130 icebreaker questions for work that actually work

How much do you know about your team members? You probably know how they work, their strengths and weaknesses, and what times they’re online and available. But do you know their favorite movie or where they’re from? How about what artist they listened to the most this year, or their favorite local bakery?

Icebreaker questions aren’t just a wonderful way to break the awkward silences and learn silly things about your coworkers—they’re also a key part of increasing team collaboration and team bonding. When you spend time getting to know your teammates as people—and not just employees or coworkers—you’re more likely to trust one another and work better together.

So whether you want to start with some icebreaker games to get to know your new team members, some quirky questions to heighten your teamwork, or some team building activities to connect with your remote team, try the best 130 icebreaker questions to encourage team building.

What makes a good icebreaker question?

A good icebreaker question is all about creating a comfortable environment for people to engage in light-hearted conversation. Whether you're in a virtual meeting, at a team-building event, or just meeting new people for the first time, the right question can set the tone for a positive interaction. But what exactly makes a question "good" in this context?

1. First, it should be simple to answer. People don’t want to feel put on the spot or overthink their response. The best icebreaker questions are fun, simple, and designed to get people talking without any pressure.

2. Second, a good icebreaker sparks connection and laughter. Asking something like, “What’s the weirdest ice cream flavor you’ve ever tried?” or “If you could play any musical instrument, which one would you choose?” not only gives insight into a person’s personality but also creates opportunities for everyone to share a funny or memorable story.

3. Lastly, a strong icebreaker should help people open up without feeling too vulnerable. Keep it light and avoid anything that might make someone uncomfortable. Questions like “What was your dream job when you were in high school?” or “What’s the strangest question you’ve ever been asked in an interview?” are perfect examples of how you can keep things fun and engaging.

By focusing on easy-to-answer, light-hearted questions that encourage laughter and openness, you'll have the perfect recipe for fun icebreaker questions that get everyone talking.

5 tips to break the ice

Breaking the ice doesn’t have to be intimidating, especially when you have a few tricks up your sleeve. Whether you're in a small group, a virtual team meeting, or a large gathering, these five tips will help you spark conversations and build connections effortlessly.

1. Start with simple, fun questions: Kick things off with something easy, like “What's your favorite holiday?” or “What’s the most unusual New Year’s resolution you’ve ever made?” These questions are excellent because they don't require deep thought but can lead to some hilarious answers.

2. Incorporate humor: People relax when they laugh. Throw in some funny icebreaker questions like “If you were a fictional character, who would you be?” or “What’s the funniest childhood memory you can remember?” Humor helps people feel at ease and opens the door for more personal conversations.

3. Tailor questions to the group: If you're with a team that works together regularly, try icebreaker questions for work that focus on collaboration, like “What’s a hidden talent you’d bring to the zombie apocalypse?” or “If our team had to participate in the Olympics, which event would we dominate?” These kinds of team building questions not only break the ice but can also strengthen workspace bonds.

4. Get creative with hypothetical scenarios: Hypothetical questions are always a hit. Asking something like, “If you could only watch one TV show for the rest of your life, what would it be?” or “If you could live in any fictional world, where would it be?” encourages people to use their imagination while revealing their interests.

5. Use personal experiences: Questions that tap into people’s personal stories are a powerful way to break down barriers. Ask things like, “What’s your most-used emoji?” or “What’s one piece of advice you’d give to your old self?” These types of questions allow people to share a bit of their own life, fostering deeper connections.

By incorporating these tips into your next meeting, event, or gathering, you'll be able to break the ice quickly and create an engaging, relaxed atmosphere where everyone feels comfortable sharing and participating.

