The Art of Awkwardness: Icebreaker Games Meetings Memorable

Starting your career at a new company can be overwhelming for many employees, especially – if they’re introverted. A great way to combat the awkwardness and help facilitate conversations is by planning interactive activities and icebreaker games throughout the workweek. Icebreakers are small mini-games that take around 5-10 minutes of your time to play. The goal is to help your team feel comfortable communicating with their coworkers and getting to know each other personally.

Whether you’re onboarding new team members or encouraging two different departments to work together on a project – fun icebreaker games are an invaluable tool for your company.

Here’s how to use icebreakers to create fun workplace meetings and overcome awkwardness:

Purpose of Icebreaker Games

Team dynamics are more than just a fun way to start a meeting—they’re a strategic tool for building relationships and fostering a positive atmosphere. Whether you’re in a team-building exercise, a meeting, or a social event, icebreaker games help people get to know each other and establish a sense of camaraderie. By encouraging communication and collaboration among group members, these games reduce anxiety and stress, making it easier for everyone to engage and participate. When you use icebreaker games, you effectively break the ice, paving the way for more open and effective communication and teamwork.

The Benefits of Icebreakers

There are many use cases for icebreakers and mini-games. These engagement activities are great for sparking open communication and helping your team relax and unwind before diving into a discussion.

• Create a Relaxed Environment: Icebreakers are great if you have a team of new hires who aren’t comfortable speaking up or adding to the discussions. After a quick game or two, they’ll feel relaxed with their coworkers.
• Entertaining: Sales games are fun! They invite your team to take a step back from the chaos of the workweek to get to know their team and to feel more connected with your company culture.
• Fun Game for Team-Building: Icebreakers are a fun game that can enhance interaction and familiarity among colleagues. They help your team get to know each other better by learning about their coworker’s likes, dislikes, and interests in 5-10 minutes.
• Prepare for Collaboration: You want your team to work together and make work friends. With icebreakers, you can avoid awkwardness and get your employees comfortable with one another, making it easier than ever to jump into tasks as a team later.

That’s just skimming the surface of the benefits. When used correctly, icebreakers can completely change the workplace dynamic and improve employee satisfaction – for the better. Whether it’s an early morning meeting, onboarding, or an intimate meeting between two teams – there’s always a way to use icebreakers in the workplace to make experiences memorable for everyone.

Types of Ice Breaker Games

Icebreaker games come in all shapes and sizes, each designed to achieve different objectives and cater to various group dynamics. Here’s a closer look at the different types of icebreaker games you can incorporate into your meetings:

• Competitive Games: If your team thrives on a bit of friendly competition, these games are perfect. They often involve quizzes, challenges, and contests that pit team members against each other in a fun and engaging way. For instance, “Two Truths and a Lie” is a classic game where each person shares three statements about themselves—two true and one false—and the rest of the team guesses which one is the lie. Another exciting option is the “Marshmallow Challenge,” where teams compete to build the tallest structure using spaghetti, tape, string, and a marshmallow.
• Collaborative Games: These games are all about teamwork and cooperation. They encourage team members to work together to solve puzzles, complete brain teasers, or engage in creative projects. “The Human Knot” is a popular collaborative game where participants stand in a circle, grab hands with two different people, and then work together to untangle themselves without letting go. “Group Storytelling” is another fun activity where each person adds a sentence to a story, fostering creativity and collaboration.

• Creative Games: For teams that enjoy expressing their creativity, these games are a hit. They involve art projects, writing exercises, and improvisational activities that allow team members to showcase their talents. “Magnetic Poetry Mixer” is a game where participants use magnetic words to create poems or sentences, sparking creativity and laughter. “Doodle Duel Derby” involves team members drawing doodles based on prompts, with the most creative or funny doodle winning the round.
• Interactive Games: These games focus on interaction and communication among team members. They often involve role-playing, debates, and discussions that help break the ice and get everyone talking. “Would You Rather” is a simple yet effective game where participants choose between two options, leading to interesting conversations. “Guess Who” involves team members describing a person, place, or thing, while others guess what it is, promoting active listening and engagement.
• Virtual Games: With remote work becoming more common, virtual icebreaker games are essential for keeping teams connected. These games can be played online and are designed to be engaging even from a distance. A “Virtual Scavenger Hunt” is a great way to get everyone moving and interacting, as participants search for items around their homes and show them on camera. “Online Escape Room” games challenge teams to solve puzzles and escape a virtual room, fostering teamwork and problem-solving skills.

By understanding the different types of icebreaker games available, you can choose the ones that best fit your team’s needs and preferences, ensuring a fun and productive experience for everyone.

Icebreaker Facilitation Tips

Facilitating icebreaker games can be a breeze with a bit of planning and preparation. Here are some tips to ensure your icebreaker game is a hit:

• Choose Relevance: Pick an icebreaker game that fits the group and the occasion. The more relevant it is, the more engaged your team will be.
• Keep It Simple: Make sure the game is easy to understand and explain. Complicated rules can dampen the fun.
• Encourage Participation: Get everyone involved. The goal is to make each group member feel included and engaged, promoting group interaction.
• Set a Time Limit: Keep the game concise and focused by setting a time limit. This helps maintain energy and interest.
• Foster Sharing: Encourage participants to share their thoughts and feelings. This builds trust and rapport.
• Be Flexible: Adapt the game to suit the group’s needs and preferences. Flexibility ensures everyone has a good time.

