26 Fun Meeting Icebreakers to Boost Team Collaboration

Who says meetings have to be all business and no fun? Meeting icebreakers are a simple way to boost energy, encourage participation, and build connections among team members. They help people relax and connect, leading to more productive, enjoyable meetings. 

We’ve rounded up 26 icebreakers to try in your next meeting, whether it's in person or online. And if you don’t like these, you can ask Otter Meeting Agent live in your meeting too.  

Why and when to use meeting icebreakers

Icebreakers are short, engaging activities used at the start of a meeting to reduce tension and build connection. These fun, low-pressure prompts help team members get to know each other, making it easier to build rapport and collaborate more effectively. They’re especially effective for new teams or existing ones that feel disconnected. 

By creating a relaxed, open atmosphere, these activities encourage attendees to share ideas more freely. They also support team building, which is key to fostering the sense of trust and belonging that creates a positive, productive work environment.

Icebreakers are particularly helpful when a meeting has a full agenda. Starting with something light eases tension and boosts energy, helping everyone stay focused and engaged. As a result, you’ll have a more productive meeting.

20 icebreakers for any meeting

Need some ideas for icebreaker games to kick off your next meeting? These 20 icebreakers make perfect conversation starters:

Classic icebreakers

These activities are classics for a reason — they’re simple, familiar to most people, and, most importantly, fun.

1. Play two truths and a lie

In this game for small groups, ask each person to share three statements about themselves — two true and one false — while the rest of the team guesses which is the lie. It’s an amusing way to learn surprising facts about coworkers and start interesting discussions.

2. Ask “Would you rather?” questions

Pose a series of “Would you rather” questions that force people to choose between two options. For example, “Would you rather have to sing everything you say or dance everywhere you go?” Keep it light and playful for the best responses.

3. Share your favorite photo

Invite everyone to show a favorite photo and explain why they love it. It could be a picture of a pet, a favorite vacation spot, or even a funny meme. This icebreaker helps people connect, even in virtual settings. Just keep in mind you might need to let people know to bring a photo in advance, unless you’re OK with them getting up to find one.

4. Reveal what’s on your desk

Have each participant pick one item from their desk — like a sentimental keepsake or a quirky mug — and share its story. This gives everyone a quick glimpse into each other’s workspaces and personalities.

5. Lead a scavenger hunt

Choose a category like “something blue” or “something you’ve had for years,” and give participants 60 seconds to find an item that fits. This boosts energy by getting people up and moving, and it’s especially enjoyable for teams with a competitive streak.

Funny icebreakers

Laughter is one of the best ways to bring people together. To help your team crack a smile, try one of these activities:

6. Create a superhero persona

Ask each person to come up with a superhero name, special power, and biggest weakness. Would they have the ability to pause time and take a nap? Would their weakness be the uncontrollable urge to check emails every five minutes? Bonus points if they name their arch-nemesis.

7. Craft an alphabet story

Start a story where each sentence begins with the next letter of the alphabet. For example, the first person might say, “All of a sudden, the lights went out.” The next person continues with a sentence that starts with “B” and so on. The story usually turns into hilarious chaos by the time you get to “Z.”

8. Describe what recently made you laugh 

Prompt everyone to share the last thing that made them laugh, whether it’s a meme, joke, or comical moment with a pet. This simple icebreaker works especially well for virtual meetings, as people can drop links to videos or memes in the chat.

9. Invent a new holiday

Pose the question: If you could create a new holiday, what would it be? Encourage team members to include traditions, foods, and any unusual celebrations involved. You might be surprised at the holidays people come up with, like Procrastinator’s New Year, celebrated on January 14 because they didn’t get around to it on the 1st.

10. Vote on “Who’s most likely to…”

Give the group a list of silly, workplace-friendly scenarios and have them vote on who fits each one best. For example, who’s most likely to survive a zombie apocalypse by befriending the zombies? Or randomly break into song during the workday?

Bonding icebreaker questions

Icebreakers don’t have to be games — asking thoughtful questions can be just as effective. These questions go beyond small talk and help team members connect on a more personal level (without getting too deep for a work meeting):

11. What are you most proud of?

This question gives everyone a chance to share something meaningful to them, whether it’s a career milestone or a personal achievement, like finally keeping a plant alive for more than a month.

12. What’s the best advice you’ve ever gotten?

Let team members share their wisdom and maybe even pick up some life-changing insights from each other.

13. What was your dream job as a kid?

This question often brings out entertaining stories about childhood ambitions. It also reveals how people’s aspirations have evolved over time. For instance, maybe your coworker never became an astronaut, but they still find ways to incorporate their love of space into their life. 

14. What would the perfect day look like for you? 

Your team’s answers to this question give you a glimpse into what makes them happiest. It can also uncover common interests or spark ideas for future team outings.

15. What’s on your bucket list? 

By asking about big dreams, you learn more about what motivates your coworkers and what they truly value. You might even discover opportunities for mutual support — perhaps someone who’s always wanted to run a marathon could use a training buddy.

Collaborative icebreakers

Want something a little more challenging? In collaborative icebreakers, the team must work together to accomplish a fun task. These activities are a great way to boost team morale:

16. Find common ground

Divide the group into pairs and challenge them to find three things they have in common (other than work). This encourages conversation and helps everyone bond over shared interests.

17. Curate a group playlist

Invite each team member to contribute one song to a shared playlist. It’s an engaging way to learn more about your coworkers’ music tastes — and as a bonus, you kick off the meeting with some great tunes. For an extra challenge, give the playlist a specific theme, like “songs that get you pumped for work” or “throwback jams.”

18. Tackle a creative challenge

Present a lighthearted, hypothetical problem that the team must solve together — for example, “How would you survive a day on Mars?” or “Design the ultimate office chair.” Collaborating on creative solutions sparks innovation and encourages teamwork.

19. Make a team map

Ask everyone to describe where they’re from without revealing the exact location. Team members could share interesting facts or cultural practices from their home state or country. Then, have the team fill in a blank map (digital or paper) with their guesses about each person’s origins. This is a great way to learn about each other’s backgrounds, especially if your team is spread across different regions.

20. Collaborate on a doodle

Share a blank document or whiteboard and ask one person to start a doodle with a basic line or shape. Then, let the next person add to it, continuing until everyone has contributed. You’ll end up with a unique piece of art. 

Bonus icebreakers for virtual and in-office meetings

Some icebreakers are ideal for virtual team building, while others work best in person. Here are a few bonus icebreaker activities for each setting:

Virtual icebreakers

21. Compete in a Zoom background challenge

Encourage everyone to choose a creative virtual background, then let the team vote on the best one.

22. Host a trivia session

Organize a quick trivia game where your team competes for bragging rights.

23. Describe your day in emojis

Get everyone to describe their day using only emojis, and let the rest of the team guess what each means.

In-office icebreakers

24. Draw from a bowl of questions

Write fun questions on slips of paper, then have each team member draw one to answer.

25. Untangle the human knot

Have team members stand in a circle and grab the hands of two different people across from them. Then, as a group, they must work together to untangle themselves without letting go of anyone’s hands.

26. Connect with get-to-know-you bingo

Create bingo cards filled with fun facts about each team member. To win, employees must find someone who matches all of the facts in any row. 

Make meetings fun while Otter makes them memorable!

Otter handles the notetaking so you can focus on what really matters — engaging your team, sparking creativity, and building stronger collaboration through icebreakers. With Otter transcribing the meeting in real time and generating clear, shareable summaries afterward, you won’t miss a single detail. That means you can stay fully present and make every meeting more enjoyable. 

Try Otter today!