The number of virtual meetings has grown a lot since the pandemic, when many companies started adjusting to the new way of working. Today, there are approximately 350 million daily participants in Zoom meetings (1). That is why it is extremely important to know how to organize these meetings for the best work atmosphere. Read more about Zoom.
The work atmosphere is important to strengthen work relationships and improve group performance. However, creating these activities can have difficulties, and you will need a lot of creativity. In this article, we would like to show you 30 Zoom meeting icebreakers that you should try in your company. Take note!
Summary
- Videoconferencing is very common in most companies that work remotely.
- It is important to create dynamics that allow interaction between participants for achieving objectives and improving working relationships.
- Knowing some Zoom icebreakers will allow greater dynamism in meetings and increase concentration and productivity.
Top 30 Zoom icebreakers you should try in your company
Did you know that 39% of participants in a virtual meeting confess they have fallen asleep during the meeting (2)? It happens because if a meeting is not dynamic and does not have a clear objective, participants get bored. This is why good organization and concise activities are essential for virtual meetings. Here are some effective ice-breakers:
30. Lie – Truth
This activity allows participants to get to know each other better. The idea is to write 3 truths and 1 lie on a piece of paper. Then employees will have to communicate them to their partners, and they will have to guess which one is the lie. By doing it, everyone will get to know each other better and discover new skills or things about co-workers.
29. Go get the object
This activity is very simple. The host of a virtual meeting should make a list of the objects that the others should look for and communicate. Once the object has been chosen, the person must search for it according to what he/she has in the house, and once he/she gets it, show it on camera and score points.
28. Online Karaoke
If you need an effective icebreaker, virtual karaoke is undoubtedly an excellent option. This activity can be done online. Whoever organizes it has to choose a song and search the internet for the tune and lyrics. Then, you select a person to sing it and then pass the turn to another person you select.
27. Stop Game
This game is very good for 4 to 10 people. You can play it online and send the link to the zoom group. It consists of several columns that will be categorized as first name, last name, country, animal, colour, etc. Depending on the letter assigned, you will have to complete and search the word according to the letter and category.
26. Draw and guess
Creativity will be very important in this game, as participants will have to guess the word through a drawing. There are many websites that allow this to be done online. All participants will receive a link to the website and create an avatar. Finally, they will be given a word that only that person knows and draw it. Whoever guesses first wins the most points.
25. Guess the movie
Let’s face it, who doesn’t like movies? This game allows many participants. The activity involves drawing different pictures of famous film scenes or characters and then guessing based on the drawing.
24. Guess the word
A very simple activity where participants will have to let their creativity run wild. Each participant will be given a word and must use mime to guess the word. Once the word is guessed, a point will be added and then it will be the turn of the next participant.
23. Guessing Game
This type of game helps to develop skills such as observation, memory, deduction, and reflection (3). In that way, not only will you think in a game, but you will keep the participants attentive and this allows them to develop cognitive skills.
22. Simon says
Each leader should give orders for the participants to do. For example, if they say “Simon says, move all the arms”, all the participants should move their arms. Each request made by the leader must be carried out. Each participant will have an opportunity to be a leader.
21. Creating stories
This exercise is an excellent way to encourage creativity. It is easy to do and doesn’t require that many steps. To begin with, one participant is given a word to add to a story that he/she has to make up, and then the other participants have to continue the story until it comes to an end.
20. Guess the song
Do you like to share your favorite songs? If the answer is yes, this game is definitely for you. This activity consists of short parts of songs, and the chosen person will have to guess the name of the song and the singer. Whoever correctly guesses the song will win points for the team.
19. Online Pictionary
Pictionary is a game of guessing words through drawings. This activity is great fun for having a good time with friends and/or colleagues. This game is a race against the clock. Whoever guesses the fastest wins the points.
18. Rock, Paper, Scissors Tournament
Who doesn’t know this game that has been passed down from generation to generation? The moment this game is proposed at the meeting, many will surely want to participate. It consists of placing figures with scissors, paper and stone. Whoever manages to win the most rounds earns points for the team.
17. Find the differences
This exercise plays a special role in the participants’ attention to detail. Whoever coordinates the meeting must fix two photographs, one original and one with minor modifications. The participants should take note of the differences they see, and whoever gets the most will win points.