By following these tips, you can facilitate icebreaker games that not only entertain but also build stronger connections within your team.

10 Fun Icebreaker Games To Try

When introducing icebreakers into meetings, onboarding processes, or activities, you may feel concerned that some games are too cheesy. When engaging with your team, you’ll want to stick with light-hearted, fun games that align with their interests and keep them engaged with their team members. These activities are excellent for boosting team engagement and fostering a collaborative atmosphere.

One popular activity is the Marshmallow Challenge. This team-building game involves participants working together to build the tallest structure using spaghetti, tape, string, and a marshmallow. It emphasizes teamwork, communication, and innovation.

Here are our 10 top picks:

Never Have I Ever: In this game, the first person shares something they have never done, and others who have done it must take a turn. This game is great for learning fun facts about your colleagues.

Bucket List: Each participant shares an item from their bucket list, and the next person adds their own. This activity helps team members learn about each other’s aspirations and dreams.

Guess That Childhood Photo: Team members bring in childhood photos, and the third person in the sequence tries to guess who is in the photo. This game is a fun way to share personal history and create connections.

Rose, Thorn, Bud: Each participant shares a positive experience (rose), a challenge (thorn), and something they are looking forward to (bud). The second person then follows with their own experiences. This activity encourages reflection and sharing.

Would You Rather?: Participants take turns asking each other “Would you rather?” questions. Playing a few rounds of this game can spark interesting conversations and laughter.

Scavenger Hunt: Organize a scavenger hunt where participants search for items or complete tasks in small groups. This activity promotes teamwork and problem-solving in a fun and engaging way.

Spin a Prize Wheel: This great icebreaker game involves spinning a wheel to win small prizes or complete fun challenges. It’s a quick energizer that encourages participation and excitement.

Team Building Bingo: Create bingo cards with various team-related activities or facts. Participants mingle to find colleagues who match the descriptions and mark their cards.

Another engaging activity is the Desert Island game. Participants discuss what essential items they would bring if stranded on a desert island. This game fosters discussions about priorities and decision-making skills.

By incorporating these icebreaker games, you can create a more dynamic and connected team environment.

1. Never Have I Ever

For this interactive game, everyone will hold one hand up with five fingers. You’ll start with the first person and go around the room saying: “Never have I ever…” If someone has done that thing, they put one finger down. You’ll continue to go around the room or the Zoom screen until one person has put down all their fingers first.

This great mini-game invites you to explore your team’s past experiences, and you’ll get to see who is the most adventurous out of the bunch!

2. Bucket List

This icebreaker is about team bonding and learning more about your team’s dreams and aspirations. To play, you’ll pick one person to share something from their bucket list. After they share, they’ll choose the next person to go, and you’ll continue to go around the circle until everyone has shared at least one bucket list item.

Don’t be afraid to let your team socialize, ask questions, or make comments in between this answer. This is a fun-filled icebreaker designed to inspire your team and improve communication.

3. Guess That Childhood Photo

It’s time to take a walk through memory lane and enhance team interaction by seeing what your team members looked like when they were a baby! For this icebreaker, every person on your team will submit a childhood photo of them they have. Once you’ve gathered all the pictures and put them into a PowerPoint presentation, you’ll play the presentation, and everyone will need to guess who is who in third person.

There will be ones that surprise you, some that make sense, and others that you never saw coming!

4. Rose, Thorn, Bud

As a manager, you always want to know how your sales team feels about the tasks they have on their plate and how they’re feeling in general to improve team communication. Rose, Thorn, and Bud invite your team to share a positive experience, a challenge they faced, and something they’re excited about. The second person in the sequence can share their thoughts after the first, ensuring everyone gets a turn. This is a great conversation starter used to begin a meeting or a big project and ensures your team is in sync and ready to take on challenges.

5. Would You Rather?

This is a quick and easy icebreaker that is perfect for promoting team interaction with new hires. To play, someone will pick two things and the group will go through a few rounds of questions.

Here are some examples:

• Would you rather go on a beach vacation or a winter vacation?
• Would you rather eat at a 5-star Italian restaurant or a sushi restaurant?
• Would you rather spend your PTO going to Europe or Asia?

After one person answers the question, the whole group will respond with their answer. This game invites creative ideas and is the perfect ice breaker for “breaking the ice” and helping your team feel more comfortable with one another.

6. Two Truths and a Lie

How well do your employees know your coworkers and foster team engagement? There’s only one way to find out. For this game, each team member will say two truths and a lie about themselves.

The rest of your team will need to decide which is the lie. You’ll go around the room until everyone has a chance to play. By the end of the game, you’re sure to know more about your coworkers and strengthen your connection with one another.

