Fun Icebreaker Ideas & Activities

Category: Stationary

Stationary games are fun games that have everyone seated in one place, usually in a circle. They are not as tiring or energetic as Active games, but they can be just as hilarious or just as fun!

  • Art Effects

    The point of Art Effects is to build your group’s teamwork up with creativity and cooperation.  In this game, your group will give keywords to convey items to their partner to create an art masterpiece. This game is great for groups of all sizes and requires a little bit of setting up according to the size of the group. Be sure to have a critic overlooking your artists to make sure everyone is playing fairly throughout the game. There is both a competitive and non-competitive version of the game, so be sure to pick how you want to play!

    Materials Needed

    Materials needed to play Art Effects:

    • Paper
    • A surface to draw on
    • Pencils
    • Erasers

    How To Set Up The Game

    To set up the game start by getting a headcount of who all will be playing try to get an even number of people for teams and have an extra to be the critic. Write down random words that can be described — like goose or pizza — on slips of paper and hand them out as everyone comes in the door. Be sure to be stocked with a pencil sharpener and enough supplies for all the drawers.

    How To Play Art Effects

    Non-competitive:

    Pick out or have drawers volunteer from the group and then randomly select a partner for them to pair with. Each partner should have a few items to describe to their drawer. Once the partners are decided have everyone take a spot away from each other with the drawer and describer sitting back to back. Each pair will attempt to draw one item without the item being named, only described. Set a time limit or a word limit to keep the game interesting.

    If desired you can switch descriptors and drawers out in a rotation, so everyone will get a chance to work together during the game.

    Competitive:

    Set up the exact same way you would in a non-competitive game, but have a stricter time limit or word amount. Give each player in charge of descriptions at least five slips of paper. The drawer will then have to figure out each item and put them together in a creative light on paper. Whichever team has a more accurate drawing of the word chosen by the describer is the winner.

    *NOTE: The drawer can not ask questions in either version.

     

    How To Win

    If you choose to go the competitive route keep an open mind while your partner describes the item to you. If you have no pre-set ideas you are more likely to catch on to what they are trying to tell you.  When it comes to placing it all together take it easy and just go with the first things that come to your mind.

    If you are the describer use words that you would use to describe the item to a parent. The more clear descriptors for the item, the better the chance of the drawer catching on to your word. If you don’t know what the item is then ask to switch or quickly Google the item on your phone to get a grasp on its appearance.

     

  • 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!

  • 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!

  • 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.

  • Sparkle Game

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

    Sparkle Set-Up

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

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

    How to Play the Sparkle Game

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

    Variation

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

    For a song example,

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

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

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

  • Personal Artifact Game

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

    Set-Up

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

    How to Play the Personal Artifact Game

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

    Variations

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

  • 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!