Fun Icebreaker Ideas & Activities

Category: Extra Large Group

Extra Large Group Icebreakers. Got a huge group of 30 or more people? No sweat. Try these activities!

  • Group Juggling

    Group Juggling

    Group Juggling is a great, high-energy active icebreaker activity that helps participants learn the names of the other people in the group.  It works best when it is played in groups of about 15-20 people.  If you have more than this number of players, you can divide into smaller groups.  This game can also serve as a teambuilding activity if people do not know each other well.

    Setup for the Group Juggling Activity 

    This game is best played outside in a grassy area, or in a large, open space indoors. You will need several soft balls/tennis balls or other soft fun objects, like rubber chickens and stuffed animals. Dog toys (preferably unused) make great choices too, as they usually come with great sound effects. Bowling balls are not recommended.

    Playing the Group Juggling Activity

    Ask the group to form a large circle, with everyone facing the center. Start by tossing the ball across the circle to another person. As you toss, say the name of the person you to whom you are tossing. This lets them know the ball is coming to them and lets everyone hear their name. Once that person catches (or retrieves) the ball, they pick someone else, shout their name and toss them the ball. Play continues with the one ball until it makes it to everyone in the group. Once someone has received the ball, they cannot get it again. Last person in the group throws it back to the group leader. Practice the pattern a few times, always tossing to and receiving from the same person in the group. Once your group has the pattern down, start adding additional balls/objects, this is where the mayhem really begins. Keep going, try to get at least five objects going at once. Feel free to try again with a new pattern and mix it up.

    This game takes about 10 minutes in a group of 20-30 people. If you have more than 30 players, consider dividing into two circles to keep the throws within easy catch and toss range.

    If having too many objects makes the game too chaotic for your group, you may also reduce down to one ball.

  • 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.

  • Ships and Sailors Game

    The Ships and Sailors game is a fun way to get a group of people working together and creating bonds. It’s ideal for medium to very large groups, and because it’s an elimination game, the amount of players in each round will shrink. The game is named Ships and Sailors because players follow instructions related to the theme of being aboard a boat or in the ocean. Since there are many different commands, it’s a good idea to practice all of the moves a couple of times through before officially starting the game. This game is best played in large open spaces such as a field or basketball court, so that players can move safely about the boundaries.

    Set-Up

    • Select one person to be the “captain.” They will be in charge of calling commands throughout the game.
    • Mark the boundaries of the area as you would a boat. For example, on a basketball court Starboard would be near one basket, while Port is located on the opposite side. The sides are either lines running perpendicular to Starboard and Port.

    Practice the commands:

    • Port-North—run in the direction of the marked Port
    • Starboard-South—run in the direction of the marked Starboard
    • Seasick—run to the sides of the boat and pretend to get sick
    • Man Overboard—(2 players) one person is on their hands and knees, while the other puts their knee/foot on that players back and pretends to look overboard.
    • Shark—(1 player) lie on your stomach with an arm up to look like a shark fin.
    • Fish out of water—(1 player) lie on your back kicking your knees like a fish out of water.
    • Jellyfish friends—(2 players) partners face each other and wiggle their arms.
    • Row, row, row your boat—(3 players) 3 players sit in a line and pretend to row a boat, while singing “row, row, row your boat gently down the stream. Merrily, merrily, merrily life is what a dream.”
    • Dinnertime—(4 players) 4 players sit as if they were at a table and pretend to eat.
    • Captain on Deck—Freeze where you are, face the captain, and hold the salute position. You can’t break this position until the Captain says, “At ease.” If you follow any other command before hearing “at ease,” then you will be kicked out of the game.
    • At Ease—The only command to release players from “Captain on Deck” position.

    How to Play the Ships and Sailors Game

    • Select a captain who will call out the commands during the game.
    • Review the commands listed above.
    • At any point in the game, if someone if the last to perform the command or does the wrong command, then they will be out on the sidelines.
    • Those players who are out can help the captain spot other players to eliminate.
    • The captain will call out the commands for the players to follow.
    • Players will need to listen and react to the commands accordingly. If the command involves a partner, 3 players, or 4 players, then groups will need to form quickly to avoid being eliminated.
    • There are no set partners or groups.
    • At least one person will be eliminated in each round—sometimes more depending on the command.
    • The game is played until the last player is standing.