Best icebreaker questions for work

Kicking off a meeting with the right questions can set a positive tone for collaboration and teamwork. The best icebreaker questions for work are designed to be light-hearted but also provide insight into your colleagues’ personalities, helping to build connections in the professional environment. Below are some excellent icebreaker questions for team meetings that can loosen everyone up before diving into work:

1. What’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone starting in your field?

2. If you could pick any fictional character to be your mentor at work, who would it be?

3. What was your dream job when you were a kid, and how has it changed?

4. If you could switch jobs with anyone for a week, what role would you choose?

5. What’s your go-to productivity hack for busy days at work?

6. If our team had a theme song, what would it be?

7. What’s your favorite way to unwind after a long workday?

8. If you could master any new musical instrument instantly, what would it be?

9. What's one team-building activity you think every company should try?

10. If you had to describe your role using only three emojis, what would they be?

Team building icebreaker questions

Strong teams are built on trust, camaraderie, and communication. Team building questions are the perfect way to encourage teamwork and spark engaging conversations. These team icebreaker questions will help foster stronger bonds and set a fun, collaborative atmosphere during meetings or events.

11. If our team was stranded on a deserted island, who would you want to take charge?

12. What’s one hidden talent you have that could come in handy during a team building activity?

13. If you could choose a fictional world for our next team building retreat, where would it be?

14. What’s one team icebreaker question you’ve never been asked but wish someone would ask?

15. What’s the most memorable team building activity you’ve participated in?

16. If our team could only communicate through sounds, what sound would best represent your personality?

17. If you could take any famous person to a team meeting, who would it be and why?

18. What’s one thing you think our team could improve to work better together?

19. If you had to pick a team mascot to represent us, what would it be?

20. What’s your favorite childhood game that involved teamwork?

Virtual team icebreaker questions

Connecting with and motivating remote teammates during virtual meetings can feel even harder than team building in the office—but it doesn’t have to be. Use these virtual work icebreaker questions to connect with your team.

21. Do you have any “coworkers” (partners, roommates, siblings, parents, pets)?

22. Have your working hours changed as a result of remote work?

23. Do you prefer working remotely or working in an office?

24. What’s your best WFH accessory?

25. What’s your go-to WFH beverage? Do you prefer coffee? Tea?

26. Is there a spot in your house where you feel most productive?

27. If you could have any upgrade to your WFH setup, what would it be?

28. What’s your morning routine?

29. How often do you work in your PJs?

Small team icebreaker questions

If you have a small group, consider asking more open-ended questions and following the discussion where it leads. Instead of being rapid fire questions, these team icebreaker questions are designed to spark a conversation among team members.

30. What’s your favorite local restaurant and why?

31. What’s something you’ve always wanted to do but haven’t done yet? Why not?

32. When was the last time you did something for the first time?

33. What do you do to beat stress?

34. What’s the most surprising thing that’s happened to you in another state or country?

35. Tell us something about yourself that would surprise most people who know you.

36. Describe an experience in life that changed your values.

Funny icebreaker questions

Make sure you aren’t just asking “intense” icebreaker questions—throw some funny icebreaker questions into the mix, too! The funniest icebreakers are lighthearted questions that open up the conversation and help your team warm up to one another. Then, once your team is more connected, you can bust out the more “serious” questions.

37. Who’s the most famous person you’ve ever met? Tell us the story of how you met.

38. What’s your guilty pleasure?

39. Looking back at when you were younger, what was your silliest fear?

40. What is your current desktop or cell phone wallpaper? Why did you choose that image?

41. Tell us about your worst hair day.

42. If you had to give your car a name, what would it be?

43. What’s your favorite knock-knock joke?

44. If you could host a talk show, which one would you pick?

45. What was your best Halloween costume? Worst?

46. Tell us a story of an embarrassing thing that happened to you.

47. What’s the last thing you got in “trouble” for?

48. What would the title of your autobiography be?

49. If you could add a word to the dictionary, what would you add and what would it mean?

50. If you could bring back any fashion trend or old slang, what would it be?

51. If you had to talk like a cartoon character for the rest of your life, who would you choose? Do an impression of them now.

52. What’s the worst piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

53. If you had to eat a crayon, what color would you choose?

Unique icebreaker questions

If you’ve tried icebreakers in the past, you may have struggled to come up with uncommon icebreaker questions. Don’t fret, we’ve got you covered! Use these questions to learn something completely new about your teammates. 

