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.

  • Collaborative Drawing

    Combine your artistic talents together to create the ultimate drawing without seeing what others have added before you!

    This icebreaker game is good for ages 10 and over. Collaborative Drawing must be played with a minimum of 4 people.  There is no maximum amount preferred.  If groups get unmanageable, subdivide into smaller sized groups.

    To play this game you are going to need the following items:

    1. Paper for all participants
    2. Writing utensils for everyone
    3. A timer or stopwatch

    Setup for Collaborative Drawing

    You won’t need to set anything up prior to starting this game!

    How to play Collaborative Drawing

    1. Distribute paper and writing utensils to everyone that will be playing. Make sure that the players are sitting in some sort of orderly fashion such as a circle or in straight lines.
    2. Instruct each person to fold their paper into four equal sections, as you would fold a letter. They should then unfold the paper so that it is flat again.
    3. Players are then told to draw a head for their drawing in the uppermost section. It doesn’t matter what kind of head they draw or where on the upper section it is, as long as the neck connects to the top of the second section on the paper.
    4. Instruct players to fold their paper over in order to hide the head they drew, leaving only the very bottom of the neck showing to help the next player in their drawing.
    5. All players pass their folded papers to their left and accept the paper being handed from their right side. Each time a new paper is given to each player, they must draw the missing section, connecting it to the other person’s previous section without actually looking to see what it looks like. This process will be repeated for all three of the other remaining sections: torso, legs, and feet. Make sure that all the players know to leave the very bottom of their drawing visible so that the next person can continue on. Each section should be timed to avoid spending too long on this game.
    6. Once the drawings are all completed, open up the papers and check out the crazy creatures or people that are featured there!

    Winning the game:

    This game should be used as a fun icebreaker. There is no way to win or lose the game. Its purpose is just for people to get together and have some funny drawing crazy creatures!

  • 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!

  • Two Truths and a Lie

    Two Truths and a Lie is a classic get-to-know-you type icebreaker game. Players tell two truths and one lie about themselves (in any order). The object of the game is for everyone else to determine which statement is actually the false one. Interesting variations of this game are provided below.

    This game is a get-to-know-you icebreaker game.  Recommended group size is: small, medium, or large.  Works best with 6-10 people.  Any indoor setting will work.  No special materials are needed, although pencil and paper is optional.  For all ages.

    Instructions for Two Truths and a Lie

    Ask all players to arrange themselves in a circle. Instruct each player to think of three statements about themselves. Two must be true statements, and one must be false.  The more unique or interesting the statement, the better!  Thus, it’s recommended to avoid common statements like “I like ice cream,” as most people could say this and it would not be as interesting as something much more unusual like “I enjoy eating bugs.”

    To play a round, each person shares the three statements (in any order) to the group. The goal of the icebreaker game is to determine which statement is false. The group votes on which one they feel is a lie, and at the end of each round, the person reveals which one was the lie.

    Variations to Try

    “Two Truths and a Dream Wish.”  An interesting variation of Two Truths and a Lie is “Two Truths and a Dream Wish.” Instead of telling a lie, a person says a wish — that is, something that is not true, yet something that the person wishes to be true. For example, someone that has never been to Europe might say: “I often travel to Europe for vacation,” or someone who wants to be a successful fashion designer might say: “I am a successful fashion designer in Paris” (not yet true, but something they dream to be true).  This interesting spin on the icebreaker can often lead to unexpected, fascinating results, as people often share touching wishes about themselves.  It’s a deeper version of the game that can lead to a better understanding of goals and wishes.

  • Never Have I Ever

    Never Have I Ever is an icebreaker game that helps people get to know each other better.  Everyone sits in a circle and take turns telling the others about some kind of experience they have never done.  Each player starts with ten fingers showing.  Each time someone says something that you’ve already done, you drop a finger. The goal is to be the last player remaining.

    This get-to-know-you game can be played indoors or outdoors.  The recommended number of people for this game is ten to fifteen, but all group sizes can play by dividing into appropriate sized groups.  Recommended age is 8 and up.  No special materials are required.

    Instructions for Never Have I Ever

    Instruct everyone to sit in a circle.  If you have an extremely large group, tell people to form smaller circles of about ten to fifteen people; this also works.  To start each round, each player holds out all ten fingers and places them on the floor.  Go around the circle and one at a time, each person announces something that they have never done, beginning the sentence with the phrase “Never have I ever…”  For example, a person could say, “Never have I ever been to Europe.”  For each statement that is said, all the other players drop a finger if they have done that statement.  So, if three other people have been to Europe before, those three people must put down a finger, leaving them with nine fingers.  The goal is to stay in the game the longest (to be the last person with fingers remaining).  To win, it’s a good strategy to say statements that most people have done, but you haven’t.

