Do you feel like your team could use a little more connection? Are you looking for fun activities to help break the ice and get everyone working together? Then you've come to the right place.
In this blog post, we’ll be sharing 50 virtual icebreakers that will help get your team connected and working together. These activities are perfect for remote scrum teams, but they can be enjoyed by anyone. So what are you waiting for? Get started today!
What Are Icebreakers?
An icebreaker is an activity or game that helps people get to know each other better. Icebreakers are perfect for team building and can help promote collaboration and teamwork. They can be used in-person or virtually and don't have to be complicated or expensive.
Icebreakers can be as simple as asking everyone to share their favorite thing about summer or their favorite vacation spot.
What Are Virtual Icebreakers?
A virtual icebreaker is an icebreaker conducted with a remote team through video conferencing. Virtual icebreakers help team members get to know each other, build rapport, and improve communication. They can be used at the beginning of a meeting or during team-building exercises.
There are many types of virtual icebreakers, but some common ones include trivia games, word games, and memory games. We all know what being a remote meeting feels like, they can easily feel drearier and less exciting than in person meetings. These Zoom ice breakers have specially been designed to be used in Zoom meetings and are sure to get everyone engaged and interacting with each other.
Virtual icebreakers are a great way to get your team working together, especially if you’re all located in different parts of the world. They can help break the ice and make everyone feel more comfortable with each other. So next time you plan a virtual meeting, whether it’s a long distance daily scrum or retrospective meeting, consider adding a virtual icebreaker to the agenda!
Why Are Icebreakers Beneficial for Remote Teams?
Virtual icebreakers are a great way to get remote team members to interact with each other and build relationships. Team members can learn about each other's interests, personalities, and strengths by playing icebreaker games.
Virtual icebreakers can also help team members get to know each other more personally, improving communication and collaboration. In addition, virtual icebreakers can help reduce stress and anxiety among the team by creating a fun and relaxed environment.
Finally, virtual icebreakers can help create a sense of unity and camaraderie among team members. By playing icebreaker games together, team members can feel like they are part of a community and build bonds that transcend the virtual world.
Virtual icebreakers benefit remote teams by allowing team members to interact, build relationships, and reduce stress. Playing virtual icebreaker games is a great way for remote team members to get to know each other better and feel like they are part of a community.
How to Use Virtual Icebreakers
Virtual icebreakers are a great way to get to know your colleagues, build relationships, and boost team morale—all from the comfort of your home. But with so many options, it can be tough to know where to start. Here are a few tips for deploying virtual icebreakers:
1. Start with an icebreaker that everyone can participate in
Virtual icebreakers that require participants to stand up or move around can be tough for those who are shy or have limited mobility. Instead, opt for an icebreaker that everyone can do from their seat, like sharing an interesting fact about themselves or their favorite emoji.
2. Make sure the icebreaker is relevant to your team’s goals
Virtual icebreakers should be more than just fun and games—they should also be relevant to your team’s work. If you want to build rapport and trust, opt for an icebreaker that encourages team members to share personal stories or experiences. If you want to boost creativity, try an icebreaker that gets team members thinking outside the box.
3. Keep it short and sweet
Virtual meetings can be long and draining, so it’s important to keep your icebreaker brief. Aim for an icebreaker that can be completed in 5-10 minutes—any longer, and you risk losing people’s attention.
4. Use technology to your advantage
There are tons of great virtual icebreakers out there, but don’t feel like you need to stick to pre-written activities—you can also get creative and use technology to your advantage. For example, you could use video conferencing software to host a virtual trivia night or scavenger hunt. Or, if you’re looking for something more low-tech, consider using a chatbot tool like icebreaker bot to help facilitate conversation among team members.
5. Have fun
Virtual meetings can be challenging, but they can also be a great opportunity to get to know your colleagues on a more personal level. So loosen up, have fun, and see where the conversation takes you!
Virtual icebreakers can help build rapport and trust within a remote team when deployed properly. They can also reduce stress and anxiety, improve communication, and increase creativity and collaboration.
Give each person a turn to get the most out of your virtual icebreaker. Ask everyone to participate and share their ideas. Encourage people to be creative and have fun!
A good rule of thumb is to provide one virtual icebreaker for every five people on your team. This will ensure that everyone has a chance to participate and that the activity doesn't drag on for too long.
Finally, ensure everything is set up and ready to go before the virtual meeting starts. This will prevent any technical issues from getting in the way of a fun and productive activity.
List of 50 Virtual Icebreakers
Virtual icebreakers are a great way to get to know your team members, build relationships, and boost morale. But when you're working remotely, it can be difficult to know how to break the ice. That's why we've compiled a list of 50 virtual icebreakers that you can use to make your next virtual meeting more enjoyable.
