13 (Not Boring) Ice Breakers For Virtual Meetings
Virtual meetings have become an integral part of our day-to-day lives in the digital age. However, it is not always easy to make them successful and efficient. This is where virtual meeting ice breakers come in. Ice breakers can help create a more relaxed atmosphere and foster better communication between participants, making virtual meetings run more smoothly.
Ice breakers can also help people relax, open up, and feel more comfortable in the virtual environment. So if you want your virtual meetings to be successful, don’t forget to add ice breaker questions.
What to consider when selecting ice breakers for virtual meetings
Ice breakers are an important part of team building and can help to create a more positive working environment. Selecting the right ice breakers for meetings is essential to ensure that your event is effective in helping people to get to know each other better and build relationships. When selecting icebreakers for remote team building, here are some factors to consider:
Time: The icebreaker should be of a suitable length, given the time available and the attention span of the team. For instance, if you’re looking to break the ice before a meeting starts, you should go for short, interesting, engaging ice breakers.
Goals: Your ice breakers for virtual meetings should align with the goals of the team building session, such as improving communication, building trust, or getting to know one another better.
Accessibility: Some icebreakers are more physical in nature and require participants to be in the same location. When dealing with remote teams, make sure that the ice breakers for virtual meetings are something that everyone will be able to do from any location or time zone.
Engagement: The icebreaker should be engaging, fun, and interactive to capture the attention of the remote team. Consider virtual meeting icebreakers like trivia or an interactive TV game-show inspired game for something that your team members will enjoy.
Quick (not boring) ice breakers for virtual meetings
Where are you joining from?
Good old times
Say it with an emoji
Would you rather…?
Mood barometer
Draw your mood
What are you thankful for?
Photo of the week
What’s your guilty pleasure?
What’s your morning routine?
What is your go-to emoji and why?
Do you have a secret talent?
What are some goals that keep you up at night?
Starting a virtual meeting can be intimidating, especially when you don't know everyone in the group. To make sure everyone feels comfortable and connected, it's important to start the meeting with quick ice breakers. Here, your goal is to just set the right mood for your virtual meeting. As such, the ice breaker is a booster to kicking off your meeting in a fun way.
1. Where are you joining from?
This is a quick, simple ice breaker question that can be used to kick off your virtual meetings. It allows team members to share their location, spark conversation, and can help create a sense of connection and camaraderie by highlighting the diversity of the team.
2. Good old times
Here, you quickly ask team members to share their “good old times” as coworkers. Something short, like when they had fun on a team retreat, hosted a virtual party, or played online games together. This is a way to reminisce about past events or experiences that team members have shared together or with their friends and family. It can be a way to build team spirit and remind team members of past successes and shared experiences.
3. Say it with an emoji
Emojis are everywhere and can serve as excellent ways of communicating fun moments. This is a fun ice breaker that encourages team members to express themselves creatively, share a moment in their life, or share a little bit about their personality using only an emoji or a phrase of emojis. It can be used to lighten the mood and create a more relaxed atmosphere in virtual meetings.
4. Would you rather...?
This is a classic ice breaker that can be used to spark conversation and encourage team members to get to know each other better. It can be used to reveal interesting information about team members and their preferences.
5. Mood barometer
A simple “How are you feeling today?" is an ice breaker and conversation starter that encourages team members to share how they are feeling. It can be useful in understanding a team member's current state of mind, allowing the team to adjust accordingly. Additionally, it also allows team members to be more open about their current mental state which is important for overall team well-being.
Engaging virtual ice breakers for meetings
The goal here is to build rapport and boost engagement and communication between team members. As a result, these ice breakers can take a little longer to complete - but don’t worry, it doesn’t take much time off your virtual or Zoom meetings. With these ice breakers, you can start your virtual meetings off on the right foot and create an atmosphere of collaboration and trust.
6. Draw your mood
This ice breaker is a fun way to get team members to share their current emotions in a non-verbal way. It can also help team members become more aware of their emotions and the emotions of colleagues. You can use a website like AutoDraw, which allows users to draw and share their creations.
7. What are you thankful for?
A great way to spice up your virtual meetings is to allow teams to share their most thankful moments. It is a good way to encourage team members to think positively and share things that they are grateful for. It can also help team members connect on a personal level and can improve morale.
8. Photo of the week
Allow participants to share their most stunning, interesting, or memorable picture of the week. It can be about themselves, about their environment, or any picture that made an impact on them during the week. You can use this ice breaker to get team members to share their personal interests and hobbies with each other. It can also encourage team members to get to know each other better and to be creative.
9. What’s your guilty pleasure?
We all have guilty pleasures, and a lot of times, we may be shy or uncomfortable sharing them. This ice breaker can be a good way to get team members to share a more light-hearted and personal side of themselves. It can also help team members to connect on the things that they enjoy in their free time.
10. What’s your morning routine?
One of the best decisions you can take as a remote team member is to have a morning routine that puts you on top of the day. It’s always helpful to share your routine with your colleagues so everyone can take one or two inspirations to make their own routine better. This ice breaker can be a good way for team members to share their daily routines and habits. It can also help team members to see how different people approach starting their day, and it can provide insights for effective time management and productivity.
11. What is your go-to emoji and why?
There are over 3000 emojis online. Among them, we all have our favorites, which, in one way or another, say a lot about us. A fun way for team members to express themselves and to share something about their personality using emojis is to have everyone share their favorite or most used one. This ice breaker can also give team members an idea of how their colleagues communicate and express themselves online, leading to better communication internally with the team.
12. Do you have a secret talent?
Are you a style guru? Great at drawing? Cooking master? We all may possess skills that our team may never imagine us having. With this ice breaker, team members can share something unique and interesting about themselves. It can also help team members see that everyone has something special to offer, and can also give opportunities for colleagues to connect on different levels.
13. What are some goals that keep you up at night?
What’s one thing you want to achieve so bad that you sometimes spend sleepless nights thinking about it? This ice breaker offers a platform for team members to share their aspirations and what they're currently working on in their life. It can also help team members to connect with one another on a more personal level and to understand what drives their colleagues. While this is a good way to connect, there are people who wouldn’t want to share their personal goals - and as a result, they don’t need to.
Host Interactive Icebreakers with Bar None Games
Ultimately, incorporating creative and engaging ice breakers into virtual meetings can be an effective way to break the ice and foster a sense of connection among remote team members.
By taking the time to plan fun and interactive ice breakers, you and your team can create an inclusive and enjoyable virtual meeting experience for all participants.
If you’re looking for a way to host exciting ice breaker activities fort a memorable virtual meeting, Bar None Games has got you covered.
Bar None Games offers a wide range of tools and resources that can help teams design and implement fun and engaging ice breakers for their virtual meetings.
As virtual team building professionals, Bar None Games helps remote teams connect with ice breakers that perfectly suit the needs and interests of their team members.
Whether you are looking to promote teamwork, increase communication, or simply create a more enjoyable meeting experience, your Interactive Icebreakers event is sure to be the highlight of your team’s week (or even year!).
