Virtual Team Icebreaker Ideas

‘Virtual icebreaker’ may not be the term you were expecting to hear much this year. Needless to say, 2020 hasn’t exactly been the spectacular bonanza that many of us were expecting. Due to Covid, social distancing and lockdowns have become the new normal. Not only has this effected many of our daily lives, but also, our working lives. What we have come to know as company culture has changed for many: what once was gathering in board rooms has shifted to virtually-hosted meetings. Many team meetings now take place via the o-so-popular video call. What once was staring at a screen all day, has returned to remotely staring at your co-workers face on a screen…all day. Essentially, our work environment has become one long video conference call! Cut the cue for dramatic music, as it should come as no shock to hear that we are in the age of the Zoom call!

It is clear that ‘virtual’ is the buzzword of 2020. Alas, we’re not talking about virtual reality headsets, but  virtual  ice breaker  activities  an be just as fun! Now more than ever, team-bonding  is crucial. Spruce up your team meetings  in a  fun way with some of our engaging virtual  team-bonding  ideas!

Trivia!

Obviously, being a quiz company, this would be our top pick for a  virtual team building activity. This is because we know the incredible unifying power of trivia! Not only are quiz nights easy to organise and are cost-effective, but they build on kill sills such as decision making and teamwork. Above all, a quiz event is suitable for all ages and abilities and your team can participate in the  trivia event as much or as little as they like. One benefit of a virtual quiz is that time zone restrictions and commutes are no longer an issue!  Moreover, there will be no hurried excuses to dash to catch the last tube home as remote workers from all over can join in whenever and wherever they are.

Here’s a fun piece of Trivia for you, Quiz Coconut have always been an international team. That’s right, Quiz Coconut have a base in Canada, entertaining the masses with our corporate events and classic quiz nights. Because of restrictions, location is no longer a factor for our events: we’ve entertained workers in Singapore, Ireland and UK in one event for EA  whilst our host was in Canada at the time! Our virtual game show style events cater for up to 500 people, engaging them all simultaneously. Find out more about our virtual events: HERE.

Virtual Happy Hour

Of course, our quiz night ties in perfectly with a virtual happy hour! Undeniably, many of us are missing our local. Equally important, wandering to the nearest pub with your colleagues after work is a time honoured tradition! All you need to do is pick a video call platform to meet with your team. Then, order in your drink of your choice, grab a snack and stumble into bed.

Two Truths and A Lie

Get up-close and personal with your employees with this virtual icebreaker. This is an intimate (and in some cases, revealing!) warm-up that is perfect for the start of a meeting.  You may have used this classic icebreaker game in the past. If not, it is a simple game that requires no preparation (though you might want to practice your poker face!).  All you need to do, is either write or say three statements about yourself – and as the title suggests – one must be a lie. It can be as simple as naming your favourite food or movie.

The aim of the game is for team members to try to guess which of the three statements is a lie. You can even tally points for correct answers! This game is great for small groups and can be as innocent or as adventurous as you’d like. See who knows you well enough to know you prefer kumquats to aubergines!

Scavenger Hunt 

I’m sure a lot of us have been searching for bog roll in the supermarkets after a nation panic-buy frenzy. This type of hunt though only includes fun! Scavenger hunts come in many forms, from the clue-driven to the seek-and-find type. The latter is a great option for remote team members. It can be done via video chat and all you need to do is create list of items. For example, it can be everyday items you can find around a house such as a bus pass, favourite mug or dirty dishes. Next, get your employees to take a picture when they locate an item on the lest. Then, send via WhatsApp, a Slack  channel, or whatever chat app you use. You can even keep scores and tick them off on a whiteboard!  Click here for for pro tips on the ins-and-outs of creating your very own virtual team scavenger hunt. 

Karaoke

Whether the singing is memorable for all the right or all the wrong reasons, a karaoke event is usually one the greatest icebreakers. What’s more ,is that you can even do them via video chats with no treble at all! There is now need know for faff, of finding a  facilitator, a venue etc. You can put on your favourite playlist and singalong in your pyjamas from the comfort of your own home. Remote employees are no problem! Pick a time to tune-in and hit those high notes with colleagues. You can use YouTube for backing tracks or take a look at some free online backing tracks available on sites such as Karafun.

