January 5, 2025

51 Simple Team Building Ice breakers to Lighten the Mood

Icebreakers can help boost your team morale, improve your organization’s teamwork skills and allow people to get to know each other.

By:

Najeeb Khan

51 Simple Team Building Ice breakers to Lighten the Mood

We've all had the terrifying experience of hearing your professor say "Let's start with some team building ice breakers," on the first day of class. Your mind goes blank when asked to relate an interesting fact about yourself, regardless of whether you just went cliff diving or skydiving. It almost feels like you’ve never done one fun thing in your entire life. But we’re here to tell you it’s not you, it’s the played-out team building icebreaker games that don't make sense anymore. Despite their image, team building icebreakers are really very effective. They can be utilized by established teams to foster a sense of community and ultimately boost productivity—even after years of collaboration! Icebreakers not only boost output but also promote team relaxation and creativity in the workplace. You can still foster a close-knit culture among your team even if everyone is now or has always been distant. Realistically, most businesses can’t always give up entire days for retreats or training. However, there are other ways to weave team building exercises into day-to-day happenings in the organizations: icebreakers!

In this article you will find:

Purpose of Icebreakers
10 team building icebreaker games for your team
Frequently asked questions about the best ice breaker games

Need a quick way to insert some daily ice breakers for team building?

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Icebreakers For Team Building

"Icebreakers" often receive a chilly reception in workplaces. Many managers overlook or discount the concept of using short, simple games to prepare our brains for planning and problem-solving. However, there's evidence to suggest that the benefits of icebreakers outweigh the time invested in them.

Here are 10 quick and simple team building icebreakers:

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51 Simple Team Building Ice breakers Games

1. 10 things in common

One of the best ice breaker games in which you split everyone into pairs and hand each pair a piece of paper for the 10 things in common. 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”. Once they find 10 things they have in common, they share their discoveries with the group.

Team members might find similarities in interests and personality traits by playing this ice breaker team building game together. Invite individuals to find a partner so you can play; ideally, they should choose someone they haven't had a chance to get to know yet.

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2. Baby Photos

This fun ice breaker activity requires a bit of preparation. Beforehand, send out a request for baby photos from each individual. The choice is up to them. They can bring in a physical photo in or simply snap a picture of their baby photo and email it in.

Once you've compiled the photos, place them all up on a board, numbering each one. Thereafter, the game is simple. Guess which photo belongs to which employee by writing a name beside the corresponding number. The person who gets the most correct guesses takes home the grand prize. This is one of the best icebreakers for small groups.

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Why it works:

Cute baby pictures and an entertaining guessing game fantastic mix to engage everyone!

Staggering the contest across many days allows for more images to be included and increases interest.

It's enjoyable and humanizing to see coworkers from their younger years since it makes us relate to each other as individuals.

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3. First/Worst Job

The first/worst job is a remix of the baby photo icebreaker. Beforehand, have everyone write down their first or worst job. The person leading then reads out each job and the group tries to figure out who is who. Alternatively, this can be simplified even further by simply going around in a circle and sharing what your first or worst job experience was.

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4. Turing over a new leaf

This fun ice breaker involves a little teamwork and physicality. You'll need a few blankets or sheets or something similar in size and flexibility. Number people off into groups of four or five. Lay the blankets flat and have each team stand on top of their blanket like it's a tiny island.

The goal of this exercise is to figure out how to flip the blanket over without letting anyone on the team touch the floor (pretend the floor is lava). If one person falls off the island, the whole team must restart. The first team to flip their blanket over wins. It's a great problem-solving exercise that typically involves a lot of laughter and rolling around on the floor.

While turning the sheet over, some players may not be able to see what is happening, so they must have faith that their colleagues are coordinating everyone's movements. This exercise fosters trust. Additionally, it promotes communication among team members.

The plastic sheet must be the proper size; if it is too little, the activity will be hard to finish, and if it is too big, it will be too simple.

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5. This is better than that

This team building icebreaker is a fun spin on the classic deserted island scenario. To prepare, grab about eight random items from around the (home) office. It can be anything from a stapler to a chair. Try your best to pick as many interesting or odd items as you can for more absurd results.

