The purpose of virtual icebreakers for large groups is to provide a way for people who don’t know each other very well to introduce themselves. They are also an incredibly effective tool to engage a team, of any size, and make them feel comfortable and established.

To help you create a budding workplace team over Zoom we have compiled a list of 11 of the very best Zoom icebreakers for large groups.

Shivering with excitement (pardon the pun)? Then let’s get started.

How do you create an icebreaker game and virtually host with a large group?

Anyone who has managed a virtual team will know how impersonal and unfriendly Zoom calls can feel, especially when there are members who are new to a team or when a completely new team has just been formed.

To get over this tension, fun icebreakers can be used to start conversations and rule out any nervousness. They will add an element of excitement and relaxation to a virtual meeting and will lay the foundations of a strong and cohesive team.

If you’re wanting to host icebreakers virtually then here’s our top piece of advice: don’t overcomplicate it. Act as though you were hosting these icebreakers in person, find ones that you know you and your team will enjoy, ensure that they can be carried out on Zoom… and then sit back and watch the magic unfold!

And another top tip for icebreakers: make them short and sweet. No one likes to spend hours asking each other questions and it’s at this point ice breakers can become boring, tedious, and a tad cringy. If you want to learn about other virtual games to play with large teams, not just icebreaker games, then check out our comprehensive list of virtual team building activities.

What are good icebreakers over Zoom?

Zoom has taken top place as the most popular communication platform for large, virtual teams. As a result, it is incredibly likely that you and your team will be using Zoom and looking for an excellent way to break the ice. Check out the 11 very best virtual icebreakers for large teams that we have listed below.

1. Keep it simple: traditional icebreakers

Simple icebreaker questions are not to be overlooked when finding fun ways to introduce a new team or engage and motivate a new one. They can be as complicated or as simple as you like, and they take very little time to plan and organize (a win-win for you).

To host a traditional icebreaker activity on Zoom, think of a number of questions that you can go around the virtual room and ask the team members. Questions can be easy and free from intimidation, such as “What did you eat for breakfast?”, “Are you an early bird or night owl?”, or “Do you prefer sweet or savory foods?”

However, if you want something juicier you could ask “What’s your most used emoji?”, “When you die, what do you want to be remembered for?” or “What’s the most embarrassing thing you’ve ever done in the workplace?”

You’ll be incredibly surprised at how much you can learn about people from simple questions like this. They are great introductions and can really make your team feel at ease.

If you want more examples of icebreaker questions, check out our list of over 160 excellent icebreaker questions you can ask your team (I know, we’re so kind doing all the work for you!).

Although the above icebreaker method is easy and great to use in many situations, we think this method is a little simple and that there are plenty more exciting icebreakers that you can use… hence why we’ve written a list of 11 of them! Read on to find out more.

2. Repeat Performance 

As one of our favorites, this icebreaker activity allows you to give a motivating and inspiring speech to your employees, whilst ensuring that they remember the values of the company and/or the purpose of the meeting.

Breaking the ice in this manner is incredibly effective for team building, as research has repeatedly found that a good speech will increase employee empowerment and motivation. Employees will walk away feeling empowered to adhere to the words you have chosen for them to learn.

Instructions to play Repeat Performance:

·  Pick two specific words or phrases that you would like participants to walk away from the speech remembering. For example: cohesion, fulfillment, training, bonding, finance, or compassion.

·  Set up a Zoom meeting and explain to your team members that they have the exciting opportunity to participate in your speech.

·  To participate in the speech, team members can shout out a word when you point with your right hand and a different word when you point with your left… Make sure your hands are in clear view on your Zoom call!

·  For example, if you picked the words “success” (left hand) and “proactive” (right hand) you might say “here at (company name) we thrive on” and point your left hand. Team members will shout out “success” and will remember the word for a long time after.

·  Carry on playing until you think you have delivered an empowering speech and made your point.

3.   Simon Says

If you’ve ever been to a child’s birthday party or been present at a school break time, you are likely to have played a thrilling game of Simon Says. As an adult, this game is just as simple as the ones 5-year-olds play (and it’s just as fun!).

