Everyone can submit their answers with a web form or in the chat while you’re discussing the potential within each team member. Most video conferencing software allows users to change their background pictures to different photos. Send an email reminder before your next meeting to give everyone time to find a new image. Mention each person by name while reviewing their emojis to make them feel part of the conversation. They can explain their emojis in the chat or over their microphone.
- Also, singing has been shown to mediate fast social bonding.
- Ask your coworkers what they’ve been binging on a favorite streaming service or seeing at the movie theater.
- Proactive organizations will encourage team bonding and help remote employees to avoid loneliness and feeling disconnected.
- Set a timer for your meeting and start the official part once it goes off.
- It’s fun to identify people, plus everyone gets to share something about themselves.
#4. Two Truths and a Lie
Take a Picture of Your Shoes is a quick and simple way to get meeting attendees quickly warmed up by simply asking them to take a picture of their shoes and share it with the group. Set a time limit and encourage creativity – wacky shoes or fun photographs are absolutely encouraged. This virtual icebreaker is inspired by my colleague Sabine, who decided that since our team-building trip couldn’t happen this year, at least we’ll make up a cool story of how it went. Online team-building games are fun and social – they encourage interaction among coworkers and help bring back the camaraderie of a physical office. Good productive idea exchanges make for great virtual icebreakers too. Instead of just shouting ideas at each other, try visual brainstorming.
Then, have each attendee share their top strengths and brainstorm one way they can apply them to a particular project. Two-Word Check-In involves emotions and moments of vulnerability. So, avoid using it for one-time meetings with people you’ve never met.
- Large groups and conferences can feel impersonal—but a good icebreaker can instantly make the room feel more connected and alive.
- This is especially true for virtual meetings and collaboration sessions when you need everyone to snap out of their auto-pilot “Zoom selves” to be more present and engaged.
- In this game, participants must solve riddles and puzzles to “escape” from a breakout room.
Icebreaker questions for seniors
And you can repeat it time and time again by taking a different picture each time — make funny faces, bring in your pets, do a crazy gesture, be creative. Remote virtual online meetings are becoming more and more popular, and so are icebreaker games and activities. To capture the attention of your team, there’s nothing like a unique, creative and never before experienced activity!
For such virtual icebreakers, people can share which song they’re listening to or repeating these days. “Song on Repeat” also allows people to get new music recommendations. Specifically, personal-question-based ice breakers are the best fit for team members who have worked together.
Next, allow all groups a couple of minutes to discuss the topic before coming back to the main room to share what each pair talked about. It’s about taking a break from everything for a while and enjoying quality time with friends or colleagues over a cup of coffee or tea. 💡 TipDon’t forget to give people enough time to think about their story and prepare for the short presentation.
Funny teambuilding questions
It’s also fascinating to hear everyone’s different perspectives,” says Ben. To start, make sure everyone is in gallery view and can see everyone else’s video. Without thinking, make a sound and movement combination to express how you feel in the moment. This exercise is great for getting people to break down their walls before a session with open and honest sharing.
After all, who doesn’t love the idea of traveling and exploring new places? It provides insights into a person’s interests and dreams, sparking engaging conversations. Expressing gratitude or providing gratitude prompts is an excellent way to create a positive and welcoming environment. Starting the meeting with a moment of gratitude helps participants open up and sets a warm, inclusive tone. Sharing something personal outside of the meeting agenda helps put attendees at ease by making yourself relatable. That’s where ice breakers come in handy – they help dissolve tension before it even begins by creating a welcoming atmosphere.
Icebreakers when time is of the essence!
Ask everyone what their parents almost named them or what they wanted their name to be as a kid. If someone doesn’t have an answer to either question, they can also talk about their childhood nickname. Everyone on your team can mention one thing they did before turning 18.
As players pull each block, they read icebreaker questions written on the blocks and answer before placing it on top (no doubt you have your own Jenga rules in place). You’ll get conversations going on everything from hobbies to career goals. Traditional games with a fresh spin like this are great for breaking the ice and instigating a friendly atmosphere.
In sum, our experiments show that virtual meeting fatigue is real, differs from the fatigue experienced in face-to-face settings, and can be exacerbated by the platform features used. Despite the current return-to-office trend, virtual meetings are here to stay. The key is to respect employees’ need for personal space while still fostering connection. With team members spread across different locations, it’s easy for communication to become fragmented and relationships to feel transactional. Thoughtfully designed team-building activities can bridge that distance—building trust, boosting morale, and helping teammates connect beyond their day-to-day tasks. They also strengthen collaboration and company culture, and can even boost morale—especially among remote workers.
Ask your team members to share a picture from their phone or computer that has a story behind it. It could be a memorable vacation, a beloved pet, a family event, or even a funny mishap. This activity not only sparks conversation but also gives team members a chance to share personal experiences and memories.
Share your workspace
Ultimately, the main goal of an ice breaker for virtual meetings is to create a relaxed and friendly environment that helps everyone participate more openly in the meeting. Whether you’re aiming to get people talking, learn each other’s names, or just have a bit of fun, there’s a fun virtual ice breaker for every occasion. Rockstar Stretch is a fun, high-energy icebreaker designed to get remote teams moving and re-energized during virtual meetings. The facilitator can guide the stretches or encourage participants to lead with their own rockstar moves. Draw Your Mood is a fun and creative icebreaker that helps remote teams express how they’re feeling—without using words. Participants are asked to quickly sketch an image, shape, or doodle that represents their current mood.
Guess whose desk?
By encouraging team members to communicate openly and actively listen to one another, ice breakers improve interpersonal dynamics and promote a culture of collaboration and cooperation. In virtual environments where team members may feel isolated or disconnected, ice breakers provide a sense of community and belonging by promoting inclusivity and mutual respect. If your company has members coming in from different locations globally, then this is one of those must-try virtual icebreakers ice breakers for virtual meetings for remote teams. You can start the meeting by asking everyone where they are from and the best thing about their place.
Recreate the viewing experience by asking everyone to watch 10-second videos with you during an icebreaker game. It’ll be impossible to win, but the real goal is just having fun together. Common Ground suggests finding the one thing participants have in common unrelated to work. For example, “Common Ground” is a fun virtual ice breaker that reveals more about each person. One of the biggest complaints about virtual icebreakers is that they waste valuable time.
This is not only an icebreaker but a morale booster as well. And we all need that now and then, especially when working in isolation. Use a ranking poll question, add as many options as you wish, and let your participants rank them. If your teammates are scattered around the world, kick off your meeting by sending a virtual hi to each one of them. What’s more, you don’t even have to think up quiz questions. Our ‘magic cube’ random question generator will do that for you.
Let’s be real—everyone has strong opinions about movies, books, and music. Perfect for teams that love pop culture, storytelling, and passionately defending their favorite movie endings. Here’s a categorized list of 50 icebreaker questions that will have your team laughing, thinking, and bonding in no time.