Everyone gathers in the conference room, but no one knows each other. This could either be just another day in the office or that awkward moment you’ve been dreading. Ice breakers in the professional workplace may seem a bit cliché and silly but having fun and meeting new coworkers can be beneficial, ease tension, and even help with professional networking! Below are five unique ideas to break the ice in the office without boring your audience!

Let’s form a group: For this game, staff members are asked to pick a category and break off into groups accordingly. An example would be to break off into birthday months or by departments in the organization. They should then share predetermined information with each other (such as names, hobbies outside the office, or whether or not they have kids). When all the groups reassemble, they can then share what they leaned about each other. This activity gets people to talk to each other while building unity and team spirit among the staff members.

Animal Instinct: This game serves as a silly icebreaker that’s sure to get some laughs. Very similar to a game of charades, staff members are given a card with the name of an animal. They must act out the animal while their colleagues try to guess what animal it is. A list of predetermined gestures for each animal can be used, or it can be left up to the imagination of the staff. This game is a great way to create a fun atmosphere and allows staff to use their imagination before getting down to business!

Get Out of Here: Getting out of the office can help staff members relax and think about something besides work. By organizing an office outing, coworkers will have the opportunity to learn about each other in a different light; thus building stronger relationships within the office.

M&M’s: This game offers a nontraditional way of getting people to talk about themselves. Pass around a bowl of M&M’s with the instruction to wait to eat them. Everyone can take as many as they’d like. Now here’s the catch! For each M&M a person grabs, he or she must tell the group one thing about him or herself. To make it more interesting and focused, give each color a category such as: blue being your favorite form of entertainment (movie, music, television show); or green being a favorite hobby.

Guessing Game: Have everyone write down one thing about themselves that is unique and interesting. Put all the facts into a hat or bowl and shake them up. Each person takes a turn pulling a fact out and reading it to the group. The person to pull out the fact then has three guesses to figure out the author. This ice breaker encourages people to talk about their lives outside of the office. To make it more interesting, you can set rules such as: write something funny or embarrassing; or tell us a short story about a time you traveled.

Hope you found these tips helpful. Happy Ice Breaking!

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