Team Building Exercise: Break the Ice & Be a Hero

How do you reach great feats and save the day? With a team, of course. Where would Batman (nay, Gotham!) be without Alfred? Doesn’t Super Mario need a little help from Toad and Luigi on occasion? Of course!

These great partnerships did not magically appear. Ok, maybe there was a little magic involved, but these relationships took time, just like any other team.

Whether you’re part of a dynamic duo or an entire league of extraordinary people, teams need chemistry. Team building exercises will energize you and your co-workers.

In the real world, chemistry isn’t guaranteed and doesn’t come as easy as flirting during the third period. On the first day of work, or during the inception of a team, most people appear shy and reserved, needing a little push to interact with their colleagues. It’s imperative that things start off on the right foot. Team exercises can help with that!

To get people talking without their walls up, here’s a fun and light-hearted way to introduce your team to one another and start the team building process.

This is also an excellent way to incorporate a spy-themed TeamBonding event into your upcoming conference or meeting, such as School for Spies (the nation’s most prestigious espionage training academy) or a Scavenger Hunt.

The Imposter

Ice breaking tools:

  • Index cards
  • Pens (only a few)
  • Team members (ALL of them)

How to “Break the Ice”:

(1) Create Your Identity

Have each team member write their full name, accompanied by 3 interesting facts about themselves on an index card. Be sure to only provide the team with a few pens, that way they’ll have to interact with one another to complete this portion of the task.

Most people will be thinking, “I’m not about to stand up in front of all of these people and talk about myself” but that quickly dissipates when they find out they’ll be reading someone else’s card. It’s more effective this way, and more fun!

(2) Randomly assign cards to each team member

Each team member will play the role of an Imposter, and read the information off the card they were given, except for the name. For example:

I graduated high school at 16, I love Cheez-Its, and I can make a song out of any situation. My name is…

After each brief introduction, the card owner will stand, say their name to the group and claim their card from the Imposter. This is critical; otherwise, your team members will learn the wrong things about the wrong people.

If your team has been introduced before and are at the acquaintance’s stage, an added level of intrigue would be to allow team members to guess the identity on the cards before the big reveal.

(3) Ice = Broken

By impersonating team members, the fear, first day jitters, and that elevator-ride-like awkwardness go right out the window and are replaced with a laid back, fun, and interactive environment which provides for a perfect team building foundation.

Now your team is ready to start storming! What are your favorite ways to break the ice? Do you have any favorite team building exercises for work?

Jad Jichi

Team Contributor

Subscribe

Sign up for tips on crafting the perfect team.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Categories

Podcast

around the world podcast logo

Get ideas, inspiration and best practices from across the globe.

apple podcast logo spotify podcast logo amazon podcast logo youtube podcast logo

Be a Guest Blogger

Do you have any useful tips, tricks, guides, or valuable insights about company culture?

Learn more  

Plays well with these activities.

Drop your email for expert employee engagement tips.

Less drama? Greater productivity and job satisfaction? TeamBonding is here to help you build a stronger and happier team. Subscribe to get one-of-kind insights and news from our team building gurus and start boosting employee engagement today.

More great content based on your likes.

50 Questions of the Day for Adults to Connect Your Team

Ever feel like your team’s conversations are stuck on autopilot? Like you’re saying a lot, but nothing at all? Break the ice and spark meaningful connections with a simple yet powerful tool: questions of the day. Office small talk may seem like a workplace distraction, but when employees connect over topics unrelated to work, they bond more deeply, work better together, and are overall more productive in their day-to-day work.

Read More  

11 Game Show Ideas to Revolutionize Your Team’s Potential

I’ve been team building for over 15 years, and in that time, I’ve discovered some of the most powerful tools for boosting team morale: game shows! Ideas like Jeopardy and In It to Win It might not sound like the secret to improving team interactions, but I’ve seen the magic firsthand. 

Read More  

10 Team Engagement Ideas That Really Work

Employee engagement hit an 11-year low in the beginning of 2024 with only 30% of employees actively engaged at work. This is concerning for most businesses, seeing as companies with engaged employees are 21% more profitable.

Read More  

10 Winter Group Activities for January and February

Winter is a season that often brings people indoors, but it doesn’t mean that your team can’t still come together for some fun. The best way? A good old fashioned winter team building activity. Even coming back to work after the holidays can be arduous, but just because the holiday season has come to an end doesn’t mean the holiday spirit has to go with it. Keeping employees engaged and motivated year-round is vital to the success of all companies.

Read More  

Questions? Need a quote?

Complete this form to get started or call 877-472-2725.

Loading Icon

Create Your Free Account

Get exclusive access to new programs from the TeamBonding Lab, save your favorite ideas, and track your upcoming events.
Already have an account? Login

Please wait...

Sign-in

Don't yet have an account?
Create a Free Account

Forgot Your Password? Password Reset