Virtual Icebreaker Personality Tests

This is a simple and easy virtual icebreaker activity that is suitable for small groups. One of the best places to fun and varies personality tests are  Buzzfeed quizzes. Find out what season vegetable you are or your next Starbucks order based on the pictures of dogs you pick. After all, who doesn’t want to know what mythical creature they are? Compare results for a fun way to get to know your team members and also yourselves.

Team Pursuit

Setup your laptop, get your team together online, and go! You can still practice teamwork with remote employees in a game of virtual team pursuit. Devise a series of mental and physical challenges that can be completed online for small groups to complete. This is a great virtual icebreaker to build trust and practice communication within your team by getting them to work together on a single goal! Pick someone to host and tally-up the points as you go.

Emoji Board

Emojis are versatile resource that can be made into a quick activity suitable for any online meeting.  One emoji game option is for everyone in the team  to send an emoji that represents their current mood or feeling.  This is a simple activity you could do at the beginning and/or at the end of a video conference as a way to  check-in with your team. Another option is to send a list of the names of those present to everyone in the online meeting. Following this, give them five minutes to guess each person’s five most used emojis. After the allocated time, reveal the correct answers  to the participants. The person to recognise the most correct emojis  is declared the winner.

Virtual Bingo

Thou shalt not wish bad bingo luck on thy neighbour! This classic game is quick to setup and play online. You can send a bingo card to everyone in advance and nominate someone to be at the bingo cards, or, you can take turns being the caller. The aim is to see if anyone can get a line crossed off or a full house! You can either mail the cards online or find a bingo generator like this one here to do all the work for you.  Bingo!

Virtual Icebreaker Question Time

Keep it simple with this virtual team icebreaker activity. Ask each participant an ice breaker question. These can be as outlandish or as mild as you like. Some examples are: if you could have any  superpower, what would it be and why? Do you have any pets? What was your nickname as a child and why? . Icebreaker questions can help to stimulate lively conversations. Most importantly, they’ll enable people to get to know each other better and encourage communication and team bonding.

The Aliens Have Landed!

This is a great idea for decreasing alienation in your team!  The first step is for the person who is hosting to pick an item. This can be anything from a household object or a concept such as music. Once this is chosen, ask your team to imagine aliens have landed on Earth and you need to describe the item to them. What is it for? how would you explain shape, colour etc. Encourage your team to be creative and use words and images to explain the item. This encourages teams to think creatively and communicate at various levels.  Why not for a workplace focused activity, ask the team to explain your company to an alien!

‘Rose, Thorn, Bud’  Team Icebreaker

The rose, thorn and bud check-in is a quick strategy for building community and communication within your team. At the start of an online meeting, ask your employees to share their rose, thorn and bud. A rose represents something positive, this could be a highlight or something they feel  grateful for. A thorn is something that they’re finding challenging or an issue that they may be facing. Lastly, a bud is a new idea or something they’re looking forward to. With this virtual icebreaker, you’ll see that relationships and group trust will blossom!

Virtual Coffee Shop

Much like pubs, coffee shops are a place to connect with people while sipping on a tasty beverage! Plan a virtual coffee shop meeting to connect with your team. Each member brings a beverage, sits comfortably and joins in on the online video chat. You can even put on a Spotify playlist in the background to simulate the cool coffee shop vibes.  For a more involved activity, why not combine a virtual coffee catch-up with one of the question based icebreakers listed above?

The Desert Island Challenge

This is a classic icebreaker challenge that you can easily recreate on a video call.  Ask your employees which items they would take with them if they were to be stranded on a desert island. Make sure to limit their options to 3-5 items to make it challenging (and so they don’t reel off a huge B&Q shopping list). Then, have them explain their choices to the rest of the team for a potential insightful conservation (or even spark debate!).

Reenergise your team with some of these great virtual icebreaker ideas. Alas, we’re living in uncertain times, and virtual icebreakers are useful to build trust and communication within in your team. Make sure you have a goal in mind when devising your remote team building activity. As not only do they have the potential to create team bonding, but they can also can help team leaders better understand their employees.  Before you begin your online meeting, make sure to test your chat, call and video services in advance.

If you’re looking for a fun, low-hassle and low-cost event, get in touch with us for a quote!