The rules of Simon Says are pretty simple, but just in case you’ve forgotten how to play it or are a little confused about how it would work virtually, here’s how to play Simon Says on Zoom:

·  Spend some time planning what actions you would like to get your team to do.

·  Set up a team meeting and then send an email to your team explaining that for this meeting they’ll probably want to be at home (although it could be entertaining for other people in a café to watch) and that they’ll need to be standing up in front of the camera.

·  Once online, get your team to stand up and explain the rules.

·  When you say “Simon Says” followed by an order, the group should obey the order. You can make these orders as complicated or as simple as you like. For instance, you might say “Simon Says point upwards with your right hand” or “Simon Says spin around”. Or you might say “Simon Says do a handstand” or, “Simon Says find an object related to work”.

·  To make this icebreaker even more inclusive and really break the ice, you can take it in turns to allow team members to give out the instructions.

4.   Two Truths and One Lie 

This Zoom icebreaker is a fantastic way for the whole team to get to know everyone on a more personal level. It allows members to open up to each other and creates trust within a team.

As the name suggests, team members will state two truths and one lie about themselves. The other members of the team must then guess which is the lie.

For example, I would say “I am left-handed (truth), I have a pet dog (truth) and I have three sisters (lie)”. To play, you would take turns asking each person in your pre-scheduled Zoom meeting to say their truths and lies. Then, the other team members will get to vote on what they think is a lie and what they think is the truth.

5.   How to play “Guess the Acronym” icebreaker on Zoom

We all use acronyms in our daily lives. Whether it’s a classic ‘LOL’ when we find something funny, or more business-related terms such as ‘B2B’, ‘SMART’, or ‘CPU’. Guess the acronym is a simple, and work-related, way to get people giggling and having fun.

Over Zoom, ask your large team members to put acronyms into a chat channel or say them over video chat. Other team members can then guess what the acronym means. If you want to make this icebreaker more competitive, you can play it so that team members must race to say the acronym correctly first. The person who gets the most right first is then crowned the winner.

Top tip: to get more for your money, make the acronyms work-related. For instance, if you work in finance, use related ones. The same goes for marketing, sales, or science.

6.   Trivia 

Playing trivia with a virtual team is a fantastic way for remote colleagues to showcase their knowledge, learn some new skills and have a good time. Trivia is an easy-to-coordinate, ‘DIY’ game that you can tailor to your unique team. This means that literally anyone can get involved in… and that’s why we love it so much!

How to play DIY trivia on Zoom:

·  Schedule a date and time with your team members and set up a Zoom meeting

·  Randomly split your team into even groups (they will compete whilst also learning about each other!)

·  Create a list of questions that you want to ask your team. You might ask them general knowledge questions, such as “What is the largest continent?” or “Who is the prime minister in the U.K.?”. Or (now this is where it gets really fun) you might ask them more personal questions about other team members. For instance, you might ask “How many children does Jane have?”, or “What is Peter’s job title?”

·  You will then call the questions out to the team and the first person to guess the answer wins a point for their team (note: personal questions can be answered by any team, but Jane or Peter would not be allowed to answer the question).

·  Offer prizes if you want to make it competitive.

7.   Good Old Times 

Designed to bring back childhood memories of our nostalgic teenage years, this icebreaker game is designed to help people bond over deep and meaningful memories.

In your Zoom meeting, ask childhood-related questions for your team to discuss and bond over. Popular questions include “What was your favorite candy?”, “Which band was your favorite growing up?”, “What was your favorite childhood holiday?” or “What was the name of your childhood pet?”

There will be loads to talk about and people can really get to know each other with a deep personal connection, as opposed to just on a surface, more corporate level.

8.   Rank Your Favorites

Like the previous icebreakers, you can engage your team members on a much more personal level by asking them to rank their favorite options out of a list of things. Whether their favorite things are from their childhood or favorite foods, your team members can learn a lot about each other and use this newfound knowledge to bond!

Playing this icebreaker game over Zoom is incredibly stress-free. Pick a genre and then pick five options that your team members must rank from their favorite to their least favorite. They can submit their responses in a chat channel, or over video. Once the responses are submitted for everyone to see, expect some lively conversations about why people think x, y, or z is their all-time favorite.