    Variations

    • This game can be played with smaller groups if needed.
    • The commands can be adjusted to follow a different theme or response.
    • If physical activity needs to be limited then adjust moves like shark or fish out of water to avoid lying on the ground.
    • The captain can call out commands as quickly or slowly as he or she wants. Command times can be adjusted to increase the competitiveness.

    Like this activity? Please check out our other great 100+ icebreakers!

  • 6 Challenging Party Games With Paper Cups

    1. Yank Me

    A game of steady-handed stacking and precision demolishing of paper-cup towers. Can be played solo, as a race, or in teams.

    You will need:

    • Three medium sized index cards per player. They need to be big enough to fit a paper cup on top of. If you can’t find index cards, try and find A4 paper of a similar weight that you can cut up into thirds across the width. You want fairly thick paper, at least 150gsm, or it won’t hold the cup.
    • Four paper cups per player

    Rules

    The challenge for each player is this:

    1. build a tower of upside-down cups that is four cups high, with an index card between each cup.
    2. from top card to the bottom, remove the index cards so that the cups fall onto each other in a stack.

    If you stacked the cups poorly, or you don’t pull the cards in the right way, the cups will tumble off the tower and you will have to stack them back up to their full height before you can try again.

    The first player to build and collapse their tower is the winner!

    To play this as a team race, get into teams of two and assign one person as the builder (who builds the tower) and another as the collapser (who removes the index cards). If the collapser causes cups to fall away from the tower, the builder must take over again to restack the tower to it’s full height before the collapser can try again. The first team to finish wins!

     

    2. Moving On Up

    A game that asks player to try to be a little ambidextrous, as they alternate hands to hastily cycle through a tall stack of cups.

    You will need:

    • Lots of plastic cups! 40 per player, in fact.
    • One cup of each 40 should be a different colour to the others. If you don’t have multiple colours of cup, you could simply colour one of the cups with marker pen.

    (To save on plastic cups, instead of having everyone play simultaneously, you could use only one stack of 40 cups and time each player when it is their turn.)

    Set Up

    For each player, stack all 40 cups with the differently colored odd-cup on the bottom. Give one stack to each player to hold at the bottom with one hand.

    Rules

    Players will take the cup from the top of the stack and move it to the bottom of the stack. With their other hand, they will now reach again to the top of the stack and move that cup to the bottom. This continues, with players alternating hands with each cup moved, and the odd-cup slowly moving up the stack.

    The winner is the first player to get the odd-cup to the top of the stack and move it back to the bottom, completing the cycle.

     

    3. Flip Your Lid / Cup Ballet

    Here’s a challenge with a plastic cup and a bottle that is very satisfying to pull off.

    You will need:

    • One bottle (glass or plastic) per player.
    • One plastic cup per player.

    Set up

    1. Place the bottles about 30cm away from the edge of the table.
    2. Turn the plastic cup upside down and place it over the edge of the table, so about one third of the opening hangs over the edge. Each player should have a plastic cup set up in this way facing their bottle.

    Rules

    Use your fingers to flip the plastic cup into the air towards the bottle. The first player to get their cup on top of the bottle (upside down) wins!

    You can also play in teams. Have one player hold the bottle. They will stand on the opposite side of the table. The player flipping the plastic cup will now have further to flip it, but their teammate will actively move the bottle to try to “catch” the cup. The first team to do so, wins!

     

    4. Pass The Water

    A relay race of passing water from cup to cup. The twist? You pass the water over your head, without looking. If your teammates get overexcited this could be a wet game.

    You will need:

    • A plastic cup for each player.
    • Water.

    Set-up

    1. Split your group in half. Arrange them into two lines, all players facing the same direction, one behind another.
    2. Give each player a cup.
    3. For the player at the front of the line, give them a cup that is filled to the brim with water.

    Rules

    Without turning, the players at the front of the lines must raise their cup over their head, then pour the water in the cup backwards, while the player behind them will (hopefully) catch as much of the water as they can.

    Repeat until the water has reached the last player in the line. The team with the most water left in the last player’s cup wins!

