Start this ice breaker game by writing your funniest or weirdest story on a small piece of paper. It has to be a true one, no fiction! Then fold the paper up and drop it into a bowl or other container. You’ll find classic conversation starters like Two truths and One Lie, fun games like The Marshmallow Challenge or even a Virtual Scavenger Hunt! You’ll find our collection of 59 of the best ice breaker games separated by category and find some useful tips for running them in your workshop or meeting too! Show and Tell taps into the power of metaphors to reveal players’ underlying assumptions and associations around a topic

To get participants to share their opinions, encourage listening, and promote better discussion in the group.Do you have people who come from many different places to your session? If you’re looking for fun icebreakers for meetings that are active, Group Map is a good bet! Start off with the rules that the topics must be suitable for work, and every person holds up five fingers.

Have new teammates tell a joke at their first all-hands meeting. This is a great way to encourage people to be vulnerable and also ensures the meetings start on a cheery note. Remember that opening activities needn’t be complicated to be effective and when looking for ice breaker ideas, don’t discount the simple joy of making others laugh! When working with a large group of participants, particularly if they do not know each other very well, finding things in common is an excellent icebreaker that helps make positive connections.

Why should you encourage team members to get to know each other?

An active icebreaker game and teambuilding activity, this game takes some preparation and lasts quite a long time. However, it is well worth it as it is fun for those 15 and up.

Another childhood memory, Simon Says is a great icebreaker that focuses on fun but also on active listening skills. You could also ask everyone to write down three things that they are currently stressed about. When the meditation is over, ask everyone to tear their piece of paper up and place it in a bowl in the center of the table. Split participants into teams so that they can work together to find the different items on the list, and for the best results offer the winners a little prize – whether that is a voucher or just a badge to wear for the rest of the event. 16. No SmilingThe goal is to finish before the others – so they must figure out collectively how to convince other teams to give up pieces they need. This can be through barter, merging or changing teams, donating minutes, etc. A great way to get to know each other is to have participants place themselves on an imaginary map laid out in the room representing the country according to where they grew up. Ask them to share one internal value they got from that place, and why that is important for them. This is an excellent ice breaker that also helps people get involved to ask the right questions, using teamwork and communication skills to be one of the first to find out your name. 13. Who Did It? Paper Balls can be played by the whole group, or you can divide the group into teams. Groups of from three to five adults work well. Pass out a sheet of newspaper to each person and tell them to roll it into a tight ball. Have the participants stand at the far end of a room with a basket of some kind on the other side of the room. The object of this adult icebreaker game is to roll the balls as close as possible to the basket. Those who do so score points.

The key ice breaker is a team building favorite and a great exercise to get to know each other in a group or team. An adult icebreaker game that can take quite a bit of time, Crazy Questions and Answers is perfect if the party is slow to start or bogs down halfway through. Diversity Bingo is one of our favorite group ice breaker games. This game help participants to get information on each other in a fun, competitive way. This activity helps people ease in a group and brings out their creativity without a lot of effort.

An easy icebreaker that will have everyone feeling good before a meeting. Go around a circle and highlight a story – an action, decision or result – that can and should be praised from each team member. Something where they reached beyond their typical responsibilities and excelled. So how do you avoid creating a frustrating, patronizing ice breaker game that won’t make participants feel like they are wasting their time?