 Some examples of genres you could use:

·  Rank these 90’s movies: A Time to Kill, Jurassic Park, The Shawshank Redemption, Clueless, and Notting Hill

·  Rank these pasta dishes: carbonara, bolognaise, lasagne, cannelloni, and ravioli

·  Rank these animals: dog, sheep, cat, horse, and hamster (this one will definitely get your team talking!)

 9. Waffles vs Pancakes

Fun, engaging, and designed to get your team hungry to know more about each other, Waffles vs Pancakes is one of our all-time favorite icebreakers.  

It can be played very easily over Zoom and here’s how you do it:

·  Start by asking one team member whether they prefer waffles or pancakes.

·  The team member must say which one they prefer and replace the other one (their least preferable one) with an alternative item. For example, they may pick waffles and then swap in cheese.

·  The next player must then say whether they prefer waffles or cheese. If they picked cheese, they would replace waffles with an item (e.g., mangos).

·  The next player must say if they prefer cheese or mangos (I know what I’d pick… you can’t have mangos on pizza…)

·  Carry on the game until every play has had a go.

10.   Work from home fails 

Perhaps one of the simplest icebreakers to play, but incredibly relevant to remote teams, all you do for this game is ask everyone on Zoom what their biggest working from home fails have been.

We’ve all had one. Maybe one colleague didn’t turn off their Zoom camera when picking their nose. Someone else thought they were on mute when they sighed. Or, maybe they accidentally spilled water over their keyboard mid-meeting? Either way, I am sure they will find something to laugh about!

11.   Desert Island

The last on our list, desert island icebreakers are not new, we’ve been playing them for years. And as modern is not always best, we think you should include this icebreaker at some point in your team building process to help connect and bond your team members.

At the start of a Zoom meeting, simply ask each team member to name five items they would bring with them if they were stranded on a desert island. After, open the floor up for discussion so that each individual can find others who share the same thought processes.

What are some other fun virtual icebreakers (if not using Zoom)?

Although Zoom is popular, it is not for everyone. Some virtual teams like to use other platforms to communicate, and other teams aren’t always virtual and have the opportunity to meet in person. As a result, we’ve made sure we’ve included some fantastic icebreakers to meet the needs of these teams. 

If the games on the list below take your fancy, then check out this list of 47 virtual team building activities and icebreakers that don’t have to be done on Zoom! 

1. Pass the Buck 

This is an icebreaker game that you can’t really play over Zoom as it requires in-person interaction. But don’t let that put you off. If you can get your team together in person then this icebreaker game can add great value to their interactions and connections.

Instructions:

·  Ask team members to take a coin out of their pocket (or purse/wallet) and hold it in the air.

·  Team members walk around the room and find someone who has presented the same money as them.

·  Partners share one piece of information with each other that they think is valuable. This information can be personal, or general knowledge.

·  They can decide whether they think the information is of value, if it is they give them their money. If they don’t, they can keep it!

2. AirBnB Experiences with Your Team

Airbnb doesn’t just have to be for staycations. Surprisingly, you can use it for a productive team building activity for your large teams. If you can’t meet in person, then this method is a great way to mimic in-person interaction.

Hosted by experts from all over the world, you can pick categories, from light-hearted to educational, and a host provides a fun and realistic icebreaking activity. Then all you have to do is sit back, relax and watch as your team creates unbreakable bonds by doing tasks that are designed to bring any team together. For the Airbnb team building and icebreaker games that we love the most, check out our full list of Airbnb virtual experiences here.

3. Virtual Escape Rooms 

Escape rooms are great ways to get your employees excited, adventurous, and everything in between! You can play these in real life, or you can play them virtually! 

To play a virtual escape room from the Team Building Hub (the best of the best) simply: 

• Choose the escape room adventure that you’d like to play with the team (options include research laboratories, a prison, an art museum, and more!) 
• Follow the link sent by your host and log on
• Work through the puzzles and clues with your team until you have successfully broken out of your room!

3. Musical Chairs

Another childhood classic, Musical Chairs is a great way to get everyone up, moving around (perfect for teams who are sedentary all day), and having fun. 