     

    5. This Blows

    Commit the air from your lungs to a balloon then skillfully wield it, like Storm from the X-Men, to topple paper cups. Or waste it as your balloon pathetically deflates.

    What you need:

    • A balloon per player.
    • 15 cups per player.

    Set-up

    1. Place the plastic cups in a line at about 15cm from the edge of the table. Each player should have their own separate line of 15 cups.
    2. Take hold of your balloon and prepare yourself.

    Rules

    Inflate the balloon, then hold the opening closed with your finger. Face the opening towards the first cup in the line on the table. Release the air from the balloon so that it pushes the cup, until the cup falls off the table. Repeat with the next cup in the line. You should be able to get several cups off the table before you have to reinflate the balloon.

    The first player to blow all 15  cups off of the table wins.

    6. Cup Stacking

    This game, that seems the simplest in the list, is in some ways the most competitive. There are even cup stacking championships. The world record for “sport stacking” is 1.33 seconds. How fast can you do it?

    What you need:

    10 cups per player. That’s it!

    Rules

    The challenge for each player is this:

    1. Build a pyramid of cups. Start with a line of four to make the base. On top of these, above the gap between the cups, place another three cups, each resting on two cups below. Repeat this with a line of two cups on top of that, and a final cup at the top.
    2. Collapse the pyramid into a single stack of cups. Instead of doing this one cup at a time, you can take the top cup and carefully work it down one side of the pyramid, collecting one cup at each level, then take that stack back up to the new top cup continue collecting cups. You can collapse a pyramid of cups very quickly this way, but don’t go so fast that you knock the whole thing down.

    The first player to collect all their cups back into one stack wins.

    Competitive cup stacking uses more complex patterns, but the challenge above is a good place to start. If you want to learn more about cup stacking, speedstacks.com/learn/ might be a good place to start.

  • Late Arrivals Game

    The Late Arrivals Game is an entertaining word/talking game.  It is a parlor game that was featured on Radio 4’s I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue in the United Kingdom.  Each player takes a turn as the toastmaster of a fancy ball, introducing the guests of the ball.

    This game can serve as an icebreaker or party game.  It can be silly and works best with people 16 and up.  The game works best with groups of about 6-8 people.  The game involves some creativity, so you may form pairs or groups of three as well.

    Setup for Late Arrivals Game

    First, the facilitator (host) of the game must decide what the late arrivals have in common — in other words, what the theme of the ball is.

    Ideas for a round could include:

    • Late Arrivals at the Builders’ Ball.
    • Late Arrivals at the Cake Eaters’ Ball.
    • Late Arrivals at the Churchgoers’ Ball.
    • Late Arrivals at the Policeman’s Ball.
    • Late Arrivals at the Animal Ball.
    • Late Arrivals at the Gardeners’ Ball.
    • Late Arrivals at the Undertakers’ Ball.
    • Late Arrivals at the Cheesemongers’ Ball.
    • Late Arrivals at the Dog Lovers’ Ball.
    • Late Arrivals at the Foodie’s Ball.

    Each player takes it in turn to be toastmaster announcing fictional people to the ball, all of which need to have something to do with the theme of the ball and hopefully be amusing.

    Typically, each person will follow the model: “I’d like to introduce Mr. and Mrs. X and their son/daughter…[clever name]”

    An example could be from the Animal Ball, “Mr and Mrs Raffe and their daughter Jay!”  (sounds like Giraffe).

    “Mr and Mrs Debeest and their son Will!” (Wildebeest)

    “Mr and Mrs Raree and their daughter Saffy” (Safari)

    and so on.

    At the hairdresser’s ball, clever names might include something like the “The artist formerly known as Rinse.”

    There is not really any right or wrong answer for this game — allow players to be funny and creative as they wish.

    Because of the difficulty of coming up with answers off the cuff, it is probably better to have prior warning of this game, and maybe play in teams of about three or so. This should mean that at least you come with some ideas. Each team could have a different theme or ball.

    Keep playing and take turns coming up with additional names until each group cannot come up any more.

    The winner may be the one who continues when the other players/teams have given up or when the host or all players determine who was the funniest.