Fun Virtual Icebreaker Questions
1. What is your funniest memory of your closest friend?
2. What is the most insane dare you have ever accepted?
3. What were your anthems as a teenager?
4. What would you eat if you could eat any food in the world right now?
5. If you were a store, what would you sell?
6. What is your worst dating experience?
7. What was your favorite past Halloween costume?
8. Do you watch any guilty pleasure television programs?
9. Tell a knock-knock joke to the squad.
10. What is the most peculiar object around you?
11. Which advertisements or theme songs get stuck in your head?
12. What would you choose as your own nickname if you could, and why?
13. What extravagant item or experience would you purchase or partake in if you had an absurd amount of money?
14. Which food would you delete from the planet if you could?
15. Share a positive or negative opinion!
16. What music would you choose to listen to for the remainder of your life, and why?
17. Which brand would you choose if a company-sponsored you?
18. What subject do you know an abundance of random facts about?
19. Which fictional character would you want to be if your life became an action film?
20. What is a common activity you have never performed? Change a tire, etc.
21. If you could live in any sitcom universe, which would it be?
22. What is the most terrifying thing you've ever done for fun?
23. If you had to wear a shirt with a single word for an entire year, what would that word be?
24. Who would you compete against if you were in a wrestling ring?
25. How did your parents embarrass you when you were young?
Virtual Icebreaker Games
Virtual icebreaker games are a great way to get to know your teammates and build team morale, especially if you're working remotely.
26. Virtual Icebreaker Bingo:
Virtual icebreaker bingo is a great way to break the ice and get to know your fellow employees. The game is simple: each player gets a bingo card with 25 squares. In each square, there's an icebreaker question. The first person to complete their bingo card wins!
27. Zoo Line-Up:
In this virtual icebreaker game, each player has to line up in order from the animal they think is the cutest to the animal they think is the ugliest. This is a great way to get to know your teammates' opinions and have fun.
28. Marooned:
In this virtual icebreaker game, each player is marooned on a deserted island and has to choose 10 items that they would want to have with them. This is a great way to get to know your teammates' interests and what they value.
29. Virtual Charades:
Virtual charades is another great game that can be played over a video call. To play, one person is chosen to be the "charades master," and they must choose a word or phrase for the other players to guess by acting it out in the chat box.
30. Two Truths and a Lie:
Two truths and a lie is a classic icebreaker game that can easily be played over a video call. To play, each player comes up with three statements about themselves, two of which are true and one of which is a lie. The other players then have to try and guess which statement is the lie.
31. Virtual Scavenger Hunt: In this game, split your team into pairs or groups and send them on a virtual scavenger hunt around the internet. The first team to find all the items on the list wins! This is a great way to get your team moving and interacting with each other.
32. Trivia: Trivia is a great way to get people talking and bonding over a shared interest. You can play trivia over a video call by choosing a topic such as history, movies, or geography, and asking questions about it. The first person to answer the question correctly gets a point. Choose a topic everyone is interested in and have a trivia night. You can use sites like Quizlet or Quizizz to create quizzes or use pre-made ones.
33. Virtual escape room: A virtual escape room is a great way to get your team working together to solve puzzles and uncover clues. Break your team into groups and see who can solve the most puzzles in an online escape room. There are many different virtual escape rooms available online, such as The Witch's House and The Cabin in the Woods.
34. Word association: In this game, one person starts by saying a word, and the next person then has to say a word in response that is associated with the first word. This is a great way to get people thinking quickly and bonding over shared interests.
Short Form Virtual Icebreakers
35. Which vegetable would you be if you were one, and why?
36. What animal amazes you the most?
37. What is the most terrifying film you have ever seen?
38. What peculiar object do you feel nostalgic for?
39. What would you like to do when you retire?
40. What is your favorite international cuisine?
41. What is your favorite sport?
42. What odor do you dislike that others seem to enjoy?
43. What dish do you enjoy that other people do not?
44. What do you wish you had learned a long time ago?
45. Describe your ideal napping environment.
46. What is your preferred food pairing?
47. What is a characteristic you inherited from your parents?
48. What are a few of your favorite games?
49. Send a funny meme to the team via Zoom or Slack.
50. How was your experience with the driver's license exam?
FAQs
What Are Some Good Icebreakers for Virtual Meetings?
If you're looking for some good icebreakers for your next virtual meeting, here are a few options to get you started.
One option is to start with a question everyone can answer, such as "What's your favorite ice cream flavor?" or "What's your favorite place to travel?" This can help everyone get to know each other better and give everyone a chance to share something about themselves.
Another option is to play a game such as "Two Truths and a Lie." Everyone in the meeting reads out three statements about themselves, two of which are true and one of which is a lie. Everyone else then has to guess which statement is the lie. This can be a fun way to learn more about your colleagues and have some friendly competition at the same time.
How Do You Bond With a Team Virtually?
Building strong bonds with teammates can be difficult when you're working remotely. You miss out on the day-to-day interactions that help to build relationships, and it can be hard to get to know someone when you only see them on a screen.
However, there are some things you can do to encourage bonding, even in a virtual environment. One of the best ways to get to know your teammates is to schedule regular virtual icebreakers.
These can be anything from playing online games together to sharing photos and stories. Virtual icebreakers help to create a sense of camaraderie and make it easier to connect with others.
Conclusion
That’s a wrap! We hope you enjoyed this list of 50 virtual icebreakers and that you find the perfect one to help your team connect. At GoRetro, we believe in the power of human connection, and we think virtual icebreakers are a great way to promote collaboration and teamwork among remote teams.
If you have any questions about using virtual icebreakers or our other products and services, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We would be happy to help!