PMO｜Five Icebreaker Games for Team Building

As a project manager, it's important to foster team building. One effective way to do this is by playing icebreaker games during meetings while everyone waits for all participants to join. We've gathered a collection of icebreaker games that we hope will be helpful to you.

If I Were a… This is a simple game where we imagine what we would like to be if we could be anything other than human in this world. You can choose to be a fruit, a cartoon character, an automobile, food, a plant, an animal, a movie star, a piece of jewelry, an appliance, an object like a keyboard, a color, or even a toy. Let your creativity flow! After choosing, share why you would like to be that specific thing.

Ask Questions Asking questions is the simplest way for people to start conversations. The questions should be general enough so everyone has an answer. Here are some typical examples:​

• What’s your favorite activity to do during your free time?
  What are your next travel plans?
• Is there a fun fact about yourself that nobody knows?
• What is the most memorable experience or life story that you would like to share with us?
• What‘s your favorite quotes? 
• what’s your favorite podcast? 

Grouping People We know that we often enjoy connecting with people who are similar to us. To facilitate this, let’s use an icebreaker activity where participants can form groups based on common interests. Here are some ideas: 

• Invite everyone to find a group with others who live in the same ZIP code.
• Provide a list of hobbies for participants to choose from, such as traveling, outdoor activities, and reading. 

These topics are quite relatable, and we're sure people will easily form their groups based on shared interests.

Puzzle This game is suitable for a small group of five or six people. Each person can be given a piece from a magazine picture, and then you can work together to complete the puzzle.

White Elephant Gift Exchange The white elephant gift exchange is a fun game where everyone brings a gift of similar value for swapping. Here's how it works:

• Everyone places their gifts in the center of the circle.
• Participants draw numbers to determine the order in which they will select gifts.
• Players have the option to either choose a gift from the center or take an already unwrapped gift from someone else. 
• Each gift can be taken from its owner up to 2 times. After two exchanges, the  gift can no longer be swapped.

To make the game even more enjoyable, it's helpful if participants know each other's names, especially when they want to take a gift from someone. To facilitate this, consider having a brief introduction round at the beginning. Each person can introduce themselves and share their name. You might also want to write down everyone's names on a board for easy memorization.The goal isn't to challenge participants, but to help everyone remember each other's names while having fun!

Reference 

• ​Brian Cole Mille, Quick Meeting Openers for Busy Managers: More Than 50 Icebreakers, Energizers, and Other Creative Activities That Get Results, 2008