[In a Short Time] Icebreakers and Fun Games That Shine at Morning Meetings
Morning briefings at the start of a week or a day can catch people when they’re not fully alert or feeling sharp yet.
Here are some handy icebreakers and quick, fun games you can use during those meetings.
If your workplace relies on teamwork, it’s all the more important to boost the mood from the morning and approach work as one united team.
These ideas should help strengthen team cohesion.
They’re also great to use at companies with new hires—give them a try!
- Games you can play with just conversation. Classic and popular activities you can enjoy without any props!
- A simple and fun co-op game that enhances teamwork
- [For Adults] Fun recreational games. Perfect for short breaks too!
- A collection of icebreakers you can enjoy with a small group
- Icebreakers that get people moving (for both small and large groups)
- Useful for workplace morning meetings! Recommended topics and trivia you can use for a one-minute speech.
- [Self-Introduction & Games] Icebreaker Ideas Collection
- Icebreaker Ideas and Games Collection
- Fun activities that liven up the office: recreation games
- Icebreaker ideas for large groups you can use in Zoom meetings
- Get the Fun Going! Easy Classroom Games You Can Play at School: Recreational Activities for the Whole Class
- Brain-teasing game roundup
- Fun games recommended for making friends with people you’ve just met
[In a short time] Icebreakers and fun games that shine in morning meetings (11–20)
Shooting Star, Moon, Tree
This is an icebreaker called “Shooting Star, Moon, Tree.” Give everyone paper and a pen, and have them draw a shooting star for one minute.
Then do the same for a moon for one minute, and after that, a tree.
When everyone is done, reveal the drawings at the same time and share your impressions.
Even if people draw the same subjects, no two drawings will be identical—each one will show individual personality.
Even in a tense setting, having a prompt makes conversation flow easily, helping to ease nerves and build rapport smoothly.
Try using this before a morning meeting or similar sessions.
Who am I?
An icebreaker called “Who am I?” where you don’t know who you are.
What you are is written on your back, but of course you can’t see it yourself.
Show your back to the people around you and say, “This is who I am.” Then everyone asks questions together.
For example, ask questions like “Am I in this country?” or “Am I food?” and have others answer with “yes” or “no” to figure out who you are and give your answer.
If it’s difficult, it’s okay to get hints.
Guess the caricature game
Are you all good at drawing? Sketching a portrait of someone who’s right there… even people who are good at drawing might find that a bit tricky.
And this activity has you draw a portrait in just one minute.
You draw a quick portrait of one person in one minute, and once everyone’s done, you line them all up and each person picks the one they think is of themselves—it’s an icebreaker.
It sounds a bit challenging, but also fun, right? (Haha.) It’s the kind of icebreaker that would probably get even more exciting when you check the answers afterward.
Hero interview
Haven’t we all wanted to try it at least once? How about doing that “hero interview” as an icebreaker—the one at the end of a baseball broadcast where the standout player from the winning team steps up on the podium? You can set up a fictional scenario to begin with, or tailor it to the situation by answering about your work achievements or what you plan to focus on today.
Try conducting the interview accordingly.
Becoming the star player and having a hero interview first thing in the morning sounds pretty great, doesn’t it?
Bamboo Shoot Gnocchi
Takenoko Nyo-kki is a recreation game that kids and adults can enjoy.
Everyone starts together with the chant, “Takenoko takenoko nyokki-ki!” Then, while striking a pose like a bamboo shoot growing, players call out in turn: “One nyokki,” “Two nyokki,” adding numbers as they go—making sure not to overlap with anyone else.
Those who successfully call without overlapping are out and sit down.
Anyone who overlaps with someone else or remains until the very end loses.
It works great as an icebreaker for morning meetings because it’s fun with large groups and finishes quickly.
Lie? Truth?
“Two Truths and a Lie” self-introductions mix truths and a lie.
Write down three things on paper—your selling points, what you like, what you dislike, etc.
Once you’re done, present them to everyone, but note that one of the three is a lie.
The icebreaker is for others to guess which one is the lie.
If you’re with colleagues who already know your hobbies or favorite foods, they might see through it—but remember, that goes both ways.
Try weaving in a clever, just-right lie to throw everyone off!
If you were going to a deserted island, what would you bring?
This is an icebreaker where you think about, like a personality test, what you would take if you were going to a deserted island, and then present it.
However, you choose from four options: “food,” “a change of clothes,” “a music player,” or “a handheld game.” After choosing, announce to everyone what you picked and explain why.
Each item has a meaning, and we’ll go over what those meanings are.
Then discuss how you interpret it—whether it reflects a strength or a weakness of yours.
Catch
How about incorporating a recreation game called “Catch,” which people from small children to older adults can enjoy, as an icebreaker? It’s very easy, with simple rules.
Everyone forms a circle.
Extend only the index finger of your right hand.
With your left hand, make a small ring.
Place your right index finger into the ring formed by the left hand of the person to your right.
That’s the starting position.
At the caller’s cue of “Catch,” try to catch the finger of the person on your left with your left hand, while pulling your right index finger out so the person on your right can’t catch it.
Can you succeed on both sides?
Newspaper Rock-Paper-Scissors
An icebreaker using newspaper called “Newspaper Rock-Paper-Scissors.” In pairs, each person faces their partner, holds a sheet of newspaper, lays it on the floor, and stands on it.
You play rock-paper-scissors with the person in front of you: the winner stays as is, and the loser folds their newspaper in half.
As the loser keeps folding, their newspaper gets smaller and smaller, but they’re safe as long as they can keep at least one foot on it.
If they lose balance and put a foot outside the newspaper or step off it, they lose.
It’s an icebreaker that seems like it could work your core from the morning (lol).
Birthday chain
Do you remember your friends’ and colleagues’ birthdays exactly? This icebreaker, called the Birthday Chain, uses everyone’s birthdays.
Form a single line with January 1 at the front and December 31 at the end.
But you can’t line up unless you share your birthdays, right? It would be easy if you just said them, but in the Birthday Chain you’re not allowed to speak.
Communicate your birthday using hand signals or numbers and get in order.
At the end, face the people whose birthday month it is and sing “Happy Birthday” to them!
In conclusion
We introduced some quick and easy icebreakers you can enjoy in a short time. Most of them don’t require many materials, so they’re easy to jump into and need little explanation—perfect for casual fun. Try them first thing in the morning for a refreshing change of pace!