Just for fun – Start your conversation with a smile
Is a hotdog a sandwich? Is a smoothie a soup?
How many holes do you think a straw has? What about a t-shirt?
What’s something ridiculous you believed when you were a kid?
What’s a fashion trend you love and what’s a trend you hate?
Find three things you all have in common.
Describe how your week is going by comparing it to an animal.
What is one chore you just can’t stand?
What’s an obsolete technology that you wish we could bring back?
Make up an Olympic event that you’d win gold for.
How long would you survive in a zombie apocalypse?
Which trivia category would you really excel in? It can be anything, from sports to ice cream flavors.
Tell us your favorite joke and then tell us where you first heard it.
Did you ever have an obsession or interest as a child that no one else seemed to understand?
Share your favorite fun fact about anything! How/where did you learn that?
Foodies – Food for thought: Chew on some of these food-related topics
If you had to get rid of breakfast, lunch or dinner, which would it be and why?
If you could have everyone here try one food, what dish or meal would it be?
What’s your coffee/drink order? What do you think it says about you?
If you were a kitchen utensil, what would you be?
What’s the best meal you’ve ever had?
What is the most complicated meal you’ve ever attempted to cook?
Do you have a meal that feels like home?
What’s a dessert you always have room for?
What’s your favorite aisle in the grocery store?
Thought-provoking – Delve into deep discussions
What would your 10-year-old self think of who you are today?
What life advice would you give to your younger self?
What’s something you thought you could never do as a child but you’ve done in adulthood?
Finish the sentence: “I wish everyone would _____”
How do you want to be remembered?
What makes you weird?
What’s the biggest risk you’ve taken? Would you do it all over again?
What have you been holding on to that you need to let go of?
Career Conversations – Learn about each other’s workday
What does success look like for you?
What’s been the highlight and the lowlight of your week?
Describe yourself in three words.
What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?
What is something people do that makes you feel appreciated?
If you could take a class on any subject, what would it be?
If you could speak another language, what would it be?
What’s something you want to get done by the end of this week? What about by the end of this year?
What’s something you’re looking forward to this week?
If you could wake up tomorrow with a new skill, what would it be?
Do you have a passion project you’re working on or would want to work on someday?
What’s a task you’ve been procrastinating on lately?
What’s something about your work that’s difficult and that you want people to appreciate?
What was your first job?
What’s your creative outlet?
If you could learn one new professional skill and one new personal skill, what would it be?
What if …? – Use your imagination to get to know one another!
If you could invite anyone from the past or present to a dinner party, who would be on the guest list?
If you had a magic mirror that showed your deepest desire, what do you think you would see in it?
What are three things you would want with you on a desert island?
If you own your own restaurant, what would you name it? What would you serve?
If you could live one day over again, which would it be?
If you had a green thumb that could make anything grow on a tree, what would you plant?
If you had one day’s notice to give a lecture, what would you talk about?
If you were accepting an award, who would you thank?
If you could have one superpower, what would it be?
If you could use magic, what spell would you cast first?
If you could bring back one fashion trend, what would it be?
If you could only use one condiment for the rest of your life, what would it be?
If you could choose one thing to be free and never cost you money, what would it be?
If you were being interviewed by a newspaper, what would you want it to be for?
If you could change one thing about your phone/your tech, what would it be?
Pop culture – Talk about your favorite books, albums, movies, TV shows, songs and more!
What book do you think everyone should read at least once in their lives?
What was your favorite book to read (or have read to you) as a child?
If your life was written in a book, what would the title be?
Is there a book/movie/album that changed your life?
What was the first album you bought with your own money?
If you started a podcast, what would it be about? Who would you invite as a guest?
What songs are on your road trip playlist?
What’s a song that always makes you smile?
Do you think the book is always better than the movie?
What fictional world would you love to visit or live in?
If you had to choose someone to be your roommate – fictional or real, past or present – who would it be? Who would it definitely not be?
What was your favorite book/TV/movie as a child? What lessons did you learn and is it still applicable to you today?
What two shows do you think have great crossover potential?
What shows are you obsessed with right now?
What’s your favorite fairy tale?
What is your favorite depiction of the future in media?
If you had to choose between only watching movies or only watching TV shows, which would it be?
Get to know you – The best topic when meeting new friends.
What color do you think your aura is and why?
What’s the best gift you’ve received and what’s the best gift you’ve given?
Pick an emoji to describe your day or week so far.
What’s the most recent picture in your phone (that you’re comfortable sharing, of course!) and what’s the story behind it?
Share your zodiac sign! And bonus: do you think your zodiac sign suits you?
Describe your perfect weekend.
What does your dream house look like?
What was your best and worst subject in school?
What’s an item you want but would never pay money for?
Name something you think is overrated and something that’s underrated.
If you had a mascot, what would it be?
What’s something that’s worth paying a premium for?
What’s your favorite holiday or tradition and why?
