presentation games topics

14 Fun & Interactive Presentation Games for Teams and Students

So you've got an audience to energize, students to engage, or a team that needs a little extra fun — playing an interactive presentation game is an easy way to do just that.

We've done the research and found the best of these games for you: we looked specifically for games that are simple to set up, fun to play, and flexible enough to be used with a variety of presentations and audiences. Most of these activities work virtually with Zoom/PowerPoint and can also be used in person.

Which of these 14 presentation games do you like best? Take a look and let us know your favorites:

1. Live Trivia Competition

A great way to ramp up the excitement and engagement is to enable a little bit of friendly competition. Trivia is an easy way to do this—plus, it can be whole-group inclusive and large-audience friendly (if you use the right tools).

Here's a great trivia game you can run with your team, students, or any large audience. It's already created for you with questions and scoring built in to make it even easier:

Here's how to play:

• Make a free account here: https://slideswith.com/  
• Click the slide deck and copy it. 
• Launch the trivia game by clicking "Start Event."
• Invite your group to join in and submit answers using their mobile devices (show the winners automatically).
• Interact and play during your presentation!

This trivia game has questions on many topics to keep your audience's attention and appeal to everyone. It only takes 10-15 minutes to play, so it's a great game for long discussions! Also, this interactive activity is free for up to ten participants and is totally customizable.

2. Sing and Swing 

To really liven up your group, encourage your listeners to play Sing and Swing. This activity is best for long presentations because it boosts energy, creates a fun, light-hearted environment, and makes people laugh a lot. 

Here's how to play: 

• Before your presentation, pick a well-known song and rewrite the chorus (replace parts of it with words and phrases from your presentation) 
• When you're ready to play, show the song on your screen. 
• Invite your audience to sing it with you!

If you have a fun group or a class of energetic students, consider adding choreography to engage your audience even more. 

3. 20 Questions

If you want a presentation game that requires your listeners to talk more than you, 20 Questions is the one to play! A classic and simple activity, this game immediately boosts engagement and gets people laughing. 

Here's how to play: Have someone put an appropriate image or word on the screen behind you (this can be an audience member you trust or a colleague or co-presenter). To make things more fun, put on a blindfold so that everyone knows you can't cheat. From there, ask 20 "yes or no" questions to guess what's displayed on the screen. Your group should respond "yes" or "no" to guide you to the correct answer. 

4. Scavenger Hunt Challenge

To get your audience out of their seats, a scavenger hunt challenge is one of the best interactive games for presentations. It'll immediately energize your audience , team, or students while giving them a fun way to learn.  

There are tons of in-person and virtual scavenger hunt ideas you can use to dive deeper into your topic or help everyone learn about one another. But if you want a ready-to-play game that you can instantly launch without having any tech skills, here's a fun one to play: 

• Use an email address and password to create a free account here: https://slideswith.com/ (a free account guarantees up to ten people can play at no charge). 
• Click the game and press "Copy and use this slide deck." 
• In the top right corner, click "Start Event."
• Ask listeners to join the game by using their mobile devices to scan the QR code. Players should continue using their mobile devices to submit answers to questions.
• Have everyone start hunting for items! 

This activity is a particularly fun game because it's a photo-hunt, show-and-tell challenge! That means your audience will not only get out of their seats to find items, but they'll also get to take pictures and share and discuss photos of what they find. This conversational element will help engage your group! 

5. Group Word Clouds

Whether you're speaking to team members, students, or conference-goers, this activity lets you ask questions and get your listeners' thoughts on specific topics. 

This game is the perfect way to start your presentation, especially if you're discussing something with a wide range of opinions or are unsure how much your listeners know about a certain subject. Group Word Clouds is also beneficial if you want to do a quick meeting pulse or know how your listeners feel going into your presentation—understanding their energy levels and mood can help you adjust (if necessary) to get maximum engagement and excitement.

To enjoy this activity, keep things simple by using a tool that already offers a ready-to-play Group Word Clouds game. Here's a popular one you can launch immediately: 

• Create a free account by entering an email and password here: https://slideswith.com/  
• Click the game and then copy it (the button to do so is right underneath the slide deck).
• Press "Start Event" in the top right corner. 
• Tell participants to play by scanning the QR code. 
• Create word clouds and have fun!

This interactive game only takes 5-10 minutes to play, so it's a fast, fun way to engage your audience and feel out the room. Players can use their mobile devices to answer questions. This activity is also free for up to 10 people and is easy to personalize.

6. The Get to Know You Game

This activity is one of the best presentation games if you have a small group that doesn't really know each other. The Get to Know You Game is a creative way to do introductions, and it's really simple.

Here's how to play the game: Before the event, ask group members to bring a favorite song or item to the presentation (you can do this by emailing them). When you're ready to play, ask each person to introduce themself, present their song or item, and explain why they picked it. For those sharing a song, have them play it on their phones before they explain why it's their favorite. 

7. Live Poll Questions 

When you have a large group, it's not easy to find ways to boost engagement—but poll questions are the solutions, especially when they're live and interactive. With this unique setup, large groups engage by answering questions and seeing their answers displayed in a fun way. 

Your job is to make sure you actually find a game that showcases responses uniquely to captivate your group. For a quick and great option, here's a popular icebreaker activity that promises to display responses using fun formats like word clouds, donut charts, live graphs, and per-player: 

• Create an account for free to access the game:  https://slideswith.com/  
• Click the slide deck and press the button to copy it. 
• Look in the top right corner of the deck and press "Start Event."
• Invite your group to play the game. They only need to use their mobile devices to scan the QR code. 
• Start polling your audience!

This activity is one of those fun presentation games everyone will want to enjoy, so invite all of your team members and students to participate. This game can accommodate up to 250 players and takes 5-10 minutes to complete. Tell your group to use their mobile devices to submit their responses. 

8. Assumptions 

This interactive game is a great way to break up your presentation to see who's paying attention and who can answer questions pertaining to your topic. 

• Ask your audience to stand up (for virtual presentations, make sure everyone's video is on). 
• Show true or false statements on the screen one by one. 
• Tell people to raise a hand if they think the statement is correct and sit down if they think it's incorrect.
• Continue until one person is left standing.
• Award the winner. 

This activity can be as short and challenging as you want. Also, if your presentation is long, you can play multiple rounds to break up your speaking time and test your audience throughout your discussion.  

9. Controversial Questions 

Want to see where your audience, students, or team lands on controversial topics? Then, energize your presentation with a fun, creative game called Controversial Questions. This activity has prompts that inspire lively debates, so it's a great way to get your group excited and chatty. 

However, to maintain a positive environment, make sure to find a tool that offers an office-friendly, classroom-friendly, and conference-friendly game. You don't want to sour the mood by creating uncomfortable division during your presentation. To make sure this game is fun and light-hearted, here's a popular one that's suitable for all audiences and ages: 

• Sign up for a free account by inputting an email address and password here:  https://slideswith.com/pricing  
• Click the game and press the button that says, "Copy and use this deck." 
• Press "Start Event" (the button is in the top right corner). 
• Have participants join the fun by asking them to scan the QR code with their mobile devices. 
• Get controversial and play! 

