Fun Icebreaker Ideas & Activities

Category: Classroom Icebreaker

  • 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.

  • Memorable Catchy Names

    Memorable Catchy Names is one of the simplest icebreakers you can play, but it’s short and sweet!  And it might be one of the most efficient ways to get to know other people better in an amusing way.  The game involves going around in a circle, so it probably works best in a small or medium sized group.

    Setup for Memorable Catchy Names

    No set up is necessary!  This icebreaker works great in a classroom or indoors.

    Playing Memorable Catchy Names

    Get into a circle.  Instruct everyone to think about an adjective to describe themselves.  The adjective should start with the same letter as their first name.  For example, “Funny Fred,” or “Powerful Paul,” or “Clever Charlene.”

    Have each person go around and announce their new name for the rest of the day.  If you wish to make it a memory based activity, have each person introduce themselves, and then have each person afterwards introduce themselves plus everyone before them.  The last person must try to introduce everyone in the room!

  • Identity Circles

    Identity Circles

    Identity Circles / Value Circles

    Identity Circles (also known as Identity Cards or Value Circles) is a deeper get-to-know-you game, during which you will have an opportunity to discuss with many friends the values that make up your identity and how you prioritize them in your life. For this activity, you will be paired up with several different people, the number depending on how many people are in your group.

    The activity works best in even numbers, as pairing requires. To begin, divide your group in half and create two concentric circles (one inner circle and one outer circle). The people in the outer circle should face inside, and the people in the inner circle should face outside. Each inner circle person will pair up with an outer circle person. You can stand, sit on the floor, or use chairs for this activity; whatever is most convenient.  This game works best indoors.

    Setup for Identity Circles/Value Circles

    Purchase several index cards, enough for each participant to have ten index cards (for example, if you have sixteen players, you need at least 160 cards). Also purchase pens so that each participant has one to use.

    Instructions for How to Play

    Hand out the index cards and pens to each participant. Ask the participants to think about their values and what makes up their identity. Instruct them to write one value on each index card. They should have written down 10 values in total. Some examples of categories that can be useful for identifying values:

    • Race (e.g. Hispanic, Asian, Black, Caucasian, etc.)
    • Religion (e.g. Muslim, Christian, Athiest, etc.)
    • Occupation (e.g. Engineer, Artist, Student, Teacher, Doctor, unemployed, etc.)
    • Family (e.g. sister, brother, mother, father, daughter, son, etc.)
    • Traits (e.g. athletic, musical, artistic, analytical, creative, funny, etc.)
    • Activities (e.g. sports, cooking, comic books, making movies, etc.)
    • Health (e.g. healthy, immobile, mobile, depressed, diabetic, etc.)
    • Socio-economic (e.g. wealthy, middle-class, financially struggling, etc.)

    Once everyone has their values written down, have the participants share with their first partner why they chose to write down the values they did. After sharing for 5-7 minutes, ask all participants to rip up one of their cards. This part of the activity gives participants an opportunity to reflect on how they prioritize their values. Ripping up the card should help the participant imagine living without that part of their identity.   After the participants rip up one card, the outer circle will rotate one partner to the right. Everyone should have a new partner now. Have the new pairs discuss why they ripped up the card they ripped up.

    Continue this process until all participants are each left with one card — their most important value.

    Optional instructions: Have each person create values cards and try to order them from most important to least important.  Have each person share these values with each other and explain each one, without destroying the cards.

    This is a very easy, low-maintenance group activity that requires little preparation and can work for as small as 8 people to as large as 50 people. This activity is also good to help encourage people to share deeply with others with whom they would not otherwise share.

  • Who Am I

    Who Am I? is a guessing game where you use the traits and characteristics of famous, historical, or company figures to break the ice with each other. Any sized group can play — you are only limited by your own imagination! Materials required are sticky nametags and a marker.  Self-adhesive white Avery labels work great.  This game works well for medium to extra large sized groups.

