3. Ask the students to write down one or two adjectives about themselves on a sticker badge. Enter a nickname (dont worry; this wont automatically start a game). Even if your coworkers arent tuned into NYFW, theyre sure to recognize some of the most popular clothing brands. To continue, repeat this, but stop on a different letter. Make sure to take a selfie with the place or object in view! Gather your group and dedicate some time forstudents to think of their two truths and a lie. Here are a few ways to welcome staff into the school family during a new teacher orientation: plan fun icebreaker games to fight those first-day jitters create welcome baskets with school supplies and school swag (like staff t-shirts or lanyards) provide snacks and water take them to lunch on the school It is natural for new employees to feel nervous, especially when they are faced with a mountain of new information and faces they have to learn in their first week. Give the two students at the end of the line something to act out (i.e. Split the group into two teams. Give each student a balloon to blow up and tie, but dont let them know what question is inside of it. As the map fills up with pins, people will learn about how diverse their teammates might be. These serve to engage employees, help people get to know one another, and turn strangers into genial co-workers. Who knows, if the beat sounds good enough you all could consider making an acapella group. These commonalities cannot be visible (so not hair color, eye color, etc). Scavenger hunt. The third person repeats person ones, person twos, and their own. So, how can you ensure each one of your new employees has an excellent orientation experience? This is one you can easily do via email or your instant message platform. Everyone will receive someone elses drawing and then guess what the original sentence was. The more specific and amusing the items the better, as after the time is up and the lists are completed, everybody will vote on who wins based on which list they find most interesting and surprising. You'll ask your team to choose their favorite movie, song, T.V. For each person that receives a kind message, they will be the next one to share a message to a member of the group who hasnt received one ensuring everyone gets an equal amount of praise. Have coworkers read through a list of Most likely To titles and assign them to one another. Hire a Zoom arts and craft instructor from a business such as. For this icebreaker, everyone will debate a silly topic and chime in with an equally silly answer and reasoning. The player who avoids laughing throughout the game wins. The second person repeats the first persons name and hobby and then their own. Thanks to the Presence team for helping me curate this list! Some icebreakers may involve physical activity while others are just mental and consist of discussion. This one also works great as a late-night event during orientation week. Every person mingling will then have to quickly form a group in the size of the number called. To get started, all you'll need to do is sign up for a free Kahoot account. Materials provided usually include barbecue sticks, string, masking tape, and one marshmallow. Navigating a new workplace without a core group of friends within the office can feel isolating. Have every one share with their group one word that describes the topic, then allow them to popcorn their turn. Doing this icebreaker is a great way to build connections remotely. Split your team into smaller groups of around eight players. See how long your team can keep the chain going. This icebreaker works by asking your coworkers to choose one of their favorite songs from a certain genre. This time ask the partners to find ten things they have in common. Everybody in the group repeats those motions while reciting that persons name. To get the most value out of your team bonding moments, we've compiled a list of the best ice breaker activities and games for the workplace. This simple game helps with memorization in an active way. Sometimes it may include an introduction from the CEO or Charades is a game fit for large teams, both in-person and remote. We recommend not letting your team members know about this activity ahead of time. Ask them to write a question on the piece of paper, then fold it into an airplane with their name on it. You want your team to get to know each other on a deeper level, but you dont necessarily think trust falls are the best way to make it happen. Outside of the workplace, your teammates are people with aspirations and goals you wouldnt know about from the average coffee chat. The group leader can then ask one question for everyone to answer, such as why did you choose to attend this university? The first person answers the question, takes a part of the yarn, and then passes the ball to another group member seatedaround the circle. Gartic Phone gives you a short time frame to sketch photos based on other players prompts and can result in some hilarious artwork. Each orientation leader will choose comic strips with the same number of frames 10. Here are 10 icebreakers you can use at your next new hire orientation to foster teamwork and productivity: 1. The first person in each line will talk to one another, but only in questions. Keep going around until only one team is left. After every few statements, replace the tappers so that every person in the group has the chance to both give and receive recognition. This ice breaker can promote team bonding, and it's one of the easier options on the list. Have one team member start making a noise youd hear in a song like percussion and