{"id":913,"date":"2024-04-12T03:50:07","date_gmt":"2024-04-12T03:50:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mastertheevent.com\/?p=913"},"modified":"2024-04-12T03:50:07","modified_gmt":"2024-04-12T03:50:07","slug":"ice-breaker-games","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mastertheevent.com\/ice-breaker-games\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Unique Ideas For Ice Breaker Games"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_65 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-661fb2a327c6a\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-661fb2a327c6a\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/mastertheevent.com\/ice-breaker-games\/#What_Is_an_Ice_Breaker_Game\" title=\"What Is an Ice Breaker Game?\">What Is an Ice Breaker Game?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/mastertheevent.com\/ice-breaker-games\/#The_Benefits_Of_Playing_Ice_Breaker_Games\" title=\"The Benefits Of Playing Ice Breaker Games\">The Benefits Of Playing Ice Breaker Games<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/mastertheevent.com\/ice-breaker-games\/#10_Unique_Ideas_For_Ice_Breaker_Games\" title=\"10 Unique Ideas For Ice Breaker Games\">10 Unique Ideas For Ice Breaker Games<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/mastertheevent.com\/ice-breaker-games\/#1_10_Things_In_Common\" title=\"1. 10 Things In Common\">1. 10 Things In Common<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/mastertheevent.com\/ice-breaker-games\/#2_One_Word_Ice_Breaker\" title=\"2. One Word Ice Breaker\">2. One Word Ice Breaker<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/mastertheevent.com\/ice-breaker-games\/#3_Just_For_Fun\" title=\"3. Just For Fun\">3. Just For Fun<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/mastertheevent.com\/ice-breaker-games\/#4_Snowball_Fight\" title=\"4. Snowball Fight!\">4. Snowball Fight!<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/mastertheevent.com\/ice-breaker-games\/#5_Bingo\" title=\"5. Bingo\">5. Bingo<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/mastertheevent.com\/ice-breaker-games\/#6_Who_Is_It\" title=\"6. Who Is It?\">6. Who Is It?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/mastertheevent.com\/ice-breaker-games\/#7_Your_Personal_Best\" title=\"7. Your Personal Best\">7. Your Personal Best<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/mastertheevent.com\/ice-breaker-games\/#8_5_Of_Anything\" title=\"8. 5 Of Anything\">8. 5 Of Anything<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/mastertheevent.com\/ice-breaker-games\/#9_M_M_Game\" title=\"9. M&amp;M Game\">9. M&amp;M Game<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/mastertheevent.com\/ice-breaker-games\/#10_Two_Truths_And_A_Lie\" title=\"10. Two Truths And A Lie\">10. Two Truths And A Lie<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/mastertheevent.com\/ice-breaker-games\/#Conclusion\" title=\"Conclusion\">Conclusion<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"tab-con-8\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Is_an_Ice_Breaker_Game\"><\/span>What Is an Ice Breaker Game?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Ice breaker games are a great way to get discussion flowing at the beginning of and during a meeting or employee event. They are activities designed to get people out of their seats and introduced to other employees they don\u2019t know or otherwise wouldn\u2019t talk to. They can be used across an organization to help people from different departments mingle and get to know the face behind the email address.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There Are Three Main Types Of Ice Breaker Games:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Fun\u2014used just to get laughter and loosen people up before a meeting or in afternoon lulls<\/li><li>Introduction to purpose or subject of training or meeting<\/li><li>Activity based around the purpose of the training<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"tab-con-9\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Benefits_Of_Playing_Ice_Breaker_Games\"><\/span>The Benefits Of Playing Ice Breaker Games<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Like most activities we take part in\u2014exercising, cooking, driving a car\u2014we warm up, either ourselves or the tool we\u2019re using. Getting ready to discuss or absorb a topic is no different. Icebreakers are great ways to do that warming up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ice breaker games loosen participants up, allowing them to get the most out of the day. Breaking down people\u2019s defenses gets them out of their shell and taking part. Once everyone starts talking, they are better able to work together to find the solutions and best practices desired.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If the group working together is from diverse backgrounds (ages, ethnic groups, job titles and salary ranges), ice breaker games are a great way for them to find areas they have in common with each other. It starts any event off with a familiarity among new people. The key is to ensure participants enjoy themselves. This way, they\u2019re motivated to learn and apply the knowledge being presented. People want to feel part of a close-knit group and ice breaker games give them that opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"tab-con-10\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"10_Unique_Ideas_For_Ice_Breaker_Games\"><\/span>10 Unique Ideas For Ice Breaker Games<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There are many icebreakers to choose from. We have narrowed that list to the most relevant, effective, and successful of the bunch. Take your pick and tailor them to fit your group size, length of the meeting, or conference and topics being discussed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In many meetings, people start by sitting next to the people they know or feel they have something in common with. Have people count off and then sit with people who got the same number.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"tab-con-13\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_10_Things_In_Common\"><\/span>1. 10 Things In Common<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This works great for getting people to take time to get to know each other. Break the larger group into smaller groups of four or five people by having them count off. Once they\u2019re in their groups, tell them they need to find 10 things the group has in common. Make it clear they can\u2019t use anything work-related, clothing-related, or body parts as a commonality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One person in the group should take notes and another should volunteer to read the results to the larger group. It\u2019s fun for each group to find what they have in common with each other and with other groups. Some things will get laughter from the group, breaking down barriers to learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"tab-con-14\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_One_Word_Ice_Breaker\"><\/span>2. One Word Ice Breaker<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Break the group into smaller groups of 4-5. Give the group a topic relevant to your business: current culture, processes or procedures. Have everyone think silently for one minute and come up with one word that best describes that topic for them. When time is up, have each person share their word with their smaller group and why they chose it. This sparks conversation about each person\u2019s choice and may give people a different lens to look through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"tab-con-11\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Just_For_Fun\"><\/span>3. Just For Fun<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Starting any meeting with laughter creates a relaxed environment. You pick the question and have each participant share their answer with the group. Some ideas:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>If you were a food, what would you be and why?<\/li><li>Name your favorite line from a movie<\/li><li>If you had to be an animal, what animal would you choose?<\/li><li>If you could be a candy bar, what would you be and why?