1. Ice Breaker Questions
2. Candy Instructions
3. Fabulous Flags
4. Did You Know Bingo?
5. Never Have I Ever
6. React and Act Game
7. Sort and Mingle
8. Superlative Game
9. Telephone Charade Game
10. Lost on a Desert Island
11. Two Truths and a Lie
12. Four Corners
13. King Elephant
14. Photoscavenger Hunt
15. Bigger and Better
16. Personal Trivia Baseball
17. Unique and Shared
18. Who Done It?
19. Blanket Game
20. Sardines
21. Screaming Viking
22. Shoe Pile Mingle
23. Ultimate Ninja
24. Story Starters
25. Human Knot
26. Around the World
27. Supermarket
28. Ultimate Rock, Paper, Scissors
29. Rock, Paper, Scissors Evolution
30. Amoeba
31. Giants Wizards and Elves
32. Name Game
33. Captains Orders
34. Bang!
35. Toilet Paper Icebreaker
36. The wind blows for….
37. Wink Murder
38. Backward Clump
39. Pass the Polo
40. One minute please!
Ice Breaker Questions
Icebreaker Questions is simply a list of 20 great questions that you can ask people to help them
feel more part of a group or team. These questions are fun and non-threatening. You can use
them as an icebreaker for meetings or classrooms, written on notecards and adapted for other
games, or simply as a fun activity to help people get to know each other better.
Instructions for Icebreaker Questions
A great way to help people open up is to ask them fun questions that allow them to express their
personality or interesting things about them. Here is a list of twenty safe, useful icebreaker
questions to help break the ice:
1. If you could have an endless supply of any food, what would you get?
2. If you were an animal, what would you be and why?
3. What is one goal you’d like to accomplish during your lifetime?
4. When you were little, who was your favorite super hero and why?
5. Who is your hero? (a parent, a celebrity, an influential person in one’s life)
6. What’s your favorite thing to do in the summer?
7. If they made a movie of your life, what would it be about and which actor would you
want to play you?
8. If you were an ice cream flavor, which one would you be and why?
9. What’s your favorite cartoon character, and why?
10. If you could visit any place in the world, where would you choose to go and why
11. What’s the ideal dream job for you?
12. Are you a morning or night person?
13. What are your favorite hobbies?
14. What are your pet peeves or interesting things about you that you dislike?
15. What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten?
16. Name one of your favorite things about someone in your family.
17. Tell us about a unique or quirky habit of yours.
18. If you had to describe yourself using three words, it would be…
19. If someone made a movie of your life would it be a drama, a comedy, a romantic
comedy, action film, or science fiction?
20. If I could be anybody besides myself, I would be…
Candy Instructions
Candy Introductions is a get-to-know-you game that helps people learn new facts about each
other in an easy way. They select various pieces of candy from a bag, and each candy variety is
associated with a fact about themselves which they will introduce to the others. This game also
goes by other names, including the M&M game, Candy Confessions, the Skittles Game, the Gum
Drop game, among others.
Candy Introductions can work with any group size. The icebreaker works best when the group
size is limited to 12, so if you have more than 12, divide the larger group and run the icebreaker
within the smaller sized groups. This icebreaker works best indoors, and is well suited for
classrooms or meeting rooms. Materials required are: candy with about five different variations
(color or candy type), and an optional chalkboard/whiteboard.
Setup for Candy Introductions
Purchase several variety packs of candy, enough for each person to be able to have at least five
pieces. They can be any candy type, but not too many choices (limit it to around five or six
different varieties). Alternatively, you can buy gummy bears, life savers, gum drops, skittles,
m&ms, or any other candy that already has a variety of colors.
Instructions for How to Play
Pass around the candy and tell each participant to choose anywhere from 1 to 5 pieces of
anything that they want. Instruct them not to eat it yet, though. After they have chosen their
candy, you will tell them what each candy type/color represents.
If there is a whiteboard or chalkboard present, write on the board the following:
 Red - Favorite hobbies
 Green - Favorite place on earth
 Blue - Favorite memory
 Yellow -Dream job
 Orange - Wildcard (tell us anything about yourself!)
If you don’t have the above colors, change the above to match the candy types that you have.
Each person takes turns introducing himself or herself, beginning with their name and then
saying one fact for each candy type that they have. This easy introduction game should go
relatively quickly (assuming they weren’t greedy and that they didn’t take too many pieces of
candy!)
Fabulous Flags
Fabulous Flags (also known as the Personal Flags Activity) is a useful icebreaker activity to help
people convey what represents them or what is important to them. Each person draws a flag that
contains some symbols or objects that symbolizes who they are or what they enjoy.
