Fun Icebreaker Ideas & Activities

Category: Small Group

Icebreakers for small groups. Have a small group of 3-5 people? These games will work especially well.

  • Tilt A Cup Game

    Build and hold onto an upright swinging tower of cups and balls. As the game progresses, this tower will become increasingly unwieldy, swinging unpredictably. You’ll have to use a steady hand to keep control of the tower.  Tilt that cup!  Catch the bouncing ping pong balls to win.

    This games uses elements of games like Moving On Up and Bouncer. You can play it as a solitaire challenge, as a competitive race, or in teams.

    You will need

    • 8 plastic cups per player
    • 8 ping pong balls per player

    Set up

    For each player:

    1. Put all cups together, one inside another, to create a compressed stack.
    2. The player takes hold of the stack of cups from the bottom.
    3. Put the 8 ping pong balls within easy reach.

    Rules

    Players create a tower of cups and balls by the following process:

    • They first bounce a ping pong ball on the ground, then catch that ping pong ball in their stack of cups.
    • When the ball is caught — the top cup in a stack now has a ping pong ball in it — the player takes the cup from the bottom of the stack and places it at the top. The new top cup is now sitting on a ping pong ball and has some freedom to move around.
    • Repeat this process. Bounce another ping pong ball and catch it in the top cup of the stack. Then move the bottom cup the top, adding to an increasingly wobbly tower of alternating cups and ping pong balls.

    Once a player has caught all ping pong balls, creating a tower where every cup is separated by a ping pong ball, with one final ping pong ball in the top cup, they have finished!

    This is a great game for challenging your coordination. You not only have to bound the ball with one hand and catch it using the cups in the other, but the top cup will get increasingly further away from the hand that it trying to keep it under control. If you move the tower of cups around too quickly, or hold it at the wrong angle, it might fall apart completely, forcing you to start again.

    Variants

    To play this as a race, simply give every player a stack and their own ping pong balls. The first player to finish the challenge wins!

    The team variant has one player taking control of the stack of cups and another starting with all the ping pong balls. The player with the balls will be standing several feet away and throwing the balls to the player holding the cups. All other rules are the same.

  • Beer Pong Party Game

    What is it?

    Beer pong: the “national sport” of frat houses and party schools.

    Who can play?

    It is traditionally played by two or four people who enjoy beer and may want to get drunk. However, this game can also be enjoyable with a non-alcoholic beverage like juice or tea, and this fun game of dexterity can be altered for players of all ages. It just requires a little good aim and dexterity! 

    What will you need?

    • 12 or 20 plastic cups
    • One or more ping pong balls
    • A table, ideally 2 to 3 meters long.
    • Optional: Liqueur

    Set-up

    1. Find a table. Beer pong was conceived as a party night-alternative to table tennis, making use of the table tennis table found in a typical college frat house. Hardcore beer pong apostles will therefore insist that a “regulation” beer pong table is the same length as a table tennis table — 2.5 meters, or 9 feet. However, you can make use of any table longer than, say, 1.5 meters. A shorter table means an easier and shorter game.
    2. Take your plastic cups and put half at each short end of the table. Arrange them in triangles, pointing to each other. With six cups this means, on each side of the table, a row of three cups along the table’s short end; two cups in front of, and touching, those; and one cup again in front of those, similar to bowling pins.
    3. Fill all cups about 3cm deep with the alcohol of your choice. Or, for a alcohol-free version, put water or another beverage in the cups instead. Even some players wanting to drink alcohol will put water in the cups, and drink from a separate source, for hygiene reasons — the choice is yours.

    We will go over the simplest version of the game, with two players. Both players stand at their end of the table, behind their triangle of cups. Each player takes a ping pong ball. You are ready to play.

    Decide who starts

    The time honored method to determine a start player is as follows. Each player looks one another in the eye over the table. Eye contact cannot be broken. Simultaneously, the players throw their ping pong ball towards the opposite side of the table. If both players get the ball in a cup, or if both players miss the cups, go again until only one player makes a cup. That player goes first. 

    Basic Rules

    The basic play of this game is very simple:

    Players will take it in turns to attempt to throw their ping pong ball into one of their opponents cups. If successful, their opponent will take that cup, drink the contents (if playing with liqueur), and remove the cup from the table.

    The player who successfully removes all of their opponents cups in this way, wins!

    Further Rules

    Throws should be made so that the player’s elbow stays behind the edge of the table.

