Simple, lively, and fun, try this one out in your next virtual get-together. Did you know that two-thirds of all US households own a pet? We’ve got no idea how many people have plants, but the number must be sky-high. Take a moment to have your teams parade their pets or plants in a virtual get-together for an immediate morale boost. Create a light-hearted test to shatter ice in a virtual meeting with some emoji-decoding shenanigans.
Emoji Check-In is a quick and playful way to start a virtual meeting by encouraging participants to share how they’re feeling—using only emojis. Everyone posts their chosen emoji(s) in the Zoom chat or uses reaction buttons to express their current mood, energy level, or mindset. Here are some of our favorite games you can use to break the ice in a group in ten minutes or less! Check out our collection of icebreaker questions for a set of effective conversation starters.
Five minutes of the right activity is enough to shift the energy in a room. This one requires in-person setup, but the debrief transfers well to hybrid sessions. Finding that all four people grew up with a dog, hate the smell of gasoline, and have never eaten a mango takes actual conversation. After each round, the group votes on who they think the liar is.
It’s guaranteed to bring laughter to your virtual session as everyone expresses their favorite short-form videos. Make it into easternhoneys.org/ a quick 5-minute game at the start of an icebreaking session and keep tally on winning guesses. You’ll be bringing people together in a fun way and encouraging them to use their emoji-nation.
A charity auction is a fantastic way to combine socializing with giving back. Ask guests to donate items or services and then auction them off during the event. When planning a club or group get-together, create a fun space for people to connect and enjoy themselves. Game nights are classic, but you can spice them up by introducing non-traditional games. However, what’s worked for me is ensuring the event reflects the vibe I’m aiming for, whether it’s casual, professional, or something completely out of the ordinary. Over the years, I’ve hosted my fair share of gatherings, some bigger than others, some more creative than others.
Like a book club, but with a way lower barrier to entry. Pick a podcast episode, everyone listens on their own time, then you discuss it together. Go around the “room” with each person showing their object on camera and talking for 2-3 minutes about what it is, where it came from, and why it matters to them. Schedule a 60-minute block and send the tour information to everyone beforehand so they can pull it up on their own screen. Assign a “tour guide” to lead the group through the museum and decide which exhibits to focus on.
Go around the “room” and give everyone a few minutes to answer one of these questions. These items should work whether people are in person or online only. They’ll work just as well for a Zoom call (check also our post on Zoom icebreakers) as they will for sitting around a conference room table. When you’re short on time but want to inject energy and laughter into your group, these quick large group team building activities work perfectly. Most take just 5–10 minutes ideal for meetings, training sessions, or classroom energizers.
- This can lead to more fruitful discussions and better decision-making.
- Fun icebreakers like those listed below can also serve as a welcomed break from regular work activities that leaves teams feeling more connected and at ease.
- Teams strategize together on which links to follow, but only the navigator can click.
In One Word, How Would You Describe…?
So next time you’re running a remote meeting, why not introduce a virtual icebreaker game to liven the mood. There is no shortage of fun team games and activities to do even remotely. Here is a short list of team building ice breakers to make your virtual meeting more fun and effective. Without handshakes or other non-verbal, in-person communications, it can be difficult at a virtual meeting to connect teams on a human level, and through a computer screen. Ice breakers are therefore a great way to make connections between team members or employees in a work group.
Virtual meetings are a standard event during every remote employee’s workday. These free team building activities for large groups use creativity and connection not money. Running team building for 100 or more people requires a different approach.
Start by gathering book recommendations from the team. It could be industry-related or purely for leisure. Once you have a list, use a tool like SurveyMonkey or Google Forms to poll the team on their preferred choice. To keep things fresh, consider rotating the theme and starting a new playlist every month or quarter. This ensures that the playlist doesn’t become too lengthy and remains relevant to the current mood or season.
There’s no opportunity to polish an answer, so people say whatever came to mind first. That immediacy creates a different kind of honesty than deliberate responses produce. Add GIFs from the built-in library, uncheck “this question has correct answers,” and you’re set.
Match icebreaker style to team culture and meeting purpose. AI can diversify question banks and reduce facilitator prep time, but human curation remains essential for cultural relevance. Use AI features in TrueConf AI Server or Microsoft Teams Copilot to draft prompts, then have team leads review for appropriateness.
An automated tool facilitates one-on-one virtual coffee chats, randomly pairing participants for friendly conversations. Employ a tool like Donut or Slack’s Donut integration to randomly connect team members for brief, informal virtual meetings. This can foster personal connections among otherwise distant colleagues. Get to know your colleagues and build better connections with this ultra-social virtual team building activity for remote groups.
Problem-solving Challenge
Ask each person before the icebreaker event to bring the name of a song that captures their mood and elevates their spirit. Music has a way of universally bringing people together, so it’s a great way of boosting energy in an icebreaking session. ” to kick things off, ask all participants to draw how they’re feeling instead. At the start of the meeting, ask each person to draw something that represents the mood they’re in.
Discuss and explore different perspectives on the chosen book. Dedicate a segment of the meeting where team members can offer positive feedback or praise for their colleagues. You could even give out awards using a “award ceremony” presentation. This game helps to understand team values, priorities, and decision-making processes, all while fostering insightful discussions on work preferences and styles. Download The Ultimate Guide to Team Building for proven, practical strategies to build stronger, high-performing teams. Choose to work through the case on your own or have one of our event coordinators virtually host it for you.
Enter icebreaker bingo, a twist on the traditional game that turns meeting new people into a fun, interactive activity. Originating as a playful method to ease social awkwardness, it’s now a hit at corporate events, school orientations, and even casual get-togethers. Starting conversations in small workplaces or teams can feel awkward, especially when people are just getting to know each other.
Create a game and share the information with your team. Set the time limit per round (2-3 minutes works well) and number of rounds (5 is standard). At each monthly check-in, go around and have each person share their progress on their goal, any obstacles they’re facing, and what would help them make progress. The team offers suggestions, resources, or just encouragement. If someone isn’t making progress, help them figure out why or help them adjust the goal. If you’d like to drum up extra engagement, you can create a channel on Slack, Microsoft Teams, or whichever platform your team prefers, dedicated to discussing the playlist.
Participants race to find specific items around their homes based on clues provided by the host. This game can also be done with hybrid teams or during an off-site team retreat. You may remember this game from your grade school days, but it’s still fun for grownups! Coworkers gather on Zoom to share an object or item of significance with the group, explaining its importance or backstory. When the object is guessed correctly, team members will feel a sense of achievement and have the chance to learn more about their colleagues.