3 Icebreaker Games for People Who Hate Icebreakers

Icebreakers are a great way to get people to relax and interact at the beginning of a meeting, but everyone seems to hate them. Here are three icebreakers that even haters can tolerate.

Icebreakers are one of those things that most people love to hate. Just mention that you’re going to start with a quick icebreaker and you’re likely to get those deer-in-the-highlights looks from participants, as well as a few groans and complaints about “do we have to do this?”

Before we get into the specifics, remember that, like other aspects of the meeting, icebreakers should have a goal. It can be about building trust, enhancing communication, or promoting collaboration among team members.

While there’s no guarantee your team will enjoy these icebreaker activities, they should be effective in getting people to relax and interact with minimal intimidation.

Lead corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities. While the level of support you receive depends on the team and activity, working together on a project that brings comfort, help, and even joy to others can be a great way to get individuals interacting. There are as many options as there are individuals and organizations in need of support – talk to your local convention and visitors bureau and your convention venue to see what options are available for groups who want to give back to their local communities.

Try two truths and a lie. Hey, if it’s good enough for Geico ads, it might be good for your participants, too. The premise is simple: Each participant shares two true things and one untrue thing about themselves. Then everyone else has to guess which one is the lie. Depending on the size of the group, you may need to divide participants into smaller groups to maintain their progress. Alternatively, you could have several organizational leaders tell their two truths and one lie on stage and then have the audience discuss it with each other and then vote on what they think each leader’s lie might be.

Play Buzzword Bingo. Whether it’s a group of friends watching a political speech on the couch or an attendee stalking the jargon while the boss gives a company update at an annual meeting, it can be fun to bring buzzword bingo out into the open and make it an official icebreaker. Plus, it shows leadership isn’t afraid to have a little fun with the audience at their own expense, which helps build connections. Involve the leader who will be giving the opening speech into the process, brainstorm with the team some buzzwords and catchphrases that people can expect to hear in the speech, and throw in some that no one expected, just for fun. Print and hand out bingo cards (or serve them virtually in an event app) and as the presentation goes on, people check off the cards and the fun begins. Whoever gets a predetermined number of catchphrases in a row first shouts “Bingo” (real or virtual) and wins a small prize.

No matter how specific your icebreaker activity is to the meeting’s goals, and how hard you work to ensure that the meeting isn’t awkward, it’s important to pay attention to participant engagement and interaction to ensure the meeting goes as you want it to. Observing participants’ reactions—such as their enthusiasm, willingness to participate, and overall demeanor—can provide valuable insights. You can also collect feedback from participants through surveys or informal discussions after the event to understand whether the icebreaker event actually had the effect you hoped for and indeed added real value to achieving your goals.

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