Fun Icebreaker Ideas & Activities

Category: Talking Games

Talking games involve — you guessed it — talking! They often allow people to share their opinions or interesting things about themselves. Try them out and have fun!

  • 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!

  • Identity Circles

    Identity Circles

    Identity Circles / Value Circles

    Identity Circles (also known as Identity Cards or Value Circles) is a deeper get-to-know-you game, during which you will have an opportunity to discuss with many friends the values that make up your identity and how you prioritize them in your life. For this activity, you will be paired up with several different people, the number depending on how many people are in your group.

    The activity works best in even numbers, as pairing requires. To begin, divide your group in half and create two concentric circles (one inner circle and one outer circle). The people in the outer circle should face inside, and the people in the inner circle should face outside. Each inner circle person will pair up with an outer circle person. You can stand, sit on the floor, or use chairs for this activity; whatever is most convenient.  This game works best indoors.

    Setup for Identity Circles/Value Circles

    Purchase several index cards, enough for each participant to have ten index cards (for example, if you have sixteen players, you need at least 160 cards). Also purchase pens so that each participant has one to use.

    Instructions for How to Play

    Hand out the index cards and pens to each participant. Ask the participants to think about their values and what makes up their identity. Instruct them to write one value on each index card. They should have written down 10 values in total. Some examples of categories that can be useful for identifying values:

    • Race (e.g. Hispanic, Asian, Black, Caucasian, etc.)
    • Religion (e.g. Muslim, Christian, Athiest, etc.)
    • Occupation (e.g. Engineer, Artist, Student, Teacher, Doctor, unemployed, etc.)
    • Family (e.g. sister, brother, mother, father, daughter, son, etc.)
    • Traits (e.g. athletic, musical, artistic, analytical, creative, funny, etc.)
    • Activities (e.g. sports, cooking, comic books, making movies, etc.)
    • Health (e.g. healthy, immobile, mobile, depressed, diabetic, etc.)
    • Socio-economic (e.g. wealthy, middle-class, financially struggling, etc.)

    Once everyone has their values written down, have the participants share with their first partner why they chose to write down the values they did. After sharing for 5-7 minutes, ask all participants to rip up one of their cards. This part of the activity gives participants an opportunity to reflect on how they prioritize their values. Ripping up the card should help the participant imagine living without that part of their identity.   After the participants rip up one card, the outer circle will rotate one partner to the right. Everyone should have a new partner now. Have the new pairs discuss why they ripped up the card they ripped up.

    Continue this process until all participants are each left with one card — their most important value.

    Optional instructions: Have each person create values cards and try to order them from most important to least important.  Have each person share these values with each other and explain each one, without destroying the cards.

    This is a very easy, low-maintenance group activity that requires little preparation and can work for as small as 8 people to as large as 50 people. This activity is also good to help encourage people to share deeply with others with whom they would not otherwise share.

  • 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.

  • Who Am I

    Who Am I? is a guessing game where you use the traits and characteristics of famous, historical, or company figures to break the ice with each other. Any sized group can play — you are only limited by your own imagination! Materials required are sticky nametags and a marker.  Self-adhesive white Avery labels work great.  This game works well for medium to extra large sized groups.

    Setup for the Who Am I Game

    Before your group arrives, prepare sticky nametags with the names of famous people (or any other people that EVERYONE in the group will know).  For example, you can write:

    SUPERMAN
    INDIANA JONES
    HARRY POTTER
    BATMAN
    PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
    BRITNEY SPEARS
    MICKEY MOUSE

    And so on.  If you like, you could also stick labels on each person’s forehead instead of their back.

    Playing Who Am I?

    Place one of the nametags on the upper back of each player.  Once everyone has a nametag on their back, explain the rules to everyone: each person must try to figure out which famous person that they are, only asking “Yes” or “No” questions to gain clues about the name that is on their back.

    For example, a player can ask questions like: “Am I an athlete?” “Am I a female?” “Am I a young person?” and so on.

    Timing: This game takes about ten minutes in a group of 50, less for smaller groups, but about the same for bigger groups. This is a great way to get people talking!

  • 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.

  • Late Arrivals Game

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

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

    Setup for Late Arrivals Game

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

    Ideas for a round could include:

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

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

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

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

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

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

    and so on.

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

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

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

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

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

     

     

  • 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.