The rules don’t change between an adults game and a child’s game, so here’s how to play: 

• Play some fun music that you know your team will like.
• Set some chairs out in a circle. You need one less chair then you have people playing.
• Have your team members walk around the perimeter of the chair circle. 
• When the music stops, everyone must immediately sit in a chair and the person left standing is out. 
• Remove another chair from the circle and continue to play until only one person is left. 

That’s a wrap!

We hope you’ve liked our list of the best Zoom icebreaker activities for large groups. This list of icebreakers for large groups on Zoom will undeniably provide your virtual team with ways to get to know each other, unwind during stressful times, and have some fun.

If after reading this you’ve tried one of these icebreakers, then let us know how you’ve got on. Did you manage to break the ice with a new team? Or did your long-standing team manage to connect on a deeper level?

The post 11 Zoom & Other Virtual Icebreakers for Large Groups appeared first on Team Building Hub.

From office holiday parties to family dinners, you might desire a little assistance getting the conversation going this year. Check out these festive, holiday icebreaker questions you can ask for a holiday season full of interesting conversations!

Holiday Ice Breakers

Thanksgiving 🍁

A holiday marked by its traditional food and dinner together at the table, keep Thanksgiving interesting this year with these themed ice breaker questions.

1. What is your favorite Thanksgiving meal side dish?
2. Do you like Thanksgiving food?
3. What are you thankful for this year?
4. Would you rather host dinner or attend at someone else’s home?
5. Do you like to watch football or the parade?
6. Does your family have any Thanksgiving traditions?
7. What is a favorite childhood Thanksgiving memory?
8. Do you normally go Black Friday shopping?
9. If you could have one famous person, dead or alive, sit at your Thanksgiving dinner table, who would you invite?
10. Would you rather cook the meal on Thanksgiving or clean up the dishes?

Christmas Holiday Ice Breaker Questions 🎄

Between virtual meetings and family Christmas parties, a few Christmas icebreaker questions may come in handy!

11. What is the best Christmas gift you’ve ever received?
12. What is the worst Christmas gift you’ve ever received?
13. Do you have a favorite Christmas song?
14. Does your family have any favorite holiday traditions?
15. What is your favorite Christmas snack?
16. Did you believe in Santa growing up?
17. How early do you start decorating?
18. Are you an early or last-minute shopper?
19. Would you rather give or receive gifts?
20. What’s your favorite Christmas movie?
21. What is one of your Christmas memories?
22. Do you open any presents on Christmas Eve?

New Year’s Eve Holiday Ice Breaker Questions 🎇

Depending on what you do to celebrate New Year’s Eve, there may not be a ton of time for conversation. However, the change of the calendar marks an opportunity for reflection and connection with these ice breakers.

23. Do you have any New Year’s Eve traditions?
24. What are your new year’s resolutions?
25. Do you like to attend a party or do you prefer to spend NYE at home?
26. Use three words to describe the year 2021.
27. What was one of the best things that happened to you this past year?
28. Have you ever watched the ball drop in person?
29. If you could give yourself at this time last year a piece of advice, what would it be?
30. What is one of the most challenging things to happen to you this year?
31. Did you complete any of your resolutions from last year?
32. What fashion trends do you think will be popular in the new year?
33. What is something you did this year that you would like to continue next year?

Winter ❄️

Winter in general has plenty of topics that can spark conversation. Try talking about some of these ice breaker questions while you’re cozy inside with friends or family!

34. Was it cold during the winter where you grew up?
35. If you could learn to play any winter sport, which would you pick?
36. What’s your favorite event to watch during the winter Olympics?
37. Would you rather be really cold or really hot?
38. Have you ever built an igloo?
39. Where’s the coldest place you’ve ever traveled?
40. Do you have any favorite memories of winter as a child?
41. What are some of your favorite desserts to eat around the holidays?
42. Would you rather experience winter in a cozy cabin or at the beach?
43. If you could only celebrate one holiday for the rest of your life, which would you choose?
44. If you were trapped on a deserted island, would you rather it be near the cold and close to the South Pole or hot and near the equator?
45. Did you have snow days in school as a kid?
46. Would you rather go ice skating or sledding?