This interactive game for presentations asks fun (but appropriate) questions like:

• Does pineapple belong on pizza?
• Does the person flying in the middle seat get both armrests?
• Should the toilet roll go over or under? 

Players should use their mobile devices to submit answers. Up to ten people can play for free, and you can customize the game by updating the questions!

10. Word of the Day 

With this activity, you can keep your audience, team, or students engaged throughout your entire presentation. This  game requires listeners to be alert and recognize whenever you say the word of the day. 

Here's how to play: At the beginning of your presentation, tell your group the word of the day (it can also be a phrase if you'd prefer). Say that you'll weave the word into your presentation and that your audience must shout it out whenever you mention it. 

11. Mini Activity: Group Icebreaker

Whether you're doing an in-person or virtual presentation, you need to warm up your audience to get things started on a positive note. The best way to do that is with a quick icebreaker game. 

However, make sure your questions are fun, positive, and engaging. You can easily do this by finding a game that already has the best icebreaker questions included. Here's one that's ready to play (and requiring no tech skills to launch): 

• Input an email address and password to make a free account here: https://slideswith.com/  
• Click the deck and copy it (press "Copy and use this deck). 
• Click the button in the top right corner that says "Start Event."
• Invite participants to play by asking them to scan the QR code. 
• Break the ice to warm up your audience!

Your group should use their mobile devices to submit responses to poll questions. Also, this game accommodates up to 250 players, but only ten people can join for free.

12. Process of Elimination 

This activity is one of the best games for presentations because it's simple yet fun and great at helping listeners get to know each other. You can play it at the beginning of your presentation or in the middle to give your group a chance to stretch their legs. 

• Before your event, create a list of "yes or no" questions. 
• Once you're ready to play, tell your group to stand up (if you're doing a virtual presentation, make sure everyone's video is on). 
• Ask each question one by one. 
• Tell attendees to stand if their answer is "yes" and sit if their answer is "no." 

The questions can relate to your topic or be totally random. Also, if you'd prefer to thin out the number of people standing, you can take a creative twist and ask your questions by saying something like this: "Stay standing if (insert scenario)." When phrasing each question this way, the game will end with one person standing. To acknowledge the winner, you can give them a round of applause or award them a prize. 

13. Conference Opener Icebreaker 

If you're speaking at a big conference, you need an interactive game for presentations that can get everyone involved and ensure every voice is heard. To achieve these goals, you should create an icebreaker game that works for large groups . 

Using an easy, intuitive template is the best step to take. That way, you don't have to start from scratch or spend hours making your game. For a template that requires no code or tech-savviness to build on, here's the best option: 

• Sign up by making a free account here: https://slideswith.com/  
• Click on the game. On the next page, click the button to copy and use the deck. 
• Customize the template using the instructions HERE . 
• During your presentation, press "Start Event" in the top right corner. 
• Ask the group to use their mobile devices to scan the QR code and join the fun. (Also, make sure participants use their mobile devices to submit answers.) 
• Play and engage your audience!  

This template has fun, interactive features built in to keep your large audience engaged. Those features include polls, word clouds, and ratings. Just make sure you sign up for a paid plan to accommodate the large number of people in your group—the free account only works for up to ten players. 

14. Two Truths and a Lie 

This classic game is a fun, energizing way to help your listeners get to know one another. It's perfect for small in-person or virtual groups and is an ideal activity for the beginning of your presentation. 

Here's how to play: Pick any topic (for the purposes of this article, the topic will be "movies"). In no particular order, say two movies you've really watched and one you haven't watched. Ask your audience to guess which statement is the lie. The winner picks the next topic and says two truths and a lie. 

Be Memorable With Presentation Games

Oftentimes, people forget presentations within a week or even days, and that's because the discussions are boring. But you don't work hard preparing a presentation for it to be forgotten. If you want your message to stick, all you have to do is make it enjoyable without being corny.  

If you want to be remembered and actually get people engaged, you need to make your presentation fun and enjoyable, without coming off as corny or desperate to please. Ivan Dimitrijevic, 10 Secrets of Making Every Presentation Fun, Engaging, and Enjoyable

Luckily, the interactive presentation games in this article are unique and exciting—they're far from corny. So, use them for your upcoming presentations to make your messages compelling and memorable. 

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15 Engaging Presentation Games to Boost Your Next Workshop

By: Angela Robinson | Updated: October 03, 2024

You found our list of fun presentation games .

Presentation games are interactive activities designed to engage audiences during workshops or meetings. For example, participants might participate in a ‘Slideshow Party,’ tackle a ‘Scenario Role Play,’ or play ‘Question Roulette.’ these games aim to get the audience more involved, spark interest, and foster connection.

These games are types of team building exercises similar to meeting ideas and topics .

This list includes:

• office presentation games
• virtual presentation games
• quick presentation games
• games to play during presentations
• presentation ice breakers

Let’s get to it!

List of presentation games

From Slideshow Party to Trivia Challenge, here is our list of the presentation slideshow games.

1. Slideshow Party

A Slideshow Party is an enjoyable presentation game where participants create entertaining slideshows on different topics. Participants can be creative with their slides, incorporating humor, visuals, and intriguing facts to entertain the audience. This game promotes teamwork and creativity while sharpening public speaking skills. The activity also gives teammates a glimpse into their coworkers’ interests, passions, and life outside work.

2. Presentations on the Fly

Presentations on the Fly challenges participants to improvise presentations with minimal preparation. First, teams will make slideshows with random images, words, and charts. Then, other teams or coworkers will have to present those slideshows without knowing what is on the slide. This game challenges participants to think and react quickly and use improv skills. At the end of the game, teams will vote on which team presented the most coherent and convincing slideshow.

Engaging in this activity fosters confidence and quick thinking, helping individuals become more at ease with impromptu speaking. The game also sparks creativity and is sure to inspire laughter.

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• icebreaker games
• bingo cards

3. PechaKucha

PechaKucha is a presentation style where you show 20 slides for 20 seconds each, totaling 6 minutes and 40 seconds. This format pushes speakers to be brief and impactful. PechaKucha is popular worldwide because it is quick and engaging. Speakers must use their words and images carefully to get their message across in the short time given. This method encourages creativity, clear communication, and keeps the audience involved.

You can turn PechaKucha into a fun game by having teams compete to create the most creative and compelling presentation in just 6 minutes and 40 seconds. Each team gets random topics or images to include, and the audience votes on which team delivered the most engaging and entertaining presentation.

4. Jeopardy

Jeopardy is one of the most popular office presentation games. This activity is easy to set up, as many pre-made templates are online.

Set up a Jeopardy board on a screen or whiteboard with categories related to your work or project topics.

Divide the team into groups and have them choose questions from the board, just like in the game show. Each question has different point values based on difficulty.

When a team selects a question, read it aloud and give them a chance to answer. If they answer correctly, they earn points; if not, other teams can buzz in to steal.

This game makes the meeting more engaging, reinforces knowledge, and encourages teamwork while having fun.

