11 Effective Ice Breakers For Any Team
The current nature of work and the workplace is more complex, and it’s not easy for teams to feel connected just by chatting over Slack or emailing back and forth. In such an environment, meaningful workplace interactions are an important aspect of building a team. They help create a culture that is conducive to creativity and innovation. If employees don't interact and socialize, they will not be able to work together as well, which will lead to many workplace challenges.
This is where ice breakers come in! The importance of ice breaker games in the workplace is not just for team building, but also to help with productivity. Team ice breakers help new employees get acquainted with their coworkers on a personal level, which in turn creates a better office dynamic.
What are good team ice breakers?
Diversity and inclusion bingo
Two truths and one lie
Find things in common
Charades
Ice breaker bingo
Group trivia
Jenga
Rock, Paper, Scissors
“Caption this” challenge
Scavenger hunt
Share a joke
Keep reading for more info!
Some people think that icebreaker games are just for new teams or those who have never met before. But even established teams can benefit from having some fun together with a good old fashioned game.
Team ice breakers are a great way to get the creative juices flowing and improve office morale. They also help people become more comfortable with one another, which can lead to better collaboration down the line. Here are some good ice breakers for you and your team - regardless of whether you’re working in the office, from home, or operating a hybrid workforce.
1. Diversity and inclusion bingo
Bingo is a game that can be played in small or large groups - making it a perfect team building game for anyone! A diversity and inclusion version of this classic game is designed to help people understand and discuss the importance of diversity and inclusion at work. Players check off boxes on their board by answering questions or prompts about topics such as intersectionality, privilege, bias, and microaggressions. Other topics can include history and important cultural moments/shifts.
2. Two truths and one lie
Playing two truths and one lie with your team is a fun and creative way to build relationships at work. It can be played in the office, or at any social event. The game begins with the person who has been chosen as the "truth teller" telling two truths and one lie about themselves. The other players then try to guess which of these statements is false. By playing this game, we can learn more about each other and have a lot of laughs in the process.
3. Find things in common
The game is simple: everyone starts by writing down three things they have in common with another person on their team. Once everyone has written down three items, they all share them with the group and then take turns going around the circle saying what they have in common with each person who shared before them.
In addition to being a fun way to break the ice at work, this game can also be used as an opportunity for employees to get to know each other on a deeper level. The game is a fun way to learn about each other's interests and the best part is that it can be played with any number of people. It's a great way to get the whole team involved in a quick ice breaker activity.
4. Charades
Charades is a game that involves acting out words, phrases, or sentences by using only body language and gestures. This game is a great way to help break the ice among team members.
The rules are simple: One person chooses a word, phrase, or sentence and tries to get the other players in their team to guess what it is by acting it out. The first player can use any part of their body or can use props to help them act out the word.
Playing charades as an ice breaker has many benefits for your team. It helps you learn about each other’s interests and personalities as well as improving your ability to communicate with nonverbal cues. It also helps you feel more connected with one another because you are all working towards the common goal of trying to guess what the word is that's being acted out.
5. Ice breaker bingo
An ice breaker bingo is an effective way to connect your team members. It is a game that helps to get people talking and engaged with each other.
The game works by dividing participants into groups of five to six people. Each group is given a set of bingo cards with different questions or prompts on them. The questions or prompts can be about anything from personal interests, work goals, or something as simple as finding a movie that everyone has seen. When someone in the group answers a question, they then mark it off on their bingo card and call out the answer for everyone else to hear.
6. Group trivia
Trivia is a game that has been around for centuries. It is the perfect game for social gatherings, parties, or even family reunions. Trivia games are also great for team building exercises because they help people learn new things about each other.
A group trivia game can be played with a variety of different rules and formats. Some of the most popular types of trivia games include:
General knowledge: This type of trivia is considered to be the most popular type of trivia game because it covers general knowledge topics like world history, geography, pop culture, etc.
Sports trivia: This type of trivia focuses on sports-related topics and could include questions about players' statistics, team records, and more.
TV & film trivia: This type of trivia focuses on TV and film-related topics like actors' roles, movie titles from various decades, and film fun facts.
7. Jenga
Jenga is a game where players take turns removing one block at a time from a tower constructed from 54 blocks without disturbing any adjacent blocks. The player who removes the last block from the tower wins. This game is an excellent activity because it requires concentration and cooperation, but it also provides opportunities for friendly banter and jokes.
What is a good ice breaker to start a meeting?
A good ice breaker can be anything from asking the person their name, where they are from, what they do for work or what their hobbies are - whatever is fun for your team and deepens relationships is a successful icebreaker. More ice breaker games include:
8. Rock, Paper, Scissors
Rock, Paper, Scissors is a simple game that is played by two players. You can also up the stakes by playing it tournament-style! One player chooses either rock, paper or scissors while the other player chooses one of the three. The winner of the game is determined by the following rules:
Rock smashes scissors: rock wins
Scissors cut paper: scissors win
Paper covers rock: paper wins
This game is a great ice breaker and team building activity. It helps with quick thinking, which makes them more open to new ideas.
9. “Caption this” challenge
A caption challenge is a game where the participants are given a photo, video, or other image and must provide a caption for it. This can be done in teams or individually. The goal of this activity is to come up with creative captions for an image that can make people laugh, think, or feel something.
This activity is designed to get people thinking creatively and collaboratively. It is meant to be fun and engaging while also challenging the players to think quickly on their feet.
10. Scavenger hunt
A scavenger hunt is a type of team game in which players are given a list of items to find, either on paper or on the Internet. A typical scavenger hunt can have three types of items:
Physical objects that are found in the real world, such as landmarks or other notable objects;
Objects that can be found by looking at pictures, such as identifying people and their occupations; and
Objects/answers that can be found by exploring websites, such as something found by searching through the company’s social media
11. Share a joke
Humor can be an effective tool to boost your team’s morale and encourage creativity. Playing "share a joke" with your team is a great way to get to know each other and break the ice. It also helps with team bonding, communication, and problem-solving. To make it easier for people who may not be comfortable telling their own jokes, you can have everyone write down their favorite joke on a piece of paper and draw it from a hat at the end of the game, keeping the game anonymous but still providing a good laugh.
Host interactive ice breakers for your team
Planning an effective, engaging ice breaker activity can be a challenge, but Bar None Games is here to help! With professional live hosts and a variety of team building games, we can guarantee that your team will feel more connected. Whether it’s an exciting Trivia game, a rousing TV Game Showdown, or our Interactive Icebreakers, our ice breakers games will be the highlight of your team’s week (or maybe even year!).