Lay out the items and number people into groups. The goal for this icebreaker is for groups to select the item they'd bring with them to a deserted island to help them survive. After teams deliberate, regroup and allow each team to present which item they chose and why.

These icebreaker game questions are often meant to assist adults break the ice or to provide a short and enjoyable game for friends. These are often referred to as "a or b questions," "pick one of two choices game," "either or questions," and "make me choose between two things.

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6. Super-specific office trivia

Super-specific office trivia is designed to test everyone's awareness of their surroundings. The organizer is tasked with coming up with a game of trivia using super-specific details about the office and the organization. Example questions may look like this:

How many company-branded coffee mugs do we have in the break room?
What color is the sticker on the table in meeting room number 4?
How many gadgets does the boss have on their desk?
What year/month did the organization move into the new office?
How many people work in customer support?

The more specific the trivia questions, the better. The whole idea is for teams to discuss and debate fun or funny facts about the place they work. Who knows, they might even learn a thing or two!

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7. Fun and funny questions

Fun and funny questions are easy to pull off with minimal preparation. With the help of the internet, you'll put together a list of fun and thought-provoking questions for groups to discuss and present. The preselected questions are meant to facilitate discussion and debate. A few example questions for this icebreaker game are:

If you were a vegetable, what vegetable would you be?
If you woke up tomorrow as an animal, what animal would you choose to be and - why?
If you could live anywhere on this planet and take everything that you love with you, where would you choose to live?
Are you sunrise, daylight, twilight, or night? Please share why you picked your time of day

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8. One question

Pretend that you are part of the hiring team at a fictional company in this ice breaker game. You and your team are tasked with finding your next superstar candidate with one caveat: you can only ask the candidate one question to determine whether or not they'd suit the role. You can make this game as absurd or as practical as you wish.

For example, the role you could hypothetically recruit for could be General of the Star Wars Rebel Army, a kindergarten teacher, or a tour guide for an African safari company. It's up to you to add your own creativity to the game. Once each group has its role, they are sent away to discuss and brought back to present their question and reasoning to everyone.

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9. Egg Drop

For this ice breaker game, you’ll need a carton of eggs for this exercise. Teams are tasked with using materials from around the office to protect an egg from breaking when dropped from about ten feet. Each team should have access to the same office materials like paper, paper clips, tape, erasers, and pens. The teams will compete to see who can protect their egg from breaking all while using the least amount of materials possible.

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10. The one-word icebreaker

Keep things simple by having everyone describe their current mood in one word in this fun ice breaker activity. You can have people explain their one-word mood descriptor if you want to add more depth to your team building icebreaker activities, but you can also just go with the flow and enjoy how cryptic some of the answers can be e.g. I feel alpaca.

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11. Marshmallow Tower

This classic ice breakers for team building involves teamwork, creativity, and resource management. Divide participants into teams and provide each group with uncooked spaghetti, tape, string, and marshmallows. Each team must build the tallest freestanding tower with a marshmallow on top within 15 minutes. Afterward, the teams showcase their towers and discuss their strategies. This fun team building icebreaker activity promotes problem-solving and group collaboration while adding a competitive edge.

12. Speed Networking

A quick and fun ice breaker for team building, this activity pairs up participants for two-minute conversations. Each person answers a prompt like, “What is your favorite childhood memory?” or “If you could have any superpower, what would it be?” After two minutes, participants rotate partners. The activity is a great way to foster connections and energize your group.

13. Story Chain

Perfect for sparking creativity and team collaboration, this team building icebreaker game begins with one person starting a story using one sentence. Each subsequent participant adds a sentence to build on the narrative. By the end, the group creates a funny and unexpected story. This icebreaker enhances listening skills and encourages active participation.

14. Human Knot

This highly engaging team building icebreaker activity requires participants to form a circle and hold hands with two different people in the group. The challenge is to untangle themselves without breaking the chain. It’s a fantastic team icebreaker for work that builds trust, problem-solving skills, and communication.