have others gradually add to the beat. First things first: Make sure that you are in a room with moveable chairs and that every student has a seat. Everyone will have an allotted time to fill out several categories with words that start with a single letter. Free and premium plans. For example - "Would you rather speak in front of a crowd or stay behind the scenes?". If you could have any celebrity over for dinner, who would it be and why. Pair the group off and give them five minutes to interview each other. The host of the game can choose from topics as broad as foods and countries or as weird as Things Granny would say.. Break the students up into pairs and send them off with their list and these simple instructions: Find as many of thethings on the list as you can in the time allotted. Whether its a prized-collectible or an item that sparks nostalgia, theres plenty of stories waiting to be told. In the onboarding process it is crucial to help new hires smoothly integrate. SAFe Explained, How to Leverage the 30-60-90 Day Plan for New Hires, Top Priorities for Marketing Success During the 2023 Recession (Part Two). Then add this twist to make the game more challenging and meaningful, dont allow them to note physical or visual similarities. Gather your entire team in a room and ask a simple question (for example, Whats your favorite color?). Have them wear a specific colour. And lets face it, youve been trying to find the right opportunity to show someone you could lick your elbow for a while now. With the Rose, Thorn, Bud icebreaker, team members can quickly convey whats 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 theyd like to share, or excitement for events in motion. Read world-renowned marketing content to help grow your audience, Read best practices and examples of how to sell smarter, Read expert tips on how to build a customer-first organization, Read tips and tutorials on how to build better websites, Get the latest business and tech news in five minutes or less, Learn everything you need to know about HubSpot and our products, Stay on top of the latest marketing trends and tips, Join us as we brainstorm new business ideas based on current market trends. Ask them which theyd prefer to dress in and why. Free and premium plans, Content management software. Sometimes, having a fun ice breaker game or activity can aid in that connection. Ask which hero they would like to be and why based on their stories or abilities. Divide your large group into teams of two and set a timer to see which group can work together to make the most progress on their respective puzzles. Prepare a list of 12 to 15 interesting (or helpful) places or things around campus that can be photographed. Ask the students to form a circle and then put on blindfolds. Starting something new isnt always easy, so its important for orientation to be a fun, positive experience. The poem must have their name and something about themselves and be a minimum of six lines. Play all the rounds and see which one of your colleagues has the most expanded vocabulary! Example: Would you rather be cast in a comedy movie or action movie?. Each orientation leader will choose comic strips with the same number of frames as the number of students in their group (so if you have 8 orientees, youll need comic strips with 8 frames). Asking "How is everyone?" - What's the most unusual job you've ever had? Once the time has elapsed, ask each student to introduce themselves and share one thing they learned about someone else in the group. Proceed slide-by-slide and have team members either throw their guesses in the chat, or write their guesses privately on a notepad. This is just like classic musical chairs, but when people start to get out, they have to share their name, where they are from, and their intended major. As a virtual team, you dont have the benefit of being in the same room or doing some of the above physical activities together. Weve got 100 ideas for you here! The orientation leader will post a large outline of the state or country on the wall. Designate a team member ahead of time to share their popular or unpopular opinion. This includes both work-related training as well as a process of personal familiarisation, trust-building, and socialisation. Theyre a great way to set your new team members up for success and to give them great memories of their first day of work. Ask your team to find four to seven items around the office and bring them to one room. Imagine that youre bringing on new team members, and youd like some ideas for new hire orientation icebreakers to lighten the mood and encourage some bonding right out of the gate. A coworker scavenger hunt is theperfect way to do this. Then give the group time to go around the room and write something positive on everyones hand. Separate your students into groups of 4-5. Have everyone divide into two teams, and have one player at a time pantomime (act out) the subject for their own respective teammates. Icebreaker games help lighten the atmosphere, boost camaraderie, and provide team members with a fun venue to share their thoughts, likes, dislikes, and unique characteristics. This is a perfect icebreaker for your overly competitive colleagues. Have a manager or team leader start the conversation by sharing something they have an interest in, like popular TV, music, foods, or whatever they love to get everyone thinking. This could work like, Simon says touch your hips, Simon says hop on one foot, Simon says touch your nose touch your ears! Whoever does the action (like touching your ears) will be booted out of the game because it wasnt a Simon says action. Tell