Connect with us

Teamwork

20 Office Icebreaker Activities Sure to Spark Conversations

Published

on

Icebreaker activities often get a bad rap. That’s normally because they come off as cheesy or a waste of time. The thing is, group games aren’t inherently silly or wasteful. When they’re executed properly, these activities are wonderful for small groups and large teams working remotely or in a shared physical environment.

A study conducted by TINYpulse, which is an employee engagement company, revealed that there is a correlation of 0.92 between employees’ feelings of job fulfillment and their relationships with their professional peers. With many workers spending more time with their co-workers than they do with their friends and family members, that correlation deserves some serious attention.

Whether your team has been together for a while, you’re integrating some new hires into an existing unit, or your group consists solely of workers who are still onboarding with your company, icebreakers can set the stage for your team members to establish new relationships and deepen the bonds they already share. That is, icebreakers can do those things if they’re well-executed.

When they’re done right, icebreaker activities can yield some meaningful and sometimes bankable results, such as:

– Improved communication and interaction between employees
– Shortened onboarding and training time
– Stronger teams
– Enhanced team bonding
– Better decision-making and problem-solving
– Increased engagement
– Reduced turnover
– Increased production on both individual and group levels

### Get some dialogue going with team-building exercises!

When you want to stir up conversation and promote camaraderie at the office, schedule some team-building activities! These tried and true games, workshops, and brainstorming sessions bring staff members closer, increase confidence in collaboration, and boost employee engagement. Let our talented guides help plan your next team event!

### Why use icebreaker activities?

Before you review our list of icebreaker ideas, take a step back and think about what you want to achieve by introducing your group to the activities. Setting a goal will make it easier for you to choose the appropriate icebreaker games.

You should also give some thought to the comfort zones of the people who will participate, as well as your company culture. You’ll want to pick icebreaker games that don’t make participants feel too nervous or that violate any rules related to noise, acceptable workplace topics, or professional attire. Don’t worry about missing out on enjoyable time, though—there are fun icebreaker games that are completely appropriate for just about any office!

Additionally, you’ll want to ensure remote teams are included in your plan. If you want to mix your in-house and remote staff members, find virtual icebreakers you can do over Zoom or whatever your preferred video platform is.

With those things in mind, we invite you to pour through our curated list of the best icebreakers for large groups, smaller groups, and teams that land between those extremes. Some of the group games may seem more like speed dating, but they’re all fun icebreakers that will allow your employees to get to know one another on a personal level.

### Icebreaker Activities For the Office

#### 1. Two Truths and a Lie

Two Truths and a Lie is a simple icebreaker that’s an oldie but a goodie. To play, every participant should think of two truths and one lie about themselves. In turn, each employee should share their three statements. Their co-workers should then try to figure out which claim is the lie.

This game allows workers to share a few fun facts about themselves and exercise their creative muscles when it comes to creating a lie. Sometimes, the untruths people come up with are even more revealing than the true statements they share, which often makes the game even funnier.

#### 2. 10 Things in Common

10 Things in Common is a great icebreaker for large groups, particularly if your group consists of workers from departments that don’t work together often. Divide your group into teams, making sure that each team has at least one person from each department. Task each team with coming up with 10 things every member has in common.

Tell the teams they can’t pick attributes or activities that are obvious or too common, like being human or eating every day. That restriction will force participants to get to the “meat of the matter” as they look for things everyone has or has done.

This game is normally pretty funny as it can reveal some really unusual pieces of information. For example, you might be surprised when a team discovers all its members have had sex on the beach in the form of an adult beverage or a grown-up activity.

Small groups can play 10 Things in Common, too. If your team is on the smaller side, have everyone play the game together.

#### 3. Marshmallow Challenge

Created by repeat TED speaker, entrepreneur, writer, facilitator, and self-described technology pioneer Tom Wujec, the Marshmallow Challenge is a relatively quick icebreaker that’s downright hysterical in most cases. Wujec has led this challenge for hundreds of groups around the world, enabling participants to:

– Improve their communication
– Collaborate in creative ways
– Express their leadership dynamics
– Solve problems

If your team is large, divide participants into small groups of 3-4 players. Give each group 20 sticks of spaghetti, one yard each of tape and string, and one marshmallow. Instruct the teams to build the tallest free-standing structure possible using their supplies and let them know their marshmallow has to be at the top of what they construct. The game should have a time limit of 20–30 minutes or so to prevent the contest from going on too long.

See also  24 No-Fail Group Activities in Nashville

When the allotted time expires, measure each structure to see which is the tallest. While the structures need to stand on their own while they’re measured, players can hold them up until that point. If a given structure falls while it’s being measured, it should be disqualified from contention.

To make things interesting, you may want to get a nominal prize to give to the winning team. While the prize doesn’t have to be pricey, it should be something to brag about. Let the winners know that their possession of the prize might only be temporary as they may lose it when your group plays the Marshmallow Challenge again.

By making the prize a rotating reward, it’ll create some healthy, friendly competition between your team members. You may even find a good-natured losing team will “kidnap” the prize and hold it for ransom between games, which will only up the ante for the next round of the Marshmallow Challenge.

