Ice breakers are activities that are used to help individuals ease into a group setting. They are a great way for groups to get to know each other or as a mode of discussion to delve deeper into a particular discussion. Ice breakers can be done in groups or individually and some involve physical activities where others are strictly mental. Look below to learn more about facilitating team building with your participants.
Human Knot
Human Knot is a great get to know you icebreaker that involves close physical proximity. Participants stand in a circle and each group member reaches across and shakes hand with someone else. Then, explain that you would like the group to untangle themselves, but no one can let go of each others hands in the process. This activity is best done with less than 10 people.
Two truths and a Lie
In a circle, each participant shares three things (two are truths, and one is a lie). Then the group has to guess which was a lie from the three things shared. This is a great activity to find out information in a short period of time with each participant.
M & M Game
Pass around a bowl of m & m’s and tell each participant to take as many as they would like, but to not eat any. When everyone has taken some, have each of them tell something about themselves for each m & m they took.
This or That
Think of pairs of words and ask people to identify with one or the other. When you state the two words, each participant has to move to one side of the room after you have called out the two terms.
Examples:
Ocean
Day
Football
Vanilla
Ford
In the Game
Adventure Movie
East Coast
Mountain
Night
Basketball
Chocolate
Chevrolet
On the Side
Romantic Movie
West Coast
Hot
Coffee
Cold
Hot Chocolate
Quiet Game
Without any talking, have the participants arrange themselves in the room according to their date of birth beginning with January 1. When this is done, the leader should go down the line and have everyone share their birth dates to check for mistakes.
Upside Down Fruit Basket
Create a circle with chairs or with people sitting on the floor. One person should be in the middle (but don’t leave room in the circle for that person). The person in the middle should introduce him/her self and state one characteristic about him/her that others might share. Everyone who does share must get up and move at least three places away. The person in the middle then does the same thing.

Starburst Activity
Pass around a bag of starbursts without any instructions. Students should simply think they are getting a treat! Once everyone has taken a couple, then the facilitator can explain that, for every starburst taken, a student will have to share something about them. Each color has a different corresponding story:
Red: Favorite childhood memory
Pink: Favorite college memory
Yellow: Unusual Talent
Orange: A life goal
Web of Connections
Stand in a circle. The first person holds onto a ball of yarn. They share one attribute or statement with the group. Everyone who relates to this attribute raises their hand and the individual holding the yarn picks one of them to throw the ball of yarn too while holding the end of the string. This continues throughout the exercise as everyone follows what the first person did until everyone is holding the string which will form a web. The web represents how we are all interconnected by commonalities and experiences and allows for members of the group to learn more about each other. This always serves as a nice closing exercise at retreats.
The Million Dollar Question
Everyone sits in a circle as each individual draws one question from a bowl and answers a thought provoking question. This allows individuals to associate names and faces along with interesting facts about each other. Sample questions:
What is your most treasured memory? Whom do you admire most and in what way do they inspire you? If you could have dinner with three people(living or deceased) who would they be?
Animal match
Upon entering the room, everyone is given a card with an animal on it (make sure there are two of each animal). On the count of three everyone makes their animal noise and tries to find their partner.
For more ideas on ice breakers visit:
 www.bbyo.org/bbg/ideas/mixers.html
 www.kimskorner4teachertalk.com/classmanagement/ icebreakers.html
 www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/icebreak.html
 www.hcc.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/breakice.htm
 www.ideazone.com/IceBreakers_&_Warmups.html