Fun Icebreaker Ideas & Activities

Category: Active

Active icebreakers! These games will get people moving, whether it’s running around, jumping, dancing, hiding, dodging, or some other action. You’ll probably get a little bit of a workout after playing these kinds of icebreaker games! Some of these games may burn some serious calories. Either way, you are sure to have a great deal of fun!

  • Song Sync

    The object of the game is to get more in touch with your group’s music tastes by identifying songs they know or have listened to. This activity can be done anywhere that allows for clear communication between the group. The game is played in any size group and will require a lot of listening and a room that is quiet enough to communicate easily in. The game will allow for players to also inject some of their own personality into the way they say the song lyrics.

    Materials Needed:

    What you will need to play song sync:

    Music knowledge
    A phone or computer to check claims
    A timer

    • How to Set Up Song Sync Game

    Pick a word that you hear a lot when listening to music like the word “hey” or “love.” Let the other group members know this is your set word for the game and explain that you can’t use a variation of the word like “lover” or “loved”. Make sure to check and see if the word is widely used in songs by googling ” songs with ___ in it”; this will pull up sites that list songs with your chosen word in them. If you wish to play multiple games write down multiple words to use and let your guests choose which ones they want to try to play with first. If you want to make it a little more fun put the words into a hat and take turns drawing out of it after each game to give a sense of randomness to the players.

    How To Play Song Sync

    1. Go around the room in a circle giving everyone a chance to repeat song lyrics with your set word in them. If someone can’t think of a song then they sit out, repeat this until you have a winner. Be sure to have a set amount of time a player has to answer in as to not draw the game out for too long.
    2. Be sure to have a fact checker on hand like a phone or laptop to quickly google strange sounding lyrics. If a player is caught making up their own song then they are out of the game until you start again.  Be sure to use a site that checks all genres and not just the popular songs, you never know what music your potential friends may be into.
    3. Have fun with the game and be sure to ask questions about songs you’ve never heard before. To add an additional fun twist to the game you could even require the lyrics to be sung or said in the same tune as the song they are from.

    Winning The Game

    The game is based more on learning about someone’s music taste and sparking conversation than winning or losing. By naming different songs you will find out a lot about a potential friend’s personality and will have a great discussion point to start from. If you wanted to sprinkle some competitive elements into the game you can always add in small prizes like candy or inexpensive ribbons from a dollar store for the winner.

  • Air Balloons

     

    See which group has the strongest lungs by trying to keep your balloon in the air for longer than the other teams, using only your own air!

    Recommended ages:

    Air Balloons is an activity that is ideal for ages 10 – 25.

    Recommended number of people:

    This game is best played with groups of 8+ people.  It is not ideal for small groups.

    Materials needed:

    In order the play this game you will need the following materials:

    • Basic rubber balloons for air
    • A timer or stopwatch for each team
    • Optional: small paper or plastic fans

    How to set up the game:

    If you would like you can have each team blow up their balloons, but to make the game fairer it is better if you inflate all the balloons for each team ahead of time. Make sure to inflate extras in case of breaking balloons.

    How to play:

    1. Separate the group into different teams. Teams should be between 3-5 people ideally. You can play this game with as many teams as you’d like.
    2. Give each team a balloon to use as well as a paper or plastic fan (fans are optional, balloons are not).
    3. Choose a player from each team to be the time-keeper. Give them one of the timers or stopwatches to record the time that their team keeps the balloon in the air without touching it.
    4. Instruct players that the rules of the game are you cannot touch the balloon at all once it is in the air. Balloons must be kept in the air for as long as possible without being touched and without touching the ground at any time. Each time a balloon is touched by a member of the team or touches the ground, the time on the stopwatch must be reset back to zero. The only thing players are allowed to do to keep their balloons up is to use air either from their fans or by blowing on the balloon.Tip: try to give each team a different colored balloon so that there can be no mix-ups if the teams overlap at any point.

    Winning the game:

    The team that manages to keep their balloon in the air for the longest consecutive amount of time will be the winners. They should not sabotage any other competing teams during this time. Monitor the teams as they’re playing to ensure they are keeping time properly.

  • Marshmallow Toss

    Toss marshmallows to your teammates — as they try to catch as many as possible with their mouth in a set amount of time.

    Recommended ages:

    This game works best for ages 12 and up.

    Recommended number of people:

    Marshmallow Toss activity works well for groups of 8 or more people.

    Materials needed:

    • Marshmallows (large, not mini marshmallows)
    • Timer or stopwatch
    • Plastic bags (for clean up)
    • Masking tape or cones (for marking boundaries)

    How to set up the game:

    To set up for the marshmallow toss game you should make lines on the ground to set distance barriers. Use masking tape on a solid surface or plastic cones on a grassy surface. Set the distance so that it’s appropriate for the age group of the people who will be playing the game. They should be able to toss a marshmallow fairly accurately from one line to the other.

