You walk into an unfamiliar social situation. The room is full of people you don’t know — at least, not well. How do you feel?
If your answer is anxious, insecure, or shy, you’re not alone. Now consider this: at work, some of your employees feel the same way when meeting each other for the first time.
When you’re training a group of new hires, hosting a team-building retreat, or starting a project with a new team, you likely have a few coworkers who aren’t at ease in their surroundings. As a leader, your job is to make them feel comfortable enough to get creative and share their best ideas — and a great way to do that is with an icebreaker.
Let’s explore some of the best icebreaker games for small groups to get your team laughing, talking, and thinking.
What are icebreakers?
As the name suggests, icebreakers are activities that “break the ice” and make interactions with coworkers more cordial and familiar. They’re a fun opportunity to kick off introductions and get to know the people around you a little better.
Typically, icebreakers fall into three categories:
- Questions: Simple queries to get to know the respondent better, like “What’s your favorite food?” or “What three things would you bring to a desert island?”
- Activities: Opportunities to move around and laugh while getting to know each other, such as office board game nights, movie nights, and escape rooms.
- Games: Quick, fun icebreakers specifically designed to foster teamwork and group bonding.
When to break out the icebreakers
The first meeting with a new team or department can sometimes feel awkward, particularly if the people don’t know each other well. Icebreaker games can relieve that tension, allowing everyone to loosen up and move into the working relationship with an improved sense of togetherness.
Striking up a conversation with someone you’ve never met isn’t always easy. That’s why these games are popular at employee onboarding meetings, company retreats, and brainstorming sessions for new projects — they act as a jumping-off point for interpersonal relationships with unfamiliar people.
Icebreakers are particularly useful in remote and hybrid workplaces. When the team rarely meets in person, it can be difficult to get to know the people on the other side of Zoom calls.
Unlike a traditional office, you can’t sit beside a coworker in the breakroom or chat with them on the way in from the parking lot. To overcome this disconnect, management can lead structured activities, like icebreakers, and provide opportunities for peers to socialize with one another.
14 icebreaker games for small groups
Looking for a fun way to help your new team get to know each other? Here are some fun icebreaker games for small groups:
1. Two truths and a lie
To play this game, each member of the group shares three fun facts about themselves — but one of the “facts” must be a lie. For example, a player might say, “I’ve been skydiving, I have five pets, and my favorite meal is my grandmother’s lasagna.” Then, the rest of your group guesses which “fact” is untrue.
This easy icebreaker game for small groups requires little preparation and allows your employees to learn more about each other, the foundation for building good work relationships.
2. Going on a picnic
There’s a lot to learn on your first day of a new job, including all your coworkers’ names. This game is a great way to help people pick up their teammates’ names and really make them stick.
To play, ask one person to say, “I’m [name], I’m going on a picnic, and I’m bringing [item that starts with the same letter of their name].” For example, someone named Sean could say, “I’m Sean, I’m going on a picnic, and I’m bringing sandwiches.”
The next player then adds to the “picnic list” using their own name and the previous player’s. For example, they may say, “I’m Gina, I’m going on a picnic, and I’m bringing grapes. Sean is bringing sandwiches.” As each team member adds to the list, the game becomes a concentration exercise — and your team will likely remember each other’s names long after the “picnic” is over.
3. Scavenger hunt
Scavenger hunts are a great icebreaker game because they get people up and moving, promote problem-solving and teamwork, and encourage new employees to explore their new office.
You can set up this fun icebreaker game for your small group well before they arrive by creating a list of things to track down. These can be hidden items in the training room or around your office building. When your group arrives, break them into teams, set a time limit, and let them start the search.
This game also works for remote teams with a simple modification. Instead of having staff search around the in-person office for hidden items, create a list of quirky things most people keep in their home office. Then, have people race to find the best examples of these items around them (and hold a show-and-tell session afterward).
4. Where are you from?
These days, around 58% of workers in the United States work from home at least part-time. This means that millions of people are collaborating in virtual meetings with coworkers from around the country — and sometimes the globe. Even if you’re not physically together, your team can still play a few icebreaker games for small groups online.
A great icebreaker for virtual meetings is “Where are you from?” This game asks players to tell the rest of the team where they’re located (or where they’re originally from) and why the rest of the team should visit. This game allows everyone to share a bit about themselves and it just might encourage you to add a few cities to your travel bucket list.
5. Marshmallow challenge
Creative thinking is essential for success in any job, and this game gives your teams a chance to stretch their creative muscles and work on team-building skills from day one.
Divide your team into smaller groups of three or four, and give each group a marshmallow, a piece of string (about 1 yard long), a roll of masking tape, and 20 pieces of uncooked spaghetti. Ask them to build the tallest structure they can within a time limit. Then, watch the magic happen!
6. Icebreaker Jenga
You can transform this classic board game into the perfect icebreaker for a small group of people. Simply write get-to-know-you questions on the Jenga pieces, and have players answer them as they move the blocks.