15. Movie Pitch

Divide participants into small groups and assign them the task of creating a movie pitch in 10 minutes. Each team must come up with a title, plot, and characters. Encourage them to think outside the box and present their pitch dramatically. This team building icebreaker highlights creativity, teamwork, and presentation skills.

16. Office Scavenger Hunt

Inspired by Teamland’s experiences, this activity turns the office into a game zone. Create a list of hidden items or quirky facts about the workplace. Divide the group into teams to find these items or answer the questions within a time limit. This workplace scavenger hunt game gets everyone moving and collaborating.

17. Bucket List Sharing

In this team building icebreaker activity, each person shares one item from their bucket list and explains why it’s meaningful to them. This is an excellent way to connect on a personal level and understand teammates’ aspirations and passions.

18. Personality Bingo

Adapted from Teamland, create bingo cards featuring personality traits or experiences (e.g., “Loves hiking,” “Speaks more than two languages”). Participants must mingle to find someone who matches each square. The first to complete their card wins. This fun ice breaker for team building encourages mingling and conversation.

19. Desk Safari

Ask participants to find objects on their desks that resemble animals and explain their “species” to the group. For example, a tape dispenser might be a “desk snail.” This light-hearted team building icebreaker activity is perfect for virtual and in-person settings to spark creativity and humor.

20. Draw Your Life

Inspired by Teamland team building icebreaker activities, this creative exercise has participants sketch their life journey on a piece of paper. They then explain their drawing to the group. This engaging team icebreaker for work encourages self-expression and personal storytelling.

21. Team Logo Design

Each team creates a logo and slogan representing their group within 15 minutes. They can use drawing materials or even digital tools. Teams present their designs to the group, and everyone votes on the most creative or inspiring logo. This is a fun and engaging team-building icebreaker game.

22. Virtual Museum Tour

Adapted for hybrid work from Teamland, host a virtual icebreaker where participants share one piece of artwork or memorabilia from their home. They explain its significance, creating a virtual “museum” tour of personal stories. This team-building icebreaker activity promotes connection and understanding.

23. Fun Debate Club

Assign light-hearted debate topics like “Is pineapple acceptable on pizza?” or “Would you rather fight 100 duck-sized horses or one horse-sized duck?” Teams argue their sides and the group votes on the most convincing case. A humorous ice breaker for team building that sparks laughter.

24. Paper Plane Contest

Each participant creates a paper plane, with prizes awarded for the longest flight, best design, and funniest crash. This team building icebreaker is simple, low-prep, and guarantees a lot of laughs.

25. Emoji Story

Participants use only emojis to share a recent experience or event from their lives. Others guess what the emojis represent. This unique team icebreaker for work encourages creativity and breaks the ice quickly.

26. The Perfect Playlist

This engaging team building icebreaker game leverages the universal love for music. Divide participants into teams and provide them with a scenario such as "celebrating a big win," "calming morning vibes," or "overcoming a challenge." Each team curates a 10-song playlist that best fits the theme. Teams present their playlists and explain why each song was chosen. You can create a Spotify playlist with the winning selections to share with everyone. This activity builds creativity, encourages collaboration, and sparks fun discussions about musical tastes.

27. Build a Team Anthem

Turn the workplace into a musical studio with this team building icebreaker activity! Split participants into small groups and task them with writing a team anthem. Encourage teams to either rewrite the lyrics of a well-known song or create their own melody. Provide props or instruments (even makeshift ones like staplers as drums!) for added fun. After a short rehearsal, each group performs their anthem. This activity boosts camaraderie, showcases creativity, and guarantees laughter.

28. Picture This

This imaginative game revolves around storytelling. Provide teams with a stack of random images, such as abstract art, everyday objects, or silly scenes. The challenge is for each team to create a coherent and engaging story that ties all the pictures together. They present their narrative to the group, and everyone votes on the most creative or entertaining story. This activity hones creative thinking and encourages teamwork.

