Are you looking for simple, fun, and interactive activities that can break the ice and build meaningful connections during virtual meetings?
Well, you’re in the right place.
I’m going to walk you through ten of my favourite virtual icebreakers, designed to engage your online audience and strengthen relationships.
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In March 2020, the world changed with the onset of the pandemic. Suddenly, everything had to move online, and like many, I found myself navigating how to translate in-person interactions to the virtual world.
While I was humbled that people sought me out as an expert, the truth was, I had no idea how to make face-to-face activities work online—at first. Over the next few months, I trialled dozens of icebreakers for Zoom, transforming them for online environments.
Now, after years of experimenting, I’ve amassed over 200 virtual activities.
Today, I’m sharing my top 10 virtual icebreakers that not only get people engaged but also build lasting connections.
This is a simple and entertaining way to start. Ask everyone to grab a piece of paper and a pen, then have them write their name on a name tag—without looking! Once they’ve written their names, participants will hold up their tags for everyone to see, creating a gallery of amusing attempts at blind writing.
This activity is great for an icebreaker because it’s low-pressure, quick to set up, and guaranteed to generate laughs as people reveal their tags to the group.
Recommended group size: 15+ people
Typical duration: 2- 5 mins
Why it’s great:
Perfect for generating physical movement, this activity requires participants to lean left or right depending on whether you say the words “left” or “right” in the story you’re telling. All cameras must be turned on, and the gallery view makes the experience even more fun as everyone sways back and forth together.
This is one of my favourite virtual icebreakers for Zoom because it’s simple and engages the group through humour and movement.
Recommended group size: 30+ people
Typical duration: 2 mins
Why it’s great:
Curiosity Ping Pong creates intrigue and interaction in any group. Pose a fun question, such as “What was something strange you believed as a child?” and have everyone type their answer into the chat—but don’t let them hit enter until you say so. When all the responses come in at once, the chat lights up like an inbox full of messages.
Encourage participants to call on others to elaborate on their responses, keeping everyone engaged and curious.
Recommended group size: 12 – 30 people
Typical duration: 5 – 10 mins
Why it’s great:
This activity encourages participants to make choices between two options, like “Coke or Pepsi” or “Video games or board games.” After posing five questions, everyone types their responses in the chat and hits enter at the same time.
The twist? They must find others with matching or completely different answers to spark conversation. It’s an excellent way to build connections based on shared preferences or differences.
Recommended group size: 15 – 30 people
Typical duration: 20 mins
Why it’s great:
Dice Breakers is a simple icebreaker where participants roll virtual or physical dice to match a pre-set list of questions. For example, if someone rolls an eight, they answer question eight. The questions are designed to be non-threatening and fun, giving everyone a chance to share something about themselves.
You can adapt this activity for more than just icebreakers, making it a versatile tool for team-building.
Recommended group size: 5 – 10 people
Typical duration: 10 – 15 mins
Why it’s great:
In Panic Picture, participants are shown random images one after another every 20 seconds. The goal is for the first person who feels triggered by a particular image to share a story related to it.
This game generates energy and interaction as participants become more eager to share, offering insights into their personalities and sparking conversations.
Recommended group size: 5 – 10 people
Typical duration: 10 mins
Why it’s great:
Set up a virtual continuum with two opposing characteristics on either end, like “Cat or Dog” or “Domestic or International.” Participants place themselves on the spectrum using an annotate tool to indicate where they see themselves.
This activity provides a great way to explore commonalities and differences, fostering group cohesion.
Recommended group size: 10+ people
Typical duration: 10 – 15 mins
Why it’s great:
Invite everyone to create a unique identity number based on significant numbers in their lives, such as their birth year or the number of pets they own. Once they’ve created their number, the group tries to guess what each digit represents.
This is a revealing and interactive way to learn more about each participant, making it one of the most effective icebreakers for virtual meetings.
Recommended group size: 12+ people
Typical duration: 10 -15 mins
Why it’s great:
Five Clues requires some upfront preparation. Secretly select a participant and create five clues about them, revealing the clues one by one. The group must guess who the person is based on the clues, but each participant gets only one guess.
This is a fun, detective-style game that works especially well if the group is familiar with each other.
Recommended group size: 15 – 30 people
Typical duration: 10 -15 mins
Why it’s great:
In Blind Portraits, participants are asked to draw a portrait of you, the facilitator, without looking at their paper. At the end, everyone holds up their artwork for a good laugh. Then, as a twist, you reveal your own drawing of a secret participant, and the group tries to guess who it is.
This activity is light-hearted, non-threatening, and perfect for easing into deeper conversations.
Recommended group size: 2+ people
Typical duration: 5 mins
Why it’s great:
These ten icebreakers for virtual meetings are designed to break down barriers and encourage communication, even when participants are miles apart.
You can access step-by-step instructions for each activity for free right here, along with over 530 other activities that help build trust, energize teams, and create strong relationships.
So, what resonated with you?
Do you have any favourite online icebreakers?
Share your thoughts in the comments below, and let’s continue building an engaging and connected virtual community.
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Original post September 2024, last updated September 2024.