    How to play:

    1. Separate your group into pairs to compete in the game. Line each pair up so that one player is behind one marked line and the other player is directly across from them behind the other marked line.
    2. There are two different ways the game can be played. You can either have one player throwing to the other to see how many they can catch within the time period or else you can have the players alternate throwing back and forth to each other to get the longest streak of catches.
    3. Whichever method you choose to play, set your timer for around 1-2 minutes or any other time of your choice. Signal players when you start the timer and allow them to begin playing.
    4. At the end of the time, let all the players know that the time has expired and that they should stop throwing marshmallows. Any marshmallows thrown or caught after the time stops should not be counted in the total score for that pair.Tip: After each round of the game, have each player help to clean up the marshmallows that were dropped so that they don’t make a bigger mess later by getting stepped on or squashed around the area. This is where the plastic bags come in handy.Disclaimer: Like all food-oriented games, safety comes first! Be careful of choking hazards.

    Winning the game:

    The winner of the game is the pair that either catches the most total marshmallows or else has the longest back and forth streak of catches between one pair.

  • Hot and Cold Game

    The Hot and Cold game is a simple, crowd pleasing icebreaker game!  It gets the crowd going.  Simply choose a mystery action and have a volunteer try to figure it out.  The group cheers for them loudly when they are closer to doing the action and boos them when they are farther away.

    This game is best for ages 12+ and ideal for groups of 6+ people.  Large groups are okay.  Multiple groups can also play this simultaneously.

    Materials Required: No materials are required for this game, although you can use any props around the room that are available to you.

    How to set up the Hot and Cold Game:   You do not need to do anything to prepare for this game. All that’s needed is the group members themselves, although it may be wise to remove any unsafe objects that are present to keep players from using these during the game.

    How to play:

    1. Gather group members together in one room. It’s time to select the 1 or 2 people that are the “chosen players” for the first round. You can ask for volunteers or else choose the first players for yourself.
    2. Send the chosen players out of the room. Once they are out, have the group come up with an action they must perform when they come back into the room. Moderate this process to make sure an appropriate and safe action is chosen.
    3. Bring the chosen players back into the room and instruct them to try to figure out and do the mystery action. Other group members should be observing the chosen players and cheering or encouraging them when they are getting closer to doing the action (“hot”) and booing when they are getting farther from doing the action (“cold”). No words should be spoken by the group about the mystery action and no gestures should be used to indicate what needs to be done.
    4. The game is over once all the chosen players perform the mystery action. You may choose the next players by who was the most encouraging, who came up with the final action ideas, or any other criteria you see fit.

    Winning the game:

    Normally there is no winner or loser in this game as it is just a fun activity to help with group bonding.  Alternatively, you can divide the group into two or more sets of people with their own chosen player and mystery action. Set a timer and let the teams compete to see whose chosen player will complete their action first.  You can also time each chosen player to see how long it takes them to complete their mystery action. The one with the shortest time is the winner.

  • Best Skills Showdown Game

    Compete against other teams in a series of mini-games to see who has the ultimate collection of talent and weird skills!

    This activity works best as a large or extra large group activity (15+ people), ages 8 and up.

    Materials required:

    We recommend that you bring any props desired for activities. For example:

    • Bandanas (or other blindfolding material)
    • Plastic cones (to mark boundaries in activities)
    • Balloons
    • Foam balls
    • Measuring tape

    How to set up the game:

    If any props require setup before they can be used, prepare them ahead of time. Prepare a list of mini-games for the game.  Otherwise, this game requires no setup.

    How to play:

    1. Separate the large group into smaller teams of 4-6 people, depending on how large the group is.
    2. Announce the first activity that each team must participate in. After you have said what the activity is, ask for one member of each team to come and compete against the others. For example, if the first round is for “the highest jump” than you would tell each team what the game is and ask them to choose the member that they want to compete for this title.  Other activities can include: most push-ups, who has the longest middle name, who can throw an object the farthest, best dancer, most sit-ups, etc.  Be creative and come up with a nice variety of quick games!
    3. When one member from each team comes forward to compete, you can proceed with the game that round until the winner is found. For “the highest jump” you would have each player jump three times and judge who jumped the highest of all the players.
    4. Proceed to the next activity round with a new set of players from each team. Ask for new volunteers and compete as usual until all the activities you had planned are finished.

    Inclusion tip: Do not let the same person compete in 2 rounds back-to-back. Instead, make it a rule that they can only compete in every other round at most. Each person in the team must compete in at least 1 round for the team to be able to win the game.