7. Scavenger Hunt

Looking for an icebreaker that’s a little more interactive to help beat the boring and create a positive culture while enhancing team dynamics? Plan a full-fledged scavenger hunt! This is an excellent icebreaker for remote teams and a must-have for creating memorable meetings.

Here’s how to play:

• Break your team up into small groups
• Create a list of items each group needs to find
• Set a timer, and let the games begin!
• Whichever group finds the most items on the list – wins!

At the end of the icebreaker, your remote team will feel a stronger connection with one another and will feel more connected with their coworkers.

8. Spin a Prize Wheel

Spin the wheel and test your luck with a great team engagement icebreaker game using a prize wheel. Prize wheels are fun, interactive tools your business can use to engage with new hires during onboarding, reward your team after a tough quarter, or make meetings more interactive.

However, having a giant prize wheel in your office is not always practical, especially if you have a remote or hybrid workforce. If you have Spinify, you can create instant virtual prize wheels for your meetings.

Our AI-driven tool will generate prize ideas based on your budget and make it easy to randomly pick someone on your team to spin the wheel before your meeting. A prize wheel is the perfect interactive icebreaker that rewards your team for their hard work and keeps them engaged during the sales meetings – a win-win for everyone!

9. Race-Style Leaderboard

Looking for something fast-paced, exciting, and interactive that enhances team dynamics? We have the perfect icebreaker for you. A race-style leaderboard is a fun-filled competition designed to inspire friendly competition and keep your team on their toes.

For this idea, we recommend using it as a fun “finisher” for your onboarding. At the end of your onboarding process, you can test your team’s new skills by challenging them to race to the finish of their training. This is a great way to turn your onboarding process into a memorable experience for your new hires and ensure they retain the information they learn.

10. Team Building Bingo 

If you have the time and creativity, team-building bingo is a great icebreaker to try out, promoting team interaction. This icebreaker takes a personalized approach to the traditional game of bingo.

To play team-building bingo, you’ll need to start by creating a custom bingo card. In each square, include a line that may pertain to an employee throughout the work week.

Here are a few ideas to consider:

• Gets up to grab a cup of coffee during a meeting
• Always has their video cam off
• Someone that’s 5 minutes late to the 1:1 meetings
• The office lunch thief

Hand out the bingo cards at the beginning of the week and encourage your team to socialize and connect with their coworkers. During the all-hands meeting of the week, you’ll go over the results and announce the winner. Throughout the week, your team will have time to interact and strengthen their connection while learning something new about their coworkers.

Another engaging icebreaker is the ‘desert island’ game. In this activity, team members are asked to imagine being stranded on a desert island and to decide which essential items they would bring with them. This game fosters discussions about priorities and decision-making skills, encouraging team building and social interaction.

Icebreaker Games for Virtual Meetings

Virtual meetings can sometimes feel impersonal, but icebreaker games can help bridge that gap and create a more engaging atmosphere. These activities are excellent for virtual team building, fostering connections and collaboration among team members. Here are some icebreaker games perfect for virtual settings:

• Virtual Scavenger Hunt: Create a list of items for participants to find and show on camera. It’s a fun way to get everyone moving and interacting.
• Two Truths and a Lie: Each participant shares three statements about themselves—two true and one false. The rest of the group guesses which statement is the lie. This game is a great way to learn interesting facts about your colleagues.
• Speed Networking: Pair participants up and give them a set amount of time to chat. Rotate pairs every few minutes to ensure everyone gets a chance to connect.
• Would You Rather: Pose a series of “Would you rather” questions and have participants choose between two options. It’s a light-hearted way to spark conversation.
• One Word: Ask participants to share one word that describes themselves or their current mood. This simple activity can provide insight into how everyone is feeling.

These icebreaker games can help break the ice and create a positive, engaging atmosphere in your virtual meetings. They can be easily adapted to suit the needs and preferences of your group, ensuring everyone feels connected and involved.

The Time is Now

Icebreaker games are a fun and effective way to build team cohesion, encourage communication, and create a positive atmosphere in any group setting. With a wide range of games to choose from, you can select the ones that best suit your team’s needs and preferences. Whether you’re looking for competitive, collaborative, creative, interactive, or virtual games, there’s an icebreaker game out there for you.

By incorporating these activities into your meetings, onboarding processes, or team-building events, you can break the ice and foster a more connected and engaged team. So why not give it a try and see the positive impact it can have on your team? With the right icebreaker games, you can transform your workplace into a dynamic and cohesive environment where everyone feels valued and motivated.

Gamify the Workplace With Spinify

So, why are sales training games and team bonding icebreakers so successful? It’s because they use the power of gamification to boost employee engagement. Gamification is an invaluable strategy businesses can use to engage with their employees and improve productivity.

Our sales gamification software is an invaluable workplace tool designed to help your sales reps stay engaged with the mundane tasks of the workweek and stay inspired by the work they do with your business. We use game elements like leaderboards, progress bars, and badges to help you engage with your team and keep them on task during 9-5.

Book a free demo today to learn more about our outstanding sales gamification tools.