Here is a guide to playing team building Jeopardy .

5. Question Roulette

Question Roulette adds excitement to presentations by making them more interactive. Participants spin a virtual wheel to get a random question about the topic. This keeps the session lively, encourages the audience to participate, and helps deepen understanding by connecting different parts of the content.

Here is a YouTube tutorial showing you how to make a spinning wheel in PowerPoint.

You can also include random icebreaker questions as re-energizers during meetings.Learn more about random question generator

6. Zoomed In

In Zoomed In, players must identify objects shown in extreme close-ups. Simply make a slideshow with ultra zoomed-in photos of everyday items. If you want, you can put objects on multiple slides, with each successive slide less zoomed-in. Players will receive more points based on how quickly they correctly guess the object.

This exercise is a fun game that hones observation skills and provides a fresh take on visual challenges, improving cognitive abilities and creativity.

7. Idea Pitch

Idea Pitch is one of the most fun games to play during presentations. This exercise turns presentation practice into a fun competition. Participants quickly pitch a random product or business idea to a panel or their colleagues, who act as potential investors or clients. With only a few minutes to prepare, players practice quick thinking and creativity. Judges rate pitches based on clarity, creativity, persuasiveness, and feasibility, helping improve various professional skills.

8. Brainstorm Race

Brainstorm Race is a fun, fast-paced game where teams develop ideas quickly. Players compete to find creative solutions within a set time. This game boosts creativity, teamwork, and communication. To play, create a slideshow with a central idea on each slide. Then, have teams brainstorm around that topic. We recommend spending three to five minutes on each slide.

The exercise is a great way to kick off presentations or training by encouraging fresh ideas and new perspectives.

Similarly, here are brainwriting ideas .

9. Opinion Polls

Opinion Polls make one of the best quick presentation games.

Fun opinion polls are a great way to make meetings more interactive and enjoyable while encouraging team members to share their thoughts in a low-pressure way. As part of a presentation game, polls can break up the flow, spark discussion, and engage the whole group.

• Which superpower would be most useful at work?
• What’s your go-to workday snack?
• If our team could have an unlimited budget for one office perk, what should it be?
• What should our office theme song be?

The best way to play is to make the poll questions multiple-choice and include two or four options employees can vote on.

These polls lighten the mood and provide valuable insights into team preferences and attitudes.

Here are poll questions for inspiration.

10. Tag Team Talks

Tag Team Talks is a lively game where team members work together to give a speech. Players take turns speaking and smoothly pass the discussion back and forth. This exercise helps improve teamwork, communication, and quick thinking. It also boosts public speaking skills and encourages cooperation.

11. Snap Judgement

In Snap Judgement, players make quick decisions with limited information to boost critical thinking. This game helps improve fast thinking and decision-making skills.

To play the game during presentations, put a scenario on each slide.

Example serious scenarios:

You find an error in your report before a meeting. What do you do?

• Your presentation tech fails. What’s your backup plan?
• You need to present on an unfamiliar topic in one day. How do you prepare?
• A project deadline conflicts with a major event. How do you manage both?

Example silly scenarios:

• You see a famous person in public. What’s your move?
• You get stuck in an elevator. How do you stay calm?
• You find a hidden treasure in your backyard. What’s your next step?
• You find a real dragon, but it turns invisible every time someone else comes around. What do you do with it?

To make the game more fun, you can stipulate that you must reach a unanimous decision or the majority vote on the final decision before moving on to the next slide.

12. Brief Debates

Teams can add some fun to presentations by having short, non-serious debates. In this game, participants quickly debate light-hearted or silly topics, encouraging creative thinking and lively interaction. This activity helps improve communication skills and teamwork while keeping the atmosphere enjoyable. Here are some fun and interesting debate topics to use:

• Pineapple on pizza: Delicious or disaster?
• Superheroes vs. villains: Who would win in a dance-off?
• Is it better to communicate only through interpretive dance or using only emojis for a week?
• Is it more practical to have the ability to teleport but only to random locations or to fly but only at walking speed?

These playful debates allow team members to practice expressing their ideas persuasively while having a good time.

13. Memory Challenge

Memory Challenge is a fun game for team members during a work presentation. First, show the team a slide with a picture for ten seconds. Then, switch to a new slide and ask teams to answer questions about the first slide. You can make the second slide the same as the first slide, only with a few objects missing that players must identify. Or, put observational questions on the second slide, like “ho” many dancing ducks were there?” or “What was written in the diary?”

14. Pitch Your Worst Idea

Presenting your worst idea can be a fun way to boost creativity and problem-solving. Thinking of silly or bad ideas helps teams develop new and surprising solutions. In this game, teammates must pitch bad ideas in convincing ways.

The exercise encourages teamwork and brainstorming without fear of judgment. Sharing these ideas in a safe space can lead to great concepts and make mistakes seem less scary. Embracing failure and trying unusual ideas can lead to unexpected and innovative results.

If that idea is too intimidating, then you could instead pitch non-serious, non-work ideas instead. For example, “A pillow that plays lullabies in reverse – To help you wake up energized.”

15. Trivia Challenge

You can add a Trivia Challenge game to your presentation to make it more engaging. Using fun trivia questions will entertain your audience and test their knowledge. This game encourages participation and highlights key points in a fun way. Trivia works well as an icebreaker or to boost energy during the presentation.

Kahoot! is a popular choice for both in-person and virtual presentation games.

However, here are some Kahoot! alternatives .

Final Thoughts

Adding presentation games to your workshops makes the sessions more exciting and memorable. These games boost creativity and teamwork, help reinforce what is being taught, and keep energy levels high. You can also add these games to team meetings or socials.

Next, check out our posts on Zoom games , marketing games , and active listening activities .

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FAQ: Presentation games

Here are frequently asked questions about presentation games.

What are presentation games

Presentation games are structured activities used during workshops or meetings to engage participants actively and make learning more dynamic.

Why use games in presentations

Using games in presentations helps maintain audience engagement, enhances information retention, and breaks the monotony of traditional speaking formats.

How to choose the right presentation games?

To choose the right presentation game, consider your audience’s demographics, the objectives of your session, and the environment in which you are presenting.

Can presentation games improve team building?

Yes, presentation games can significantly improve team building by fostering communication, collaboration, and problem-solving among team members.

What are fun, quick games for presentations?

“Zoomed In” and “Opinion Polls” are examples of fun, quick games that can liven up any presentation.

Author: Angela Robinson

Marketing Coordinator at teambuilding.com. Angela has a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and worked as a community manager with Yelp to plan events for businesses.

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Marketing Coordinator at teambuilding.com.

Angela has a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and worked as a community manager with Yelp to plan events for businesses.

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• Interactive Presentation

11 Interactive Presentation Games to Win Easy Engagement in 2024

Lawrence Haywood • 15 October, 2024 • 12 min read

So, how to make a presentation engaging? Audience attention is a slippery snake. It's difficult to grasp and even less easy to hold, yet you need it for a successful presentation.

No Death by PowerPoint, no to drawing monologues; it's time to bring out the interactive presentation games !