    Setup for the Who Am I Game

    Before your group arrives, prepare sticky nametags with the names of famous people (or any other people that EVERYONE in the group will know).  For example, you can write:

    SUPERMAN
    INDIANA JONES
    HARRY POTTER
    BATMAN
    PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
    BRITNEY SPEARS
    MICKEY MOUSE

    And so on.  If you like, you could also stick labels on each person’s forehead instead of their back.

    Playing Who Am I?

    Place one of the nametags on the upper back of each player.  Once everyone has a nametag on their back, explain the rules to everyone: each person must try to figure out which famous person that they are, only asking “Yes” or “No” questions to gain clues about the name that is on their back.

    For example, a player can ask questions like: “Am I an athlete?” “Am I a female?” “Am I a young person?” and so on.

    Timing: This game takes about ten minutes in a group of 50, less for smaller groups, but about the same for bigger groups. This is a great way to get people talking!

  • Great Wind Blows

    Great Wind Blows (also known as the Big Wind Blows) is a good icebreaker activity that involves a bit of movement, a bit similar to Musical Chairs.  The game can help everyone break the ice and help students get to know each other a bit better.  You’ll need several chairs (one fewer than the total number of players).

    Setup for Great Wind Blows Game

    In order to begin, first arrange all the chairs to form a circle (all chairs facing inward toward the middle).  One player starts in the middle, standing up.  He or she begins the round.

    Playing Great Wind Blows

    The game is simple to play; one person in the middle starts by saying “Great wind blows for everyone who…” and then says any characteristic that is true for that person.  For example, if the person has been to Canada before, he or she can say, “Great wind blows for everyone who has been to Canada.”  All players who have been to Canada before must stand and quickly find a new seat that is more than 2 chairs away from them.  If the player is not able to find a vacant seat, he or she is the new person who is in the middle.

    Some ideas include:

    • Great wind blows for everyone who has been to more than 3 countries before.
    • Great wind blows for everyone who hates chocolate.
    • Great wind blows for everyone who loves to wear boxers.
    • Great wind blows for everyone who has gone more than 2 days without showering.
    • Great wind blows for everyone who is addicted to video games.
    • Great wind blows for everyone who loves sushi.

    Be creative and have fun!  Teachers, youth group leaders and camp counselors love this game because it gets people moving, helping to break the ice at the beginning of class or youth group, or at the start of camp.   It’s also a fun way to get to know interesting things about each other.

  • Sparkle Game

    Sparkle is a great group game that can be done as a warm up to get the brain thinking. Traditionally, it is played as a spelling game, but you can also do it with math problems, a memory verse, or focus on a specific subject instead. It’s a fun way to study previously learned or new information. The game is fast paced — with players constantly listening and ready to speak at any moment!

    Sparkle Set-Up

    This game is ideal for medium to extra large groups of people, and there is not a limit on the number of players.  It can be played in both indoor and outdoor settings.  The setup is fairly easy:

    • Create a circle or line standing up.
    • Assign one person to provide the words throughout the game.
    • That person can either create a pre-made list of words or think of the words during the game.

    How to Play the Sparkle Game

    1. Explain a memory verse, name a word, or a math problem—depending on which type of game selected.
    2. Arrange everyone in a circle or line, standing up, and facing the same direction.
    3. Choose one person to start the spelling.  For example, if the word is ‘LEADERSHIP’, the first player would say the letter ‘L,’ the second player would say ‘E,’ the third player would say ‘A,’ and this pattern would continue until the word ‘LEADERSHIP’ is fully spelled.
    4. After the word has been spelled, the next person must say ‘Sparkle.’
    5. The player next to the person who said Sparkle must sit down.
    6. If at any point in the game someone says the wrong letter, then they must sit down. The person next to them will continue the spelling.
    7. If you are sitting, then that means you are out of the game.
    8. After a word is finished, a new one will be selected to spell.
    9. This pattern continues–spelling and sitting– until one person is left standing, who is the winner!

