Virtual icebreaker activities

Remote activities have become the new normal today. Teams should be considerate of the tools they use to facilitate online workshops. When conducting icebreaker activities online, facilitators should try harder to prevent participants from getting bored or facing technical challenges and ensure they stay engaged.

Consider the following factors when conducting remote icebreakers:

• People get distracted easily. Even if all participants have their cameras on, it's easy to zone out during a video conference. Participants may start multitasking, checking their phones, or browsing on another tab. Think of an icebreaker activity that engages them and keeps them from doing so.
• Choose tools carefully. New tools can be intimidating and affect how actively people want to participate in a workshop. Make sure the tools you use for your icebreaker activity are familiar to participants or easy to learn in a short time.
• Keep it short. If your team is fully remote, people may balk at adding another online meeting or workshop to their calendars. Keep your icebreaker activity short and sweet so people join the workshop readily and in a good mood.^[1]