Throwing A Virtual Holiday Party?

Now that you have all of these good holiday ice breaker questions at your disposal, try using them during a virtual holiday party. Virtual holiday parties are fantastic opportunities for connection and virtual team building activities. Check out these ice breaker questions that are good to use year round!

The post 46 Holiday Ice Breaker Questions (2022) appeared first on Team Building Hub.

You can easily turn things around by getting your team to participate in team building! One that we highly recommend is virtual ice breaker questions – they’re fun and easy to implement into even the busiest workdays!

We’re going to give you lots (and we mean lots) of ideas for virtual ice breaker questions. But before we do, let’s talk about how you can implement them into your virtual team building activities.

What Kind Of Questions Are You Looking For?

• Creative questions
• Options for all occasions
• Questions for Zoom meetings
• Funny questions
• Obscure and unique options
• Virtual team building questions

160 Virtual Ice Breaker Questions

Join Us For A FREE Demo!

See exactly how our games work, ask questions about logistics and add some energy to your work day. Demos are 30 minutes long and take place on Zoom. There may even be a DoorDash giveaway!

Creative Questions

1. Do you like square or triangle pizza?
2. If you could be reincarnated as any animal, which would you choose?
3. Which sitcom would you like to play a role on?
4. What are your top 3 emojis?
5. Did you have celebrity posters on your walls as a kid?
6. Who is your celebrity doppelgänger?
7. What is the most bizarre food you’ve ever eaten?
8. What’s the best movie you got to see in theaters?
9. What is your “comfort movie”?
10. What is your “comfort album”?
11. Egg salad, tuna salad, or macaroni salad?
12. You’re next up for karaoke! What song do you pick?
13. What is your favorite way to kill time during quarantine?
14. Apple or Microsoft?
15. Do you prefer the classic Disney movies or the live-action remakes?
16. What is your favorite quarantine purchase?
17. Would you rather live in Arizona or Alaska?
18. If you were a dog, what breed would you be?
19. Have you ever had a random celebrity encounter?
20. If you could live in any country for one year, which would you choose and why?
21. Who is your favorite movie villain?
22. Pick one thing in the room and tell us a story about it (the story doesn’t have to be real!)
23. What would your personal theme song be?
24. Which fictional character do you relate to the most?
25. What is your guilty pleasure TV show?
26. What was in your high school locker?
27. If you could skip one part of your daily routine, what would it be and why?
28. What is in the trunk of your car right now?
29. What is the best gift you have ever received?

Ice Breaker Questions For All Occasions

30. What was your favorite Halloween costume ever?
31. Where did you grow up?
32. What was your favorite subject when you were in grade school?
33. What was your favorite class in college?
34. Are you reading a book right now?
35. What skill do you wish you could wake up and have tomorrow?
36. What is your favorite part about working from home?
37. Are you watching an interesting show right now?
38. What are your favorite podcasts?
39. What is your go-to dinner after a long day?
40. Are you an early bird or a night owl?
41. What is your favorite song right now?
42. What is your favorite kitchen appliance?
43. If you would wake up with the ability to speak another language, which would you choose?
44. What is the first thing you do when you wake up?
45. What kind of pets do you have?
46. Coffee or tea?
47. Sweet tea or unsweetened?
48. What is the last thing you ate or drank?
49. Do you separate your light clothes from dark, or wash them all together?
50. What meal would you cook for someone that you’re trying to impress?
51. What is your favorite appetizer?
52. Which restaurant has the best dessert?
53. What is your regular cocktail or beer order?
54. What are your top 3 bucket list items?
55. Which cancelled TV show do you wish was still on the air?
56. What book did you read to yourself for the first time?
57. What weird food did you love as a kid?

