Workdays can sometimes be long and boring, especially if your employees don’t know each other well or don’t feel comfortable with their teams. To boost your team atmosphere, discover these ice breaker games for work that will help you create a fun and engaging environment between your employees.
100 Ice Breaker Questions
Questions about personal preferences
- What’s your favorite food?
- What’s your favorite book?
- What’s your favorite movie?
- What’s your favorite song?
- Do you prefer the sea or the mountains?
- What’s your favorite animal?
- What’s your favorite hobby?
- What’s your favorite sport?
- Do you prefer mornings or evenings?
- What’s your favorite season?
Travel questions
- What’s the best place you’ve ever been?
- Where would you like to go on vacation?
- Do you prefer trips to the beach or the mountains?
- What’s your dream travel destination?
- Have you ever traveled abroad? If so, where?
- Which country would you like to discover?
- What’s your favorite city?
- Do you prefer active or relaxing vacations?
- Have you ever been on a road trip? Where?
- What’s your next travel destination?
Questions about work
- What motivates you most in your work?
- What project are you most proud of?
- What skill would you like to develop?
- What’s the best professional advice you’ve ever received?
- What is your greatest professional achievement?
- What’s your favorite part of the job?
- What’s the most interesting thing you’ve learned at work?
- Do you prefer to work in a team or alone?
- What is your essential work tool?
- What’s the best thing about your current job?
Questions about hobbies and pastimes
- What’s your favorite TV series?
- Do you like to cook? What’s your favorite dish?
- Do you have a hidden talent?
- What’s your favorite leisure activity?
- Do you play a musical instrument?
- Do you like reading? What kind of books do you prefer?
- Do you have an unusual hobby?
- Do you prefer indoor or outdoor activities?
- Do you collect anything?
- What was your last leisure activity?
Questions about family and friends
- Do you have any brothers or sisters?
- What’s your best childhood memory?
- What’s the best advice your parents ever gave you?
- Do you have a pet?
- Who is your greatest role model in life?
- Do you prefer big family gatherings or small ones?
- What’s your favorite family tradition?
- Who’s your best friend?
- How did you meet your best friend?
- What’s the most important thing about friendship for you?
Questions about life experiences
- What’s the bravest thing you’ve ever done?
- Do you have a memorable vacation memory?
- What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned in life?
- Do you have an embarrassing moment to share?
- What’s your biggest dream?
- What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done?
- Do you have a funny childhood memory?
- What’s the greatest adventure you’ve ever had?
- Have you ever met a celebrity?
- What’s the best decision you’ve ever made?
Questions about cultural tastes and preferences
- What’s your favorite color?
- What’s your favorite style of music?
- Do you prefer e-books or paper books?
- What’s your favorite kind of film?
- What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
- What’s your favorite artist?
- What’s your favorite video game?
- Do you prefer quiet evenings at home or going out with friends?
- Who is your favorite actor/actress?
- What’s your favorite museum?
Questions about dreams and aspirations
- If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
- If you could have dinner with a famous person, who would you choose?
- What’s your wildest dream?
- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
- If you could change careers, what would you do?
- If you could win the lottery, what’s the first thing you’d do?
- If you could live in another time, which would you choose?
- What is your ultimate goal in life?
- If you could master a new skill instantly, what would you choose?
- What’s the country you’d most like to live in?
Questions about habits and routines
- What’s the first thing you do in the morning?
- What’s your evening routine?
- Do you prefer baths or showers?
- What’s your favorite meal of the day?
- Do you have a daily habit you can’t miss?
- Do you prefer to work in silence or with music?
- What’s your favorite drink?
- Do you have a sports routine?
- Do you prefer sweet or savory breakfasts?
- What’s your favorite way to relax after a day’s work?
Fun and original questions
- If you were an animal, what would you be?
- If you could have dinner with a fictional character, who would it be?
- If you could swap lives with someone for a day, who would you choose?
- Do you prefer zombies or vampires?
- What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever eaten?
- If you could live in a movie, which one would you choose?
- If you could only choose one food to eat for the rest of your life, what would it be?
- If you could invent a new holiday, what would it be?
- If you could have a conversation with your 10-year-old self, what would you say?
- If you could visit any planet in the solar system, which would it be?
6 ice breaker games for work
Ice Breaker #1: The Mystery Word
Description and purpose
The Mystery Word game is a fun way to break the ice and stimulate participants’ imaginations. Everyone is invited to choose a mystery word that represents something important to them, but without revealing it to the others.
How the game works
Gather participants in a comfortable space and introduce the concept of the Mystery Word Game, explaining that they will have to choose a word without revealing it. Each participant then secretly chooses a word that has a special meaning for them. Next, participants gather in small groups and take turns sharing their mystery word with the rest of the group, without explaining why they chose it. After all the words have been shared, group members can ask questions to try to guess the meaning behind each word. Once all the words have been discussed, participants can reveal the real meaning behind their mystery word, encouraging conversation and the discovery of common ground.
Materials and duration
No specific materials are required for this activity, apart perhaps from sheets of paper and pens for note-taking if desired. Allow around 30 to 45 minutes for the whole activity, depending on the number of participants and the time needed for discussion.
Ice Breaker #2: The Blanket of Cooperation
Description and Objective:
The Blanket of Cooperation Icebreaker is designed to encourage collaboration and help participants learn from each other in a fun way. By hiding behind a blanket, they have to guess their colleagues’ first names, encouraging communication and bonding.
How the Ice Breaker works
Divide participants into two equal groups and position them on either side of a large blanket or opaque screen. In each round, one person from each group is chosen to stand behind the blanket, facing their counterpart in the other group. The blanket is then lowered, and the two participants must quickly greet each other using the other’s first name. Whoever guesses correctly first wins a point for their team. After each round, participants change places and a new pair is selected to continue the game. At the end of the activity, the scores are tallied and the team with the most points is declared the winner.