Bonus : Free slideshow game templates to use. Scroll down for more👇

These 11 games below are perfect for an interactive presentation . They'll score you mega-plus points with colleagues, students, or wherever else you need a kick of super-engaging interactivity... Hope you find these game ideas below helpful!

Table of Contents

• #1: Live Quiz

#2: What Would You Do?

#3: key number, #4: guess the order, #5: 2 truths, 1 lie, #6: 4 corners, #7: obscure word cloud, #8: heart, gun, bomb.

• #9: Match Up

#10: Spin the Wheel

#11: q&a balloons, interactive powerpoint presentation games - yes or no, frequently asked questions.

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#1: Live Quiz Competition

Is there any event that hasn't been immediately improved with some trivia?

A live quiz is an evergreen, ever-engaging way to consolidate your presentation's info and check the understanding of it all amongst your audience. Expect big laughs as your audience competes fiercely over who was listening to your presentation the most complex.

Here's how to play:

• Set up your questions on AhaSlides - the free AI quizzing software .
• Present your quiz to your players, who join by typing your unique code into their phones.
• Take your players through each question, and they race to get the correct answer the fastest.
• Check the final leaderboard to reveal the winner!

Learn how to set up your presentation quiz for free in just a few minutes! 👇

Put your audience in your shoes. Give them a scenario related to your presentation and see how they would deal with it.

Let's say you're a teacher giving a presentation on dinosaurs. After presenting your info, you would ask something like...

A stegosaurus is chasing you, ready to snap you up for dinner. How do you escape?

After each person submits their answer, you can take a vote to see which is the crowd's favourite response to the scenario.

This is one of the best presentation games for students as it gets young minds whirring creatively. But it also works great in a work setting and can have a similar freeing effect, which is especially significant as a large group icebreaker .

• Create a brainstorming slide and write your scenario at the top.
• Participants join your presentation on their phones and type their responses to your scenario.
• Afterwards, each participant votes for their favourite (or top 3 favourites) answers.
• The participant with the most votes is revealed as the winner!

No matter the topic of your presentation, there's sure to be a lot of numbers and figures flying around.

As an audience member, keeping track of them isn't always easy, but one of the interactive presentation games that makes it easier is Key Number .

Here, you offer a simple prompt of a number, and the audience responds with what they think it refers to. For example, if you write ' $25' , your audience might respond with 'our cost per acquisition' , 'our daily budget for TikTok advertising' or 'the amount John spends on jelly tots every day' .

• Create a few multiple-choice slides (or open-ended slides to make it more complicated).
• Write your key number at the top of each slide.
• Write the answer options.
• Participants join your presentation on their phones.
• Participants select the answer they think the critical number relates to (or type in their answer if open-ended).

If keeping track of numbers and figures is challenging, it can be even tougher to follow entire processes or workflows explained in a presentation.

To cement this information in your audience's mind, Guess the Order is a fantastic minigame for presentations.

You write the steps of a process, jumble them up, and then see who can put them in the right order the fastest.

• Create a 'Correct Order' slide and write your statements.
• Statements are automatically jumbled up.
• Players join your presentation on their phones.
• Players race to put the statements in the correct order.

You might have heard of this one as a great icebreaker, but it's also one of the top interactive games to play during a presentation for checking who's paying attention.

And it's pretty simple to do. Just think of two statements using the information in your presentation, and make another one up. Players have to guess which is the one you've made up.

This one is a great re-capping game and works for students and colleagues.

• Create a list of 2 truths and one lie covering different topics in your presentation.
• Read out two truths and one lie and get participants to guess the lie.
• Participants vote for the lie either by hand or through a multiple-choice slide in your presentation.

The best presentations are ones that spark a bit of creative thinking and discussion. There's no better presentation game for evoking this than 4 Corners.

The concept is simple. Present a statement based on something from your presentation that's open to different points of view. Depending on each player's opinion, they move to a corner of the room labelled 'strongly agree', 'agree', 'disagree' or 'strongly disagree' .

Maybe something like this:

An individual is shaped more by nature than nurture.

Once everyone is in their corner, you could have a structured debate between the four sides to bring different opinions to the table.

• Set up the 'strongly agree', 'agree', 'disagree' and 'strongly disagree' corners of your room (if running a virtual presentation, then a simple show of hands could work).
• Write some statements which are open to different opinions.
• Read out the statement.
• Each player stands in the right corner of the room, depending on their view.
• Discuss the four different viewpoints.

Besides games, these interactive multimedia presentation examples can also lighten your next talks.

Word cloud is always a beautiful addition to any interactive presentation. If you want our advice, include them whenever you can - presentation games or not.

If you do plan to use one for a game in your presentation, a great one to try is Obscure Word Cloud .

It works on the same concept as the popular UK game show Pointless . Your players are given a statement and have to name the most obscure answer they can. The least-mentioned correct answer is the winner!

Take this example statement:

Name one of our top 10 countries for customer satisfaction.

The most popular answers may be India, USA and Brazil , but the points go to the least mentioned correct country.

• Create a word cloud slide with your statement at the top.
• Players submit the most obscure answer they can think of.
• The most obscure one appears most diminutive on the board. Whoever submitted that answer is the winner!

Word Clouds for Every Presentation

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For Ice Breaking

For Testing

This one's a great game to use in the classroom, but if you're not looking for students' games for presentation, it also works wonders in a casual work setting.

Heart, Gun, Bomb is a game in which teams take turns to answer questions presented in a grid. If they get an answer right, they either get a heart, a gun or a bomb...

• A ❤️ grants the team an extra life.
• A 🔫 takes away one life from any other team.
• A 💣 takes away one heart from the team who got it.

All teams start with five hearts. The team with the most hearts at the end, or the only surviving team, is the winner!

• Before starting, create a grid table for yourself with either a heart, gun or bomb occupying each grid (on a 5x5 grid, this should be 12 hearts, nine guns and four bombs).
• Present another grid table to your players (5x5 for two teams, 6x6 for three groups, etc.)
• Write a figure stat (like 25%) from your presentation into each grid.
• Split players into the desired number of teams.
• Team 1 chooses a grid and says the meaning behind the number ( for example, the number of customers last quarter ).
• If they're wrong, they lose a heart. If they're right, they get either a seat, gun or bomb, depending on what the grid corresponds to on your grid table.
• Repeat this with all the teams until there's a winner!

👉 Get more interactive presentation ideas from AhaSlides.

#9: Match Up - Interactive Presentation Games

Here's another quiz-type question that can be a great addition to your roster of interactive activities for presentations.

It involves a set of prompt statements and a set of answers. Each group is jumbled; the players must match the information with the correct answer as quickly as possible.

Again, this one works well when the answers are numbers and figures.

• Create a 'Match Pairs' question.
• Fill out the set of prompts and answers, which will automatically shuffle.
• Players match each prompt with its answer as fast as possible to score the most points.

If there's a more versatile presentation game tool than the humble spinner wheel , we aren't aware of it.

Adding the random factor of a spinner wheel might be just what you need to keep engagement in your presentation high. There are presentation games you can use with this, including...