    If playing in teams of two, each teammate will get one throw each before play is passed on to other team.

    If both teammates make cups on their turn, they are given a bonus throw each before play is passed to the other team.

    When the last cup is removed from the table, the player on the losing side is usually allowed a rebuttal. This means they are allowed to keeping shooting at their opponents remaining cups as long as they don’t miss a shot. If they miss, the game is lost. If they manage to make all of their opponents remaining cups without missing, the game will proceed into sudden death. One to three cups are added to each side of the table. Starting with the player who would have been the winner before the rebuttal, players take turns to clear these final cups to decide a winner.

    House Rules

    Beer pong can be, and usually is, played additional house rules. The number of common variations is vast, but almost all players agree that whatever the house rules are at the establishment played at, visitors must abide to.

  • Trust Walk Teambuilding Activity

    The Trust Walk is a popular teambuilding activity that helps people practice trusting each other.  A leader guides his or her blindfolded partner around obstacles using verbal or nonverbal instructions.

    This activity is an active teambuilding activity that requires a great deal of space.  An outdoor setting with some obstacles (but nothing too dangerous!) is ideal.  The recommended group size is: small, medium, or large.  Participants will form pairs.  Materials required include blindfolds and any props that you can set up as minor obstacles.  This activity is for ages 14 and up.

    Instructions for the Trust Walk Teambuilding Activity

    The Trust Walk Activity is an effective team building activity involving leadership and building trust, as blindfolded participants must rely on instructions given to them in order to avoid various obstacles.

    As the faciliator of the Trust Walk Teambuilding Activity, be sure to scout out a safe area in advance.  Safety comes first!  Large fields or the woods may be good places to try.  Minor obstacles (trees, branches, small hills) are okay, but do not play this game in a dangerous environment (for example, anywhere with very steep ledges or sharp protruding objects).  Once you have found a safe, large area, you can prepare additional obstacles if desired (cardboard boxes, balloons, etc.).

    Start in a nearby location.  Ask participants to arrange themselves into pairs.  Instruct one partner to be the guide (navigator) and the other to be blindfolded.  Once the blindfolded partner is ready, slowly spin the person around a few times so that they are unsure which direction they are headed.   Guide the participants to the field with obstacles.  From this point on, the guide should not touch the partner at all, but rely solely on verbal cues (e.g. “In approximately five steps ahead, there will be a tree branch.  Go ahead and step over it slowly.”)

    Remember that the guide is solely responsible for his or her partner’s safety.  He or she try their best to steer their partner away from obstacles.  Valuable lessons can be learned to teamwork and unity.  For example, the guide will learn about the challenge and responsibility of caring for another individual’s well being, while the blindfolded partner learns to trust and rely on another person.

    Reflection of the Trust Walk Activity 

    If desired, ask participants to reflect and share what they learned from this experience.  The following are some sample questions to ask following the Trust Walk team building activity:

    • What was it like to be the “guide,” being fully responsible for the safety of your partner?
    • What do you think was the purpose of this team building activity?
    • Did you have any difficulty trusting your partner while blindfolded? Why or why not?
    • Why is trusting your teammates important?
    • Afterwards, how did it feel when you and your teammate successfully trusted each other to accomplish something challenging?
    • How does this relate to _______ (here you can fill in the blank with the current scenario of the participants, such as class, a sports team, employees working together on a project, etc.)?

  • Frozen T-Shirt Race

    The Frozen T-Shirt Race is an ideal icebreaker game to be played outside on a hot summer day, and is a hit amongst younger players. It’s a true ice-breaker game, as the players will work together to literally break the ice on the t-shirt. The game’s objective is simple—you must thaw out, unfold, and wear a frozen t-shirt. Even though this game might sound easy, it’s a challenge to complete. The Frozen T-shirt Game can be played in groups or each player can receive their own shirt. Setting some restrictions on how the t-shirt can be thawed will make the game more competitive, and then you can really see players getting into it!

    Materials

    • Water
    • Freezer
    • Gallon freezer bags
    • Large t-shirts—the amount depending on the number of players
    • Cooler and ice (optional)

    Set-Up

    • Place each t-shirt in water—about two cups—and then wring it out. Too much water will prevent the t-shirt from thawing in a reasonable amount of time.
    • After the t-shirt has been wrung out, fold it neatly into a square, so that it fits inside the freezer bag. Once the shirt is folded flat, press it to squeeze out the remaining water.
    • Place the shirt in the bag, seal it, and lay the bag flatly into the freezer.
    • If you are playing the game at different location, then use a cooler filled with ice to keep them frozen.