Materials and duration
A large blanket or opaque screen is needed to separate the two groups. Allow around 30 to 45 minutes for the whole activity, depending on the number of participants and the number of rounds you want to play.
Ice Breaker #3: Deserted Island
Description and objective
The Desert Island Icebreaker is a simple activity designed to encourage participants to share aspects of their personalities, while fostering collaboration and creativity. Imagining they find themselves on a desert island, participants are asked to choose an object they would like to take with them, and then share their choices with the group.
How the Ice Breaker works
Gather participants in a comfortable space and introduce the concept of the Deserted Island by explaining that they will have to choose an object to take with them in this situation. Each participant then takes a few moments to think and silently choose an object they would take with them to a desert island. Next, participants gather in small groups to share their choice of object and briefly explain why they chose it. After each participant has shared his or her choice, group members can discuss how they might use the different objects to survive on the desert island. At the end of the activity, encourage participants to reflect on what this experience has taught them about their colleagues and about themselves.
Materials and duration
No specific materials are required for this activity. Allow around 30 to 45 minutes for the whole activity, depending on the number of participants and the time needed for discussion.
Ice Breaker #4: Le Mot Unique
Description and Objective:
Let’s get off to a gentle start with a very simple Icebreaker that encourages dialogue and highlights similarities and differences between participants. The One Word invites everyone to reflect on their company’s culture or philosophy by choosing a single word that they feel represents it.
This activity enables employees, even those who don’t know each other well, to get together around a common topic without having to indulge in overly personal confidences. So everyone, even the most reserved, can participate by sharing their word idea.
How the activity works :
Divide participants into groups of 4 or 5 and give them ten minutes or so to think together about the following question: « What word would best describe our company’s culture? » Once the time is up, bring the groups back together and invite a volunteer from each team to share the chosen word.
Materials and Duration:
This activity is deceptively simple, as no materials are needed and no specific preparation is required, apart from setting up the groups. Allow around 15 to 20 minutes for this Icebreaker, including time for group reflection and sharing of selected words.
Ice Breaker #5: The First Name Challenge
Description and Objective:
The blanket game is a great way for people who know little or nothing about each other to learn each other’s first names. Indeed, there’s nothing like knowing your colleagues’ first names to encourage a good group dynamic!
In each round, two people (one from each team) are silently selected and placed face-to-face. Their challenge: find out each other’s first names as quickly as possible.
How the game works :
Gather all the participants and say each other’s first name once. Divide the participants into two groups of around ten people, and separate them by a blanket or other large opaque element, held by two volunteers or by some other system. In each round, one person from each team is silently chosen by his or her team-mates to stand behind the blanket. Once the two people have been chosen, the blanket is removed and the « duel » begins: the aim is to find your opponent’s first name before he finds his own. The loser joins the opposing team, the blanket is put back in place, and a new round begins.
Equipment and duration:
A blanket is required for this Icebreaker, but any large object that can separate the two groups may be suitable. Volunteers can be asked to hold the blanket, as long as they don’t take part in the game. The length of the game may vary according to the time available and how easily participants remember the names. Be sure not to exceed 30 minutes, to avoid participants getting bored.
Ice Breaker #6: Survival on a Deserted Island
Description and Objective:
The Desert Island Icebreaker aims to encourage participants to share something about themselves, thus encouraging the emergence of common interests and bringing people closer together. Everyone is invited to choose an object they would take with them if they were placed on a desert island.
How the game works :
Gather participants in a room and explain the Icebreaker so they’re ready to take part. Start the activity and invite everyone to share their chosen object. Then divide the group into random sub-groups and ask them to brainstorm as a team how their respective objects could help them survive on a desert island, either individually or combined. After brainstorming, hold a brainstorming session. The winning team will be the one with the most outstanding creativity and/or the best survival potential.
Materials and duration
No special equipment is required for this activity. Allow about 30 minutes for the whole workshop.
Why integrate ice breaker games into the workplace?
A company’s success depends to a large extent on good collaboration between its members. Ice breaker games are designed to encourage team members to get to know each other better by breaking down social and professional barriers, thus facilitating communication and collaboration.
By taking part in fun activities together, participants feel more relaxed and learn to work together in a friendly environment where interpersonal skills are enhanced.
Tips for facilitating ice-breaker games at work
- Prepare well: Before proposing a game, make sure you’ve prepared all the necessary elements (equipment, rules, space) so that everything runs smoothly.
- Encourage participation: Get team members involved by creating a relaxed atmosphere and encouraging them to give their opinions during and after the activity.
- Adapt the game: Adapt the game to your group’s personalities and professional skills, so that everyone can feel involved.
- Track progress: Keep track of your team’s efforts throughout the game, and congratulate them on their progress from one stage to the next.
To better deploy these icebreaker games in your organization for optimal results, you can leverage team-building solutions that are designed to achieve maximum impact on your employees through a professional, structured approach.
Benefits of icebreaker games at work
By regularly incorporating ice-breaker games into your meetings, training courses or corporate events, you not only promote internal cohesion, but also develop your employees’ individual and collective skills. Ice-breaker games help to:
- Increase trust between team members,
- Stimulate creativity and innovation,
- Improve communication and active listening skills,
- resolve conflicts and internal tensions.
Sharing playful moments with your employees is essential to building a positive, caring work atmosphere. Ice breaker games don’t require a lot of time or resources, but provide a unique opportunity to create and nurture strong bonds between your team members. So don’t hesitate to plan these fun activities on a regular basis to create a dynamic and collaborative atmosphere within your organization.