29. Origami Challenge

Origami becomes the foundation for this collaborative ice breaker for team building. Supply participants with paper and step-by-step instructions to create simple origami shapes like cranes, boats, or frogs. Teams work together to fold as many as possible within a time limit. To increase difficulty, add restrictions, like requiring members to alternate folding steps. This activity encourages patience, teamwork, and attention to detail while offering a sense of achievement when their creations are complete.

30. Mystery Box

Inspired by Teamland’s experiences, this team building icebreaker game requires ingenuity and teamwork. Prepare boxes filled with random office items (e.g., rubber bands, markers, paper clips, tape, or cotton balls). Teams have 15 minutes to create something functional or humorous using the items in their box. Afterward, teams present their creations and explain their purpose. This activity fosters out-of-the-box thinking and strengthens collaboration.

31. Virtual Escape Room

For remote or hybrid teams, a virtual escape room offers an exciting challenge. Inspired by Teamland’s virtual team building icebreaker activities, participants work in teams to solve puzzles, riddles, and challenges to "escape" within a time limit. Many online platforms offer customizable escape rooms for team-building. This activity enhances communication, problem-solving, and quick decision-making, making it an ideal team icebreaker for work.

32. Rapid Fire Q&A

A quick and high-energy team building icebreaker, this activity puts participants in the hot seat. The facilitator asks light-hearted questions (e.g., “What’s your go-to karaoke song?” or “If you could travel to any decade, which would it be?”), and participants must answer as quickly as possible. Keep the questions fun and varied to keep the energy high. This activity not only breaks the ice but also reveals surprising and humorous facts about team members.

33. Collaborative Playlist

Music is a powerful way to bring people together, making this activity a hit. Have participants contribute songs to a shared playlist that represents the team’s personality or reflects a common theme like "Motivation Mondays" or "Friday Feels." Once complete, play the playlist during team events or breaks. This activity highlights shared interests and creates a lasting connection among team members.

34. Obstacle Course

This physical team building activity, inspired by Teamland, is perfect for energizing the team. Set up an obstacle course using items like chairs, cones, ropes, or office supplies. Add a twist by blindfolding one participant while their teammates guide them through the course using verbal instructions. This activity builds trust, sharpens communication, and adds a sense of adventure to the workplace.

35. Caption This

Lighten the mood with this humorous team building icebreaker game. Provide participants with funny or random images (e.g., awkward stock photos or cartoon scenarios). Each person or team creates captions for the images, which are then shared with the group. The funniest or most creative captions win small prizes. This activity sparks laughter and allows participants to flex their creative muscles.

36. Minute to Win It

Inspired by Teamland’s competitive experiences, this fast-paced ice breaker for team building involves quick one-minute challenges. Examples include stacking cups, balancing pencils on their noses, or rolling a marble across a table into a target. Divide participants into teams, and award points for each successful challenge. The team with the most points wins. This activity is high-energy, entertaining, and great for building a lively atmosphere.

37. Guess That Sound

This team icebreaker for work combines auditory fun with friendly competition. Play sound effects like a car engine, a dog barking, or a popcorn machine, and have participants guess what they are. Teams write down their guesses, and the most accurate group wins. This activity is simple to set up, encourages focus, and often leads to amusing discussions.

38. Puzzle Race

Stimulate problem-solving with this classic team building icebreaker activity. Provide each team with identical puzzles, such as jigsaw puzzles or brainteasers. The goal is to complete the puzzle before the other teams. To increase the challenge, add rules like only one person can work on the puzzle at a time. This activity enhances teamwork and time management skills.

39. Pet Show and Tell

Inspired by Teamland, this light-hearted invites participants to share pictures or stories about their pets. For those without pets, they can describe their dream pet or a funny animal encounter. This activity builds personal connections and adds warmth to the workplace environment.

40. Desert Island Discs

This team building icebreaker game sparks meaningful conversation. Ask participants, “If you were stranded on a desert island and could only bring three items, what would they be?” Team members share their choices and the reasons behind them. This activity reveals unique insights into personality and problem-solving preferences, while also encouraging humor and creativity.

41. Build the Future

Participants work in small teams to envision and create a prototype of the “future workplace.” Provide materials like LEGO, clay, or basic craft supplies, and give them 20 minutes to build their vision. Each team presents their creation, explaining how it reflects innovation and teamwork. This team building icebreaker activity combines creativity and strategic thinking, while inspiring discussions about workplace improvements.