    How to the Frozen T-shirt Game

    • Don’t reveal the game to the players’ prior, so that they will have to come up with the ideas on the spot, without getting an unfair advantage.
    • Assign the teams or individuals and pass out the frozen t-shirts. You don’t want more than 4 or 5 players on one team, as it will get too crowded.
    • The goal is for each player or team to use whatever he or she can to thaw a t-shirt enough to wear it.
    • Whoever gets their t-shirt on first wins! Their body must be completely in the t-shirt including head and arms, so that it’s worn normally.

    Variations

    Set some rules to make the game more challenging, such as:

    • All players must stay in the game area—the game area can be marked off with tape or other marking lines prior to starting.
    • No water or other liquids can be used to thaw out the t-shirt.
    • No machines such as a microwave, heater, dryer, etc. can be used to melt the ice on the t-shirt.
    • No sharp objects can be used on the t-shirt.
    • The t-shirt must remain intact and not destroyed in anyway—no holes, tears, etc.

  • React and Act Game

    React and Act! is a funny icebreaker in which players randomly select a sheet of paper that has an occurrence on it (for example, winning a million dollars in the lottery) and they must react to the occurrence using animated expressions, gestures, and words.  After a set amount of time, other players try to guess what happened that caused those reactions and actions.

    React and Act is an active icebreaker game that can work with a variety of group sizes.  It can work for small groups of five people, or adapted for very large groups by selecting volunteers.  This game is best played indoors.  Materials required include paper, pens, and a bag.  React and Act works with all ages, including adults.

    Setup for React and Act

    React and Act involves some preparation; however, this is part of the fun!  Pass out sheets of paper and pens to the players.  Have each person write an event.  Tell them to be creative!  Examples of events can include:

    • Being surprised by a large, aggressive bear in the woods
    • You just won the lottery
    • You have just been proposed for marriage with an engagement ring
    • You just got fired by an incompetent boss
    • Making the game winning pass to win the Superbowl
    • You just fell in love

    Once everyone writes an event, fold the paper once and place it into the bag.  Divide the group into two teams (or select five volunteers if it is a very large group).

    Instructions for How to Play

    Ask five people on each team to randomly select an event from the bag.  Instruct them to react to this event, without explicitly giving away what the event is.  Choose a time limit (usually 30 seconds to a minute works well) and when you say “Go!”, have all five people to simultaneously react to their event using exaggerated gestures, facial expressions, and their voice.

    For example, the person who has just won the lottery could raise his or her arms and scream excitedly, jumping up and down.  The person who has just confronted a bear might make a terrified look, shake in fear, and call for help.  And so on.  Each of the five actors can interact with each other, but they must stay “in character” and continue reacting and acting based upon what their sheet said.

    After time expires, the other members of the team try to guess what happened for each person.  If you wish to keep score, each team gets a point for each correct guess.  This game is a great way to break the ice, while watching people act out silly (and usually hilarious) things.

    Variations to Try

    There are many variations to React and Act that changes the way the game is played.  Try experimenting with these and see whether you like them.

    • No talking allowed, but noises are okay.  This increases the difficulty of the game by a lot, but it can be more hilarious.
    • Narrator explains the event before each person acts.

  • String Game

    The String Game is an introduction-based icebreaker game and simple conversation starter that allows people to  tell others about themselves.  It’s a simple game and can be adapted according to your needs.

    This getting-to-know-you game usually does not take long, unless you choose to run it that way.  The recommended group size is small and medium groups, although with careful planning it might be possible to do this activity in a large group by splitting it into smaller groups.  An indoor setting is ideal.  This icebreaker is recommended for young children up through eighth grade.  It’s well suited for classrooms, camps, or other settings where people may not know each other very well yet.

    Instructions for the String Game 

    This icebreaker activity needs a little bit of preparation work.  Purchase a big roll of yarn or string.  You can buy any color, or multiple colors if you wish.  Take a pair of scissors and cut strings of various different lengths — as short as 12 inches, and as long as 30 or more inches.

    When you are finished cutting the string, bunch all the pieces up into one big clump of string.