• Choosing a random participant to answer a question.
• Choose a bonus prize after getting the correct answer.
• Choosing the next person to ask a Q&A question or give a presentation.
• Create a spinner wheel slide and write the title at the top.
• Write the entries for the spinner wheel.
• Spin the wheel and see where it lands!

Tip 💡 You can choose the AhaSlides spinner wheel to use your participants' names, so you don't have to fill in the entries manually! Learn more interactive presentation techniques with AhaSlides.

This one's a great way to turn a regular end-of-presentation feature into a fun, engaging game.

It's got all the hallmarks of a standard Q&A, but this time, all the questions are written on balloons.

It's a super simple one to set up and play, but you'll see how motivated participants are to ask questions when it involves balloons!

• Hand out a deflated balloon and a Sharpie to each participant.
• Each participant blows up the balloon and writes their question on it.
• Each participant bats their balloon to where the speaker is standing.
• The speaker answers the question and then pops or throws away the balloon.

🎉 Tips: Try the best Q&A apps to engage with your audience

So, how do you feel about AhaSlides's interactive ideas for presentations? Being by far the most popular presentation tool on the planet, you may want to know if there are any presentation games to play on PowerPoint.

Unfortunately, the answer is no. PowerPoint takes presentations incredibly seriously and doesn't have a lot of time for interactivity or fun of any kind.

But there's good news...

It is possible to directly embed presentation games into PowerPoint presentations with free help from AhaSlides.

You can import your PowerPoint presentation to AhaSlides with the click of a button and vice versa , then place interactive presentation games like the ones above directly between your presentation slides.

💡 PowerPoint presentation games in less than 5 minutes ? Check the video below or our quick tutorial here to find out how!

What are the benefits of playing interactive presentation games?

Interactive games to play during a presentation can boost engagement, participation and knowledge retention. ⁤⁤They turn passive listeners into active learners by incorporating elements like live polls , idea boards , quizzes, word clouds and Q&A .

How do you make a presentation interactive with games?

- Match your content: The game should reinforce the topics being covered, not just be random entertainment. - Audience considerations: Age, group size, and knowledge level will inform game complexity. - Tech tools & time: Consider similar games to Kahoot , etc., or design simple no-tech games based on the time you have. - Utilise appropriate questions, including icebreaker game questions or general knowledge quiz questions .

How can I make my presentation more engaging?

Making presentations more engaging can be a challenge, but there are several techniques you can use to make your presentation more interesting and memorable, including (1) starting with a strong opening (2) using lots of visual ads and (3) telling an attractive story. Also, remember to keep it short and sweet, and of course, practice a lot!

Lawrence Haywood

Former ESL teacher and quiz master converted to the wild slide. Now a content creator, traveller, musician and big time slider preaching the good word of interactivity.

Tips to Engage with Polls & Trivia

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15 Interactive Presentation Games to Engage Your Audience

In the world of presentations and public speaking, engaging your audience is crucial. A captivating presentation can leave a lasting impact and ensure that your message is heard and retained. One effective way to achieve this engagement is by incorporating interactive presentation games into your talks.

Interactive presentation games break the monotony of traditional slideshows and transform passive listeners into active participants. In this blog, we’ll explore 15 interactive presentation games that can make your presentations more dynamic, memorable, and enjoyable for your audience.

Why Use Interactive Presentation Games?

Traditional presentations often involve passive listening, which can lead to disengagement and limited retention of information. On the other hand, interactive presentation games create an environment of active participation. 

Making your presentations more memorable and impactful. They foster interaction, feedback, and collaboration, turning your audience into active participants rather than passive observers.

Benefits of Engaging Your Audience

Engaging your audience with interactive presentation games offers numerous benefits:

• Increased Engagement: Interactive presentation games grab your audience’s attention and keep them actively involved throughout the presentation.
• Improved Information Retention: Active participation enhances the retention of key information, ensuring that your message sticks with your audience long after the presentation is over.
• Enhanced Learning: Games encourage a deeper understanding of the subject matter, making it easier for your audience to grasp complex concepts.
• Better Audience Connection: By involving your audience, you establish a stronger connection, making them feel valued and heard.
• Immediate Feedback: Games provide opportunities for instant feedback, allowing you to address questions and concerns in real time.
• Fun and Entertainment: Interactive fun games add an element of fun and entertainment to your presentations, making them more enjoyable for your audience.

How to Choose the Right Presentation Games

Selecting the appropriate presentation games depends on your audience, topic, and objectives. Consider factors such as the size of your audience, the level of interactivity you desire, and the technology available. Tailor your choice of games to align with your presentation goals, ensuring they enhance your message rather than distract from it.

Now, let’s explore 15 interactive presentation games that you can incorporate into your presentations to engage your audience effectively:

01. Polling and Surveys

Polling and surveys involve asking questions to your audience and collecting their responses in real time. This game is useful for engaging the audience and gathering valuable data or opinions.

Example: During a marketing presentation, you can use polling to ask the audience which social media platform they use most frequently for product discovery, with response options like “Facebook,” “Instagram,” or “Twitter.” The results can guide your marketing strategy.

02. Quiz and Trivia

Quiz and trivia games challenge the audience’s knowledge of a specific subject. Correct-answer questions encourage competition and learning because participants’ scores are added up.

Example: In a history lecture, you can organize a trivia quiz about historical events. Ask questions like, “Who was the first President of the United States?” and award points for correct answers to make learning history engaging.

03. Interactive Q&A Sessions

Interactive Q&A sessions allow the audience to ask questions and engage in a live dialogue with the presenter. This interactive presentation game promotes engagement, clarification, and in-depth discussions.

Example: After a business strategy presentation, open the floor for an interactive Q&A session where the audience can ask questions about the proposed strategies, fostering a deeper understanding of the material.

04. Gamified Scenarios

Gamified scenarios present real-world situations or challenges to the audience. Participants make decisions, and the consequences of those choices are revealed, creating an immersive learning experience.

Example: In leadership training, simulate a business scenario where participants make decisions as managers. Their choices affect the company’s success, making the learning process engaging and interactive.

05. Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality Experiences

Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) games provide immersive 3D experiences. Participants can explore virtual environments or interact with augmented elements.

Example: In a product launch presentation, use AR to allow the audience to visualize how the product would fit into their homes. They can use their smartphones to see a virtual presentation version of the product in their living rooms.

06. Storytelling Challenges

Storytelling challenges encourage participants to create and share their stories, fostering creativity and personal expression.

Example: In a team-building workshop, ask each participant to share a personal success story related to teamwork. This engages the audience and builds a sense of connection among participants.

07. Collaborative Whiteboard Activities

In real-time, collaborative whiteboard activities involve multiple participants contributing ideas, drawings, or annotations on a digital whiteboard. This game fosters teamwork and brainstorming.

Example: During a brainstorming session for a new project, use a digital whiteboard tool where team members can simultaneously sketch out their ideas and add comments. This promotes collaboration and idea generation.

08. Interactive Polls and Word Clouds

Interactive polls and word clouds engage the audience by having them vote or input keywords related to a topic. The results are displayed dynamically.

