The best icebreakers for team building

Activities

Apr 14

Written By BoomPop Team

Team culture

The best icebreakers for team building

BoomPop Team · 4/14/2023

Looking to break the ice?

A fun icebreaker can set the perfect tone for your team members.

Some team building activities can get a little overcomplicated or require tons of materials. We’ve tried to curate a selection within the BoomPop Template Library that is super simple and adaptable for any situation.

From large events to small groups and team meetings, these icebreaker games and activities will help you get to know each other better and build stronger connections. And best of all, most of them can be used either in-person or over Zoom—try them during your remote team’s next virtual meeting!

Read on, your next great icebreaker awaits.

The best icebreakers for a team meeting

🎲 Dicebreakers

Classic conversation starters with an interactive twist.

Rather than go around in a circle answering the same ice breaker question over and over, use this method to create a more engaging experience.

Simply assign numbers to a list of questions and have participants roll dice to determine which they answer!

Download this quick icebreaker template.

🔎 Team Building Bingo

This is one of our team’s favorites—it’s engaging, personal, and gets everyone up and talking.

It’s pretty simple: everyone has a fun fact on the board, and the objective is for every person to go around finding out which fact is attributed to which person through one-on-one conversations.

We’ve used it at our own offsites and helped clients try it, too.

Download this fun icebreaker template.

🤔 This or That

A fun way to learn about your team's personalities.

This ice breaker is all about understanding where your teammates fall on either end of common divides. Dogs or cats? Introverts or extroverts? Maybe in-between?

Have attendees get up and moving, or modify for a stationary option.

Download this simple icebreaker template.

🖐️ Never Have I Ever

A workplace spin on the classic game.

Spelled your own name wrong in an email? Accidentally sent your boss a text complaining about them? We've all been there.

This fun, lighthearted activity helps everyone bond over common mistakes and faux pas.

Download this funny icebreaker template.

🔗 Uncommon connections

Discover each other's unique interests.

A lot of icebreakers are about discovering the things we all have in common. This activity is a fun way to learn more about the things we don't.

In this activity, everyone shares something uncommon or unconventional that they enjoy. You might discover an uncommon connection, or you might just learn something special about each person.

Download this creative icebreaker template.

🌹 Rose, Thorn, and Bud

Check in with your team.

Hear directly from your event attendees by learning their highlights, challenges, and what they're looking forward to.

This is a simple way for everyone to learn more about each other.

Download this easy icebreaker template.

Icebreaker tips for your team meetings, offsites, and retreats

Icebreakers benefit teams by fostering a sense of connection, building trust, and improving communication. That’s a big impact for such simple activities!

Through team building activities that are fun, low-pressure, and encourage participation, managers and facilitators can break down barriers and create a more positive and productive team dynamic.

Let’s walk through some helpful advice you can use to pick a great icebreaker.

The four C’s of icebreakers

If you’ve been in corporate environments for a little while, you’ve probably come across the 4 C’s of icebreakers. Here’s a refresher.

Connection: Icebreakers should help team members connect with each other on a personal level.
Communication: Icebreakers should encourage communication and create opportunities for team members to practice active listening and clear communication.
Collaboration: Icebreakers should foster a sense of collaboration and teamwork among team members.
Creativity: Icebreakers should be creative and engaging, helping team members think outside the box and approach problems in new ways.

Each of these plays a specific role in how you should choose which icebreakers are best for work environments. If you’re using multiple, for example, it can be good to choose ones that emphasize different benefits.

The best icebreaker for a team meeting

The best icebreaker for a team meeting depends on a ton of factors. You can think about team size, the goals of the meeting, and the team's preferences.

That said, there’s one icebreaker that remains perhaps the most popular of all time. It’s effective and simple, so simple in fact that you don’t even need a template to try it.

"Two Truths and a Lie."

In this icebreaker, each team member shares three statements about themselves—two true statements and one false statement (the lie).

The other team members have to guess which statement is a lie. This activity helps team members get to know each other better in a fun and interactive way, encourages active listening, and leads to interesting conversations. Give it a try!