    Winning the game:

    Each time a player wins an activity round they will get one point for their team for winning that title (Example: highest jump). At the end of the game the team with the most titles is the winning team. You can have the team perform all their title actions at the end as a fun way to conclude the game. No team is able to win the game unless every single member on the team competed in at least 1 activity round.

  • Animal Sounds

    Find the other person in the room with the same animal as you by making the noise your assigned animal makes!  Animal Sounds is a very simple icebreaker that gets people to act as animals to and find other of the same animals just by listening and making the specific animal sounds!

    This icebreaker is good for kids aged 6 and up.  Unless folks are young at heart, it is not as ideal for adults above 25 years old due to its animal silliness!  Animal Sounds is best for larger groups of 15+ people.

    Materials needed

    To play the Animal Sounds icebreaker, you will need:

    • Pieces of paper
    • 1 pen or pencil
    • Fabric blindfolds for each player in the game

    How to set up the game:

    Prepare the papers ahead of the game. Cut or tear the sheets of paper into small pieces. Write different types of animals that make distinctive sounds on each paper, making sure to duplicate each animal at least once. You should end up with lots of small papers with pairs of animals listed.

    How to play:

    1. Give each player a piece of paper with an animal listed. Make sure you only hand out an animal whose pair is given to someone else. Instruct players not to reveal what their animal is and to keep it a secret.
    2. Blindfold each player. Ask all the players to find their match, the other person with the same assigned animal as them, by only using the sounds which their animal makes. Players cannot speak, remove the blindfolds, or perform any actions other than moving around the room.
    3. Watch as the players try to find their matches. As different pairs of people find the correct match, check the papers they have to make sure they are actually the same animal. If not, send them back to the group to keep looking. Those who have found their pair should remove themselves from the game area to avoid further confusion. If time is a constraint, use a timer or stopwatch to make sure the game lasts for only a set amount of time.
    4. Make the game more interesting by choosing a wide variety of exotic animals and “common” animals that most people would know such as lions, baboons, blue whales, camels, elephants, and otherwise. The more variety, the more fun is had by players as they listen to the crazy noises going on around them!

    Winning the game:

    This is an icebreaker game that doesn’t necessarily have winners and losers. If you’d like to add a competitive edge to it you can rank players based on who finds their match first and give our rewards to the top 3 pairs.

  • Name Aerobics

    Name Aerobics is a simple icebreaker to help group members introduce themselves in a fun and energetic way!  You can think of it was a name memorization activity with a touch of aerobics.  It’s good for players ages 10+.  This activity works best with medium or large sized groups of 6+ people each.

    Materials required

    There are no required materials to play this game. You can play it anywhere with just the members of the group!  Indoors (such as in a classroom) may be the most ideal place to play.

    How to set up the game

    The ideal setup is to have all group members standing in a circle, but you can also have the individuals take turns coming in front to introduce themselves. Placing people in a circle may help those who are shy to feel easier about participating. This is the only setup needed for the game to be played.

    How to play Name Aerobics

    1. Ask for someone to volunteer to go first, or you as the host can start off the activity. The first person can either go to the center of the circle or else stay where they are, depending on your preference as the host.
    2. Ask the person to introduce themselves by their first and last name, but instruct them to make some sort of movement or do an action for each syllable of their name. For example: The name “Jonathan Smith” (Jon-a-than Smith) would require that person to make four distinct movements of their choice.
    3. Have each person in the group repeat the person’s name while also mimicking the actions they performed. Have the person repeat their name and actions as many times as it takes for most of the group to get it right before moving on to the next participant.
    4. The person to the right of the one making the introduction should go next until all participants have introduced themselves with a name and simultaneous actions.
    5. (Optional): After everyone has introduced themselves, quickly go through the group members from the first person again to make sure everyone remembers the names of the others.

    Winning the game

    This is an icebreaker game meant to help people become more familiar with each other; therefore, there are no winners and losers. If you want to create a competitive element, you can have a contest at the end to see who remembers the most combinations of names and “aerobics” that were performed. The one who can recite the most names and perform the correct movements is the winner.

  • Human Bingo (Did You Know?) Game

    Human Bingo (also known as the Autograph Game or Did You Know? Bingo) is an icebreaker that helps people learn interesting facts about each other.  People walk around the room and mingle until they find people that match the facts listed on a bingo-style sheet.

    This game is a get-to-know-you style icebreaker.  The recommended group size is: large or extra large.  The game works best with a group of about 25 people.  It can be played indoors or outdoors.  Materials required are: printed bingo sheets and pens.  Ages 12 and up.

    Setup for Human Bingo

    The objective of this game is for people to wander around the room and to obtain the signatures of people who have the facts listed on the bingo sheet.  Once a person successfully obtains a full row (5 in a row), whether horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, he or she shouts “BINGO!” and wins.

