Written by Milena Alexandrova
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Virtual communication is becoming necessary for more companies as they embrace remote work. Team leaders who can use virtual ice breakers effectively will have better communication with team members and can build trust with their online colleagues.
Virtual team ice breakers are interactive activities that can help lighten the mood, create cohesion, and dispel that awkward silence at the start of every online meeting.
Using ice breakers for meetings will encourage participants to be more active. Even team members who dislike such activities will be more likely to participate if the activities are fun and engaging.
You can embrace ice breakers for meetings as part of your virtual onboarding process and thus create a better remote work culture. Nowadays, technology enables us to be more interactive online. Even if your team is unable to meet face to face, there’s no reason they can’t get to know each other.
According to TeamBonding, 65% of remote workers report that they have never been a part of any remote team-building activities.[1] However, team building is an excellent opportunity for your team and company culture. Strengthening the bond between your team members will make them more productive and efficient, especially if they feel like they’re part of a community.
Therefore, in this article, we have compiled seven virtual team ice breaker ideas for you to use in your next online meeting.
Let’s dive in.
Table of contents
- Virtual team meetings
- Virtual ice breaker questions
- Virtual ice breaker games
- Virtual ice breaker activities
- Virtual ice breaker polls
- Virtual ice breaker Slack channel
- Virtual ice breaker tour
- Make remote work feel more personal and build a real team
- ✅ Create a great work culture with TestGorilla’s Culture Add test
Top 7 ice breaker ideas to make virtual teams’ meetings more fun
Below, you’ll find our selection of seven fun ice breaker ideas to try. These will help you build a stronger and more cohesive remote team in which team members:
- Aren’t afraid to ask questions
- Feel comfortable asking for help when they need it
- Come to work as their authentic selves
This will help create an environment in which everyone can thrive. So, let’s see how you can achieve all that.
1. Virtual team meetings
This may be self-explanatory, but weekly virtual team meetings are great ice breakers for your team, especially new colleagues. You can use these meetings to not only check up on everyone’s work progress but also see how they’re doing on a more personal level.
If your meeting is on Monday, start by asking how everyone’s weekend went. Usually, someone will have a fun anecdote to share: which club they’ve been to, where they went hiking, or simply that they managed to clean the house and read a book in peace.
As the team leader, you should also participate in these conversations to create the feeling that you’re all equal.
2. Virtual ice breaker questions
Virtual team ice breaker questions are a must in every online team meeting if you want to build cohesion. Your questions should be open ended to encourage more team members to participate.
This is especially important when you have shy new colleagues who don’t want to be put on the spot.
You can start by asking a general question to which most team members will respond. Then, invite the shy person to take part in the conversation. Once they see there’s nothing scary about sharing, that team member will participate with their own story as well.
Virtual ice breaker question ideas:
- Which Netflix show are you currently binging and why? Do you have any recommendations?
- If you could eat only one food for the rest of your life, which one would it be and why?
- What is your morning routine like?
For a comprehensive list of questions and ideas, check TeamBuilding’s list.
3. Virtual ice breaker games
Naturally, games are always fun, even when playing them virtually. You might be thinking, “We can’t use PlayStation for our meetings.” But that doesn’t mean you can’t use games to make your meetings more engaging.
Here are some games you can use as virtual ice breakers:
Virtual bingo
This game helps team members learn fun facts about one another. You can use a bingo card generator to pick random facts that could be true about a given person, such as whether they’re left-handed.
You then ask each other questions to learn which facts are true about them and click the ones you got correct on your bingo card. If you fill in an entire row on the card, you yell “bingo” and win the round.
Virtual charades
Virtual charades is a fun game to play with a team. One team member gets a randomly generated word or sentence and must act it out without using words. Once someone guesses what it is, it’s their turn to act out a charade.
Virtual “me too”
Although it carries the same name, this has nothing to do with the #MeToo movement. Rather, it’s another virtual team-building game you can play with your coworkers.
Your team members display all ten fingers on both hands. Someone kickstarts the game by saying something that they’ve done, like “I’ve been skiing in the Alps.” If someone else has done that too, they put one of their fingers down and shout, “Me too!” Then, it’s the next person’s turn to say something.
The game continues until someone puts down all ten fingers. This is a great game to learn facts about each other and find common ground.
4. Virtual ice breaker activities
Similar to virtual ice breaker games, virtual ice breaker activities aim to strengthen bonds between team members by introducing an atmosphere similar to a physical office space.
