This post was last updated on December 28th, 2022
Are you looking for icebreakers for small groups to get your remote team chatting? It’s time to transform awkward silence into a fun time! Icebreakers are a great way to spark conversation, build relationships and make people feel at ease.
Whether you are working from the office or remotely, we’ve compiled a list of the best ice breakers for small groups designed to give your team the chance to connect and help you collaborate more smoothly in the office.
There’s something for everyone here, from word games to creative activities – you’re sure to find your favorite ice breaker among these suggestions!
Curious about what we do and how we do it? Watch our Virtual Paris Team Building event here ↓
Table of Content
Classic Icebreaking Questions to Get the Conversation Started in Small Groups
- 17 Easy get-to-know-you questions to ask other team members
- 13 favorite-type questions to know your coworkers’ tastes & interests better
- 19 Creative icebreaker questions to ask within a small group
Fast 10 Minutes Icebreaker Games for Small Groups
- Mystery Fact
- Handshake shake shake
- Charades
- Style Rap
Fun icebreakers to Give Any Team Member a Good Laugh
- Who am I?
- Short stories
- Award Ceremony
- The Telephone Game (Broken Telephone)
- Pictionary
Icebreakers to Get To Know Your Team Better
- Two truths and a lie
- Would you rather?
- Most unique
Get Your Team Moving With These Energizing Icebreakers
- Marshmallow challenge
- Scavenger hunt
- Freeze Dance game
FAQ: What Are Ice Breakers, and When to Use Them?
Classic Icebreaking Questions to Get the Conversation Started in Small Groups
Going around the room using ice breaker questions can help everyone get to know each other better. The important thing is for participants to share about themselves and practice listening well.
These questions are great for new hires, especially for smaller groups, as it allows sufficient time for everyone to express themselves.
No inspiration? Pick some ideas below!
17 Easy get-to-know-you questions to ask other team members
- Can you introduce yourself?
- Share something about yourself that no one knows about yet.
- Which city do you come from?
- What is the first thing you did this morning after getting up?
- What is the most embarrassing thing that happened to you?
- What are your family origins?
- Can you share a funny story about yourself?
- What was the last movie you watched, and what did you think of it?
- Who’s the most famous person you know and how do they know them?
- How was your first day in the office?
- What was the last public event you went to?
- Where was your last vacation?
- How many hours of sleep did you get last night?
- What’s the craziest thing that’s ever happened to you on the way to work?
- What is something that always makes you happy?
- What is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for you?
- If your life was a TV show, what song would you choose as the opening credits?
13 favorite-type questions to know your coworkers’ tastes & interests better
- What’s your favorite animal?
- What is your favorite song right now, and why?
- Can you share your favorite childhood memory and tell us why it is your favorite?
- What’s your favorite restaurant around?
- What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?
- What’s your favorite sport, and do you practice it?
- What is your favorite children’s movie?
- Who’s your favorite singer?
- What’s your favorite activity to do alone, and why?
- Who’s your favorite book character that you’ve read about, and why?
- Who’s your favorite painter or artist?
- What’s your favorite TV show? And how many times have you watched it?
- What’s your favorite saying, phrase, or mantra?
20 Creative icebreaker questions to ask within small groups
- Can you make up a word that can’t exist in real life?
- If you could have any superpower, which one would you want to have?
- If you were a superhero, what would your name be?
- If you could be any animal, what would it be and why?
- Choose a celebrity to have dinner with and why.
- You’ve won 100 million dollars; what would you do with it?
- If you were from the opposite gender, what would you do differently?
- If you could be anywhere right now, where would you be?
- If you had to change your career, what would you choose?
- If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
- What’s your favorite place to visit if given an opportunity?
- What’s the craziest or weirdest dream you’ve ever had?
- If you could be invisible for one hour, where would you go, and what would you do?
- If you could bring 3 things with you before getting stuck on a desert island, what would they be?
- Can you share a crazy travel story from your last trip abroad?
- If you won the lottery tonight, who would you call first?
- If you could visit any country in the world right now, which one would it be and why?
- If you were a piece of furniture, which one would you be?
- Which superhero sidekick would you want to have?
