenger Hunt
One of the finest online team meeting icebreaker games to start a fun day with your remote team is a virtual scavenger hunt. Who doesn't enjoy an activity that is interesting and thrilling, after all?
Team Size: 4+
Duration: 5-10 minutes
Cost: Free
Setup: Prepare a list of household items that everyone can grab quickly.
How to play: Request that everyone remain seated until you call out a household item. Team members dash out in a hurry to get the item and point it toward the camera. For example: Grab a book with a blue cover. Grab a round-shaped item. The team member that first brings the item to the camera receives a point. The winner is determined by the one who gets the most points.
8. Draw Something
Draw Something Icebreaker is an entertaining game that encourages interaction between players. It is ideally played with four to six people, although variations can be enjoyed with more depending on the size of the group.
Team Size: 4-6
Duration: 10 - 15 minutes
Cost: Free
Setup: Ask each participant to get a phone and join the game room on the website.
How to play: Players pick a word when it's their turn and try to draw a picture of the word, while others make a guess on what the word is. Most points go to the first guesser of the round. After this draw-and-guess game, the one with the most points wins!
Draw something provides hours of entertainment that can be done quickly, so gather your teammates together online and play it at your next meeting!
9. Build A Storyline
Story-telling is a great way to develop creativity and bond with team members.
Team Size: 4+
Duration: 10-15 minutes
Cost: Free
Setup: Get your team to create a virtual circle via a video chat before starting the exercise.
How to play: To play each participant in the group collaboratively creates a story, sentence by sentence. The story's introductory statement is unfinished by the first participant. For instance, “It was the darkest hour of the night when one young man decided to venture outside into the unknown …”
The following person continues from where they left off and adds a completed phrase while completing the others, and so on. By working together, everyone ends up with a thorough plot framework.
Invariably, this leads to creative storylines and expanded personal insights. So why not give the “Build a Storyline” game a try today - you won't be disappointed!
10. Name That Place
This game is a fun and interactive virtual icebreaker that can help groups learn more about geography!
Team Size: 4-10
Duration: 10-15 minutes
Cost: Free
Setup: Google Maps
How to play: Open Google Maps and select a location. Ask team members to identify the location from whence the photograph was taken. The person with the highest number of correct guesses wins the game.
11. Waffles Vs. Pancakes
Pancakes vs Waffles is a team-building game with minimal stakes that progressively increase in importance the more you play it, much like a speed vehicle that accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in just a few seconds.
Team Size: 6+
Duration: 5-10 minutes
Cost: Free
Setup: N/A
How to play: Ask the first person what they prefer: waffles or pancakes. Ask them to swap out one of those items with any other item once they've responded. For instance, "I nominate puppies and get rid of waffles." The following person must then decide between pancakes and puppies. Then they can choose to replace the existing things, such as "I nominate world peace and get rid of pancakes." Repeat the steps until everyone has taken a turn.
12. One Common Thing
If you're looking for an easy team meeting icebreaker to liven up a group event or kick off an online meeting with a fun game, then the One Common Thing Icebreaker is a great option. This game requires no setup and is sure to set the tone for a successful gathering.
Team Size: 5+
Duration: 10 minutes
Cost: Free
Setup: N/A
How to play: Each participant must name one thing they have in common with everyone else in the group. It can be as simple as liking cats or something more personal like having gone on vacation together. As the participants name one commonality each, laughter usually abounds and people feel more connected. Best of all, it's interactive and only takes a few minutes!
13. Guess the Childhood Photo
This game is a great way to get team members to laugh and have fun. It encourages bonding among team members.
Team Size: 4+
Duration: 20 minutes
Cost: Free
Setup: Ask everyone to send a childhood photo to the group leader.
How to play: Randomly arrange all photos into one slideshow. Share the screen and the guessing begins! The rest of the group can take turns guessing which childhood photo belongs to who.
This is an easy and enjoyable way to enjoy each other's company while learning something new about one another!
7 Best Icebreaker Games for Office Meetings
In-person meeting icebreakers can be a great way to warm up the room and get everyone talking. We have selected the best icebreaker games for office meetings to get you started.
14. Salt and Pepper
This game helps teams communicate and work together better. Additionally, it improves one's capacity to create practical questions to solve problems.
Team Size: 20+
Duration: 20 minutes
Cost: Free (or low cost depending on materials)
Setup: Get sheets of paper, marker, and tape
How to play: Write down pairs such as "salt and pepper," "pen and paper," "bread and butter," "shadow and light," "Minnie and Mickey mouse," etc. in a journal. Separate the pairs and write each on a separate paper, such as “salt” on one and “pepper” on another.
