Fun Icebreaker Ideas & Activities

Category: Large Group

Large group icebreakers. Is your group between 10-30 people? The following games below should work great. Try them out and see for yourself!

  • 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.

  • Categories (or Similarities) Game

    Each team must find a certain amount of things they all have in common (similarities) before the other teams in this simple competitive icebreaker game.  It’s best for ages 8+.  It works great for medium sized groups, or even really large groups of 20+ people if you split into smaller sized groups.

    Materials needed

    You won’t need anything to play this game. If you’d like to make things more official, you can use a piece of paper and a writing utensil for each team to record their similarities on, although this is not necessary.

    How to set up the Categories (or Similarities) game:

    No setup is necessary to play the Similarities game!

    How to play:

    1. Divide your group up into separate teams of about 5 people each. Ideally you should end up with at least 4 different teams with a minimum of 4 people per team.
      Tip: Try to make teams of people that are not already close with each other. This makes the game more fun and serves as a great icebreaker for people to get introduced to one another!
    2. Instruct each team to talk amongst themselves and find out at least 6 things that every single group member has in common with the other members.
      Tip: You might consider not allowing teams to use simple things like physical height, hair color, current clothing items worn, etc. Limiting the similarities to non-physical things helps people to learn more about each other and engage in active, more meaningful conversations that will promote inclusion and lasting connections between team members.
    3. This game is played as a race and each team is competing to come up with their 6 similarities before the others. The game ends once every team has come up with 6 things they have in common, or once the time set aside for the game has expired.
    4. Alternative: If you’d like to play a quicker alternative, you can assemble the whole group and instruct them to form teams based on categories of things that they all have in common. This can include anything from favorite colors to least favorite movies and beyond. In this alternative, you can set the minimum size for each team in order for the activity to be over.

    Winning the game

    The winner of the regular version of the game is the team that most quickly identifies 6 similarities they all share. In the alternative game there is no real winner and it is used as a simple and quick icebreaker game for large groups.

  • Paper Airplanes (Name Planes Game)

    Paper Airplanes (or Name Planes Game) is a simple but effective get-to-know-you game: find the owner of the paper airplane that you pick up and learn a few things about them! This game works best for larger groups of ten or more people.  The activity is ideal for those ages 12 and up and is suitable for the classroom.

    Setup for Paper Airplanes (Name Planes Game)

    There is not much setup required for this activity.  However, several materials do need to be provided:

    • At least 1 sheet of paper per person
    • 1 pen, pencil, or other writing utensil per person

    How to set up Paper Airplanes

    To set up the game, you can either place the supplies around the room on the seats, desks, or tables where group members will be sitting.  Alternatively, you can hand them out as members arrive.  In a room where the group will be standing, it’s best to just hand out the supplies.

    How to play Paper Airplanes

    1. Make sure every participant has one sheet of paper and a writing utensil. Ask them each to write their names and two questions down on the paper. You may want to specify that questions should not be too personal or uncomfortable, but this is up to your discretion.
    2. After each person has written down their name and questions, ask them to form their paper into a paper airplane of their choice.
    3. Start a timer and have everyone throw their airplanes around at the same time. While the timer is going, everyone should be picking up airplanes and throwing them again to move them around the room and mix all the papers together.
    4. Stop the timer and ask everyone to pick up one paper airplane that is not their own.
    5. Each group member should end up with a paper airplane in their hands. They must then find the original owner of the plane and ask them the two questions on their plane.
    6. Now that everyone has found the owner of their paper airplane and have asked them the questions, have each person come up individually and introduce the person to the group by reading the name on the plane and telling the group the questions and answers given by that person.

    Winning the game

    As an icebreaker activity, there is no winning or losing in this game. The objective is to have group members become more familiar with each other, rather than to foster a competitive environment.  This game will help people get to know each other better in a fun way!

  • 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.

  • Categories

    The Categories Game tests your ability to pull names of people and places, and other words, from your memory while under pressure in this simple quick-thinking game. Great for car journeys, and it can also be played as a drinking game (of course, only if you are of the proper age).

