15 Fun and Effective Icebreaker Activities

In all the hype and excitement around flexibility in the office, it can be easy to forget how isolating virtual work can be. Recent Gallup research highlights the increasing importance of building relationships with colleagues, as 44% of those who report having a best friend at work are inclined to recommend their workplace to others.

Fostering relationships among your team can produce great results, including increased engagement and loyalty. Unfortunately, building those relationships in a distributed team is a big assignment. This is where icebreaker games can help.

Why use fun icebreaker activities for your next team meeting? 💬

Icebreaker activities foster workplace relationships for these reasons:

They promote positive interactions among coworkers
They allow employees to relax and laugh with each other
They encourage engagement and interaction
They offer a structured avenue for communication and connection for those who may have a difficult time making friends

These short activities also inject a bit of fun into what might otherwise be just another team meeting. An icebreaker can energize your team, build their confidence and rapport, and get their creative juices flowing.

15 great icebreaker activity ideas you can use today 🧊

1. Two truths and a lie

Help your team break the ice and really get to know each other by using their reasoning skills to determine what's real and what's not. All you need for this classic game is to have each team member submit three statements about themselves. The only catch is that two of them will be true — and one won't be.

When each person's trio of fun "facts" is read to the group, their coworkers will have to make some quick assumptions to determine what is real and what might be fantasy.

How to get started 👉 Test your deduction skills and get to know your team better with Two Truths and a Lie.

2. Would you rather?

Ever wonder why people make the decisions they do? A quick round of "Would you rather?" can help you uncover your colleagues' decision-making styles and learn a little about their values, beliefs, and points of view. For this game, you'll simply come up with a list of scenarios and ask everyone on the team which one they would choose and why.

You can stick to standard questions about common topics like food and music preferences, like "Would you rather have pie or cake for your birthday?" and "Would you rather see your favorite musician perform in a huge stadium or a small café?"

Even better, you can have some fun asking about fantastical situations, like "Would you rather eat only eggs for a year or eat only your favorite food for the rest of your life?"

3. Scavenger hunt

Nothing helps break the ice quite like a virtual scavenger hunt. This activity provides the ultimate opportunity for team bonding by making a space for interaction and communication skill-building in a fun and engaging environment. Best of all, there's a ton of ways you can play.

You may want to break your virtual teams into small groups and give each of them a list of things to find online, like quirky photos or unusual websites. If you want to do this large-group style, compile a list of items your coworkers can hunt for around their homes and see who will be the fastest to find them all. Motivate players by offering a virtual gift card to the first person or team to complete the hunt.

4. Marshmallow challenge

What do you do when you have to build something with people you don't know using limited time and resources? The marshmallow challenge can help you figure out how to work together effectively to achieve a common goal.

For this activity, you will need one marshmallow, 20 sticks of spaghetti, one yard of string, one yard of sticky tape, a pair of scissors, and a pen. The classic marshmallow challenge involves breaking up into teams of four, with each team building the tallest tower possible using these items. There are only two rules: the structure must be freestanding, and the marshmallow must be at the top. The team with the tallest structure that meets both criteria will be declared the winner.

Although this game is great for in-person teams, you can also play it in virtual meetings by having one person build the structure while the rest of the team decides the "how." At the end, you can have each team debrief and reflect on their strategies, the roles they played, what worked well, and what needs to improve. Who would have thought that spaghetti and marshmallows could teach you so much about collaboration?

5. Hot ones

This team-building activity isn't just a way to break the ice — it may very well melt your taste buds! In this spicy game, each participant will get a hot sauce tasting kit from Confetti. You'll then break out into small groups to answer some icebreaker questions.

As the conversation heats up among group members, so does the spice level of the sauce. A final spice-down will have everyone facing tough choices about telling the truth, completing a dare, or taking on the spiciest sauce yet.

How to get started 👉 Book Confetti's Hot One-On-Ones experience and see how your team performs when you put them in the hot seat.

6. Personality tests

Who are you, really? Answering this question can help you get to know yourself and your colleagues in new ways, giving you the tools you need to understand each other and work better together. There are a ton of options for this fun icebreaker activity, including:

Myers-Briggs personality types
DiSC profiles (dominance, influence, steadiness, and conscientiousness)
Enneagram tests
The CliftonStrengths Assessment
The Big Five personality traits

If you'd rather keep things lighthearted, your team can take a few unscientific quizzes online at a popular site like BuzzFeed. These quizzes test each team member's personality, finding the best match in categories that include everything from cake flavors to favorite TV show characters. Whatever test or quiz you choose, the point is to uncover strengths and get to know each other in a fun way.