#### 4. Scavenger Hunt

Arranging a scavenger hunt for your team is a fun way to break the ice. Let’s Roam has app-led hunts in more than 400 cities around the world. If you’re not located near one of those cities, don’t hesitate to reach out so we can create a custom event for your team.

Whether your team consists of nomadic workers scattered all over the place or the members of your group work all together at a central hub, you can arrange a virtual scavenger hunt for your team. Let’s Roam can customize your hunt so that the clues provided throughout the event are based on little-known, fun facts about your employer.

#### 5. Virtual Museum Tour

A virtual museum tour is an easy icebreaker that will allow your teammates to mingle as they learn about art, history, or whatever topic the institution is centered around. When people gather in front of or near a piece of art or an artifact, the conversation will naturally follow as they express their mutual appreciation for the object or ask questions.

When you schedule a virtual museum tour with Let’s Roam, you can rest assured that your group’s guide will facilitate conversation by sharing information about all the pieces your team will view during the tour. Virtual museum tours are great for smaller groups and large groups because the number of guests involved doesn’t impact the intimacy of the event or the opportunities employees have to interact with one another.

#### 6. Happy Hour

If you want to keep the good times rolling, consider scheduling a happy hour after your group’s museum tour. With your team members having found common ground thanks to the pieces they all viewed during their shared tour, attendees will have plenty to talk about as they imbibe.

Will your happy hour be a virtual function? Consider sending branded glasses and some ingredients for a select drink to everyone who’ll attend the get-together. The drink can be from the area around the museum or it can be a themed beverage based on the institution’s contents. If your bartending skills are lacking, hire a mixologist to teach your group how to make their drinks at home.

There’s something almost magical about making something like an adult beverage together. That’s particularly the case when people end up with drinks that look and taste nothing alike. Participating in a mixology class during a happy hour can certainly end up being a demonstration of how individual employees interpret the same instructions differently. And that demonstration can turn into a lesson about the way teammates can communicate with each other better and more effectively.

#### 7. WhoDunIt

WhoDunIt is a good icebreaker for newly formed teams as well as established groups. The game requires a slight bit of advance preparation on behalf of its participants if your team has been around for a while, however. If your group has worked together long enough to recognize each other’s handwriting, ask your team to type up and print something interesting they’ve done in the past that’s not widely known. Ask participants to bring their respective papers to the meeting where you’ll play WhoDunIt.

As workers arrive for the meeting, ask them to drop their folded sheets into a container. When everyone is assembled, have each employee draw a paper and read what’s written on it out loud in succession. After a player reads what’s on the paper in his hands, he should try to guess “whodunit” and explain the rationale behind his assumption.

It’s not just the things that your teammates have done that will be eye-opening as your team plays this game. The reasons participants give for their respective guesses may prove to be just as shocking and even more hilarious. Imagine the guffaws you’ll hear if one teammate guesses your CEO mooned the soccer team in high school and then has to explain her reasoning. Then, think about the belly laughs that will follow if the employee’s guess turns out to be right.

See also  5 Fun Motivational Activities for Employees in 2025

#### 8. Charades

Charades is a classic party game that’s been around for generations. The game is predicated on participants’ ability to act things out so onlookers can figure out what the actors are trying to relay. You can pick a theme for the game, such as movies, television shows, or books.

Before the game starts, write some taglines related to your theme on separate pieces of paper and put them in a jar. One by one, your employees should draw a piece of paper and then act out what’s written on it without speaking. As a person is acting, the rest of the group should try to figure out what the actor is trying to relay.

Each actor should have a set amount of time to try to act out what’s written on their paper. If the audience can’t guess what an actor is trying to communicate, the actor should tell the onlookers what was written on their scrap of paper. Invariably, some good-natured ribbing takes place once that announcement is made as actors mock their audience members for not being able to guess correctly and onlookers “defend” themselves by criticizing their performances.

If you don’t want to play Charades based on a theme, you can let your employees assign subjects to each other. Of course, the person who gives someone else a topic to act out shouldn’t be allowed to shout out any guesses about the subject matter.

Pick one employee to go first and whisper a topic in the person’s ear. When that person is done being the center of attention, he should choose an audience member, whisper a different word in her ear, and let the shenanigans continue.

#### 9. Never Have I Ever

Traditionally a drinking game, Never Have I Ever is a lighthearted game that can help new hires get to know their teammates and better acquaint familiar co-workers with their colleagues. Before the game begins, have your teammates line up across from each other. Everyone should extend five fingers.

Pick someone to start the game by saying, “Never have I ever…,” and then filling in the blank with something they’ve never actually done. Players who’ve done whatever the first person said should put one of their fingers down. Ask employees to continue the game by taking turns announcing things they’ve never done.

As players end up folding all their fingers, they should exit the line. The last person remaining with any fingers still extended wins the game. Of course, if you played Never Have I Ever as a drinking game, then that person’s status as the “winner” may be heatedly debated.

#### 10. Would You Rather

Would You Rather is a favorite icebreaker among groups across industries. This game requires players to ask each other questions with two options. Once a question is asked, another employee must choose between the two choices that were included in the question.