    This game requires a little bit of setup.  Prepare a 5 by 5 table, with interesting facts written inside the boxes.  These facts can include funny or bizarre things.  For example:

    • Likes anchovies
    • Has been to Hawaii
    • Speaks more than two languages
    • Has never been on a plane
    • Has more than four brothers
    • Has gone without a shower for more than three days

    Be creative!  You can mark the center square “FREE SPACE” like traditional bingo games.  After you have prepared the table, print out enough copies for the number of players you are expecting.

    Instructions for How to Play

    Pass out a sheet to each person, along with a pen.  Explain the objective of the game and the following rules: (1) each person you talk to may only sign your sheet once, and (2) to win, you must get signatures to form 5 in a row horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.  Say “Go!” and ask your participants to begin.

    Once someone shouts “Bingo!” everyone returns and the person must introduce the people who signed his or her sheet.  If desired, you can ask each person to explain their fact. This icebreaker game is fun way to get to know humorous or unique facts about people.  Enjoy!

    Download Printable Template

    Download a printable template here!

  • Electric Current Game

    How about a fun game that involves fast reflexes?  There are two teams — everyone is holding hands.  Can your team squeeze hands and send an “electric current” faster than the other team?

    This game works great as a camp or youth retreat icebreaker, or as a large group activity (more than 50 people).  It can be played indoors or outdoors.  The activity is relatively short (about 5-10 minutes) to play.

    The Electric Current Game (also called the Electricity or Pulse game) is a game that resembles two fast moving electric currents!

    Setup

    Nothing much is needed to prepare this game, except a small coin (like a quarter) and two small objects (such as a paper cup or foam ball) that can be grabbed.  Place each object at the end of both lines.  Arrange everyone into two long lines of people, approximately equivalent in length.  Have everyone hold hands as a chain, with everyone facing forward in the same direction.

    Playing the Electric Current Game.

    Ask all players to close their eyes, except for the two people at the front of the chain.  This game is to be played silently.  At the start of each round of gameplay, the facilitator does a coin toss.  Whenever “heads” is showing, the facilitator simultaneously lightly taps the shoulder of both team leaders and the “electric current” begins.  The two people at the front of each team squeezes the hand of the next person in the chain as fast as they can.  The next player who received the hand squeeze then also squeezes the next person in the chain, rapidly continuing to “pass the electricity” down the team.  The first team who grabs the object (the paper cup or foam ball) at the end of the chain is the winner.  As facilitator, it is important to flip the coin slowly and wait several sections between flips.  If someone grabs the object but there was no “heads” coin toss, that team loses a point.

    You may change up the team order after each round if desired.  Play continues for several rounds.  The winning team is the one that gets six points first.

  • Human Rock Paper Scissors

    Human Rock Paper Scissors is a fun, quick ice-breaker that can be used for a medium-sized group of people. Many are familiar with the classic hand game, rock-paper-scissors, each of which conquers one another depending on the combination. This game is a play on the game, but requires people to get on their feet, move, and act as a team, rather than an individual.

    This ice-breaker is especially fun because it can be tailored to many different themes and variations.

    Setup for Human Rock Paper Scissors

    As a large group, decide a full-body pose that will signify each element (e.g. Rock – each person of one group will bend down and hug their knees and curl into a ball so they look like a rock, Scissors – each person of one group will stand with legs shoulder-width apart and both arms up and hands behind the head so they look like a scissor).

    Playing Human Rock Paper Scissors 

    After the poses are decided, break participants into two groups. For each round, each group will need to do one of the poses (everyone in each group will need to do the same pose). Each group will have 5 minutes to strategize. Once all of the groups have their poses ready, a facilitator will have the two groups face each other and count down from three (e.g. three….two…one….SHOOT). On “SHOOT” each group will need to strike one of the three poses. Rock beats Scissors, Scissors beat Paper, and Paper beats Rock. You can play however times you’d like. Best out of 5 rounds is a good number for a medium sized group.

    If you want to try some different themes of this game you can try some of the following themes or make up some of your own!

    • Lord of the Rings – Hobbit, Elf, Orc (Orc beats Hobbit, Elf beats Orc, Hobbit beats Elf)
    • Schools – Stanford, Cal, USC (Stanford beats USC, Cal beats Stanford, USC beats Cal)
    • Super Heroes – Batman, Spiderman, Green Lantern (Spiderman beats Batman, Batman beats Green Lantern, Green Lantern beats Spiderman)
    • Disney Villains – Maleficent, Ursula, Jafar (Maleficent beats Ursula, Ursula beats Jafar, Jafar beats Maleficent)

    This is a very fun activity that’s quick, high-energy and requires no pre-activity prep.