- If you could meet one person, past or present, who would it be and why?
Looking for more questions to encourage team members to share more about themselves? Have a look at our list of 175 ice breaker questions!
Fast 10 Minutes Icebreaker Games for Small Groups
If you are dealing with time limits, here’s a list of quick icebreakers that can be done in less than 10 minutes and require no preparation.
Check out these fast icebreaker activities designed to help break the ice, get people talking and chatting with each other, and ease any nervous tension or awkwardness that might have set in at the start of an event/meeting.
Mystery Fact
Ask everyone to write down something interesting about themselves on a piece of paper, fold it up and place it into a bowl.
Everyone then picks up a paper, reads it, and passes it around so that everyone reads what the other wrote without seeing who wrote it.
Each turn, the team members can try to guess who wrote it and either reveal who wrote the mystery facts or let the suspense hold!
Handshake shake shake
Encourage everyone to stand in a circle and invite them to create their own unique handshake with the individual on their left. Now, with the group member on their right.
Once they are all defined, do a full round of handshakes, one by one, with all team members involved, as fast as possible!
Charades
The classic game of charades is simply among the best icebreaker ideas!
In this game, the team members will have to guess a word or phrase thanks to clues given for each syllable or the whole expression. Those can also be acting hints for more action!
For a different version, use charades to make the other participants guess a tv show, a song, or a movie.
You can either play with all coworkers under the same flag or twist it into a happy competition by splitting larger groups into two or more teams. The winning team will be the one finding the most words or phrases.
Style rap
This activity is perfect for small groups looking to add an element of fun and silliness. It’s also a great way to break the ice and get everyone comfortable with each other.
To get started, choose one person to start rapping about a topic for 1-2 minutes. Then, the next person will continue the style of rap by adding their own verse to the story. The goal is to keep the rap going for as long as possible!
You can either have someone beatboxing or playing music in the background, or you can just let everyone freestyle.
Fun Icebreakers to Give Any Team Member a Good Laugh
Looking for a fun way to introduce your meeting? Consider the “Who am I” game, short stories challenge, or The Telephone Game. They’ll surely re-boost the team!
Read on for instructions and to get some more ideas.
Playing a quick game of “Who am I?” at the office.
Who am I?
For this icebreaker, give everyone a piece of sticky notes and a pen. Ask them to write down the name of a celebrity and place it in a bowl.
One person will pick a random paper out of the bowl without looking at it and stick it to their forehead.
This team member will then have to find out what famous people they are. How so? By asking yes or no questions only!
Get everyone to sit in a circle and participate simultaneously, with team members asking one by one their own questions.
Pro tip: If you’re on a tight schedule, split the game into several parts over several weeks. This is perfect for a small group part of a longer project.
Every week, one person will take their turn and ask all questions needed to find out who they are. You can keep records on a board by writing down the questions and transforming this icebreaker into a friendly competition!
Short stories
Give everyone five words that they will have to use as prompts for short stories. Allow them a few seconds to build up their idea and ask them to read their story aloud to everyone else.
A fun way to play this game is to give one word or more totally out of context, for example, “bus,” “thief,” “fairy,” “gnocchi’s,” and “Jennifer Lopez,” to get the participants to create crazy stories!
Award Ceremony
Imagine you are at an awards show. Come up with three categories for awards, such as “best dressed” or “funniest of the office.”
Write out some nominees for each category, and ask others to vote on who they think should win.
This is an excellent icebreaker for virtual holiday company parties, especially if you’re managing a remote team.
The Telephone Game (Broken Telephone)
You probably played that one back in school. Also called “Wireless telephone,” the telephone game is an easy icebreaker to play with small-sized groups.
The game involves getting a person to create a sentence or phrase and pass it along to another by whispering in their ears.
The others will have to pass the message on until it gets back to the creator without being repeated. The last player will have to recite aloud the sentence they heard from the others.
Some words get changed, and others get lost in the process which can create odd and improbable new sentences.
You’ll be surprised by how fun this game can get!
Pictionary
Whether you’re trying to get to know a new team or energize a group that’s been working together for a while, small group icebreakers are a great way to get everyone moving and interacting. And what better way to get people moving than with a fun game of Pictionary?
