map insertion

 

This activity is short, but delightfully telling — you’ll find out where your team members were born without needing to ask and having everyone take a turn. You’ll create a physical map where your teammates can place a pin on their birthplace. As the map fills up with pins, people will learn about how diverse their teammates might be.

Instructions

• Place a map and a set of pins at the front of a large conference room before a big meeting.
• As people walk in, ask them to place a pin where they were born or raised.
• Allow some time at the end of the meeting for your colleagues to walk up and look more closely at the map.
• Save the map or take a picture.
• Enjoy the team keepsake!

18. Movie Pitch

Best For: In-Person or Virtual Fun

Perfect for larger groups and movie fanatics, this icebreaker is as crazy as you make it. Divide players into quads and give them 10 minutes to devise the plot of the next award-winning film. You can give them constraints by designating genres like horror, action, comedy, thriller, and more.

If your organization is meeting to brainstorm ideas for specific projects, go ahead and incorporate the topic into their movie pitch prompts to get the creative juices flowing.

Instructions

• Divide team members into groups.
• Have every group come up with a plot for the next blockbuster.
• Each group should get a turn to share, and they might even act out parts of the plot.
• Have fun!

19. Stretch Break

Best For: Team Wellness

Maybe the week has been busy for you and your team, or it’s going on your fourth meeting of the day. If this is the case, have everyone take a breather and stretch before the next big meeting begins.

Someone can either lead by example, showcasing some arm and back stretches, or just let everyone freestyle. You’d be surprised how a little movement can wake up and help people get work done.

Instructions

• Designate a team member ahead of time to lead the stretches (or lead them yourself).
• Take 5-10 minutes to go through a round of stretches.
• Enjoy the much-needed break!

20. Rose, Thorn, Bud

Best For: Team Building

In meetings, it can be hard to communicate or understand everyone’s perspective on a project unless everyone has the floor to say what’s on their mind. With the Rose, Thorn, Bud icebreaker, team members can quickly convey what’s on their mind by sharing three bits of information:

Rose: A recent positive happening like a personal highlight or win

Thorn: A challenge or roadblock they need support on

Bud: An idea for the future they’d like to share, or excitement for events in motion

Instructions

• Ensure you have the right team size for this activity. Less than 10 people would work best.
• Start with a random team member or yourself.
• Have everyone popcorn to someone else after their turn, or go alphabetically.
• Enjoy!

21. Frivolous Debate

Best For: In-Person or Virtual Fun

There’s nothing like some lighthearted banter to get everyone warmed up before a meeting.

For this icebreaker, everyone will debate a silly topic and chime in with an equally silly answer and reasoning. Make a statement like, “Cats are better than dogs,” and, “Summer is better than winter,” or let chaos ensue by declaring that pineapple belongs on pizza (because it does).

Instructions

• Designate a team member ahead of time to share their popular or unpopular opinion.
• Have everyone chime in one-by-one on whether they agree or disagree.
• Every team member should popcorn their turn, or you can go alphabetically.
• Have fun finding out who agrees with you (and who does not)!