16. Letter soup
This game is very easy and entertaining as the first icebreaker for a work team. It can be played online. You will have to look for a page where you can play online letter soup. Then, send the link to all team members, to let them all play on the same webpage. Whoever finishes first will earn the most points.
15. Show what you stand for
Creating good communication between colleagues is of great benefit to employees. Therefore, this activity is very positive for the employees. Each member of the meeting should show an object that represents him/her or brings back nice memories. Then, he/she should explain the reason to the other participants.
14. Question and answer
This game is designed for the end of a meeting. Once it is over, you can send a link to participants and ask them to answer the questions related to the topic by simple selection. Then, after a few seconds, the correct answer will be shown. By doing it, participants can check their reading and clarify any remaining doubts.
13. Virtual backgrounds
Zoom virtual backgrounds are the perfect icebreaker, as they allow participants’ personal tastes to be expressed. We can ask participants to put backgrounds of a children’s cartoon they liked as a child or some other theme of their choice.
12. Bingo
Playing bingo is always a very entertaining game and the icebreaker will certainly make your meeting more fun and exciting. This game can be played online and there is even a prize to be won at the end of the game.
11. Virtual Escape Room
Since the pandemic began, many websites decided to add games that allow for more interaction or games that could replace the face-to-face gaming experience. Virtual Escape Room was created with this exact intention. Through riddles, and logical, visual and mathematical tests, participants can find the answer to getting out.
10. Treasure hunt
Some applications allow you to create a virtual team and go on a treasure hunt together. In addition, you can not only customize the team, but you can also choose the virtual environment where you want the game to take place.
9. Zoom out
This activity means that each participant brings a photograph that has a lot of zoom in and out. For example, if it is of your cat, you can zoom in on the eye and the others in the meeting will have to guess what your picture is about. Once they guess correctly, you can show the original photo without the zoom.
8. Memory games
This well-known game has many benefits, including helping concentration and memory. It can be played online and has lots of formats. You can choose the format in which the cards are represented by numbers. Each participant tries to choose the right numbers, and the one who collects the most pairs wins.
7. Lip Sync Battle
Do you like fun games with lots of laughs? Then this is the ideal option. In this game, each participant will have to choose a song or a dialogue from their favorite movie and perform a lip-sync performance. Whoever does it best will score the most points.
6. Zoom tac toe
This activity has been trending for the longest time on Zoom, as it is very entertaining and funny. You choose 9 people to turn on their cameras, while the others have to be in “Gallery Mode”. In order to make three rows of three like a human Tic Tac Toe board.
Once you have the board with the participants. You will have to choose two people with cameras off, and they will be the ones to fight for the points. Each of them must choose the person who makes the X or O shape with their arms. Whoever manages to make the line of X or O will win points and must take a picture of the board to send to the Zoom chat.
5. Happy Hour
Happy hour is an activity that many companies have decided to implement as a new team-building exercise. It is a virtual party where you can choose any theme, so that each participant can dress according to it. Then, everyone must turn on their cameras and feel free to talk about any topic.
4. Quizz
These games are very entertaining and help concentration. You can ask questions with 3 options. Each participant must choose between the options, and whoever gets the most right, wins more points for the team. Not only will you be able to create a different activity, but they will also learn new things.
3. Guess who you are
Some questions help us to get clues to what we want to find out. This is what happens with Guess Who You Are game, which is played online through a platform. All you have to do is ask questions such as hair colour, long or short hair, do you wear glasses or not, and as people answer, you have to discard options. When you have only one character left, you should guess and see if it is the right person or not.
2. Search for the colour
This game is very simple: one person chooses a colour and the other participants must look for different objects of the assigned colour. Each round must have a time of 10 minutes. At the end of that time, they must show the objects collected. Whoever has the most objects gets the most points.
1. Identification with animals
This icebreaker is a common activity for the work and interview process. Each person chooses which animal they identify with and why. Then, they should tell it to the other participants, thus creating a greater bond between them.
Conclusion
The virtual age is here to stay for a long time. There are many tools that help us to get the most out of technology. Among the most widely used is Zoom, which allows us to contact different people more easily.
In Zoom, you can hold video conferences with different team members. This makes communication and business organization much easier. However, a low level of interaction can cause tiredness or fatigue and failure to achieve meeting objectives. Creating different and interesting activities will help everyone to have a good time.