Tape the paper to each participant’s back without them knowing what’s written on the paper on their back.
Once you say "go," they must move around and ask questions to help them identify what word is taped to their back. Only "yes" and "no" questions can be used by participants to find out the answer. Once they find out what’s taped to their back, it would be easy to locate their pair.
15. Trading Cards
This game is suitable for a new team as it will help team members get to know each other's past experiences and interests.
Team Size: 5+
Duration: 10-15 minutes
Cost: Free (or low cost depending on materials)
Setup: Members should create 2-3 cards with their name (nickname), self-portrait, and interests.
How to play: Ask each team member to exchange the cards they have created with other team members. Then ask everyone to take a minute or two to read through the cards and find the team member. You would be required to ask the team member (whose card you have selected) a question.
16. Word Association
Word association icebreakers are an excellent way to foster creativity and get to know each other better in a fun and meaningful manner.
Team Size: 10-12
Duration: 10-15 minutes
Cost: Free
Setup: The facilitator writes down a series of words on a sheet of paper or small cards.
How to play: The facilitator reads a word, and each player takes turns saying aloud what word comes to mind when hearing one of the specified words. This can lead down interesting paths, allowing for quick insight into the personalities and interests of the participants in a lighthearted and enjoyable way
17. Human Knot
Human knot is a great office icebreaker game that's fun, energizing, and can help to break the ice between coworkers.
Team Size: 6+
Duration: 10-15 minutes
Cost: Free
Setup: Organize everyone in a circle.
How to play: Have everyone put their right hand into the middle of the circle and grab someone else's right hand. Next, have everyone reach with their left hand and grab another person's left hand - make sure no one grabs their own!
The game's goal is for all players to untangle themselves without taking their hands off each other as if they were involved in a giant knot! Once untangled, players can celebrate with high fives! Human knot is an exciting, fast-paced game that will leave your coworkers feeling energized and connected.
18. Alternative Application
This goofy icebreaker will get your team members thinking creatively.
Team Size: 5+
Duration: 5-10 minutes
Cost: Free
Setup: Take a stroll around the office and gather various items, such as a file, a wastepaper basket, a stapler, etc.
How to play: Ask one player to step in front of the other players and present them with one of the items you obtained earlier. The person presented with the item should use body language to describe what alternative use the item has. The other participants must attempt to guess what they are describing. For instance, if you handed them a basket, they may act like they are fishing. Next up is the first correct guesser.
19. Two-Minute Mingle
This is an excellent bonding game, especially if new staff is added to the team. This fun meeting icebreaker game is an efficient and fun way to get colleagues to interact quickly.
Team Size: 5+
Duration: 5-10 minutes
Cost: Free
Setup: N/A
How to play: Players start by forming into pairs and introducing themselves, then after two minutes, the partners move on and find another person to talk to. These new conversations should also last two minutes, as a timer goes off at the end of that time to alert everyone to change partners.
This continues until all participants have talked with one another. During these conversations, players should focus on learning something new about their partners, like hobbies or career aspirations, which will help create an open spirit of knowledge sharing and workplace camaraderie in no time!
20. Bowl of Questions
This is an easy game to get people talking and to help them learn more about each other.
Team Size: 3+
Duration: 10-15 minutes
Cost: Free
Setup: Write good conversation starter questions on paper and place them in a bowl.
How to play: Place all the pieces of paper in a container and ask each person to pick one. The team member answers the question they picked from the bowl, allowing for deeper conversations about each other's backgrounds and interests. After everyone has had their turn, place all the papers back in the bowl and start again with different questions.
FAQs on Meeting Icebreakers
1. How long should a meeting icebreaker last?
The ideal length for an icebreaker is 5 minutes to 20 minutes. So it won’t be too short that people feel not relaxed, nor it is too long that takes focus from the actual meeting.
2. When do you need an icebreaker to start a meeting?
An icebreaker is beneficial for any meeting.
For serious business meetings, it can be a simple welcome; while for remote team meetings, it can be a team-building activity to boost employee morale.
Make Your Meetings More Enjoyable with Icebreakers
These meeting icebreakers can help jump-start any meeting in 2023! You can explore so many more meeting icebreakers, but these are the top on the list and should get your meeting off on the right foot.
Meeting icebreakers will help your team relax, engage and get to know one another better. Our thirty meeting icebreaker questions are also a great addition to your successful meeting. So have fun, and let the meeting begin!
Passionate about productivity and workplace efficiency, Rivi delivers content that keeps you informed and ready to tackle your next meeting. Dive into Rivi's articles for a fresh, interesting take on staying ahead in today's fast-paced world!