54. What game show do you think you could win?

55. If you could only use one emoji for the rest of your life, what would it be?

56. What’s your favorite movie quote?

57. What’s something you think is totally overrated?

58. If you were an athlete, what would you choose as your walkout song?

59. What book do you wish you could read for the first time again?

60. Name one movie you think should have a sequel.

61. If you had to email the CEO an emoji right now, what would it be?

62. What was the first thing you thought about this morning?

63. What has been the best day of your life so far?

64. If aliens landed on Earth, who would you recommend they talk to?

65. Is a hotdog a sandwich?

“Would you rather” icebreaker questions

In a “would you rather” icebreaker question, you pose a scenario to your team members and ask them to pick from one of two fun options. These questions are pretty engaging, and they’re a great way to dig deeper into team preferences. To get a good conversation going, ask your team members why they chose the option they did.

66. Would you rather go on a relaxing vacation or an adventure hike?

67. Would you rather be a member of the Avengers or the Justice League?

68. Would you rather star in a romance-based or adventure-based reality TV show?

69. Would you rather have a theme song for your life or a constant soundtrack playing in the background?

70. Would you rather be a superhero or the world’s best chef?

71. Would you rather compete in the Olympics or direct a movie that was nominated for an Oscar?

72. Would you rather sing karaoke with the head of our department or be on a group call with the CEO and your parents?

Throwback icebreaker questions

Getting-to-know-you questions are a fun way to learn more about your teammates. People usually like talking about their past, so these questions can be an ideal place to start if your team is new to using icebreaker questions. Plus, knowing where your teammates come from is a fantastic way to start understanding them more personally.

73. Do you have any siblings? Are you the eldest, middle, or youngest child?

74. Where did you grow up?

75. Did you have any pets as a kid? Did you want any pets?

76. Did you play sports as a kid? Do you play any sports now?

77. Do you speak any other languages?

78. What’s your favorite place in the world?

79. What was your first job?

80. What was your favorite cartoon as a kid? What was your favorite cartoon character? If they weren’t the same, why not?

81. Who in life has inspired you the most?

82. What’s one family tradition you want to pass down to your kids?

83. What’s a piece of advice your parents or grandparents gave you that you want to pass on?

84. What were your favorite subjects in school?

85. Did you have an imaginary best friend when you were younger? What were they like?

86. Have you ever been mistaken for someone famous?

Common icebreaker questions

Want to make sure you’ve covered your bases? Try some tried-and-true icebreakers. Curious about what your teammates’ favorite TV show is? Or, how about what’s on their bucket list? These common icebreakers include go-to questions for getting to know your team better.

87. What book are you currently reading? What’s your favorite book?

88. What’s your favorite TV show?

89. What’s your favorite movie?

90. What’s your favorite song?

91. What was your first concert? What was the best concert you’ve ever been to?

92. If you were stranded on a deserted island, what book or object would you bring?

93. If you could have dinner with one historical figure, who would it be? What about one currently living celebrity?

94. What’s the greatest gift you’ve ever received? What about the best gift you’ve ever given?

95. Do you have any hidden talents?

96. When you were younger, what did you want to be when you grew up?

97. If you were granted three wishes, what would you wish for?

98. If you won a million dollars, what’s the first thing you’d do?

99. What are you passionate about outside of work?

100. If you had an extra hour per day, what would you do?

101. What’s your favorite genre of music?

102. Are you a dog person, a cat person, or both?

103. What’s on your bucket list?

Travel icebreaker questions

Whether your teammates love traveling or prefer finding local gems, talking about travel is a great way to take a break from work and get to know your team on a personal level. Travel icebreaker questions are also a useful way to learn more about who your teammates want to be. You can learn a lot from people’s favorite trips and top travel destinations.

104. What’s your #1 travel destination?

105. What’s your favorite place?

106. Have you ever traveled outside of the country?

107. Mountains or ocean?

108. Snow or sand?

109. Where did you go the first time you traveled (or remember traveling)?

110. What is your favorite thing to do locally?

111. If you were to move to another country, where would you move?

Food icebreaker questions

Food icebreaker questions are a useful way to dig into your team members’ pasts and preferences. If you’re a team lead—take note! You can always use these preferences to bring a special touch to future team lunches, happy hours, and celebrations.