Ice Breaker Questions For Zoom Meetings

58. What piece of advice helped your career the most?
59. Where would you move if you could retire tomorrow?
60. How do you unwind after work?
61. How many countries (or states) have you visited? Can you name them?
62. Do you shower in the morning or at night?
63. Do you sleep with the TV on or off?
64. Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings?
65. Did you play a sport in high school or college?
66. What was your very first job?
67. Where is your favorite place to vacation?
68. Are you a dessert person?
69. Apple or Microsoft?
70. Did you play an instrument in high school?
71. What are your top 3 bucket list items?
72. If you weren’t at work right now, what would you be doing?
73. What is your favorite weekend activity?
74. If you’re going to a potluck, what would you bring?
75. What is your favorite holiday and why?
76. Who inspires you, professionally?
77. Would you rather own a yacht or a private jet?
78. Do you make your bed in the morning?
79. Are you a dog person or a cat person?
80. Which park at Disney World or Universal Studios do you want to visit the most?
81. What was your first car?
82. Would you want to be famous?
83. If you had one extra hour of free time every day, how would you use it?

Funny Questions

84. Where would you go in the event of a zombie apocalypse?
85. Describe your personal style in middle school.
86. What fashion trend are you glad is gone?
87. What fashion trend would you like to see return?
88. Do you believe in aliens?
89. What is the worst horror movie you have ever seen?
90. Do you talk to your pets as if they are people?
91. What game makes you the most competitive?
92. Super Bowl or puppy bowl?
93. Favorite riddle or joke?
94. The Office or Parks and Recreation?
95. What was your favorite childhood movie?
96. What movie makes you laugh until you cry?
97. Do you think Rose could have made room for Jack on the door?
98. Do you think tickling is funny or maddening?
99. Is there anything Meryl Streep can’t do?
100. Are you more likely to pick truth or dare?
101. Did you have a rebellious teenage stage?
102. What superpower would you give your best friend?
103. What is your favorite April Fool’s Day joke?
104. Do you prefer romantic comedies or “dramadies”?
105. What is the funniest holiday movie?
106. How would you describe your laugh?
107. Do you have any embarrassing post-anesthesia stories?
108. What is one story about you or your siblings that your family always laughs about?
109. What band are you embarrassed to admit that you love?

Obscure Questions

110. What is the story behind your phone or computer’s wallpaper?
111. Would you visit Mars even if the round trip took a year?
112. Which vegetable best describes your personality?
113. What songs do you want to play at your funeral?
114. If you could pick ANY song to walk down the aisle to, what would it be?
115. What reality show do you wish you landed a spot on?
116. What crime would you commit if you know you would get away with it?
117. If you were a type of shoe, what would you be?
118. Would you go on a UFO if you were invited?
119. If you had a magic carpet, where would you go first?
120. Which Disney character would you be?
121. What song describes you best right now?
122. Which character from the Office would you be?
123. What is your favorite song to sing in the shower?
124. What is your favorite song to sing while driving with the windows down?
125. Do you prefer the aisle or window seat?
126. Flats or drums? (chicken wings)
127. What is your go-to dance move?
128. What is the scariest thing you have ever done for fun?
129. If you were a type of jeans, which would you be?
130. What fictional world would you want to live in?
131. If you could have any superpower what would it be?
132. What song do you embarrassingly know every word to?
133. If you could clone yourself, what would your clone be doing right now?
134. Was there an odd rumor that went around your high school that wasn’t true? (for example, the seniors in my high school always tried to get the freshman to believe we had a secret rooftop pool)
135. Pick something in the room and make up a story about it.
136. Do you believe a monster will get your feet if they aren’t tucked under the blankets?
137. What’s the worst advice you’ve ever been given?
138. How did you get your biggest scar?
139. If you were in the circus, what would your act be?
140. If you were one of Snow White’s dwarves, who would you be? You can make up your own name!

Ice Breaker Questions For Virtual Team Building

141. If you could be a member on any fictional team, what team would you choose (it doesn’t have to be a sports team!)
142. What team is the best in real life?
143. Would you rather be in N*SYNC or the Backstreet Boys?
144. Do you think the Spice Girls made a good team? Why or why not?
145. What qualities do you think are best in a teammate?
146. When was the first time you were a part of a team?
147. What is your biggest team accomplishment?
148. Did you like team projects in school? Why or why not?
149. Do you think anyone can be a team player if they try, or are some people just better on their own?
150. What do you look for in a teammate?
151. Do you have an easy time asking for help?
152. Teamwork makes the dream work: true or false?
153. What is your idea of a good virtual team building exercise?
154. Do you think virtual team building exercises work?
155. What is your favorite virtual team building exercise?
156. Would you rather work solo or in a team?
157. What would you say your role is in a team?
158. Are you a listener or a talker?
159. What type of partner would you choose to balance yourself out?
160. What is something that you can do better than anyone else that you know?