    Variation

    • Instead of spelling words, players can use math problems or memory verses.
    • For a memory verse or song, teach the material first, and then assign different stanzas that players will have to memorize.

    For a song example,

    1. ‘Twinkle twinkle little star”
    2. “How I wonder where you are”

    Each player would sing one stanza until the song is complete.

    • Follow a theme when selecting words — for example, leadership, accountability, marketing, brand, and feedback. All of these words relate to the topic of business.
    • In a classroom setting, Sparkle can be played for students to memorize new vocabulary words in any subject.  For example, if students are studying history, Sparkle can be combined with quiz questions, such as:
      • Who was the first president of the United States?
      • The students would have to know whom the president was and how to spell his name.
      • G, E, O, R, G, E   W, A, S, H, I, N, G, T, O, N

  • Personal Artifact Game

    The Personal Artifact Game is the perfect icebreaker for those who want to stay away from the usual “who, what, where” questions that are typically asked in these sorts of activities. It requires participants to dig a little deeper than just their favorite color and bring something personal to the table!  Players are more likely to remember each other’s names from the stories behind each artifact. It encourages players to get to know each other personally and also provides future topics to discuss. Whether it’s the first day of class, camp, or on the job, the personal artifact icebreaker is sure to get discussions flowing and give each player a memorable moment associated with them.

    Set-Up

    • Note that this game requires people to plan a little bit in advance — ask each player to bring in a personal artifact from home.
    • A personal artifact can be anything that is special or who represents the individual. For example, players can bring in a stuffed teddy bear from childhood, an x-ray of a broken bone, a picture, or a locket.
    • Pair up with partners or set up seating into a half circle.

    How to Play the Personal Artifact Game

    1. Assign each a number or go alphabetically to select the order.
    2. If using a half circle, then have each person stand in front of the group. If using partners, then pair up people.
    3. Going one at a time, each person will briefly present their personal artifact to the group, including what it is and why they chose it.
    4. Depending on the amount of time, the audience can ask 2-3 questions about the artifact.

    Variations

    • Instead of having the player bring in a personal object, they can use anything they have on them. Players can pull something out of their purse, wallet, or even use their current clothing and tell about its origin.
    • Players can pass around their artifacts if they feel comfortable.
    • To make the game more interesting, you can take the items and mix them up on a table, then have players guess who each of the items belongs to and explain why.

  • Virtual icebreakers for Zoom – 2021 pandemic edition

    Unfortunately, this year has been a challenging time during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Many classes have been moved to online, with videoconferencing software like Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams being used for teaching and learning sessions.

    zoom virtual icebreakers

    While the virus keeps everyone home and people are “social distancing,” there is a growing need for more virtual icebreakers to help people socialize and games that can be played while people are online. We’ve collected (and will keep updating!) our list of online activities and games that are well suited during this difficult time.

    A good virtual icebreaker should be playable online, free or cheap, and should involve participation from everyone.

    Many of our 100+ icebreaker games can be adapted for online play, especially our “Get to Know You” type games, but not all of them — like the ones where people need to run around. But some virtual icebreakers take advantage of the affordances of videoconferencing, like the ability to change your background image or to use breakout rooms in creative ways.

    So let’s say you want to use an activity or fun experience to help break the ice or entertain folks. What are some recommendations?

    Online Icebreaker Games to try over Zoom videoconference

    Elipsis (Dot dot dot) Game — is a simple guessing game similar to Loaded Questions that can be played over Zoom. All players change their screen name to “…” and one takes turns asking questions like “What is your dream?” or “What did you eat this morning for breakfast?” Everyone connected in Zoom types in their answer in the Chat window. Each person takes turns guessing who typed in what. It’s fun!

    Skribbl.io is a fun online multiplayer drawing game similar to Pictionary. Draw a clue and earn points if others can correctly guess it quickly.

