100 Fun And Original Icebreakers That Are Made For Your Team Culture
A classic and familiar way to help teams get to know each other is with icebreakers. Icebreakers are proven to be an effective way to help teammates build great workplace relationships. But not all icebreakers are made equal. Most you find on the internet will be boring and not specific to your team culture. They must think HR people are lame. But not us! In this article we're going to give you 100 fun, original icebreakers that will fit any team culture.
Why do Icebreakers build team culture?
Largely because it is a great way to develop trust within your team. When someone knows what makes their teammates unique, and what they share in common, affective trust is going to develop. And trust has proven to be critical for team success.
Why ask smarter icebreaker questions?
Do you remember those terrible icebreakers teachers would give you on the first day of school? The ones like, "What state are you from?" or the dreaded, "What's your favorite animal?". None of those icebreakers worked in helping the class get to know each other better. And no one's conversation ever started with "Hey dude, I like pandas too!".
Your team is smart enough to notice and appreciate smart icebreakers. Icebreakers that help teammates connect on a human level, and start conversations outside of work related conversations. An example of a smart icebreaker is, "What historical figure would you want to skydive with?". First, the historical figure someone chooses says a lot about the type of people who inspire them, and as a result, the values which they hold close to them. It allows you to understand your teammate on a deeper, human level. It's also a fun enough question that when someone has an unexpected answer like, "Grigori Rasputin", it is sure to start a discussion.
Finding great Icebreaker questions
One strategy to find these smart icebreakers is to take a look at your team's culture from a birds eye view. Your team will respond to some icebreakers with more interest than others. For example, if your team prides itself on being a geeky group of people, an icebreaker like "What's your role on the Starship?" might be great for your team. But for a team that prides itself on being sociable, an icebreaker like, "Where would you host your dream party?" would probably be more fitting.
That's why we wanted to put together a list of exciting icebreakers that are custom made to fit your team culture. Whether your team is adventurous, artisitic, geeky or social, this list will provide you with icebreakers that are sure to help your team get to know each other better, and start meaningful conversations.
100 Icebreakers for any Team Culture
artistic
Icebreakers for a team that is creative, performative, and likes to spend time tinkering.
What's the last movie that made you cry?
What color could you wear every single day?
What songs do you sing in the shower?
What is something you made that you're proud of?
Where do you find artistic inspiration?
When do you find time to be artistic?
How do you know when something you've made is complete?
What new art medium excites you the most?
When you were a kid, what was your favorite thing to draw?
If you had to make your friend something for their birthday, what would you make?
What's your favorite thing hanging in your room?
What's your dream tattoo?
Take a look at the clouds in the sky. What do you see?
Tell me about your most embarassing moment on stage?
What character on Glee are you most like?
What antique painting do you want to own?
What musical instrument do you wish you knew how to play?
What's your rapper name?
What food is the most beautiful?
Who do you talk to for artistic advice?
adventurous
Icebreakers for a team full of risk takers, explorers, and people who are open to trying new things.
What historical figure would you skydive with?
What's your dream travel destination?
What would be the name of your pirate ship?
What gift would you bring to a village you just discovered?
Where would you go to disappear from society?
What's a fear that you want to overcome?
What's your dream rock climbing location?
If you were traveling in space, where would you go?
What's one item you would bring with you on a deserted island?
What's inside your hiking backpack?
What's the most extreme outdoor activity you've ever done?
How do you stay adventurous when you're stuck at home?
Who on your team would you want to climb Mt. Everest with?
What's the most memorable adventure you've ever been on?
If you were on a Safari, what animal would you want to see the most?
What body of water would you explore in a submarine?
You have a one way ticket to anywhere in the world, where do you go?
If you could run faster than anyone in the world, what would you use your power for?
Who is the most adventurous person you know?
What's your dream sports car?
social
Icebreakers for a team that is outgoing, conversational, and loves to be around others.
Where would you host your dream party?
Have you met any famous people? If so, name one?
What's the most interesting social club you've ever been a part of?
Who is your best buddy at work?
What historical figure would you get drunk at a bar with?
What's your favorite party theme?
What's your dream date?
How do you introduce yourself to someone you've never met before?
When do you feel the most outgoing?
Who on your team do you think is the life of the party?
What's your go to dance at a party?
What's your favorite restaurant in your city?
What's the funniest joke you've ever heard?
Who do you talk to the most during the week?
What word would your friends use to describe you?
What would be the name of your talk show?
What's your favorite late night destination?
Who's the last person you had a dream about?
What's the name of your friend's group chat?
geeks
Icebreakers for a team that loves fantasy, the newest tech, and secretly watches anime.
What is your favorite Halloween costume that you've worn in the past?
What was your favorite subject in school?
If you could teleport right now, where would you go?
What superpower would you like to have?
If you were a superhero, what song would you choose as your theme song?
What is the best museum you've even been to?
What fictional world would you like to visit?
What anime character would you take on a date?
What Marvel character do you hate the most?
If you could change one thing about programming what would it be?
What future technology do you think is going to be the biggest letdown?
What book are you going to keep on your shelf forever?
What's your favorite podcast?
What's one magic spell from Harry Potter that you want to use?
You can take one movie with you to space, what do you choose?
What's your favorite tabletop game?
What's your favorite piece of tech that you own?
What does your pet alien look like?
What's your role on the Starship enterprise?
You're allowed to put a console log on facebook.com. What do you write?
competitive
Icebreakers for a team full of career motivated go getters, athletes, and people who hate to lose.
Who in your company would you challenge to a go-cart race?
What's one game you're confident you could beat most people at?
What's your go-to song for working out?
In high school, what was your favorite sport?
What pro athlete do you look up to the most?
What's the worst part about losing?
What's one goal you have in life that you're still working towards?
When is the last time you've let somebody beat you at something?
Who is someone in your life you hate to lose to?
What's one thing you can do better than most people?
What's a wager you would bet $1 million dollars on?
What sports team do you rep the hardest?
What inspires you to do your best at work?
What's your biggest passion in life?
What career goals do you want to accomplish in the next 5 years?
What makes you better at your job than most people?
What's the most motivating thing currently in your life?
What videogame can you beat most people at?
What's something that you're trying to get better at?
Who on your team would you choose to be your tennis partner at Wimbledon?