42. Random Acts of Kindness Bingo

Create a bingo card with acts like “Compliment a coworker,” “Hold the door open,” or “Help someone with a task.” Throughout the day or week, participants aim to complete as many squares as possible. This team icebreaker for work fosters positivity and collaboration while building camaraderie.

43. Balloon Debate

In this fun team building icebreaker game, participants imagine they’re on a sinking hot air balloon and must throw one person overboard to save the rest. Each team member takes on a quirky persona (e.g., a famous chef, astronaut, or fictional character) and argues why they should stay. The group debates and decides who gets “thrown out.” This activity sparks creativity, humor, and collaboration.

44. Reverse Brainstorming

In this game, instead of solving a problem, teams brainstorm how to make the problem worse. For example, if the problem is “low team productivity,” participants suggest hilariously bad ideas like “start every meeting at 4:59 PM.” After the laughter, shift gears to discuss real solutions. This activity encourages critical thinking while keeping the tone light and engaging.

45. Team Mural

Inspired by Teamland creative activities, provide a large canvas or sheets of paper and art supplies. Each participant contributes to a shared mural, adding their unique touch. The result is a collaborative masterpiece representing the team. This team building icebreaker activity fosters creativity and a sense of collective accomplishment.

46. Business Shark Tank

Participants form small teams and are given 20 minutes to create a product or service idea, complete with a pitch and business plan. They present their idea to “sharks” (managers or peers) who decide whether to “invest.” This dynamic team building ice breakers enhances creativity, public speaking, and teamwork.

47. Sound Off - Rhyme Time

Sound off is a fast-paced ice breaker for team building challenges participants to create rhymes for random prompts. For instance, if the prompt is “office,” responses could include “I’ll clean the office while sipping my coffee.” Teams work together to come up with the best rhymes. This activity is great for encouraging quick thinking and laughter.

48. Life Swap

Participants pair up and share a brief story or personal experience. Then, they introduce their partner to the group as if they were that person. For example, “Hi, I’m Alex, and I once swam with sharks in Australia.” This ice breakers for team building helps team members get to know each other on a deeper level while practicing active listening.

49. Superhero Stories

Each participant creates a superhero persona, complete with a name, power, and origin story. They share their superhero identity with the group. Teams can also collaborate to form superhero squads and create a quick comic strip or short skit about their adventures. This team building icebreaker inspires creativity and storytelling.

50. Alphabet Relay

Divide participants into teams and assign each team a letter of the alphabet. Teams must come up with as many items, places, or concepts as possible starting with their letter within a time limit. For example, if the letter is “B,” they might list “banana, basketball, Brazil.” This team building icebreaker game sharpens focus and promotes collaboration.

51. The Memory Game

Inspired by Teamland's team building ice breaker games, arrange a tray with 15–20 random items (e.g., pen, paperclip, coffee cup, keys). Show the tray to the group for 30 seconds, then cover it. Teams write down as many items as they can remember. To add a twist, shuffle the tray and have them identify what changed. This team icebreakers for work sharpens observation and memory skills while encouraging teamwork.

On That Note!

We understand that organizing fun team-building activities regularly can be as stressful as bringing your kid to a concert to watch her favorite boy band. 13-year-olds are scary. However, we are here to help you put together the best team building icebreaker games! Have Teamland host a next-level virtual team event.

Asking each other this or that question is one of the easiest and quick team icebreakers and a simple game to play with friends. Asking adults or kids these "either-or'' questions can help you rapidly find out important details about a coworker or group. Additionally, the best icebreaker games can spark deeper, smarter, and even humorous conversations can be sparked.

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What you should do now

Whenever you're ready...here are a few ways we can help you:

1. Book a team social event. If you'd like to work with us to have more engaging team events, book an event.

Don't know what activity to pick? Use the Team Building Idea Generator for options.

2. If you'd like to learn remote work strategies for free, head to our blog where you'll find several guides and posts.
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