    To play, ask the first volunteer to choose any piece of string.  Have the person pull on it and separate it from the other pieces of string.  Ask them to introduce themselves as they slowly wind the piece of string around their index finger.   The funny part of this icebreaker game is that some of the strings are extremely long, so sometimes a person must keep talking for a very long time!  This is a good way to get everyone to start talking.  People might find out something interesting or new about each other!  Feel free to adapt this game according to your needs.  Have fun.

  • Lost on a Deserted Island

    Lost on a Deserted Island is a valuable teambuilding activity that also helps people share a little about themselves.  Given the scenario that everyone is lost and stranded on a deserted island, each person describes one object that they would bring to the island and why.

    This game is a teambuilding and get-to-know-you icebreaker.  The recommended group size is medium, although small and large group sizes are possible too.  An indoor setting is ideal.  No special props or materials are required, making it easy to play.  This icebreaker works well for any age, including adults and corporate settings.

    Instructions for Lost on a Deserted Island

    The situation is dire — following a shipwreck, everyone has been stranded on a deserted island!  Each person is allowed to bring one object to the island — ideally something that represents them or something that they enjoy.  The first part of this icebreaker is simple: each person is asked to describe what object they would bring and why.  This need not be realistic; if someone loves music, he or she might choose to bring a guitar, or an animal lover might choose to bring a dog, a food lover might choose to bring sirloin steaks, and so on.  Encourage people to be creative.

    After everyone has introduced their object and why they have chosen that object, the teambuilding portion follows.  Divide into smaller groups and ask everyone to work together to improve their chances of survival by combining the various objects that they introduced.  If necessary, you can add more objects, but be sure to use all the objects that everyone mentioned.  If you wish, you can reward the most creative group with a prize.

    Lost on a Deserted Island is an approachable way to get people to open up and share a little bit about themselves and what they enjoy or value.

  • 3 Active Games That Use Pedometers

    If you have a few pedometers or activity trackers, try these games. They will give you an intense workout while they gives the audience an intense laugh.

    1. Bobble Head

    Players of this game are trying to cheat some ultra-high scores out of their pedometers while the pedometer is attached to their forehead. How do they get the pedometer to register points? They shake and nod their head like crazy!

    You will need

    • A pedometer for each player
      A way to attach the pedometer to the player’s head. Finding a sweat band for each player, and tying or taping the pedometer to it, is a good solution.
    • A timer.

    Rules

    Make sure all pedometers are rest to zero. Attach them to all players heads.

    On the signal given, start the timer and have all players shake and bob their heads as quickly as possible.

    After one minute has passed, all players must stop moving immediately. Each player removes the pedometer from their head, careful not to jiggle it and influence their score. The player with the highest number on the display wins!

     

    2. Temper Tantrum

     

    This game uses the same idea as above. This time players will have a pedometer on each ankle, but they must try and get the best score possible while lying on their backs. To everyone else, it will look like they are madly shaking their feet and gritting their teeth in a fit of childlike rage.

    You will need

    • 2 pedometers for each player.
    • A way to attach the pedometer to the ankles of the players. Some pedometers come with wrist straps already. If not, you may be able to put the pedometer in a player’s shoes or socks, or simply tape the device directly onto each of the player’s shoes.
    • A timer.

    • Rules

      Make sure all pedometers are rest to zero. Attach one to both ankles of every player.

      On the signal given, start the timer and have all players shakes their legs in whatever style seems practical.

      After one minute has passed, all players must stop moving immediately. Now all players can check their pedometers, adding up the score for each ankle The player with the highest total wins!

    3. Nervous Nelly

    This game requires the most pedometers — a pedometer on each ankle AND each wrist — but is probably also the funniest AND the most exhausting.

    You will need

    • Four pedometers for each player
    • A way to attach the pedometers to the player’s wrists and ankles.
    • A timer

    Rules

    As usual, make sure all pedometers are rest to zero. Attach a pedometer to both wrists and both ankles of each player. If you don’t have enough pedometers, play this game in turns and record each player’s score.

    On the signal, start the countdown. All players are trying to get the highest score on ALL pedometers simultaneously, by whatever method possible. That means lightning fast tiny steps on the spot while shaking your arms like they’re covered in spiders.

    After a minute is up, all players must stop immediately (and, if they’ve been playing this game correctly, they will certainly want to). The player will the highest combined total on all four pedometers is the winner!

  • Trust Course Game

    The Trust Course Game is perfect for individual and group bonding for new students, employees, or members of a group. It requires all players to pay attention to small details and trust each other. The Trust Course can be set up in an office space, but is easier to play outside in a safe location, preferably on grass. Since players are partnered together, groups of all sizes can play. Extra-large groups might be more difficult because the excess noise will distract players from giving or listening to commands. True to its name, this game is meant to build trust and reliance between players.