Example: In a conference PowerPoint presentation about technology trends, ask the audience to submit keywords related to the most exciting emerging technologies. Display the results in a word cloud to visualize the collective interest.

09. Simulations and Case Studies

Simulations and case studies replicate real-life scenarios for participants to make decisions and see the outcomes. This game is effective for practical learning.

Example: In a business strategy workshop, provide participants with a case study of a struggling company. Have them analyze the situation and propose strategies to turn the business around. The best solutions can be discussed as a group.

10. Role-Playing Exercises

Role-playing exercises involve participants taking on specific roles or characters to act out scenarios. This game promotes empathy and communication skills.

Example: In customer service training, participants can take on the roles of customers and service representatives. They act out various customer service scenarios to practice effective communication and problem-solving.

11. Breakout Rooms and Group Discussions

Breakout rooms and group discussions split the audience-focused audiences into smaller groups to discuss specific topics or tasks. This great game promotes active participation and in-depth exploration of ideas.

Example: In an educational webinar, use breakout rooms to divide participants into smaller groups. Each group discusses a different aspect of the topic and then shares their insights when they return to the main session.

12. Live Challenges and Competitions

Live challenges and competitions introduce competitive elements to the best presentation games. Participants can compete individually or in teams to solve problems or complete tasks.

Example: In a team-building event, organize a friendly competition where teams compete in a series of challenges. Challenges could include problem-solving tasks, physical activities, or trivia quizzes to foster teamwork and camaraderie.

13. Interactive Presentations

Interactive presentations incorporate multimedia elements, quizzes, and audience participation throughout the entire presentation screen to keep the audience engaged.

Example: During a product launch presentation, embed interactive elements such as polls, quizzes, and live demos within your slides. This ensures constant engagement and information retention.

14. Icebreakers and Energizers

Icebreakers and energizers are quick, fun activities designed to create a relaxed atmosphere and engage the audience at the beginning of a presentation or during breaks.

Example: At the start of a team meeting, use a fun icebreaker like “Two Truths and a Lie,” where each participant shares two true statements and one false one about themselves. It lightens the mood and promotes bonding.

15. Creative Challenges and Brain Teasers

Creative challenges and brain teasers stimulate creativity and problem-solving. They present puzzles, riddles, or creative tasks to engage the audience stand.

Example: During a creativity workshop, present participants with a riddle or a creative problem to solve as a group. Encourage them to think critically and come up with innovative solutions, fostering creative thinking.

How QuestioPro LivePolls can help in Interactive presentation games

When you use any tool for an interactive show, you need to think about how your audience votes and your presentation’s goals. Make sure the interactive elements enhance the learning or engagement experience rather than becoming a distraction. 

Here are some ways a survey-based tool like QuestionPro can assist in creating interactive presentation games:

Question and Quiz Creation

Many interactive presentation game tools allow you to create questions and quizzes that you can integrate into your presentations. These questions can be multiple-choice, true/false, open-ended, or other formats. Participants can then respond to these questions during your presentation.

Interactive presentation fun game tools often include features that engage your audience. This can include things like timers for questions, leaderboards to display scores, and interactive survey elements that make your presentation more engaging and fun.

Feedback and Scoring

These tools typically provide instant feedback to participants. Correct answers might be rewarded with points, while explanations could follow incorrect answers. Scores are often tallied in real time, creating a competitive or gamified atmosphere.

Data Collection

Interactive presentation game tools can help you collect data on audience response software . This data can be valuable for assessing learning outcomes, understanding audience vote opinions, or tailoring your content to your audience’s preferences.

Customization

You can often customize the appearance and behavior of interactive elements to fit your presentation’s theme or style. This allows for creative and engaging presentations.

Audience Participation

Such tools enable audience members to actively participate and feel involved in your presentation. This can lead to higher engagement levels and better retention of information.

Reports and Analytics

Some tools provide analytics and reports after your presentation, which can help you assess the effectiveness of your interactive elements and the overall presentation.

Incorporating interactive presentation games into your talks can elevate your engagement, foster learning, and make your message more memorable. Whether you choose polls, quizzes, simulations, or storytelling challenges, tailoring the games to your audience and objectives is key. 

By doing so, you’ll transform your presentations into dynamic and unforgettable experiences that leave a lasting impact on your audience. So, level up your presentations with these interactive games, and watch your audience become active participants in your message.

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Blog > The 10 best PowerPoint Games to play in Workshops, Classrooms & Presentations

The 10 best PowerPoint Games to play in Workshops, Classrooms & Presentations

01.01.20   •  #fun #game #powerpoint #presentation.

In our last blog post, we talked about tools and tips on how to boost the audience engagement in your presentation. One of our recommended ways to do so was to play games, as they release tension and function as a fun element that lightens the mood. That’s why today we are going to list the Top 10 best games to play in your presentation.

1. Would you rather

Is it a game that everyone knows already? Probably. But did we have to include it on the list because it is just perfect for playing with your audience? Definitely. The game is pretty much self-explanatory – You give your attendees two (or more) scenarios and they have to choose which one they’d rather experience. Combining the Would you rather – question with your presentation topic is usually very easy, but we also thought of some questions you could use for any topic (e.g. as an icebreaker, to get to know your audience a little better, to ask about their opinion or just as a fun element in between). You can let your audience vote by letting them raise their hands or by using an interactive poll tool such as SlideLizard .

• Would you rather A. travel back in time OR B. travel to the future OR C. stay in the present
• Would you rather A. have a long lunch break now OR B. have a short break and finish early
• Would you rather A. be able to read minds OR B. be able to fly OR C. be able to turn invisible
• Would you rather A. receive a letter from Hogwarts OR B. join Frodo on his journey OR C. Hog-what?
• Would you rather A. never be able to go on Social Media again B. never be able to read a book again

2. Charades

The popular game is not only great for your family’s game-night, but also for your presentations and workshops. Prepare a few cards that have words related to your presentation’s topic on them, let some volunteers in your audience draw and act them out. The rest of the audience has to guess the word. You can be sure that these terms and the associated performances will never be forgotten!

Small Trivia quizzes are perfect for checking and manifesting the audience’s knowledge at the end of your presentation. Instead of repeating and summing up what you have already said, you can let your participants test their knowledge right away. However, you can also use a quiz in the beginning to test your audience’s existing knowledge about a topic. But there are not only trivia quizzes: Questions about personality can also be interesting and work well as an ice breaker in the beginning. Again, we recommend a tool for poll creation, as that is the easiest way to conduct quizzes. In a recent article we listed 50 great questions (a mix of personality and trivia) , that you could use for your next presentation! And if you're a fan of quiz game shows, we also got a full Who wants to be a Millionaire PowerPoint template for you to download for free! You'll see how it looks like in the following video (be sure to turn up your sound!):

PowerPoint can be used for way more than most people know. Even we were amazed by people on the internet who created extensive games by animating content using PP. We don’t want to go that big today, but we are going to provide you with a free-to-download template of memory. You only have to add it to your presentation and customize the pictures or terms you want under the cards. Download free PPT Memory Template

5. Two Truths and a Lie

Here is another game that is just perfect when you play it with interactive poll tools. It is great for getting the audience to know you as a presenter better. Think of a fun, interesting or astonishing fact about yourself, and then invent two fake ones. Your attendees have to vote which statement they think is true. Be prepared to see some very surprised faces in your audience!