Do you have a store that you can’t go into because you’ll spend too much there?
Is there an app or a piece of technology that you first thought was ridiculous, but now you can’t live without it?
What’s something about you that people might find surprising?
If you were an animal, what would it be and why?
Would you rather? – Would you rather read emails or meet a new friend? 🙂
Would you rather wear a clown nose or a clown wig every day?
Would you rather live in the ocean or on the moon?
Would you rather have invisibility or flight?
Would you rather live where it only snows or where the temperature never falls below 100 degrees?
Would you rather always be slightly late or super early?
Would you rather give up your smartphone or your computer?
Would you rather live without heat and AC or live without social media?
Would you rather be able to run at 100 miles per hour or fly at 10 miles per hour?
Would you rather be an Olympic gold medallist or an astronaut?
Would you rather give up any drink other than water or give up food that was cooked in an oven?
Good vibes – Talk about each other’s accomplishments!
What do you treat yourself to when you’ve had a bad day?
If you could recommend one item you’ve bought for yourself, what would it be?
What’s something nice you did for yourself or for another person this week?
What is something people do that makes you feel appreciated?
Name three things you’re grateful for. It can be anything, from family to indoor plumbing!
What is something you’re proud of about yourself?
When and where do you feel the most relaxed and happy?
What is something you can’t live without?
What’s your favorite quote and why?
What do you do or what do you want to be doing in your spare time?
What’s the nicest thing you’ve bought for yourself?
Describe your favorite smell and how it makes you feel.
What’s the nicest compliment you’ve ever received?
Share your favorite thing about yourself!
What do you think your superpower is?
What’s one thing you wish everyone knew about you?
What is something people do that makes you feel appreciated?
Large groups – Quick icebreakers for the entire crew
What sport would you compete in if you were in the Olympics?
What was the worst job you ever had?
You can have anyone fictional as your imaginary friend, who do you choose and why?
What would your superpower be and why?
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
What’s your favorite tradition or holiday?
What fictional world or place would you like to visit?
What is your favorite breakfast food?
What is your favorite time of the day and why?
Coffee or tea?
Teleportation or flying?
What book, movie read/seen recently would you recommend and why?
What breed of dog would you be?
What is your favorite dessert?
What was your favorite game to play as a child?
Are you a traveler or a homebody?
Have you ever met your idol or someone you revere greatly?
What’s on your bucket list and have you ever done something on it?
Do you have a favorite plant?
What is your favorite meal to cook and why?
Are you a morning person or a night person?
What is your favorite musical instrument and why?
Are you a cat person or a dog person?
Fun and games – Icebreakers that will get you up and moving
Play two truths and a lie!
Make up an Olympic event that you’d win gold for.
Find three things you have in common!
Draw your coat of arms!
Do a little impromptu show-and-tell of something on your desk.
Play 20 questions!
Do a personal scavenger hunt. Using only objects around you right now, find the following items: You’ve had a long time; You’re proud of; Reveals a lot about you; Reminds you of a fun time; Concerns or worries you.
Find three things around you that represent how you feel emotionally, spiritually and physically.
Create a limerick or haiku together about what’s in your fridge.
Get in the zone – Explore the area together!
Where can you find the best ______ (pizza, bagel, coffee, etc) around here?
Share the best memories you’ve made in this area
Where is somewhere around here that you really want to go to but never had the time?
Share your idea of a perfect day in this area.
Find somewhere in this area that you’ve both been to, plan to go, or want to go to!
If you spend the day with your favorite celebrity, where would you take them?
What’s your favorite thing about living here?
Virtually close – Topics for cross-town camaraderie
Do you love working from home or would you rather be in the office? Is there a balance of both that you like best?
What’s the hardest part about working virtually for you? The easiest?
Show us your office space!
Where do you work most frequently from home? Your office? Your kitchen table? The backyard? Your bed?
What does your morning routine look like when working from home?
What’s your number one tip for combating distractions when working from home?
How do you stay productive and motivated working virtually?
What does your typical work from the home uniform look like?
How many cups of coffee, tea, or beverage of choice do you have each morning?
Are you an early bird or night owl?
What’s one thing we could do to improve our virtual meetings?
Picture perfect – Snap and share pictures with these prompts.
Show us your office space!
Show us a picture of your pets or plants!
What does your typical work from home uniform look like?
Show us your phone background and tell the story behind why you picked this image.
What’s your favorite picture on your phone?
Show us the weirdest thing you have in the room with you right now.
What’s your favorite item of clothing you own?
What is the most delicious thing you have in your fridge right now?
Happy hour – Discuss it over drinks!
Share your favorite cocktail or snack recipe!
If you could only drink water and one other drink for the rest of your life, what would it be?
What’s food or drink you thought you hated but learned to love?
What food do you crave the most at 2 am?
Do you have a hidden talent?
Share your worst dad joke!
What’s your go-to TV show/movie to unwind?
PS. adding emojis in your intro messages is highly recommended!