7. Travel bingo

Can you name all the places you've been? Travel bingo is an easy way to get people talking about the states and cities they've visited outside of the office. It's an excellent way for teammates to share experiences and find out what they may have in common.

You can play this game the traditional way by putting the names of some popular destinations on a bingo card and seeing which person is the first to cross out a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal line. You can also use a map of the country or world and award the win to the first person who can mark five places they've visited.

8. Speed networking

It's like speed dating, but office-appropriate! This spin on a classic game is a great way to involve the entire group in an activity while helping people to get to know each other individually. All you need to do is set up a few virtual breakout rooms and let the conversation begin.

Participants will have a set amount of time to talk with each other. You can let the conversations flow naturally or provide a suggested set of topics or questions. When time is up, participants move to a new breakout room with a different person or small group. The game continues until everyone has had a chance to meet and speak, making it the perfect choice for helping new team members get to know everyone.

How to get started 👉 Skip the weather talk and get straight to the good part at Confetti's Virtual Water Cooler.

9. Show and tell

This playful throwback to a childhood staple is a great choice for a meeting icebreaker because it fosters connection and visibility. It also gives all teammates a chance to learn about each other's values.

For this activity, you can follow the traditional rules and have everyone bring in an item they love, show it off to the group, and explain what it means to them. You may also have your team showcase their work achievements or even a skill they're proud of. Either way, it gives coworkers a chance to get to know one another on a deeper level.

How to get started 👉 Show 'em what you've got at the Show 'n Share Water Cooler!

10. Trivia tournament

Don't just break the ice — take an axe to it by introducing a little friendly competition. A trivia tournament lets coworkers go head-to-head to see who can answer the most random questions from a plethora of fun topics. You can also choose a theme for your game, such as sports, history, music, fashion, or an upcoming holiday.

To play with a virtual team, break your large group up into smaller ones and let virtual teams communicate via a shared app. The team with the most correct answers wins!

How to get started 👉 Put your team's knowledge to the test with Confetti's collection of Team-Building Trivia games!

11. Overboard

Warning: This hilarious icebreaker game will have you fighting for your life! To play, you'll pose just one scenario to your team: If you are all on a sinking ship and only a few of you can make it into the lifeboat, why should you be one of them?

You can ask each team member to come up with a list of reasons why they deserve to be on that boat, or for a twist, you can assign everyone the name of a popular TV or movie character and have them play the game from that person's point of view. Either way, this icebreaker is great for getting coworkers to think about how different traits and skills can be valuable to the team.

12. Count up

This is one of the easiest — and most fun — team-building icebreakers out there. Ask your team to count to 100 by having everyone randomly yell out numbers in order. The only catch here is that no two people can talk at the same time.

When that happens, your team must start over from the beginning. This game takes a lot of patience and the ability to pay attention to others' nonverbal cues. How long do you think it will take your group to get from zero to 100?

13. Got props?

This awesome icebreaker game is all about using everyday objects in creative ways. Have your virtual team find random items in their home — anything from a pencil to a pillowcase. Break your group up into two teams and have each take turns using the items in a clever or funny way. For example, you might turn a pillowcase into a bow tie or a pencil into a mustache. Bonus points go to the funniest performances.

14. Three things

This game starts with a group leader shouting out a one-word category. The next person in the group will rattle off three things that fit into that category. For example, if the category is desserts, the next person may say, "Cake, pie, and donuts!"

That same person will then pick a new category, and the game continues until everyone has had a chance to both pick a category and name three items. If you can't think of three items, you're out!

15. Charades

Nothing brings people out of their shells quite like a little movement. If you're ready for your closeup, charades is the perfect game in which to make your acting debut. In this icebreaker, you'll break your group up into teams. Players from each team will take turns acting out random words or phrases. Their objective is to get their teammates to guess the word they're trying to act out.

Every correct guess earns the team a point, but don't think it will be easy to earn them. If you've never tried to demonstrate to someone what it's like to be a banana, you may want to start practicing now!

How to get started 👉 Get your team to show off their best moves with Confetti's Virtual Charades experience!

Let Confetti bring the fun to your organization

The data is in: Thriving in the workplace requires building relationships with colleagues. If you find it hard to do that in a virtual environment, Confetti can help. Our platform features a host of games and other activities to help coworkers get to know each other while building critical skills like communication and collaboration.

With a little bit of ingenuity and a lot of fun, you can create a company culture of joy and belonging that any employee would love to be a part of.

15 Fun and Effective Icebreaker Activities for Any Group