These questions can vary from “Did you play sports in high school?” to “Which famous person would you want to have dinner with and why?” You're on the right track as long as you get your team talking (and hopefully overcoming any shyness).
7. Social bingo
This icebreaker idea requires some advanced planning, but the results are worth it. Start by printing out a few bingo cards with common facts about people on them (you can make your own or find a template online). For example, one square might say “wears contact lenses” or “is bilingual.” Distribute your bingo cards to your new team and have them find coworkers who meet each box’s criteria to see who can get five in a row the fastest.
8. 10 things in common
If anyone on your team seems shy, it’s wise to begin with a one-on-one icebreaker. Divide your group into pairs and ask each pair to find 10 things they have in common. Set a time limit for discussion and encourage your employees to interview one another. When the time is up, have each pair share what they have in common with the rest of the group.
This game is a good icebreaker anytime you have quiet employees who seem intimidated by large groups. Breaking up into small teams can help people open up more comfortably, and sharing the results with the rest of the team still allows everyone to get to know each other.
9. No smiling
This game uses the Pink Elephant Paradox (the idea that if you try not to think about something, you end up thinking about it) to get everyone laughing. Start by placing your coworkers in a circle and having one person stand in the middle. Tell the player in the middle that they cannot smile or laugh, then let everyone else take turns trying to make them crack a smile.
Having your team take turns making silly faces or telling jokes will lighten the mood and help everyone loosen up. And, as a bonus, your team can get a little taste of each other’s senses of humor.
10. Who’s that baby?
This final game is a fun (and adorable) in-person or virtual icebreaker. Ask your team to email you a baby photo of themselves before your meeting. Create a slideshow of the photos. Then, once you’re all together — either in person or on Zoom — show everyone the pictures and ask them to guess who the baby is. Your employees will love looking at all the precious baby faces, and many photos will be great conversation starters.
11. Would you rather?
To learn more about everyone’s preferences and way of thinking, play a few rounds of “Would you rather?” You can either freestyle, making everyone come up with questions as you go around the circle, or find a list of questions online.
Depending on the size of the group, you might also pick a theme. That might be superpowers, with questions like “Would you rather be able to become invisible or able to fly?” or professional aspirations, like “Would you rather publish a book or be the CEO of a company?” Regardless of what you ask, team members can discuss answers in detail to learn about everyone’s approach to the question — and their answer.
12. Whodunit
For this icebreaker, team members anonymously provide facts about themselves or things they’ve done, like being a national Chess competitor or learning to play six instruments. Then, everyone should try to guess which person this fact is about.
To up the stakes, share several facts at once and split employees into teams. The team that guesses which experiences belong to the most people correctly wins. These experiences also teach you fun details about people’s backgrounds, giving you future conversation topics.
13. Name that song
Whether you’re in person or working remotely, seeing who can correctly name the most songs makes for a fierce competition. Play the first few seconds of any song, about 15, and see who can name the song.
If you’re a larger group, try playing 10-20 in a row and having team members keep a list of their guesses. After you play each song, employees can reveal their answers to see who knows the most for some friendly competition.
14. Name game
The name game is short, sweet, and perfect for any scenario. Have team members sit in a circle. The first person says their name. Then, the person to their right repeats the first person's name and adds their own. Team members continue around the circle, repeating everyone’s name and adding theirs, until someone misspeaks or the circle is complete. This is a great way to learn everyone’s names if many of you have never met.
If everyone knows each other or you’re playing remotely (where people have screen names visible), use the names of celebrities to increase the difficulty.
How to choose the perfect icebreaker for your group
All the games listed here are great choices for your next meeting, but how do you know which one to use? Here are a few tips to help you choose the perfect icebreaker.
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Keep context in mind: While icebreakers are an excellent tool for any type of meeting, it’s important to consider why your team is coming together and choose a game that suits the purpose.
A get-to-know-you game is best for a first meeting, while team-building exercises can be great for brainstorming sessions. And if you have a hybrid team, options that are easy for remote workers to participate in will ensure they don’t feel left out.
- Choose the right play style: Most icebreaker games are either physical (like the scavenger hunt) or mental (like “Going on a Picnic”). When choosing the right game for your meeting, select one that suits the team you’re working with and makes everyone comfortable.
- Always have a backup plan: Icebreaker games can help your team warm to each other — but only if the game goes well. If your employees forget to send you their baby pictures or there isn’t enough room for a good scavenger hunt, you’ll need to have a backup plan in mind. Always prepare a few games in case you need to change things up.
Remember: it’s all fun and games
Corporate icebreaker games for small groups (and large groups, for that matter) are all about having fun with your coworkers. They foster team engagement, encourage workers not to be shy, and establish a welcoming and positive work environment. So, when it’s time to pick the right icebreaker game for your small group, remember to put fun first.
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