    GeoGuessr.com is a Google Maps-based guessing game in which you are placed within a 360 degree image of somewhere in the world and get more points if you can correctly guess where you are. Custom maps and educational modes are also available, making it a pretty fun activity.

    Zoom Jam featured a competition in which many brainstormed several game ideas that work great at a distance. For instance, 24 Hours in Atlantis is a clever story-based game involving challenges that a group must tackle in order to find the lost treasure room of Atlantic.

    Board and tabletop games

    Board Game Arena and Tabletopia are two excellent services that allow people to play tabletop games. Games include digitized versions of famous board games like Settlers of Catan, Colt Express, Seven Wonders, 8 Nimmt and many other tabletop games, ranging from simple to complex.

    Know of other games that you recommend during these challenging times? We’re constantly updating this guide. Share it with your friends!

  • Funny Icebreaker Questions

    Funny Icebreaker Questions

    What are some funny icebreaker questions that you can use for your classroom or work event? Check out this guide for several excellent (and hilarious!) questions that you can use.

    Here are several discussion starters that you can use to break the ice! These questions are sure to make your group laugh and giggle, especially when players get creative with their answers! You can award bonus points at the end (or via group vote) for the silliest or funniest answers. We’re pretty sure that these open ended questions will get people to chuckle or crack up; more importantly, they can make it easier for your students or teammates to feel at ease with each other after they’ve had some funny moments together.

    Funny Icebreaker Questions

    See below for over 30 questions that you can choose from. Some are random and silly, while others involve a bit more sharing or some thoughtfulness that might reveal something about one’s personality, preferences, memories or interests. Enjoy!

    Silly, Zany and Wacky Questions

    1. If you were an animal, what animal would you be (which represents your personality best?)
    2. If you could be any food, what would you be and why?
    3. What is something shocking that you wish you could do before you die?
    4. What is the craziest thing you’ve ever done?
    5. If you had to be one body part, what would it be and why?
    6. If you were to be a superhero, who would you be and what super power would you have?
    7. If you had to live in another planet with the aliens, what job would you have?
    8. If you had to rename yourself into a strange word, what would your name be?
    9. If you could only have one sense (sight, taste, hearing, touch, smell) for the rest of your life, which one would you choose and why?
    10. If you had to change something about yourself, what would you change?
    11. If you had three wishes but had to wish them on someone else, what would you wish for?
    12. If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life (every day), what would it be?
    13. If you were an ant, what would you do first?
    14. If you had a time machine and could go back in time, what would you change in history?
    15. If you were a pet, what would you want to do to your owner?

    Embarrassing Moments and Other Funny Things to Share

    1. What was one of your most memorable embarrassing memories in your life?
    2. What was the funniest thing that has ever happened to you?
    3. What was your craziest experience you’ve ever had?
    4. What was the happiest memory you’ve ever had?
    5. What was the most interesting food you’ve ever eaten (this one might surprise folks)?

    Would You Rather Questions

    1. Would you rather be a giant that everyone always can see, or a microscopic size that no one can see, and why?
    2. Would you rather be a cat or a dog?
    3. Would you rather live in the ocean or in deep outer space?
    4. Would you rather be loved by someone special (but hated by everyone else) or liked by everyone (but never loved)?
    5. Would you rather live forever but have a boring life or live a short but amazing life?
    6. Would you rather be chocolate or vanilla ice cream and what does that say about your personality?
    7. Would you rather be a hero but have no one notice or a zero but have everyone think you’re a hero?
    8. Would you rather be invisible or always visible?
    9. Would you rather be the best at everything but have everyone dislike you, or the worst at everything but have everyone like you?
    10. Would you rather be a fruit or a vegetable?

    If you like these questions, we also recommend you check out similar activities, like our original icebreaker questions, and even more good icebreaker questions.

    Love these funny icebreaker questions? Let us know what you think!