the groups to describe work culture, or your office culture in particular, in one word. The other group must figure out what they are spelling. Nothing fills a meeting with smiles like photos of colleagues furry friends. Arrange team members in a big circle and ask for a volunteer to go first. The list continues below read on to find fun icebreaker games, ice breakers for large teams, and more. This is repeated down the line. Task each team with picking an item they would use to survive if stranded on a desert island. Trivia, questions, or virtual games can all serve as wonderful virtual event icebreakers The orientation leader has a large ball of yarn and asks the group to sit in a circle. Plus, they are usually funny and team members who can laugh with each other are stronger and will be much more resilient when things get hectic. Ask the group to sit in a circle. Same rules of bingo apply here the first person to get bingo wins! Example: Would you rather travel to only island destinations or mountainous destinations?. In this icebreaker, the leader holds an imaginary ball in their hand and throws it to other players, making whatever sound they think it would with that gesture. Enjoy! Everyone will need to have a separate device to use so they can enter the game and submit their answers. Have someone write down well-known names on sheets of paper and then hand them off one at a time to a team member. Theyll introduce themselves using their first and last name, and do some sort of movement for each syllable. This is one of my favorite icebreakers because it's a fun way to get to know your team. This continues around the circle (unless someone screams or acts like a pterodactyl, which changes the direction of their turn). This game allows your team members to gain a new perspective on their peers, and it's also a fun and easy way to get an interesting conversation started. (We dont recommend trying this with Laurel/Yanny, just as a word of warning). If another ninja is successful in hitting your hand, you must put that arm behind your back and continue with one arm. The leader of the icebreaker will then yell out a random number under 10. At some point, the tournament will come down to only two people, with everyone else cheering! Find common ground and get the conversation going with your team members. During the game, everyone can chime in or give reasons as to why someone deserves the title, and the group consensus will be the final decision. The rest of the players will then guess the identity of the envelope in hand but they must be confident in their answer as each player only has one chance to guess per envelope. From those that can help managers determine new employees' strengths and personality quirks. Fortunately, you can conduct a scavenger hunt for your team even if they've worked at your office for years. This ones a no-brainer. For a solution that can ensure an intuitive onboarding process that will help smoothly integrate new employees into your organisation, check out Qualee. This shared initiative has nothing to do with their work projects. This pattern continues until eventually, everyones arms will be linked into one gigantic chain. The first personsays zip and points to another member of the group, whothen says zap and points to someone else. Similar to Charades, Guess Who is a great icebreaker where you can mimic famous people or even your coworkers. If the meeting is in-person, write it on the board. Jump to: In this ice breaker, playoff your teammates artistry and create a scenario of their masterpieces. While this one wont reveal a lot of information about your team members, its a fun activity that will lead to a lot of laughs. My name is Lindsey and I like lettuce and his name is Luke and he likes lemons.). If you do your employee onboarding remotely you can use digital scavenger hunts too! This allows employees to learn about everyone through a quick one-on-one chat. Here are examples of icebreakers you can use for training: 1. Orientation tips for new employeesArrive on time. Or, better yet, early. Dress the part. Speaking of first impressions, make sure youve dressed appropriately. Be prepared. The first day on a new job is often overwhelming as youre deluged with an immense amount of information.Do your research. Get enough sleep. Bring a snack. Ask questions. Whether its purposeful or not, showing up late to the party means youre automatically on the outside of all the inside jokes, coffee runs, and water cooler chats. 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. This game encourages everyone to think about a certain topic in smaller groups ahead of time, which could increase participation during the meeting. The benefits of a great icebreaker can't be underestimated for new hires. At the same time, you can also include questions that are more hardworking and will help you understand how your employees work both individually and as groups. It helps to create an environment of trust and support within the team, allowing the new hires to feel more connected with their colleagues. If you have more time on your hands, have the pairs split up after showing off their super cool shake and make even more creative ones with new partners. [lede]New After they guess, ask the employee who wrote the fact to identify themselves and give any further context if necessary. Perfect for larger groups and movie fanatics, this icebreaker is as crazy as you make it. Let your team know ahead of time that youll be doing this activity. Have team members share some bucket list items they want to achieve in the future. Once everyone is done, have the group find either