Ice breakers are a great way to cut the tension and loosen up before a meeting. Try investing 10 minutes in an ice breaker at your next meeting to get things started. Here are 10 easy ice breakers that involve little prep and few instructions.
1. Two Truths and a Lie
This is one of my favorite games! Ask everyone in the circle to come up with two things about themselves that are true and one that is false. Go around in a circle and ask each person to say their 3 facts. The others must guess which fact is false. This works best in groups of no more than 10, so divide up the group if needed.
2. Three Shining Moments
Most people can easily recall times when they did their best work. Ask each person to think of three times in their life (across careers) when they produced their best work and have them share with the group. Make sure to set a time limit or split into groups to manage the time.
3. Question Ball
I’ve used this one several times. Buy a beach ball, blow it up, and write questions all over it with a permanent marker. They can range from silly, to serious, to hypothetical, to personal. Have participants toss the ball to each other in a circle. When the recipient catches the ball, they must answer the question under their right pointer finger.
4. Find Your Partner
Print out name tags for all the meeting attendees. On the name tags, put one half of a phrase or one word in a “match.” When participants pick up their name tag, ask them to find the person whose word matches their name tag. For example, “Harry,” and, “Potter,” or, “Fish,” and, “Gills.”
5. The Name Game
Have participants sit in a circle. Ask the first person to introduce themselves with an adjective that starts with the first letter of their first name. For example, “Hilarious Hayley,” or, “Silly Sarah.” The next person must repeat the name of the person before them, then introduce themselves accordingly. Each person must recite all the names before them. Make sure to limit circles to no more than 10 people!
6. Mass Rock, Paper, Scissors
I’ve played this one several times and it can get pretty intense! Have each person find a partner and play one round of “rock, paper, scissors.” In the second round, have the winners match up. Continue until there are only two players left and a massive crowd cheering them on! Consider a small prize for the winner.
7. Your Worst Job
Many people have had a horrible job or task in their career. It can be fun (and funny!) to share stories about said job. Go around in a circle and give each person 30 seconds to talk about their worst job.
8. Simon Says
This children’s game can actually be quite fun for adults, too! Prepare a list of commands to shout and get faster and faster as the game progresses. Keep going until there’s only one person left. Consider a small prize for the winner.
9. Autograph
Prepare a list of 10 to 20 items that are somewhat common or plausible among attendees. This works especially well if you already know some of the attendees. List out items such as, “plays a musical instrument,” “Born out-of-state,” or “Been to 5+ countries.” Participants must find others who fit the criteria and get their autograph. Each person may only autograph the same list once. The first person to get an autograph for each item on the list wins.
10. Finish the Sentence
Display a sentence starter on the board/screen, such as, “My favorite place is…” or, “I really don’t like to…”. Have participants go around in a circle and finish the sentence. Make sure they explain their answers to add context.
Sources:
http://money.howstuffworks.com/business-communications/business-communication-icebreaker3.htm
http://icebreakerideas.com/quick-icebreakers/