Teams can play Would You Rather in pairs or as a group. If you’re playing as a group, everyone should answer a given question in turn. You can up the fun factor by having each participant explain why they chose one option over the other.

If you’ve never played Would You Rather before, you may find yourself brainstorming some ideas for possible questions. To get the ball rolling, here are some Would You Rather questions you can use to get your creative juices flowing:

– Would you rather have the ability to fly or breathe underwater?
– Would you rather cure cancer or end world hunger?
– Would you rather be able to time travel or see ghosts?
– Would you rather serve on a jury for a high-profile murder trial or conduct the suspect’s interrogation?
– Would you rather lick raw chicken or eat a questionable bug?
– Would you rather train for a marathon or perform on a stage in Vegas?
– Would you rather be a substitute player on “Impractical Jokers” or be pranked by the guys?
– Would you rather be the goalie in a hockey game or the goalkeeper in a soccer match?
– Would you rather share a meal with Donald Trump or participate in a fireside chat with Joe Biden?

As you can see, nothing is off the table when it comes to Would You Rather questions. In fact, the more absurd the options integrated into the questions are, the funnier the game will likely be.

### Movie Pitch

Movie Pitch is a fun way for your group to engage in some lighthearted teamwork. This exercise is one of those team-building games that may result in a few eye rolls when it’s first introduced, but participants typically get into it the longer the game goes on.

To play, divide your team into groups. Task each group with the responsibility of coming up with an idea for a movie. Give each team 10–15 minutes to flesh out their ideas. At the end of the allotted time, have each team present their ideas. After the last team’s pitch, have your group vote to determine the winning movie pitch, with the caveat that they can’t vote for their own pitches.

See also  7 Expert Employee Retention Strategies for 2025

This game gives you the chance to involve members of the C-suite or other departments in the fun. Rather than having your teammates vote on the pitches, you can set up a panel of “guest” judges consisting of executives or the leaders of other departments.

To keep the fun going, you can arrange a Q&A after the judges announce the winner without limiting your team’s questions to inquiries about why the judges made the choice they did. The Q&A session will be a good chance for your team to get feedback on their pitches from people they normally don’t interact with, and it will also give you the chance to take your group’s temperature as it relates to the hot-button issues they ask about.

### Trivia Games

Trivia games are a wonderful way to break the ice. There are plenty of platforms that offer virtual trivia games or you can make your own game. Making a trivia game about your employer is a great way to impart some fun facts about your company to new hires, so much so that you may want to make the game part of your organization’s onboarding process.

If you don’t want to make a game about your company, consider coming up with one using an employee as the focus of the competition. Interview the chosen worker and use the information the person is comfortable sharing as fodder to create a game that will allow their teammates to get to know them better.

Alternatively, you can create a trivia game based on your team’s current project. Key metrics, deadlines, required materials, and individual assignments are just some of the things you can use to come up with some head-scratching trivia questions.

Start the game off with a few easy questions. Subsequent questions should be increasingly difficult to answer. Keep track of the number of questions each participant answers correctly. At the end of the game, declare the person who answered the most questions right as the winner. If there’s a tie, have a few tie-breaking questions at the ready so the remaining contestants can go head-to-head as if they’re playing poker head’s up.

### Swag Swap

Swag Swap is one of the best icebreakers that’s somewhat similar to a common gift-giving activity. Before the game starts, collect some branded items your teammates will covet. Put them in a box that will allow employees to grab one of those items and remove it without being able to see what they’ve put their hands on. Make sure you put one item in the box for everyone who’ll participate in the game and be sure the items range in value and desirability.

When your team arrives, choose the first person to remove an item from the box and show their officemates what they blindly selected. The next person should follow the initial participant’s example by removing something from the box. Once the second employee draws an item out of the box, they’ll have the option to keep the piece or swap what they picked up with what the initial player took out of the box.

The game should continue until everyone has picked an item from the box and all the swaps have been made. After the inevitable negotiations are done, all participants get to keep the swag they ended up with.

Swag Swap is so much fun because you get to watch your employees haggle to keep their revealed swag or hand it over with glee and relief. It’s also amusing to see which items employees value enough to trade for or fight to keep. Even better, the game gives you the chance to reinforce your company culture with branded items your employees get to keep and show off to others.

That showing off bit may be more important than you realize. Have you ever noticed how a hotel never charges your credit or debit card for the branded pens or mini pads you leave with? They don’t hassle you about those things because those items basically make you their walking billboard.

When you pull out a branded pen to complete paperwork at the bank, for example, the teller may ask you about your stay with the property identified on the pen. Depending on the comments you share, it might increase the odds that the teller will book a stay at the hotel during a future trip.

Even if your feedback was negative, the hotel was still successful at introducing its brand to your teller by letting you take the pen off its property. Along that line, your employees can introduce others to your company with their swag inadvertently or deliberately.

### Jenga

Jenga is a popular party game and it’s a preferred contest for many families. The point of the game is for players to remove game pieces that have been compiled into a structure without toppling said structure. When a person removes a piece that brings the whole thing down, the game is over and that individual wears a figurative egg on their face.

While you may

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Personal Growth

Trending