     

     

  • Wedding Shoe Game

    The Wedding Shoe Game is a great way to create laughs and memories after the ceremony. The shoe game is ideal for a wedding because it allows the whole audience to participate, while still focusing on the newlyweds. There is no limit to the amount of players that can participate. Guests can get to know the bride and groom more through their comical shoe responses and inevitable disagreements.

    Set-Up

    Ask the tables or individuals to submit ‘who’ questions before the wedding to use.

    • The questions should focus on the couple and be easy enough to answer with a raised shoe.  For example: Who is the better dancer? Who is more likely to do the dishes? Who is more likely to make the dishes? Who said I love you first? Who is more likely to get sunburnt? Who wears the pants in the relationship?
    • Seat the newly married couple in front of or in the middle of the room, dance floor, etc.
    • Have all the guests seated around the couple, so that everyone can see/hear them.
    • The teams will be set up based on the table seating. Each table of guests will be one group that can contribute a question to ask.
    • Select one individual such as the DJ or someone from the wedding party to ask the questions.
    • The bride and groom should each take one of their shoes off to use for the game.

    How to Play the Wedding Shoe Game

    • Seat the bride and groom in the front or middle of the room.
    • Have the bride and groom seated back to back, so they can’t see each other’s responses.
    • Select someone to read off the ‘who’ questions from the guests.
    • Whenever the question applies to the person, they will raise their shoe in the air.  For example: “Who is a morning person?”   The bride might raise her shoe and not the groom.
    • There can be some disagreements when asking questions like, who is funnier? Both the bride and groom might raise their shoe in the air.

    Variations

    • This game can be played at any point during the wedding, but it is most commonly played during the reception before food is served.
    • Instead of using one person to read the questions, the bride and groom can read them off to each other.
    • Family members and friends can also ask the questions.
    • Give each table five minutes to come up with one question together during the wedding.
    • The couple can raise any object in the air—their hands, a wand, a balloon.
    • The couple can switch shoes—the bride holds a dress shoe, while the groom holds a heel.

  • Extremes Game: Where Do You Stand?

    The Extremes Game: Where Do You Stand? is a useful classroom icebreaker that helps people get to know each other’s opinions and stances a bit better.  It can be played with medium to extra large sized groups and is a good way to get everyone moving around a little bit.  The game can vary in time depending on how many questions you use; in general allow for 5-15 minutes as a good range.

    Materials required: None!

    Setup for Extremes Game: Where Do You Stand?

    In the front of the room, create an imaginary line.  All the way on the left side is one extreme, and all the way on the right side is the other extreme.  Make sure there is enough space for people to stand anywhere along this imaginary line.

    To play this game, you will ask everyone several questions.  Everyone will then respond by standing somewhere along the imaginary line according to how strong of an opinion they have on that item.  For example, if you ask people “coffee? or tea?” people will stand far along the left hand side if they strongly prefer coffee, and they will stand on the far end of the right hand side if they strongly prefer tea.  If they are neutral, they will stand in the middle.

    You can ask many kinds of questions.  For example,

    • winter or summer?
    • sweet or salty?
    • Hawaii or New York City?
    • boxers or briefs?
    • rock music or classical?
    • chocolate or strawberry?
    • Morning person or Night person?
    • would you rather be short or tall?
    • would you rather be rich or beautiful?

    Many of these questions can be very funny.  You can also ask many deep questions as well — use your imagination and have fun!

    If you don’t want to come up with your own questions, a good board game version with many questions provided is: Would You Rather? Boardgame – Classic Version, now available from Amazon.  Enjoy and have fun!

  • Shoe Pile Mingle Game

    A great way to break the ice is the Shoe Pile Meet-and-Greet Mingle Game.  This icebreaker game is especially useful for corporations and training situations where you want to break the ice and build up team chemistry.

    Setup for Shoe Pile Mingle

    Ask everyone to take off one of their shoes (only one of their shoes).  Have everyone throw their shoe into a big pile in the center of the room.

    Playing Shoe Pile Mingle Game

    Explain the rules of the game.  Once everyone takes off one shoe and throws it into a big shoe pile, have everyone randomly grab a shoe. The goal is to mingle and go around the room, introducing yourself and talking to many people and trying to find the person whose shoe you are holding.

    Warning! This game may be a bit smelly.  But that’s okay — all in the name of teambuilding and breaking the ice, right?

  • 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!