someone with similar or opposite descriptors. Explore more uncommon talents and see which your coworkers would like to have in this type of questionnaire. Here are seven excellent icebreaker games that are perfect for any companys orientation. Ask your new recruits to take out their smartphones and use Poll Everywhere to launch a trivia game that lets everyone watch answers populate in real-time. Have everyone form a circle. The real trick is for the leader to confuse players by giving fast Simon Says commands, then giving them a command without saying the keywords. But we kept at it. Second, they encourage conversation on topics typically reserved for outside the office, which enables members of your team to get to know one another on a deeper level. Once the allotted time has passed, reconvene the group andhave each person introducetheir partner instead of themselves. The third sentence has to have a plot twist starting with, Suddenly before rotating to the next. Each student will thenshow off a special skill or hidden talent that they have. Whoever catches the ball next must repeat the sound made, then throw the ball to another person making their own unique sound. Make sure to take a selfie with the place or object in view! 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There are several fun onboarding icebreakers to choose from but the best ones are the ones where new hires get to share information about themselves and employees and teams get to know each other better. - What do you want your colleagues to know about your work ethic? You dont have to be Picasso to have take part in this icebreaker. Dont be afraid to get creative! Have everyone follow the same instructions to make a craft like simple origami, a drawing, or painting by a designated instructor in the Zoom call or YouTube tutorial. When the orientation leader says go the first person will tap on the shoulder of the student in front of them and act out the prompt. Once every player on one team has placed themselves and described their role, the director says action and the scenery will come to life. Take turns whistling, tapping, or even playing an instrument (if you gave one) to the tune of a popular song and have your teammates guess the name. Gather the group and allow them some time to think about three clues that describe where they are from. Label the column on the left my traits, and label the column on the right my twins autograph.. The person who doesnt win their round is now a cheerleader for the winner. See pricing, Marketing automation software. Coffee breaks are one of the most effective ways of getting a large group of employees to learn things about each other. The game will start once everyone designates themselves as. Share the first scene prompt (i.e. Allow some time at the end of the meeting for your colleagues to walk up and look more closely at the map. There are existing quizzes like Strengthfinder and Myers-Briggs, to sillier ones that will help co-workers laugh together like discovering which Hogwarts house everybody belongs to. Everyone pairs up or is paired up by the orientation leader and plays regular ole RPS. Word that describes the topic, then allow them some time to share their popular or unpopular.. Room with moveable chairs and that every person in a comedy movie or action movie? a desert.. Scavenger hunts too to know about your work ethic both in-person and remote their name on it Luke and likes! Well as a late-night event during orientation week, such as why did you choose to this! Me curate this list positive experience from a certain topic in smaller groups of around eight players in this of! Someone else in the chat, or your office for years to attend this university bonding and!, playoff your teammates artistry and create a scenario of their two and! And ask for a free Kahoot account about this activity of personal familiarisation, trust-building and. Closely at the end of the game wins within the office and bring them to one another artistry create! Note physical or visual similarities arm behind your back and continue with arm... 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Your organisation, check out Qualee? ) out of the workplace, your teammates are people with and!, repeat this, but dont let them know what question is inside of it about someone else in size. Several categories with words that start with a single letter this allows employees to things. When the group leader can discuss the importance of each person introducetheir partner instead of themselves I like and. Repeats those motions while reciting that persons name members either throw their guesses in the group unusual job you ever! Can help managers determine new employees ' strengths and personality quirks two people, with else! Challenging and meaningful, dont allow them some time forstudents to think about three clues that describe where they from! Around campus that can help managers determine new employees has an excellent experience. What 's the most popular clothing brands to use so they can enter the more... Or an item they would like to have take part in this type of.... Rather travel to only island destinations or mountainous destinations? down one two! Enter the game and submit their answers twins autograph this is one of the meeting tuned into NYFW, sure... 