And there you have it! 160 fail-proof ice breaker questions that you can start using at your next virtual team building event. For more virtual team building inspiration, check out our virtual team building options. Your team will have a blast working together in low-stakes environments, getting to know each other’s work styles, and letting loose after a long work week!

Tips For Using Virtual Ice Breaker Questions

1. Keep Things Short

Your team is likely already feeling a little burnt out by now. Working from home during a pandemic is tough and you don’t want to overwhelm your team with activities, even if they are meant to be fun.

We recommend planning a virtual ice breaker activity at the beginning of a Zoom meeting or 15-minutes before the end of a day. This will help to get your team energized or give them a chance to relax and let loose after a long day of work. Make sure the virtual team building activity doesn’t stretch into “of the clock” time, though!

2. Keep Things Simple

You want your virtual team building exercise to be easy to explain and understand. That way, you aren’t taking up too much of your team’s time by explaining and clarifying the instructions. Virtual ice breaker questions are a great remote team building activity because there’s really not much to them – just a question that needs an answer!

Even though virtual ice breaker questions are simple, they’re effective! Getting your team to gather around for an activity that takes their mind off of work can help to support communication, collaboration, and relaxation. Overcomplicating things may make this fun activity feel more like a chore.

3. Use The Technology That’s Available To You

There are so many fun things that you can do with technology and Zoom team building exercises! If you use the right features, you can create the best possible environment for your virtual ice breaker questions.

For example, if you have a large group, you can break everyone up into smaller group and utilize the Zoom breakout session rooms. This can really add to the intimacy factor you’re your large team might be missing when working from home.

Don’t be afraid to add some fun elements like music, or creative ways to display the virtual ice breaker question at hand. Instead of simply asking the question out loud, you could create a slideshow that has a few questions on it and design each slide to reflect a certain theme. Don’t forget about funky Zoom backgrounds!

4. Don’t Limit Your Team To Ice Breaker Activities Over Zoom

Your team might be feeling the Zoom fatigue at this point. You can help mitigate the effects by utilizing other virtual avenues for virtual ice breaker questions.

• Create a recurring “team building Tuesday” calendar event and send out an ice breaker question to the whole team in an email
• Ask everyone what their favorite songs are and curate a group playlist
• Use Google Docs to create a collaborative document where everyone can answer ice breaker questions, respond to prompts, or just talk freely about what’s on their mind that day!

5. Keep An Eye Out For Opportunities To Use Your Virtual Ice Breaker Questions

It’s always great to plan a virtual team building exercise so your team knows what to expect and when to expect it. But you may find there are times when you can use virtual ice breaker questions as a way to kill some time or relax.

You can use virtual ice breaker questions if:

• You’re waiting for others to join a meeting
• A meeting ends early
• There’s a meeting that isn’t capturing the attention of your team and you want to get everyone to reconnect during a break
• A meeting gets cancelled and you want to fill the time with a fun – yet productive – activity

Virtual Ice Breaker Activities

Fostering teamwork and connection during socially distant times can seem challenging, however it’s not impossible! Here are eleven ideas for fun virtual team building ice breaker activities! You can find more free online team building games here.

1. Fun Fact Matching

How much do you really know about your coworkers? Maybe not as much as you think! In this game, team members come up with a tidbit about themselves that they think no one else would guess. They then email it to the activity facilitator. Over Zoom, that host reads off the items and team members take turns guessing which fact applies to which person, racking up points for each correctly guessed answer.

2. Team HQ

HQ is an online trivia game individuals can play simultaneously through an app. On weekdays at 3pm EST, live quiz questions are presented and participants worldwide attempt answering all ten correctly for a chance to split prize money with other winners.

Your team can partner up via Zoom, playing individually on phones but sharing answer ideas out loud. It’s not as easy as it seems, but you might win with the advantage of working together!