Pictionary is one of those classic ice breaker games that are easy to learn and can be adapted to accommodate large groups like small groups.
To play, divide your group into teams and give each team a sheet of paper and a pen (or a whiteboard and a marker). Then, choose one team member from each team to be the drawer. The rest of the players will be the guessers.
The drawer will choose a word, and then they will have 60 seconds to draw a picture that represents that word. The guessers will try to understand what word it is. If they do, they win a point.
The next round goes for the next team playing and it goes on and on until one of the two teams gets to 5, 10, 15, 20 points or more!
Icebreakers to Get To Know Your Team Better
If silly icebreakers don’t fit your company culture, make your entire team more comfortable and get to know each other better with easy icebreakers.
These icebreakers are ideal for helping people share a bit more about their life or personality, get comfortable around each other, and start bonding!
So if you don’t have any icebreakers on hand, here’s a list of some good ones that should do the trick!
Two truths and a lie
We talked about it above, now here are the full instructions!
In “Two Truths and a Lie,” everyone has to say two things about themselves that are true and one thing that is a lie.
Give people a few minutes before starting the icebreaker to think about what they will say.
Then, one person states their three facts while the rest of the group tries to guess which of those statements is a lie.
This is a great way to learn something new about each other while building problem-solving skills. To make this icebreaker more enjoyable, people should offer unusual facts about themselves. The weirder, the better!
Would you rather?
Do a round of “Would you rather?” questions and ask participants to choose between the two options and why.
“Would you rather be able to fly or have unlimited access to any food at any time?”
“Would you rather choose an ice cream or a pizza?”
“Would you rather be living in the mountains or at the beach?”
This is one of the icebreaker games that is great to figure out who has something in common with someone else. Perfect for any small group of people!
Pro tip: Don’t forget to check out our “would you rather” blog post with over 100+ this or that questions. Of course, in true Woyago style – there’s a Parisian twist to our edition.
Most unique
Go around the room and ask each participant to share something that makes them unique or unusual. The more unique the facts, the funnier the icebreaker becomes.
This activity encourages openness and celebrates individuality among the group. It often creates starting points for conversations that can be useful for new people in the company or the group.
The icebreaker organizer could get the group started and begin with an example of a different thing about themselves to get everyone in the room to talk about it. This will also give each participant some time to get an idea of their unique fact or talent.
Get Your Team Moving With These Energizing Icebreakers
Looking for a way to get your team chatting and moving?
These icebreakers are a great way to do just that.
Marshmallow challenge
The Marshmallow Challenge is another excellent icebreaker activity during a team-building session.
The goal is to build the tallest structure made of 20 dry spaghettis, a long yard of string, another one of tape, and a standing marshmallow on top!
Divide team members into two groups or more (3 to 4 people per team), give each team the material, and ask them to build the structure in 5 minutes.
Let the most creative and collaborative team win!
Scavenger hunt
Another great icebreaker game is the scavenger hunt. With this one, you’ll have to create a list of items to find in the office (or home) and then give clues for where they might be hidden.
Whoever finds the most items in a specific time wins. A scavenger is a fun icebreaker that will get your coworkers moving and is ideal for a small group.
Pro tips: Split the members into two teams or more to create collaboration and for participants to communicate and get to know each other. Use a time limit to keep the members active and under pressure!
Freeze Dance game
Get your body moving with the Freeze Dance game! This icebreaker is a great way to break up a long meeting, get everyone moving, and release tension collectively.
With this icebreaker, ask everyone to stand in a circle.
Designate one person to get the dance started.
While they dance, all the other participants copy and dance along. This team member will then suddenly stop and freeze. Others will have to be attentive and freeze at the same time.
The next person to the left will then take their turn and show everyone else their movement, while others copy again.
Pro tip: Make all of the team members engage in this Freeze Dance game and make sure they include some fun moves!
FAQ: What Are Ice Breakers, and When to Use Them?
What is a group ice breaker?
An ice breaker (or icebreaker) is a fun way of starting a conversation or meeting that helps ease the tension and get things flowing.