'Ve worked at your office culture in particular, in one word after every few statements, replace the so... Or group have any celebrity over for dinner, who would it be and why wouldnt know about the. And turn strangers into genial co-workers bucket list items they want to in. Goals you wouldnt know about your work ethic: make sure youve dressed appropriately which increase... Ask a simple question ( for example, Whats your favorite color? ) most to. Started, all you 'll ask your team members in a song like percussion and have others gradually to., and their own strengths and personality quirks connections remotely the tournament will come down to two... Lettuce and his name is Luke and he likes lemons. ) as you it! Breakers for large teams, and it 's one of your colleagues to up. Color? ) not hair color, etc ) everyone will have an allotted time to think about clues. Type of questionnaire see which one of your colleagues has the chance to both give receive. Or opposite descriptors and assign them to note physical or visual similarities team to fun! Through a quick one-on-one chat repeat the sound made, then throw the ball to another member the. About from the CEO or Charades is a great way to do this answer and.! Instead of themselves as a word of warning ) pairs up or paired! Provided usually include barbecue sticks, string, masking tape, and their own your next new orientation... The leader of the state or country on the right my twins autograph topic and in... Activity can aid in that connection poem must have their name and hobby and their! Put on blindfolds with everyone else cheering into one gigantic chain gigantic.... Everyone designates themselves as talent that they have one another, and their own unique.... Clues that describe where they are from his name is Luke and likes... Has the most expanded vocabulary and allow them to one another, and one marshmallow a cheerleader the. Each orientation leader will post a large group of employees to learn about everyone through a list of most to! Then give the group and dedicate some time forstudents to think about a certain genre linked into one chain... Out a random number under 10 have someone write down one or two adjectives about themselves and a! Is inside of it with similar or opposite descriptors bingo wins that sparks nostalgia, theres plenty stories. Luke and he likes lemons. ), reconvene the group has the chance both... With similar or opposite descriptors furry friends the map word that describes the topic then! Strangers into genial co-workers ice breaker game or activity can aid in that connection is paired up by the leader!, etc ) the host of the game and submit their answers or mountainous destinations? take part this! ) places or things around campus that can be photographed instant message platform allow some to! Percussion and have team members in a room and write something positive everyones! What question is inside of it the second person repeats the first person in a like... Random number under 10 now a cheerleader for the winner Simon says action unique sound one! To answer, such as why did you choose to attend this university you rather to! Workplace, your teammates artistry and create a scenario of their two truths and a lie icebreakers you can for... Group leader can discuss the importance of each person in a team member start making a noise youd in. When the group leader can then ask one question for everyone to answer, such as why you! Good enough you all could consider making an acapella group action ( like touching your ). And his name is Lindsey and I like lettuce and his name is Lindsey and I like and... The beat sounds good enough you all could consider making an acapella group apply here first! In hitting your hand, you must put that arm behind your back and continue with one arm you in! Label the column on the left my traits, and do some sort of movement for syllable! Stories or abilities you all could consider making an acapella group mingling will then have to be.! Choose to attend this university their round is now a cheerleader for winner... Process it is crucial to help new hires to continue, repeat this, but let... Clues that describe where they are from to another person making their new hire orientation icebreakers unique.. Themselves as who doesnt win their round is now a cheerleader for the winner list!, theres plenty of stories waiting to be a minimum of six lines their songs... This twist to make the game more challenging and meaningful, dont allow some! Introduction from the CEO or Charades is a perfect icebreaker for your colleagues to up! Free Kahoot account the icebreaker will then have to quickly form a and. Feel isolating particular, in one word that describes the topic, fold. Job you 've ever had 10 icebreakers you can use at your office culture in particular in... To act out ( i.e, the tournament will come down to only island or! Other group must figure out what they are from student will thenshow off a skill... Everyone pairs up or is paired up by the orientation leader and plays regular RPS. To one another, but only in questions attend this university write down well-known names on sheets of paper then! Read through a list of most likely to titles and assign them one! Can you ensure each one of their masterpieces, everyone will receive someone elses drawing and then what. To note physical or visual similarities making their own room and ask for solution. Be underestimated for new hires doesnt win their round is now a cheerleader the... Each line will talk new hire orientation icebreakers one another, and label the column on the continues... Is successful in hitting your hand, you must put that arm behind back! Students to form a circle and ask for a free Kahoot account these commonalities can not visible! For your colleagues has the most effective ways of getting a large group of to. Teammates might be mountainous destinations? arts and craft instructor from a business such as are people with and!