112. What’s your favorite breakfast food?

113. What are your favorite pizza toppings?

114. What’s your favorite type of ice cream?

115. What’s your favorite happy hour drink?

116. If you could name a cocktail, what would you call it?

117. Spicy or sweet?

118. What is your favorite fast food restaurant?

119. Was there ever a food you didn’t want to eat, but you loved it once you tried it?

Hypothetical icebreaker questions

Hypothetical icebreaker questions are things that will probably never come to pass but can be fun to brainstorm anyway. To take team bonding to the next level, make a game out of explaining your answers in great detail. The team member who commits most passionately wins!

120. If you had to live in a video game, which one would it be?

121. If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

122. If you could remove one word from the dictionary, what would it be?

123. If you could be any animal, which would you be?

124. If you could control one element (air, water, earth, fire), which would it be and why?

125. If you had to live in one Disney movie, which would you choose?

126. If you could send a message out to the entire world, what would it be?

127. If you could only watch one movie for the rest of your life, what would it be?

128. If you could only listen to one album for the rest of your life, which would you choose?

129. If you were a potato, how would you like to be cooked?

130. You have 20 minutes to plan for the zombie apocalypse—what do you do? What if you had 24 hours?

You’ve broken the ice. Now what?

So, you've asked your team icebreaker questions and gotten everyone chatting, but what comes next? After the ice is broken, it's important to keep the momentum going and maintain the connections built during those initial conversations. Here are a few tips for sustaining engagement after using icebreaker questions for team meetings:

• Encourage ongoing participation: Make sure everyone feels included throughout the meeting or event by inviting feedback, ideas, and collaboration.

• Dive into deeper topics: Once the conversation is flowing, don’t be afraid to transition to more meaningful discussions, especially around team goals, challenges, and projects.

• Plan for follow-up activities: Incorporating fun team building activities after icebreakers can strengthen bonds even further. Consider group challenges, brainstorming sessions, or virtual team games.

• Create a shared experience: Building on the light-hearted energy, suggest a group activity that gives the team something memorable to talk about after the meeting.

• Celebrate team wins: Recognizing the team’s successes—big or small—further builds on the positive atmosphere created by your icebreakers.

By continuing to engage your team and providing opportunities for collaboration, you can turn a simple icebreaker activity into a more cohesive, connected, and high-performing team.

Additional team building activities

Icebreaker questions are excellent because they’re so short—you can throw in an icebreaker before your weekly team meeting to start creating strong team bonds. But to take your team building to the next level, try more involved team building games, like:

Team trivia

To host a team trivia event, ask each team member to submit trivia questions about themselves. Consider giving them a list of prompts, like:

• What’s your least favorite food?

• What did you want to be when you were younger?

• Do you have any secret talents?

• What’s your pet peeve?

The easiest way to turn these questions into a trivia game is to come up with “fake” answers and ask your team to guess which is correct. For example, you could ask: What candy does Brian hate: Skittles, Mars Bars, or Laffy Taffy?

Keep track of everyone’s answers during the trivia event. Then, the team member who guesses the most right answers wins a small prize—maybe they get to host the next team trivia!

Virtual games

If you’re working from home, you still have plenty of team building opportunities. There are a variety of online games you can play. Usually, these games will have a “room” that everyone joins. Then, get everyone on a Zoom call while you play for some trash talking and encouragement—you know, team building essentials. Try online games like:

• Pictionary

• Scattergories

• Bingo

• Charades

Coffee chats

Not all team building activities need to revolve around carefully planned activities. Sometimes, the best way to bond with a team member or group of team members is to grab coffee from a nearby cafe. Take the time to get to know each other outside of a work context, while also enjoying a nice cup of coffee (or tea).

Working virtually? Schedule a virtual coffee chat with a coworker. This is a wonderful excuse to get yourself some specialty coffee or brew your favorite at home.

Break the ice and boost team collaboration

Nearly 50% of knowledge workers believe engaging and enjoyable work is the #1 factor in achieving their best work. Team building is a great way to do just that. Build lasting relationships and boost team collaboration with icebreaker questions and team building activities. Or if your team is feeling bold, try inventing your own!