    Playing this game, along with the benefit of getting to know each others’ experiences better, can be very humorous (e.g. saying silly statements such as, “Never have I ever skipped a class in school” or “Never have I ever soiled my pants.”)  Have fun!

  • Strange Disease Diagnosis Game

    Strange Disease Diagnosis Game

    Uh oh, for some reason the patient is is acting really strange!  We’ll need to guess what illness does he or she have?  The Strange Disease Diagnosis Game (which also goes by several other names, including the Mysterious Illness Game, Doctor Game, Psychiatrist Game, or Diagnosis Game) is a fun party game that involves some acting and guessing.  It involves some improvisation and silliness.  It works in different sized groups, although smaller groups of about 5-10 people is probably best.

    Setup for the Strange Disease Diagnosis / Doctor Game / Psychiatrist Game

    This is a relatively easy acting oriented game which may be improvised or may involve some rehearsal or preparation if you so wish.  The easiest way to play this game is to have one person playing the doctor and the other people play the patients.  The doctor is asked to leave the room and the patients decide what disease, illness or syndrome they all have.  For example, the patients comes up with a strange syndrome or disease that they all think they are chickens, that they are Sarah Palin, that they are secret agents, or so on.

    Playing the Strange Disease Diagnosis / Doctor Game / Psychiatrist Game

    The doctor must figure out what is wrong.  He or she may ask any player a question, but everyone keeps track of the number of questions.  After each question, the doctor can make a guess (diagnosis) of what he or she thinks is wrong.

    Of course the patient cannot just say what their condition is; they need to give clues in their performance. A person who thinks they are a chicken will suddenly cluck without reason. If they think they’re a famous politician they might try to get them to vote for them. If they think they are being spied on they may look under the table, and so on. A doctor needs to ask questions, but need to do so in the role of a doctor.

    When the doctor has correctly guessed the name of the condition (or close enough) or alternatively has given up and the patient has revealed it the patient and the doctor should change places and it’s the other person’s turn to guess.

    If you want to play it in teams of two, one team could be doctor and patient while the other team could try to guess the syndrome. Then the teams switch places.

  • Mad Words Game

    Mad Words Game

    Mad Words is a game where you fill in the blanks of a provided story. Players randomly select words, including nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and pronouns to create a crazy story. Mad Words is a creative game that helps develop thinking and imagination, while also being fun. Create a wacky story that will be sure to get your players laughing.

    Materials

    • A book, poem, song, or any type of unified text.
    • A highlighter or pen to mark the different parts of speech.
    • A sense of humor

    Mad Words Set-Up

    • Mad Words is best played with a small to medium group of people—around 10 players.
    • In larger groups, players can be paired up to work together
    • Find a used book at a secondhand shop or take one from home—it’s easier to use a children’s book, but any story will work.
    • Read through the text highlighting different nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and pronouns (optional).
    • Create four or five different lists—depending on if you use pronouns—of frequently used nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and pronouns.

    Remember:

    • Nouns name a person, place, or thing. (dog, father, stick)
    • Verbs are action words. (jump, sing, run)
    • Adjectives are describing words. (hot, dark, funny)
    • Adverbs tell how an action is done. (angrily, softly, calmly)

    How to Play Mad Words

    • Assign one person to mark the words and read the story out loud.
    • This person can also choose to reveal the name or genre of the story.
    • Be careful not to reveal too much of the story or the new words might match with the text and not be as crazy to read.
    • Players choose from the lists of words to fill in the blanks accordingly.
    • One person will fill in the story with the selected words throughout the game, making sure not to reveal the story.
    • For example, a noun fills in a blank marked ‘noun.’
      • Ol’ McDonald had a ___________.
      • Ol’ Mc Donald had a teapot.
    • Read the whole story out loud.

    Variation

    • Instead of using premade writing, each player must create his or her sentence to contribute to the game using nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and pronouns.
      • Players will select a card marked with the words above.
      • They will receive four points for every sentence created.
      • If a player uses their words to link to another player’s sentence, then they receive double the points—eight points.
      • The first player to earn more than 50 points is the winner.
    • Choose a poem, song, or excerpt instead of a story. Use the selected text and find words to replace.

  • 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

  • 3 Games of Intimate Cooperation

    1. Pucker Up

    You won’t kiss anyone in this game, but you won’t be far off. The game challenges you to carry a tennis ball between the mouths of two players. Get in sync with your partner or risk dropping the ball and ruining the mood.

    You will need

    • 3 tennis balls per team
      A glass for each team
      A bowl for each team

    Set-up

    1. Put the glass and bowl, which are your start point and endpoint respectively, on opposite sites of the room.
    2. Place the tennis balls near the glass.
    3. Arrange players into pairs. v

    Rules

    One teammate will place a tennis ball on top of the glass. This is so you have easy access to all sides of the ball. Both teammates now lower their faces to the tennis ball and place their mouths on opposite sides of the ball.