6. PowerPoint Karaoke

PowerPoint-Karaoke is the perfect improvisation game. Players are confronted with a set of slides they have never seen before and try to give a presentation as convincingly as possible. If you want to know all about this game and get some slides you can use for playing, check out our detailed blog post on PowerPoint-Karaoke .

7. Where do you stand?

For the game “Where do you stand?”, your attendees will actually have to stand up. Therefore, it is only convenient if you have enough space. If you want to get your participant’s opinion about something and get them to move a little, look no further! Create an imaginary line across the room. One end stands for one opinion, the other end for the exact opposite opinion. Your attendees can now place themselves on this line wherever they like (right in the middle, on either end or somewhere in between). You can then even interview people on the line (it is always interesting to choose two from opposite sites) and learn about their views. If you’re a little overwhelmed now, here are some examples you could use for this game:

Attention – you can of course ask about political or more controversial topics, but that may escalate and turn into a fight, which is not the purpose of the game or your presentation.

8. Describe That

Let your audience draw from cards with words on them and then describe it for the other attendees. It is basically like charades, but with words instead of acting. Some may find that too easy. In that case, you can either choose terms that are extremely hard to describe or add some “Taboo-words” to the card that can’t be used for describing.

9. True and False

Have you ever heard a crazy, bizarre fact where you didn’t think that it could be true? Perfect. You can use it in the well-known “True and False”-Game. You pick out a fact (ideally something related to your presentation topic) and then let your audience vote (you know – via an interactive poll tool like SlideLizard ) if they think it’s true or not. A tip for making statements false: Change little things about the them, like numbers, dates or names or use common misconceptions and see how many of your attendees buy into them, e.g. “Bulls are enraged by the color red” (which is false, bulls are simply enraged by movement, not specific colors).

10. The never-ending sentence

The never-ending sentence is a great game that incorporates many of your attendees and awakens their brain cells. It is perfect for keeping up their engagement and interest, especially for long presentations or workshops when you feel like some people are getting a little tired. Simply start by saying a word – it can be related to the presentation’s topic if you want – and ask a person in your audience to repeat that word and add another one – the next person to repeat those two words and add another one as well , and so on, until a sentence forms. As it gets longer the game gets a lot more difficult, because there is a lot more to remember and to repeat. The sentence can’t be ended, it has to be continued until someone makes a mistake (or until the last person in the room has added a new word). We promise that you will be left with a lot of fun, creative, and straight-up weird sentences that will make your audience laugh a lot.

Related articles

About the author.

Pia Lehner-Mittermaier

Pia works in Marketing as a graphic designer and writer at SlideLizard. She uses her vivid imagination and creativity to produce good content.

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External communication.

External communication is the exchange of information between two organisations. For example, it can be an exchange with customers, clients or traders. Feedback from a customer also counts as external communication.

Leading Questions

Leading questions subconsciously make the respondent think in a certain direction.

Audience Demographics

Audience Demographics are the characteristics of listeners like age, gender, cultural backgrounds, group affiliations and educational level. The speaker has to consider all these characteristics when adapting to an audience.

Audience Dynamics

Audience Dynamics means the motivations, attitudes, beliefs and values, which influence the listener's behaviour.

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Awake and interested: 21 Interactive presentation games

Have you ever worked hard on an important presentation, only to look out at the audience and see that they’re barely awake? 

Don’t take it personally. It’s hard to get talked at for a period of time, especially if it’s been a long day already. That’s why experienced presenters often come to the table with interactive presentation ideas. These interactive presentation games will add a little extra fun to an otherwise straightforward presentation, and might be just what you need to keep your audience awake and interested. 

Let’s face it: public speaking and presenting is rarely anyone’s favorite activity. Fearing that your audience isn’t engaged or is drifting off to sleep only makes things worse. Get creative with some interactive presentation games to engage your audience, keep them interested, and help them to actually retain the important information you’re sharing. 

21 Interactive presentation games

These ideas are great for any kind of event - from a sales kickoff meeting to a work retreat . If you are planning a seminar or industry event, consider some of these options as additions to conference activities that attendees love. 

1. Live trivia

A trivia competition is a safe and easy way to get people engaged and involved in the information. You can start your session with a trivia quiz based on any topic, or you can pause periodically and share trivia questions based on what you’ve presented already. For example, if you are presenting at a certain conference, you might choose questions that deal with the subject matter of the event. It’s pretty much fail-safe to pick some simple trivia questions to get everyone chatting at the beginning of your presentation, and if you want to create a competition you can break everyone up into small teams to see who knows the most. Tip: If you go the competition route, people will always be more engaged if there’s a prize involved. 

2. Presentation singalong

This is a silly idea that’s sure to infuse your presentation with some fun and laughs. Start by choosing a popular song with a melody that will be easy for most people to pick up on. Then write down the lyrics, and swap some of the words out with concepts from your presentation. Essentially, you’ll keep the beat but change the words to items from your talk. Then create a slide to share during your presentation and “teach” everyone the song. People will be singing along and likely remember your presentation all day! You’ll want to know your audience fairly well for this one; not everyone likes singing in public and some people will only feel embarrassed, not entertained. For people who are comfortable laughing at themselves, it’s a winner! 

3. 20 questions

This is a simple and classic question game that doesn’t require any preparation or investment. You can be the subject and the people you’re presenting to can help you to answer. Choose someone from the audience and have them write down or draw something on the board behind you. Then, ask the audience a series of questions to get to the answer of the mystery item. The game traditionally allows yes or no questions rather than open-ended ones. For example, “Is the item an animal?” or “Is the item bigger than my fist?” You might try to have them keep the answer relevant to your presentation, but that can be tough depending on the subject matter. If you go that route, try to make the game a mid-session break, where they focus on something from your presentation so far. 

4. Same-room scavenger hunt

For a twist on a classic game (that doesn’t require leaving the presentation room), put together a scavenger hunt full of items that people will either have on themselves, or ask other attendees for. Things like a certain style of pen, a diet coke, a cellphone photo of a famous landmark, a green hairband, etc. Try to choose things that people will have in their bag or on their person - but pick a few things that they’ll likely have to ask around for. That way they can move about the room a little bit, as well as strike up conversation with others. You might be surprised how much people are able to grab without having to leave the room! Set aside a few prizes for the winners, and bonus points for people who get extra resourceful.

5. Show and tell

This game can serve as a sort of icebreaker and is ideal for smaller groups , or groups who don’t know each other well. It requires a little preparation, as before the event you’ll ask everyone to bring an item such as a favorite song or beloved photo - anything that tells a bit about what matters to them. Then, before your presentation begins, have everyone introduce themselves and explain why they brought the item they chose. Have your technology lined up in advance, so that if it’s a photo, you’re able to enlarge it on a screen, or if it’s a song, it can be played. This is a great way to learn more about your fellow attendees and find commonalities that can form friendships. 