3. TED Talk Watch Party

Have your leadership summits and professional development seminars been cancelled until further notice? Don’t worry! Your team can still learn something new from the comfort of your home offices. 

YouTube features hundreds of informative TED Talks that team members can all benefit from listening to and discussing together. A host can even have discussion questions regarding the TED Talk prepared to present to the team via Zoom.

4. Group Maps

With remote opportunities the main option for team building, you’ve got to make the most of what’s available! Even Google Maps can provide a chance for people to get to know one another. Create a collaborative map and team members can place a marker on their birthplace, favorite vacation spot, location they love going to in your city, or any category you can think of! This is a great way to remotely explore and learn more about your coworkers.

5. What’s Everyone Thinking?

This is a simple but surprisingly challenging game that requires zero equipment. First, the facilitator says a word. It can be any random word. Then, on the count of three, everyone else in the group says a new word that they associate with the previous word.

The objective of the game is to get all participants to say the same word at the same time. For example: if the facilitator’s first word was “car,” the group might say a variety of words like “travel,” “driving,” “road,” and “engine.” The group hearing those words might now say words like “vacation,” “train,” “trip,” and “highway.” The game continues on until hopefully everyone ends up saying the same word at the same time!

6. Take A Tour 

With travel banned in many places, vacations and company retreats aren’t an option. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t still experience new places and cultures, especially as a team! There are countless Airbnb virtual experiences for groups, some of which can accommodate up to 500 people! Learn about another country’s culture from a local or do a trivia quiz with a campy host. No matter which experience you chose, your team will have plenty to talk about!

7. Breakout Groups

It’s time to take advantage of the breakout sessions Zoom provides! In one large Zoom meeting, the host asks team members a simple question about one of their preferences with designated answer options. It can be something like their favorite color or whether they prefer cats or dogs.

From there, participants who chose the same answer separate into smaller groups via breakout rooms to answer a more personal question, such as “What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?” or “What do you like most about your job?” This will give coworkers who don’t normally interact with each other the chance to become better acquainted.

8. Trivia Session (Even Better If It’s Themed!)

Using a collaboration of Zoom and online software like Kahoot!, companies can host a virtual trivia game tournament. Coworkers can be broken into teams that are each on their own Zoom call. One member from each team can share their screen and log into the Kahoot game and answer questions on behalf of their team. The team that most quickly and correctly answers questions wins!

This is a great option for teams with a lot of members to still work together without being overwhelmed by a large number of people on a call. Feel free to add in fun prizes for the teams who come in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. Trivia questions can range from a variety of topics, from broad subjects like company history or niche options like The Office trivia.

9. Personality Quizzes

Team building personality tests are an enjoyable way to learn more about coworkers and there are plenty of free online choices to choose from. Have everyone take a brief quiz and then share with the group one thing they agree and disagree with about their results. Personality Perfect is a quick Myers-Briggs test option that doesn’t require an email submission to use. Test Color may seem initially silly, however users have said that it yields surprisingly accurate results!

10. QuizBreaker

If you’re willing to sign up for a free trial or donate a bit of budget to online team building, QuizBreaker is an awesome option. This software allows individuals to answer questions about themselves and give their responses to various scenarios. Coworkers then try to guess how the team member in question responded. The person with the most right answers wins!

11. Desk Snapshots

This is an easy way for team members to show off their spaces and see how well they know each other. Have everyone take a picture of their office or desk setup and then via Zoom or email, people can guess which desks belong to which coworkers. The same concept can also be applied to baby pictures!

Ice Breaker Tips

When using ice breakers, it’s important to note that their purpose is to dissolve awkwardness and tension rather than create it. Take inventory of what kind of team you have and what sort of activities would be best suited for helping them bond. There are different types of ice breakers and not all benefit a team equally. There are some that help individuals get to know one other, those that improve teamwork and collaboration, and others that are great for kicking off meetings and improving participation. Choose wisely for the best possible results.

Designating a group facilitator is also important to have during ice breakers to help dispel any lingering discomfort and move the event along. Facilitators also need to be aware of game rules and the logistics of how an event is going to work. They should already know the necessary passwords or Zoom meetings links to make for a successful team building activity!

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