    Now that the ball is trapped between their faces, they should now be able to lift and move the ball. With ball only in contact with both player’s mouths, the teammates will transport the ball to the bowl on the other side of the room, and drop the ball in the bowl.

    Return to the other side of the room, and repeat for the other two tennis balls to finish the challenge. The team that finishes first, wins!

     

    Ready Spaghetti

    A similar concept to above. There’s no Lady And The Tramp spaghetti action here, but you will be holding a piece of uncooked spaghetti lengthways between two player’s mouths. They use this rigid pasta prop to transport soda cans, threading the pasta through the can’s ring pull.

    You will need

    • A strand of uncooked spaghetti per team.
    • 3 empty soda cans per player. Pull the ring pulls on all cans into a vertical position.

    Set-up

    1. Place the soda cans on one end of the room.
    2. Designate an “target area” on a surface at the other end of the room.
    3. Arrange players into pairs. The two teammates will start by standing on opposite sites of the soda cans.

    Rules

    One teammate places one end of the spaghetti in their mouths, so that it is pointing away from them. Without using any other part of their body point the spaghetti towards the can, and thread it through the ring pull. The other player now uses their mouth to hold the other end of the spaghetti.

    The team can now lift the spaghetti supported can between them. Take the can to the target area. One player now releases the spaghetti so it can be freed to use for the next can.

    Go back to the cans and repeat twice more. The first team to transport all three cans wins!

     

    Belly Balloon Break

    Use the power of hugging to violently burst as many balloons as possible between you and your teammate’s bellies. Don’t get too affectionate — this is squeezing is for competitive purposes!

    You will need

    1. 10 baloons for each team.

    Rules

    Arrange the players into pairs. Players must pick up a balloon, hold it between the bellies of themselves and their teammates, then remove their hands so that the balloon is supported only by belly pressure.

    Together, the teammates squeeze the balloon between them until it pops! Take another balloon and repeat the process.

    The first team to pop all ten of their balloons wins!

  • Quick Questions

    This simple game involves creativity, silliness and the ability to get to know one another’s way of thinking!

    What will you need?

    Pen and paper for each player, and a timer

    How to play Quick Questions

    1. Have each player write down three “would you rather” questions that involve no physical activity or movement – just creative imagination. For example: Would you rather fly a dragon or talk to a unicorn? Would you rather live in an underwater castle or on top of a mountain? Would you rather be a bear that no one wants to be around, or a popular spider?

    2. Gather players in a circle and give each player one minute to answer the questions they wrote down. 

    3. After everyone has shared their answers, have players take turns asking others in the circle their “would you rather” questions. The person who is being asked the question must answer before they can ask someone else’s question. You may also pass.

    4. Once all players have gone around with their questions, set the timer for two minutes. During this time, any pair of players can ask and answer as many “would you rather” questions as possible within the time limit! 

    5. At the end of two minutes, whoever answered the most “would you rather” questions wins!

  • Photo Scavenger Hunt

    Photo Scavenger Hunt is a fun team-based scavenger hunt activity with an interesting twist — the goal is to bring back digital photos (or polaroids) of various places and things.  By doing this, people will capture good memories and also have some experience working together and collaborating as a team.

    This is an active game and teambuilding activity.  The recommended group size is: teams of three or four people.  Allocate plenty of time for this activity.  Recommended ages are: 15 and up.  You will need one camera (a digital camera or polaroid) for each team.

    Setup for the Photo Scavenger Hunt

    As the facilitator of this activity, prepare a list of about twelve interesting places, things, and circumstances that can be captured using a camera.  Some examples of items you can write are:

    • A family of animals
    • A group photo with a local celebrity or someone famous
    • A very relaxing place
    • Something big and the color pink
    • The biggest tree
    • A group photo with someone dressed in very formal attire
    • A photo with a yellow car
    • A human pyramid of at least seven people
    • The funniest thing you can find
    • Something that begins with the letter “Z”

    Be creative with this list.  When you have the list prepared, make enough copies for each team.

    Playing the Photo Scavenger Hunt 

    Divide the group into teams of about three to four people.  Distribute cameras (preferably digital, although polaroid is okay too) and copies of the list you made.  Explain the rules of the activity.  Set a time limit for the groups (e.g. two hours or so).  Instruct the teams to find as many things as they can on the list, and for each item, take a picture with all the group members in the photo.  Encourage the players to be creative and to think outside of the box.

    When time expires, have all members reconvene and present their photos along with their checklist.  Award one point for each successful photo item and bonus points for extra creativity or effort.

    This activity is great for building team chemistry and for creating (and capturing!) funny memories.  Be sure to provide adequate supervision if there are younger participants.  Always keep safety first!