    4 to 10 is a good number of players for Categories. It can be played with more, though gaps between each player’s turn will become longer. Split into two groups if needed.

    With pen and paper

    Each player is given a pen and a sheet of paper.

    • A category is chosen. Just for example: names of counties, last names of celebrities, makes of car, or names of films.
    • A letter of the alphabet is chosen. The letters Q, U, V, Z, Y or Z can make the game too challenging, and mental blocks in this game will cause frustration and boredom, which is why those letters were removed from the dice in the similar game called Scattergories.
    • Set a countdown timer for one minute.

    Aim

    • The goal of the game is to score points by writing words that start with the given letter and fit into the given category.
    • You are rewarded for originality: a word is only worth points if other players have not also thought of it.

    Play

    • Start the timer.
    • Everyone spends the next minute writing down as many valid words (those that fit the category and start with the correct letter) as they can think of.
    • When the timer ends, everyone stops writing immediately.
    • Each player reads through their list of words out loud. If one of their words was also written by another player, that player should say so. That word scores no points for either player. Every word that only appears one one players list scores one point for that player.
    • If anyone thinks a word does not fit the category, all players can vote on whether to accept the word or cross it off. In the case of a tie, the word is disqualified.
    • The player with the most points wins.

    Without Pen and Paper

    This simpler variation removes the need for a pen and paper, or for points scoring. Instead, players take it in turn to give a valid answer, and if they take too long to think of one they are eliminated, or take a forfeit.  This version is great at times that you cannot write, such as during a car journey.

    Play

    • Everyone gathers into a circle.
    • Decide on a category and a letter of the alphabet, as above.
    • In clockwise order, starting with a random player, each player must give one valid answer.
    • If a player cannot think of any, or takes more than five seconds to give an answer, they are eliminated from the game.
    • A new category, letter, or both are decided upon, and a new round begins starting with the player to the left of the eliminated player.
    • The last player standing is the winner.

    Instead of eliminating a player, you can have them take a drink. It won’t improve their ability to give an answer in the next round, though!

  • Wink Murder

    Wink Murder is a fun party game in a secret “killer” winks at people in the eye in order to get them eliminated.  Try to identify who the wink murderer is before he murders everyone!

    Setup for Wink Murder

    This game requires no special materials at all, making it a very convenient game to play.  It can be played both outdoors and indoors.  Also, no materials are required to be purchased.  The only step required is to get everyone together and to have them arranged in a circle.   This game works best when there are at least ten people, but no more than thirty, as the game may take too long.

    Playing Wink Murder

    Each round, you need a way to determine who is to be the “wink murderer.”  You can use a moderator who secretly picks a person while everyone’s eyes are closed, or you can deal each person a card from a deck of cards and pick a card like the Joker to represent who is the wink murderer for the round.

    Once a wink murder has been selected and everyone is ready to play, the game begins.   Everyone stands up and wanders around the room, making conversation.  Each person must make eye contact with each other.  The wink murderer must try to wink at other people.

    If a person receives a wink from the murderer, that person must “die” by falling to the ground dramatically (in a funny way, such as clutching one’s heart or gasping with loud noises).  He or she is allowed to wait a few seconds in order to make it harder to tell who the murderer is.  The dead person must leave the game and play resumes.  If a living person thinks that he or she knows who the murderer is, he or she can raise their hand and say “I accuse!”  Another person must “second” the accusation.  If there is a second, the accuser yells the name of the person they suspect is the murderer.   The accused must say “yes” (they are the murderer) or “no” (they are innocent).   If correct, the the murder has been successfully caught and the round is over (a win for the people).  If the accusation is incorrect, the accuser must leave the game as penalty.  Alternatively, the group may gain a “strike” for a wrong accusation, with the third strike being a loss for the people.  The game continues until the killer is identified or there is only one mingler left.

    An optional rule for the game is that there is no talking.