6. Periodic poll questions

Break up a lengthy presentation by having people share their opinions. Throughout your presentation, place a few polls or surveys that people can take informally. You can keep things simple by just having members raise their hands for their chosen option, or you can download an app so that you can collect responses in real-time. Try to make the topics pertinent to your presentation, and choose questions that are engaging and likely to have different opinions. You don’t want to choose questions where the answer will be obvious; that doesn’t lead to great conversation - which is your goal. 

7. True or false game

This activity is another one that allows people to move and stretch, which can be really beneficial during long or dry presentations. Prepare some slides in advance with one statement per slide. The statements can be just for fun, like about pop culture, or about the subject matter of your presentation (this is a good way to see who is paying attention). The key is that some should be true and some should be false. Think of it like a true or false quiz based on the information you’ve shared. Have the entire audience stand up, and then display the slides one-by-one. Tell them to stay standing if they believe the statement is (rightfully) true, and sit down if they believe it’s false. After each round, say whether the comment was true or false. Anyone who was wrong must now sit down permanently. Continue this process until only one person is left standing as the winner. 

8. Controversial questions

A bit of light-hearted controversy is a good way to get people engaged and to get conversation flowing. Energize your group with some questions that will spark debate. Obviously, you don’t want to create discomfort or irritation, so it’s good to avoid topics like politics, religion, current world events, etc. Keep questions on the fun side like “Mountains or beach - and why?” or “Coffee is overrated - yes or no.” Have everyone decide which side of the debate they are on and then join their “teammates”. Have the groups debate and see if anyone ends up changing their mind. 

9. Word of the day

If you want to ensure people pay more attention to your talk, start things off with a word of the day. This is particularly effective if you are doing a multi-day engagement and can change the word each day. At the beginning, tell everyone what the word of the day is. Then make sure it’s interspersed throughout your presentation. Have everyone keep a tally of how many times the word was mentioned, and whoever gets the right number wins. 

10. Process of elimination

This activity is simple, yet fun, and can help people get to know each other as well. You can choose to kick off your presentation with it, or use it as a break part way through your presentation. It requires a little preparation; before your event come up with a list of “yes or no” questions. On the day of, have everyone begin by standing up. Then ask each question one by one, and have people continue standing if their answer is yes, and sit down if their answer is no. If you want to thin the crowd earlier and make the game move faster, try suggesting scenarios instead of a question. For example, “Stay standing if you have ever seen a reindeer in real life”. Eventually you will get down to one person, who can be crowned the winner. 

11. Large group icebreakers

Not all icebreakers are the same. Some are great for meeting new people and interacting with the person next to you; others are good for getting an entire group engaged. Research icebreakers designed for large groups (our blog is a great place to start). 

12. Interactive Q & A session

An activity that’s actually really valuable to your attendees is a live question and answer session. This way they can learn more about what you’ve presented and gain a deeper knowledge. Plus, more outspoken people tend to ask questions that everyone is thinking, so it can be really helpful for everyone present. Let everyone know that at the end of your speaking portion you’ll leave time for questions. Make sure to allot about 20 minutes or more and encourage people to share any questions they have, letting them know you’ll answer to the best of your ability. 

13. Business case study

Simulations and case-studies represent real-life scenarios that people must solve. This can be an interesting and educational activity for people who are at an industry conference or other learning-style event, particularly with a business focus. To encourage really practical learning, try providing participants with a case study about a struggling company. Participants should analyze the situation and come up with a few suggestions for turning things around. Have everyone share their insights and then dive deeper into the best ideas from the group. 

14. Storytelling challenge

If you want to focus on fostering creativity and personal expression, try a storytelling challenge where everyone must create and share a story. For example, if you are hosting a team-building workshop , have each individual talk about a time they were part of a really effective team. What made them successful and what can other people take away from their story? This also helps to build a sense of connection among the audience. 

15. Collaborative whiteboard

This real-time activity involves having everyone present work together to contribute ideas, drawings, or annotations to a white board. It can really add an element of teamwork and brainstorming which can be powerful. If coming up with suggestions is part of your event, try having a large whiteboard and allowing people to come up and add their thoughts one by one. You can also use a digital white board tool to keep things a bit cleaner. Then share the ideas generated and consider giving people a few minutes to write down all of the results. 

16. Role-playing exercise

To promote empathy and communication skills, try coming up with role-playing games where participants will take on different roles or act as characters in various scenarios. For example, if you want to do customer service training, you might have one person play the role of a customer service representative and another of the role of a difficult customer. Allow them to act out various scenarios to practice problem-solving . 

17. Breakout tables

If you are presenting to a larger audience, why not try breaking them up into smaller groups to facilitate more discussions on specific topics or tasks? This is a good way to facilitate teamwork, collaboration, and a deeper dive into topic exploration. If the space allows, you can have separate breakout rooms instead of just tables. In a smaller space, divide the room with tables at the four corners so each group has room to speak comfortably without disturbing the other groups. 

18. Brain teaser

Flexing creative muscles and problem-solving are always welcome skills, no matter what the subject matter is. Come up with some challenges or brain teasers to present to your group (or smaller groups if presenting to a larger audience). Puzzles , riddles , creative tasks, or critical thinking exercises are all welcome additions that will get people moving, chatting, and thinking. Try some of these guessing games for extra fun. 

19. Interactive quiz

Want to see how much people are paying attention? Why not spring a pop quiz on them, just like in high school? We are only partly kidding. If you are presenting during a particularly long day, or on a complex topic, take periodic breaks and toss out a few quiz questions. This is especially valuable if you announce at the beginning of your presentation that you’ll be sharing some quiz questions throughout the day - then people know they need to pay attention. Pick a few key points from your talk and ask some fairly simple questions that the audience can answer. 

20. Topic of the day

If you are part of a multi-day event covering a variety of topics, you’ll get better engagement if your audience can help direct the material. Let them know in advance that you are going to keep your presentation fluid and reserve the last 20 minutes (or whatever amount of time makes sense) for a discussion on a topic of their choice. At this time, ask your audience what they want to learn more about. This is a great idea for events that last more than one day because you can build on what you previously shared. For example, if you present on Topic A on Monday, and Topic B Tuesday, ask your group on Tuesday if they would rather dive deeper into Topic A or if they want to spend more time on Topic B. Leaving it up to them will ensure they find real value in whatever is discussed. 

21. Partner assignment

For a business-focused conference, networking and meeting other professionals is part of the appeal. Kick things off well by having everyone pair up with someone they don’t know. Then assign a simple exercise where they need to work together. For example, task them with coming up with a new name for a traditional product. They’ll get to work on communication and critical thinking skills while building a bond with someone in the same industry.

Make your all-company meeting complete

Anytime that you can bring your entire group together for a team meeting or all-hands event, you have the opportunity to insert a little fun. Try some of these ideas during your next team building retreat or even when you just need some quick team-building ideas.

If you need help in figuring out the flow, and how to plan an event that all of your attendees will be talking about for years, reach out to Surf Office for expert event advice .

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