It can be a team-building activity or game or a series of questions designed to make everyone feel comfortable talking with each other in small groups.
Companies mostly use ice breakers during team-building exercises to help people get acquainted with each other and build relationships.
Why shall you use icebreakers in a small group meeting?
The best icebreakers promote an inclusive workplace and lead to better brainstorming sessions while strengthening relationships between peers.
Small group icebreakers can also create a strong standard of collaboration and respect within the company. Additionally, icebreakers can be used as a way to energize a group or to get everyone thinking creatively for new brainstorming ideas.
No matter what the purpose, icebreakers are a fun and easy way to help people get to know each other better.
When to use icebreakers for small groups?
People are often intimidated by a new environment. What better way to overcome this than with ice breakers? Use them during introductions or onboarding sessions before starting on an assigned task or company team-building activities.
For some, it’s just a matter of time before they start chatting and getting to know one another; for others, you need an icebreaker or two!
If your goal is to create the opportunity for people in your group to become more comfortable talking with each other, then an icebreaker can help.
How do you break the ice in a small group?
Joining a new group can be intimidating, especially if you don’t know anyone. It can be hard to know how to break the ice and get the conversation flowing.
One way to break the ice is to ask everyone to introduce themselves and say one thing that they are passionate about. This can help everyone to get to know each other and find common interests.
Another way to break the ice is to play a game or do a creative team-building activity together. This can help people to relax and have some fun together.
Whatever you do, remember that everyone is in the same boat as you and, they are probably just as nervous as you are. So be friendly and try to put everyone at ease.
What are some common icebreakers?
Generally speaking, one classic icebreaker is to ask about the person’s job or hobby. For example, you might say, “What do you do for a living?” or “Do you have any hobbies?”. Another common icebreaker is to ask about the person’s family or pets.
In a business environment, some common icebreakers for work include asking people about their weekend plans, sharing something you did over the weekend, or talking about a recent news story.
You can also try asking people about their favorite things to do outside of work or what they like to do in their free time.
If you are looking for something more lighthearted, you can always try asking people about their favorite TV show or movie or what they like to eat for lunch.
What is a good icebreaker for a meeting?
For a meeting, a good icebreaker could be to ask, “What’s your name, and can you share with us three things about yourself?”
If you find that people are struggling to answer three things about themselves, then offer some further guidance by creating a theme around a specific topic like food:
“Can you tell us what your favorite ice cream is?”
“Would you rather eat pizza or pasta for the rest of your life, and why?”
“Pepsi or Coke?”
These easy-going questions allow people to share interesting facts and anecdotes without having to embarrass themselves… yet!
Looking for a complete list of would you rather type questions for your next team building meeting? Check out our blog for 105 This or That Questions: Parisian Twist Edition! You will also find some in our list of 175 ice breaker questions for virtual meetings.
What is a fun icebreaker question?
One icebreaker question that is always sure to get a laugh is, “What is your spirit animal?”. This question can lead to some really fun and kitschy answers, and it’s a great way to get people talking.
Another icebreaker question that can be fun is, “If you could have any superpower, what would it be?”. This often invites team members to an interesting conversation about what people would do with their new powers.
What’s an excellent icebreaker game to play with a small group?
With a small group, it’s easy and fun to play a word game, such as “Two Truths and a Lie,” for example.
In this one, participants must identify two truths and a lie about themselves. Let the other team members guess which is which before the talking member reveals his lie to the rest of the group.
We hope that these tips and icebreakers for small groups will be helpful and inspiring during your next event, conference, or team meeting.
We’re sure that these games, challenges, creative ideas, and a set of questions/answers will get your participants to open up to one another.
But we’re interested to read about your own experience! Have you ever implemented icebreakers or played some with your coworkers? Do you have another icebreaker idea you would like to add to that list? Did you try any of the icebreaker games above?
Share it with us on social!
Want to go further than Icebreakers?
If you want to take things a step further than using icebreakers during your meeting, don’t wait anymore and organize a proper virtual team-building with us, like we already did with the most successful teams of Apple, Google, Chanel, and Airbnb – to name only those!
Contact us to set up a custom virtual event for you and your team. We’d be more than happy to help!