You can do this by inviting team members to a Discord channel, for example, which everyone can join once they clock in. Employees can chat for a bit before they start working. Having everyone together on the call can make them feel more like they’re in the office.
If someone has a question, they can fire away instead of having to write to people individually. This can also help with generating ideas on how to complete a task.
Another similar activity is to introduce a “live remote office” video. This is basically a live video chat people can join once the workday starts. This way, everyone can see what the other person is doing and mimic a live office atmosphere.
5. Virtual ice breaker polls
You can use cloud technologies like Slido to create virtual ice breaker polls for the day.
One team member asks a question on Slido. The answers are then compiled, and the option with the most answers is displayed in the center of the screen, with the rest bundled around it.
You can use this tool to check how people are feeling using emojis, ask them questions that require one-word answers, and even have fun by asking provocative questions to get a laugh.
6. Virtual ice breaker Slack channel
A Slack channel can provide a great way to communicate with your colleagues, and it’s an easy tool to use for your virtual ice breakers.
You can send unlimited messages, meaning your team members can chat away as much as they want, whether to discuss work-related topics or simply how their day is going. It’s an easy communication channel to set up and doesn’t require your employees to share their social media information or phone numbers if they don’t want to.
7. Virtual ice breaker tour
Another fun virtual ice breaker idea is to have everyone record a short video of their home, their commute to the gym, a store they’re shopping at, their kid’s school, or anything else and send it to everyone.
Colleagues can get a sneak peek into each other’s lives, which can help build personal connections and create more camaraderie within the team.
Make remote work feel more personal and build a real team
Ensure your virtual team is not just a group of experts in their respective fields who happen to work together but a real team that shares common goals and objectives and can solve challenges together.
By using the above virtual ice breaker ideas, you can help build a cohesive team whose members know each other a little bit better. If team members know the people they’re working with, they’ll be more productive and effective, and you won’t feel the need to have everyone in the office.
If you’re interested in creating a diverse and effective team, check out our Culture Add test, which can help you hire employees whose values and behaviors align with your organization.
To learn more about team building for remote teams, have a look at our five remote team-building activities for virtual teams.
Source
- Deiratani, A. (March 8, 2020). “5 Virtual Team Building Activities That Work”. Retrieved November 22, 2022. https://www.teambonding.com/5-team-bondingtips-for-remote-employees/
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FAQs
Top 7 fun virtual team ice breaker ideas? ›
Ice breaker Remote Happy Hour Questions
Given the choice, would you rather have four legs or four hands? If you could go back in time, what would you want to change about your life? If you could time travel to the future, where would you go and what would you do? What's a fun fact that nobody knows about you?
Ice breaker Remote Happy Hour Questions
Given the choice, would you rather have four legs or four hands? If you could go back in time, what would you want to change about your life? If you could time travel to the future, where would you go and what would you do? What's a fun fact that nobody knows about you?
Ice Breaker 4: Four C's
Ask each person to name a cartoon character, a color, a car, and a cuisine that best describes his or her personality and explain why.
- Quirky Ice Breaker Questions. ❖ If you could hang out with any cartoon character, who would you choose and why? ...
- ❖ What would you like to be known/remembered for? ❖ What sport would you compete in if you were in the Olympics? ...
- ❖ If money and time were no object, what would you be doing right now?
- If you could have a superpower, what would it be?
- What's your favorite season?
- Which historical figure would you want to meet?
- What's the most interesting place you've ever visited?
- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
- What has been the best day of your life so far?
Arktika is one of the latest nuclear-powered of Russia under the Project 22220 icebreakers. IT is currently the largest and most powerful icebreaker ship in the world.
What is the candy game icebreaker? ›Candy Introductions is a get-‐to-‐know-‐you game that helps people learn new facts about each other in an easy way. They select various pieces of candy from a bag, and each candy variety is associated with a fact about themselves which they will introduce to the others.
What is five things icebreaker? ›Just Five Things - This icebreaker is so versatile and can work for any group. Break up into groups of four or five and tell them they'll be coming up with a list of five things to answer a prompt. Create a question that relates to your group.
What is the three P's icebreaker? ›Three Ps
Divide students into small groups, and have them share three facts about themselves: something personal, something professional and something peculiar, such as an interesting hobby or habit. This icebreaker idea can easily be used in virtual meetings.
- What's your earliest childhood memory?
- Where's your favorite place you've ever been on vacation?
- What was your favorite subject in school?
- What was your favorite TV show as a kid?
- What's the weirdest thing you've ever eaten?
- Did you have a pet as a child?
