Workshop ice-breaker collection
Use this Workshop Icebreaker Collection Template to bring energy, engage people, and foster collaboration when running a meeting or workshop.
Ice-breakers can get a bad reputation for being a waste of limited time. However, effective ice-breakers are an essential tool in every workshop or meeting, in making the group feel comfortable, eliciting more information and demonstrating desired behaviours.
The 5 categories of ice-breakers — It’s important to choose an ice-breaker that fits the needs and purpose of the workshop/meeting you are facilitating. Start with an objective, which will depend on external factors e.g. where you are in the process, time of day, size of the group etc. We categorised some of the most effective ice-breakers by 5 common objectives:
Getting personal
Use these activities to help participants bond, create a feeling of safety and cohesion, and move beyond the 'professional' sphere into the personal. Introduce them at the beginning of a workshop, because they also help participants get familiar with using Miro.
Who is here?
Mini-superpower
Where are you?
Encourage teamwork
With these activities, you can get participants to work together as a group and demonstrate how collaboration leads to better outcomes.
1 to 20
Speed sketch
Demonstrate divergent thinking
You can encourage participants to think more creatively. Often by asking the 'unreasonable', people feel more confident to think outside of the box.
Invent a game
This is not...
Convergent thinking
These activities are all about helping people to refine, analyse and synthesise. The objective is to make your participants feel more reflective.
One word check-in
Map of me
Injecting energy
Sometimes you need a bit of light fun to break up the intensity of a workshop. With these activities, you will keep participants engaged and focused in the middle of a slump or tackling a particularly complex topic.
GIF tournament
Pictionary
After every energiser, ask the group what they thought the point of the exercise was. Relate this to the next task they will be doing. This will get them to reflect on the objective and ground it in logic. It’s also a useful way to demonstrate the type of behaviour/thinking required.
How do they work—
Each ice-breaker activity template is created and shared with clear instructions on how to use it, along with the approximate time it takes to complete each activity.
To add these ice-breakers to your workshop board, simply copy the frame of the ice-breaker and paste it into your Miro board.
How do you break the ice in a workshop?
Most facilitators use icebreakers to ensure people are comfortable interacting with each other and participating in the meeting or workshop. Icebreaker activities are also an excellent way to loosen up your audience, mainly because they are fun and non-work-related activities. It’s a way to give people a break and get them more relaxed and engaged with what’s coming next.
What are some good virtual icebreakers?
Miroverse has many virtual icebreaker activities you can choose from. Select one according to your needs or that better fits your online session. Remember, each icebreaker serves a different purpose. You can use icebreakers that are either energizing, collaborative, or reflective.
Get started with this template right now.
Workshop and Meeting Energizers
Works best for:
Icebreakers, Meetings
Begin every online session by engaging people right away with workshops and meeting energizers.
Virtual Fishbowl Discussion
Works best for:
Icebreakers
Make every voice heard with the Virtual Fishbowl Discussion Template. Run more exciting and organized debates, getting more ideas and diverse points of view.
Warmups & Wakeups
Works best for:
Icebreakers, Team Meetings
Start your workshop or meeting getting everyone active and energized with these 5 warm-up exercises. Never let boredom invade your sessions again.
Taco Tuesday Retrospective
Works best for:
Agile Methodology, Retrospectives, Meetings
The Taco Tuesday Retrospective template offers a fun and informal approach to retrospectives, perfect for fostering team camaraderie. It provides elements for reflecting on past iterations over a casual taco-themed gathering. This template enables teams to relax, share insights, and brainstorm ideas in a laid-back atmosphere. By promoting social interaction and creativity, the Taco Tuesday Retrospective empowers teams to strengthen relationships, boost morale, and drive continuous improvement effectively.
"The Big Picture" Puzzle Icebreaker
Works best for:
Icebreakers
Learn how to better collaborate and communicate with this fun and unique Icebreaker Puzzle Template.
The Check-In Icebreaker
Works best for:
Icebreakers, Meetings
Run a dynamic online session with the Check-in Icebreaker Template. Use this icebreaker before your meeting to boost energy levels, connect people, and warm up the room.