<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"tab-con-1\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_Snowball_Fight\"><\/span>4. Snowball Fight!<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Hand out blank pieces of paper at the beginning of a meeting. When you sense energy lulling, have everyone stand up. Once they do, tell them to crumple up those pieces of paper. Have music cued up and tell them once the music starts, they should all throw their \u201csnowballs\u201d at a target (not a person) in the room. Start the music and watch how much fun people have. This snowball fight is a lesson in how quickly a mindset shift can happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"tab-con-2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5_Bingo\"><\/span>5. Bingo<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This is a very different bingo. Prepare a 5&#215;5-space bingo card filled out with a series of personal or business-related topics. The key is to get everyone up and talking to other people. As they talk to people, they tick off squares as they apply to each person. The person who gets the first bingo, gets up and shares who each square applies to. Sample topics:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Visited over 10 countries<\/li><li>Stood in line for a concert<\/li><li>Fallen asleep during a conference call<\/li><li>Been more than an hour late to a meeting<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"tab-con-3\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"6_Who_Is_It\"><\/span>6. Who Is It?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>At the beginning of the meeting have everyone write an interesting or little-known fact about themselves. Collect them and put them in a bowl. Throughout the meeting\u2014before and after breaks\u2014read one or two and have the group guess who it is. Make sure you get to every piece of paper. There\u2019s nothing more disappointing than hoping to share something fun with the group and have those hopes dashed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"tab-con-15\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"7_Your_Personal_Best\"><\/span>7. Your Personal Best<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Break your group into smaller groups of 4-5. Give the participants 10 minutes to think of and write about a shining moment in their career over the last five years. Instruct participants to talk about it in as much detail as they can remember with their group\u2014what led up to it and what happened after.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After 10 minutes, give the group 45 minutes to discuss each person\u2019s greatest moments. As you observe, you\u2019ll see everyone\u2019s faces light up. Some common themes may arise and ask the groups to identify them. After 45 minutes, ask the group to talk about how they can re-create some aspects of those moments in their current positions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"tab-con-4\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"8_5_Of_Anything\"><\/span>8. 5 Of Anything<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This one is two ice breaker games in one. If you\u2019re working with a large group, break it down into smaller groups of 5-6. Have each person write five\u2014something. Ideas are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Favorite movies<\/li><li>Favorite books<\/li><li>Favorite foods<\/li><li>Least favorite foods<\/li><li>Cities they\u2019d like to visit<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Have each person share their choices with their groups. This can be fun because there will be a lot of commonalities in each group, making people feel more comfortable with each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once the personal lists have been shared, ask them to list another five things but make them work-related. Choose something like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Favorite meeting topics<\/li><li>Habits of good listeners<\/li><li>Habits of poor listeners<\/li><li>Factors that most motivate them<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Debrief this part to see common themes throughout the larger group that may need addressing. If there\u2019s a blind spot in the company, be sure to let the group know you\u2019ll address it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"tab-con-5\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"9_M_M_Game\"><\/span>9. M&amp;M Game<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Fill a bowl with M&amp;Ms, place a spoon in the bowl and pass the bowl around the room. While the bowl is with each person, have them take a small scoop. Once they have the candy in their hand, look at the colors. Get them to tell you, based on the color, their favorite:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Red\u2014favorite superhero<\/li><li>Orange\u2014favorite outdoor activity<\/li><li>Blue\u2014favorite food<\/li><li>Green\u2014favorite vacation spot<\/li><li>Brown\u2014favorite TV show<\/li><li>Yellow\u2014favorite thing about the company you all work for<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"tab-con-6\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"10_Two_Truths_And_A_Lie\"><\/span>10. Two Truths And A Lie<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This old standard is to get people to share three facts, two of which are true and one that is not. The rest of the group has to pick which is the lie. This is a great way for people to have fun with each other and learn something. People inherently like to share things about themselves and coming up with a lie can be fun to do and see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Take votes to see what the majority of the room believed to be the lie and then have the subject confirm or deny the consensus. This is a great way to introduce new members of a team as they may find commonalities with people already in the group and feel less awkward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"tab-con-12\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conclusion\"><\/span>Conclusion<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Whether you\u2019re kicking off a half-day meeting or three-day conference, ice breaker games are a great way to get everyone comfortable with their surroundings and each other. Breaking down barriers is the best way to ensure your participants are ready to absorb the information you\u2019re sharing with them and put it to good use when they get back to their jobs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re not sure how to kick off a meeting, just choose from one of these ice breaker games and watch how your employees react. You\u2019ll do them every time after experiencing the positive reaction these games elicit. Employees may even find themselves looking forward to the next meeting.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What Is an Ice Breaker Game? Ice breaker games are a great way to get discussion flowing at the beginning of and during a meeting or employee event. They are<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mastertheevent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/913"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mastertheevent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mastertheevent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mastertheevent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mastertheevent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=913"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mastertheevent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/913\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":914,"href":"https:\/\/mastertheevent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/913\/revisions\/914"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mastertheevent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=913"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mastertheevent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=913"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mastertheevent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=913"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}