    Set-Up

    • Courses can be set-up before the game starting or players can set up their own course.
    • If the game is played outside, use trees, branches, cones, stones, and any other objects to form your course, but be sure to keep in mind that you don’t want anyone to get injured. Avoid using rope or objects easy to trip over.
    • Partner everyone up in the group.
    • Within the partners, select who will be blindfolded walking the course, and who will be giving directions. These roles can be switched, so both players get a turn.
    • Blindfold the player who will physically be doing the trust course without letting them seeing the set up prior.

    How to Play the Trust Course Game

    • Select the roles for the first round—director and blindfolded walker
    • If the course wasn’t already set up, then create the trust course. To make the game fair, one course can be used for each set of partners. If this route is chosen, then make sure the other groups can’t see the course or hear the commands, so they don’t have an unfair advantage when it’s their turn.
    • Direct the blindfolded player to walk slowly throughout the course to prevent injuries.
    • Give the blindfolded player thoughtful commands to make it through the course successfully without hitting any of the obstacles
    • The blindfolded player should listen carefully and only follow the directions given by their partner.

    Variations

    • If played in an office, classroom, or another setting, then use surrounding objects such as boxes, trashcans, brooms, pillows, erasers, and walls to create your course.
    • To make the game more challenging, limit the amount of commands players can give each other.
    • The course can be timed, so that players have to complete the course in a certain amount of time OR each partnership can be ranked based on time. After every pair has gone, those with the fastest time can earn first, second, third place, and so on.
    • Instead of walking, players can crawl through the course.
    • Set up checkpoints such as items to grab like a balloon or actions to do like hopping up and grabbing a leaf off a tree.

  • Fun Physical Party Games

    Here are three games that have you and your friends using your bodies in unusual ways.

    Pass The Orange

    An orange, or a tennis ball, or a plastic bottle: grab one, and put it under your chin. Hold it there using your chin and neck, trapping it near your collarbone. Take your hand away. From now on, nobody in the room may touch the object with their hands until the game is won or lost.

    The group wins when everyone in the room has had possession of the “orange,” which means having it held under their chin, and it is then passed back to the starting player. The transfer must be made directly from neck to neck. You all lose if the orange is dropped, or anyone touches the orange with any other part of their body.

    This game gives your upper body a workout doing something it wasn’t exactly designed for. Everyone will be twisting and turning and rubbing cheeks in this fruity relay race. “Orange” you having a great time!

    Bend A Friend

    In Pass The Orange, you try and keep an orange from falling on the floor. In Bend A Friend, you are trying to keep yourself from falling on the floor — and this isn’t even a drinking game.

    To play, you will need an empty cereal box, and some scissors. Cut the flaps off from the box, and place it in a clear area, ideally one with a soft carpet.

    Each player can step up to the mark to attempt the challenge. They must pick up the cereal box with only their teeth. No part of their body except their feet may touch the ground, or be used for support. Your less flexible friends might quickly find themselves in trouble. Falling to the ground, or dishonorably giving up, means they are eliminated from the game.

    When everyone has had their attempt, those that succeeded proceed to the next round, which is the same as before but with an inch cut from the top of the cereal box. Continue with increasingly difficult rounds in the this way until everyone is eliminated. Those that picked up the smallest box are the winners. Those that fell over will be in good company, as everyone else will be rolling on the floor laughing.

    Suck and Blow

    From mouth to box, to mouth to mouth. This game requires a playing card.

    Put the card to your lips, and suck in air through your mouth. A mixture of the moisture on your lips and the suction of your breath should just, barely, keep the card in place there.

    Your challenge is now to pass this card to the next player. Of course they must only use the suction from their mouth to take the card. The person giving the card should blow a little to release the card. The confusion that results of somebody sucking when they should be blowing, or blowing too early, or blowing or sucking too much or too little, is part of what makes this game a laugh. And the innuendos, of course.

    Keep passing the card around in a circle until it is dropped, which eliminates the guilty player from the game. Everyone else continues, though they may be a little out of breath.

    When two players successfully make an exchange everyone else can helpfully tell the new card-holder: “You suck!”

    Variations

    Each of these can be played as drinking or forfeit games, where the person who drops the orange/touches the floor/releases the card must drink or take the forfeit.