Whether you’ve just brought on new staff or you feel like your team needs to reconnect, an icebreaker activity is the perfect way to boost camaraderie, bust cliques, and help your team feel connected.

A connected team is a productive team.

Cultivating team conversations and collaboration are important values for any strong company. To achieve these values and more, check out our comprehensive list of the 40 best icebreaker questions to help with team-building and creative thinking!

Best icebreaker questions for team-building

From questions about traveling, gift-giving, sports teams, television shows, and more, these questions are sure to keep conversation flowing between your coworkers/employees.

1. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go?

This question can help colleagues learn about each other’s travel fantasies, and maybe encourage people familiar with their coworkers' dream destinations to give them a few travel tips and hints!

2. What’s on your bucket list and why?

Whether it’s skydiving, returning to their native country to visit extended family, or visiting every continent once in their lifetime, everyone has a unique response to this bucket list question.

3. If you were to invent a board game or video game, what would it be called and how would you play?

Maybe someone would create a fusion of Uno and Monopoly – or something completely brand new! See what wacky concoctions people will come up with!

4. What would be the name of your sports team?

Rather than the age-old “which sports team is your favorite,” jazz things up by asking each other what THEY would name a sports team, as well as what sport their hypothetical team would play.

5. What place would be paradise for you?

Maybe it’s a sunny beach in the Bahamas, or maybe it’s a nice Saturday inside with a cup of tea and their cat in their lap. Whatever it is, the definition of paradise is sure to differ drastically among the crowd.

6. What fictional place would you like to visit?

Springfield from the Simpsons? The “lost” city of Atlantis? Hogwarts from Harry Potter? Find out the interesting fictional hot spots your coworkers would most likely love to visit!

7. If you were to have a "Freaky Friday" type of situation, who would you switch bodies with?

Would it be a celebrity? A friend? A family member? See who comes up with the craziest switcheroo!

8. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

Some people have the dream of moving back to their home town or country. Others want to move far away and experience a new life. See which is more common among your coworkers!

9. If you could live in any period of history, when would it be?

Some people prefer the future while others prefer the past. And some people would want to visit prehistoric times. Watch out for dinosaurs!

10. What would you do with your “15 minutes of fame?"

An addition to this question could be “what would be a reason you might become temporarily famous,” which could yield hilarious results.

11. If you were to found a city, what would it be called and what would it be like?

Another creative one to see if people come up with silly names for pretend cities when they were kids or if they have difficulty doing so as an adult.

12. What disease would you like to cure and why?

This one might hit close to home or trigger some emotional responses, especially if the disease they choose to cure is one that has affected them personally (e.g. losing someone close to them to cancer), so ease into this question gently.

13. What would your superhero name be and why?

Instead of asking the generic “who’s your favorite superhero” and expecting answers like Batman or Superman, this gives employees an opportunity to invent a superhero that speaks to them. Enter GrammarMan, the superhero with impeccable grammar!

14. What subject would you teach if you were a teacher?

You might discover that not only would Sarah from Accounting like to teach history, but that she volunteers at her local community center to teach children historical facts already!

15. Would you rather be invisible or be able to read minds?

This question is a guaranteed conversation-starter. Whenever you talk about supernatural abilities, you’re bound to get some creative reasons why invisibility or mind-reading capabilities are superior.

16. If you had one extra hour each day, how would you use it?

Some people might say spend more time reading, working out, or cooking homemade meals. But the others? They’d say sleep. I’m team sleep, too.

17. What would be the title of your bestselling book?

Some people on your team might write on the side, either poetry, creative stories, or researched essay topics on things they’re passionate about. So they might also have a title for a book in mind.

18. What’s your secret talent?

Your favorite coworker might be skilled at karaoke, while another might be a world-class painter. See what makes your coworkers tick outside of the office.

19. Who's your favorite team in pop culture?

Team could be like music duo, pop group, superhero tag team, and more.

20. If you could only take one item with you on a deserted island, what it would be?

A book? A phone? Your lucky teddy bear? Maybe it’s something more obscure, like a treasured locket. See what matters the most to people.

21. What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Maybe it was overcoming their fear of heights and climbing a mountain. Maybe it was learning how to play the guitar. Or maybe it was as simple as learning to make the perfect grilled cheese sandwich. Great achievements can be big or small, after all!

22. What would be the ultimate gift for you to receive?

Some people might say intangible things, like the gift of time, and others might think of something tangible – and extravagant – like a Maserati!

23. How would you spend one million dollars?

Is it paying off debts? Going back to school? Buying a private jet? See where your employees’ innermost desires lie!

24. If you were famous, what would you be famous for?

Singing, dancing, acting – or maybe making the funniest viral video. Who knows!

25. What would be the title of your memoir?

Adventures in the Life of Susanne, or maybe something even more creative!

26. What do you admire most in other people?

Perhaps it’s kindness, ambition, or the ability to function on 5 hours of sleep per night. See the interesting ways your employees admire others’ strengths.

27. What is the meaning of your name, and does it suit you?

Did one of your parents choose your name because they loved it? Is it the name of a character in a show or movie? Your mom’s favorite musician?

28. If you were a mascot for a company or team, what would you be, for which company, and why?

Maybe your employees would rather be a “general” mascot and not choose a company, but either way, maybe someone will pick something tried and true, like the Energizer Bunny or Geico Gecko!

29. What would you like to be known for?

Your business prowess? Being a good friend? Your culinary skills? The possibilities are endless!

30. If you were a sitcom character, what would your catchphrase be?

Think along the lines of Joey from Friends: “How YOU doin’?!”

31. What are you going to do when you retire?

Retirement might seem a ways away, but maybe people have plans already, like moving south or retiring to a beachfront resort where they can wake up to the sunrise and waves everyday.

32. If you were a cartoon, what would you look like?

Silly? Cute? Stylish? Or something else?

33. What is the best vacation you’ve ever had?

Maybe their best vacation was a staycation in which they spent a week redecorating their house. Or maybe it was an amazing trip to New York City for the first time. See the awesome adventures everyone has had!

34. If you could choose an age to remain forever, what age would you choose?

Forever 21? Or eternally 29? Or maybe something obscure, like the wide-eyed 8-year-old who got excited about the ice cream truck!

35. Would you rather be able to change your past or see your future?

This question could tie directly to work and academic experiences or be more about “where do you see yourself” and “what could you change if you went back in time”.

36. If you were to discover a new planet, what would you name it?

And as we all know, poor Pluto isn’t technically a planet anymore.

37. If you could host a talk show, who would be your first guest?

Would it be your favorite celebrity? Your best friend? Someone you absolutely loathe? Who knows!

38. If you could have dinner with anyone – alive or dead – who would it be and why?

Gandhi? John Lennon? A former president? Your grandmother? This could be a sentimental question or a fun one – maybe even both!

39. What’s your top tip to bust stress?

Do you bake your stress into delicious strudels? Or do you bust a move on the dance floor? Whatever it is, share your tips with your teammates so they can bust stress, too!

40. If you had a time machine, what point in the past or future would you visit?

Would you jump five years ahead to see if all your hard work paid off, or go back 10 years to re-experience your college heyday?

Time to start asking the (not so) tough questions

Break out one of these questions at the start of a staff meeting or spend half an hour pulling questions out of a hat and having each member of your team answer them. See the funny, interesting, personal, and innovative answers your colleagues come up with, and use this information to make your team more connected on a work and personal scale! 

Need to discover other ways to make sure your team stays connected? Check out what kinds of team collaboration software are out there to help keep you connected and in the know!