What are some fun interactive questions? ›
Awkward, Weird Icebreaker Questions
What's the weirdest food you've ever eaten? What's the most out-of-character thing you've ever done? What is your cellphone wallpaper? You can have an unlimited supply of one thing for the rest of your life, what is it?
Commissioned in 1977, The USCGC Polar Sea (WAGB-11) is one of the world's most powerful, non-nuclear icebreaker ships.
What is an example of a virtual icebreaker? ›Example games include charades, ice breaker questions, and two truths, one lie. The purpose of these activities is to create a warm and pleasant environment and do team building remotely. These activities are also known as “remote icebreakers” and “online icebreakers.”
What is kahoot icebreaker? ›On a kahoot, you can show them on the screen one at a time and have everyone guess who sent it. Make the icebreaker questions multiple choice, with other team members as the answer choices. Set the timer to 10 seconds to make the game extra challenging.
What is the icebreaker 10 things in common? ›10 things in common
Split everyone into pairs and hand each pair a piece of paper. Each pair is responsible for finding 10 things they have in common with one another. Remember to tell everyone easy cop-outs aren't allowed, like "we both have hands".
The Romanian-built ship, RSV Nuyina, significantly enhances Australia's climate research capabilities in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean but has endured numerous problems since its delivery in 2021, which itself was delayed by close to a year due to the pandemic.
What is the future US icebreaker? ›New US Icebreaker Delayed Until 2027, Russia Orders 6th and 7th Nuclear Icebreaker. The United States' new polar-class icebreaker faces further delays pushing delivery from the original timeline for 2024 into 2027. The Coast Guard is now looking to purchase an existing commercial icebreaker for $150m to bridge the gap.
What is a good team meeting ice breaker? ›Best For: Team Bonding
A classic game played at summer camps everywhere, "Would You Rather" is an excellent, quick ice breaker for the workplace. Next time you're settling into a meeting or team bonding outing, take turns going around the table and asking each person a "Would You Rather" question.
- Do a quiz. ...
- Hold a meeting outside. ...
- Create an interactive agenda. ...
- Provide food. ...
- Make groups. ...
- Change the seating chart. ...
- Play a game of charades. ...
- Ask interesting questions.
After dividing everyone into groups, explain their simple task: They have 10 minutes to create a two-dimensional house out of the M&M's you provided to each group. It's that easy. While the groups are working, you may want to walk around and take pictures of the process so you can share with everyone later.
What is the five things game zoom? ›
Five Things
Name a topic and a person. That person has 15 seconds to name five specific items within the topic. That player then chooses another topic and player to continue.
Give each person a blank index card (or piece of paper) and then instruct them to secretly write five little-known facts or clues about themselves. Allow a couple of minutes to provide an opportunity for the more-inventive of your group to think. Each person finishes off by writing their name at the bottom of the card.
What is the 5 minute game? ›5-Minute Dungeon is a chaotic, co-operative, real-time card game in which players have only five minutes to escape the randomized dungeon. Communication and teamwork are critical to survival because there's no time to form a carefully considered plan — and no predicting what dangers lie ahead.
What is the famous pair activity? ›Famous Pairs Game
For this icebreaker, tape the name of a famous person or character to the back of each participant. You will need an even number of participants. Each person is to find his/her match without directly talking to each other.
Find your pair
People then have to walk around and ask closed questions (with a yes or no answer) to find out what their phrase is. Once they find out, they have to find their pair & by continuing to ask questions (these can be open or closed) they have to learn 3 new things about the other.
- What would you do if you had only 24 hours to live?
- What would you do if you found out you could stop time?
- What would you do if you were rich?
- What would you do if you were the ruler of a country for a day?
- What would you do if you were swimming and lost your bathing suit?
Icebreaker questions for team meetings
What was your first job? Are you reading anything interesting right now? Have you seen any good movies or shows lately? Where was the last place you went for the first time?
Music, Movie, and Book-Related Icebreaker Questions for Work
Use these fun office icebreaker questions to find out what your colleagues are into. Do you have a favorite song to listen to when you need your spirits lifted? What is the most feel-good film you've ever seen? What type of music do you prefer?
Examples include, “What's the best movie you have seen in the past month?” “How do you like to celebrate accomplishments?” and “If you could switch bodies with anyone in the world for twenty-four hours, would you do it, and if yes, who would you switch bodies with?” The purpose of these questions is to encourage ...
What are 10 random questions? ›- If You Had Three Wishes, What Would You Wish For?
- What Would You Rather Throw Away: Love Or Money?
- What's The Most Beautiful Place You've Ever Seen?
- What Was Your Fondest Memory Of High School?
- What's Your Favorite TV Show?
- What's The Strangest Thing In Your Refrigerator?
What is the group games 20 questions? ›
The premise of the game is simple: One person, called the “answerer,” thinks of an object. The other player — the “questioner” — asks up to 20 yes-or-no questions in order to determine what object the answerer is thinking about. If the questioner guesses correctly within 20 questions, they win.
What is the thickest ice an icebreaker can break? ›The ship can break through ice up to 2.8m deep at a steady speed. In the Arctic Ocean, the icebreaker can reach any point during any season of the year. According to the shipbuilder's specification, the ship can move along freely breaking through flat ice of up to 2.8 meters (9.2 feet) thick.
What is the oldest ice breaker? ›“Yermak” became the first icebreaker worldwide, which was able to sail in the condition of heavy ices. It was already in April 1899 that the icebreaker released icebound steamships near Revel, and in summer 1899 Makarov sailed on “Yermak” to the Arctic, reaching 81° 28'N.
What is the largest icebreaker for the US? ›Virtual team games for meetings are challenges, exercises, and activities that give employees a chance to bond and connect. For example: charades, blind artist, or penny for your thoughts. The purpose of team games is to allow employees to get to know each other better and have fun!
What is the common ground icebreaker virtual? ›Common Ground
In this game, participants must find the one thing that they all have in common that is not related to work. This virtual icebreaker is fun because it requires extra effort to find out more about each person.
- Start an emoji check-in. People sometimes feel awkward about chiming in during a meeting because they're not together in person. ...
- Guess that city. ...
- Pick a Dream Airbnb. ...
- Submit a hot take. ...
- Guilty pleasure shows or movies. ...
- Guess that background photo. ...
- Explain that item. ...
- Find the airport.
In a puzzle question, players need to drag and drop answers into a specific order. Learn best practices and how this can be relevant when you're playing Kahoot! in your company. Answering a puzzle question takes extra attention and accuracy as players need to place answers alternatives into the correct order.
What is human bingo? ›Human bingo is a fast-paced, engaging networking activity. Unlike regular bingo, participants ask a range of questions which create opportunity to discover new things about their colleagues. Instead of pen and paper, Human Bingo is an app-based program which presents each team with a set of questions.
How do you facilitate a Zoom happy hour? ›When organizing a Zoom happy hour, respect your guests' time and schedules. To do this, reach out to guests beforehand to get their availability. Note that while Zoom can display up to 49 participants on the screen at once, we recommend keeping the group at a lean three to 10 guests.
How to do a Zoom happy hour? ›
- Virtual Scavenger Hunt. A scavenger hunt is the favorite game of office parties. ...
- Virtual Charades. Virtual charades can be your best pick if you are looking for the best Zoom happy hour ideas for work. ...
- Either/Or. ...
- Show And Tell. ...
- Geoguesser. ...
- Guess The Song. ...
- Mixology Classes. ...
- Sneak It In.
Virtual Happy Hour Bingo is a type of Online Team Building Bingo. One way to increase engagement during remote happy hours is to give your people something active to do throughout the session.
How do you host a fun Zoom event? ›Create a photo backdrop by making a custom Zoom background. Give employees an allowance for snacks and drinks. Hang out together on video call. Encourage employees to dance and participate in party games.
How do you energize a Zoom meeting? ›- The Magical Ball. Magic Ball is a great way to encourage innovative thinking among your employees. ...
- Group Zoom Stretches. ...
- Online Mini-Meditation. ...
- Joint Doodling. ...
- Camera On and Off. ...
- Location Game. ...
- Two Truths and a Lie. ...
- Two-Word Check-In.
Speak and discuss for a few minutes, then show a PowerPoint slide, offer a short video, and then take a poll. Switching things up like this will keep the audience engaged; just don't take it too far to avoid confusion. Good slides can't make a great virtual session, but bad slides can sure ruin one.
What is Pictionary virtual happy hour? ›Pictionary is another fun game to play during a virtual happy hour. Split into teams and use the white board feature on Zoom to draw your clues. Online generators are perfect for providing an endless supply of clues.
How do you host a Zoom game night? ›- Make your guest list. ...
- Select your online games and your themes.
- Choose your video chat/conference call service. ...
- Test your video chat/conference call service.
- Send virtual invitations and collect RSVPs. ...
- Send Snacks.