This get-to-know-you activity is best done indoors. Any number of people can participate. The
recommended age is 7 and up. Materials required are: several sheets of paper, pens, and colored
pencils/crayons/markers.
Instructions for Fabulous Flags Activity
Pass out a sheet of paper, pens, and colored pencils, crayons, and/or markers to each person.
Explain the activity: “We’re now going to draw flags that represent or symbolize us. Please
design your own flag of you - include some symbols or objects that symbolize who you are or
what you find enjoyable or important.” You can show your own sample flag if you like. For
example, you could draw:
 a guitar (representing your passion for music)
 a tennis racket (someone who enjoys sports)
 a country like India (representing your affiliation with a country)
 a cross and a heart (representing Jesus and His love for the world)
Give everyone a set amount of time to draw (e.g. 15-20 minutes or so) and then reconvene. Ask
for volunteers to share their flags and explain the meaning of what they drew. If it is a large
group, you can divide everyone into smaller groups and ask them to share their flags with each
other, or you can just ask a small number of volunteers to share.
Variations
After everyone has finished sharing the individual flags, as a big group you can ask everyone to
brainstorm ideas on what to draw for a large class-wide flag. Proceed to delegate individuals to
draw certain parts of the class-wide flag. Alternatively, you can collect the individual flags and
paste them onto a board to create a “quilt” of individual flags, representing unity.
Did You Know Bingo?
Did You Know? Bingo (also known as the Autograph Game) is an icebreaker that helps people
learn interesting facts about each other. People walk around the room and mingle until they find
people that match the facts listed on a bingo-style sheet.
This game is a get-to-know-you style icebreaker. The recommended group size is: large or extra
large. The game works best with a group of about 25 people. It can be played indoors or
outdoors. Materials required are: printed bingo sheets and pens. Ages 12 and up.
Setup for Did You Know? Bingo
The objective of this game is for people to wander around the room and to obtain the signatures
of people who have the facts listed on the bingo sheet. Once a person successfully obtains a full
row (5 in a row), whether horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, he or she shouts “BINGO!” and
wins.
This game requires a little bit of setup. Prepare a 5 by 5 table, with interesting facts written
inside the boxes. These facts can include funny or bizarre things. For example:
 Likes anchovies
 Has been to Hawaii
 Speaks more than two languages
 Has never been on a plane
 Has more than four brothers
 Has gone without a shower for more than three days
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Be creative! You can mark the center square “FREE SPACE” like traditional bingo games.
After you have prepared the table, print out enough copies for the number of players you are
expecting.
Instructions for How to Play
Pass out a sheet to each person, along with a pen. Explain the objective of the game and the
following rules: (1) each person you talk to may only sign your sheet once, and (2) to win, you
must get signatures to form 5 in a row horizonally, vertically, or diagonally. Say “Go!” and ask
your participants to begin.
Once someone shouts “Bingo!” everyone returns and the person must introduce the people who
signed his or her sheet. If desired, you can ask each person to explain their fact. This icebreaker
game is fun way to get to know humorous or unique facts about people. Enjoy!
Never have I ever
Standing in a circle, everyone puts an item on the ground in front of them to mark a spot. One
person stands in the middle and says a true statement: "Never have I ever..." If others have done
it, they must leave their spot and find an empty spot that is at least 2 placements away. The goal
is to not be in the middle, so the person in the middle is also always looking for an empty spot.
Whoever doesn't have a spot then makes a statement.
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.
Sort and Mingle
Sorts and Mingle is an interactive icebreaker that helps people recognize common and unique
interests and preferences. The speaker calls out various categories and everyone moves toward
various parts of the room, finding people with similar tastes as them.
This game is classified as a get-to-know-you icebreaker with a little bit of active movement
(walking around the room, meeting and talking to others). Recommended group size is:
medium, large, or extra large. Can be played indoors or outdoors, but indoors is ideal. No
special materials are required. No mess. For ages ten and up.
Instructions for Sorts and Mingle
There are two parts to this icebreaker. The first half is the “Sorts” game. The moderator tosses
out two contrasting choices and everyone must move either east or west of the room (for
example. “Do you prefer Nature or Cities?”) Then the moderator shouts out two more choices
and everyone moves north and south of the room. In this way, each person must move to
somewhere and can’t get “lost” in the crowd. Some sorts that work well include: dogs vs. cats,
books vs. movies, sweet vs. salty, casual vs. dress up, inside vs. outside; be on the stage
performing vs. in the audience watching, and so on.
The second half of the icebreaker, the “Mingle” game, works as follows: The moderator shouts
out a general category and the group is asked to mingle around to find others that have the same
answer and they clump up to form a larger group. After about thirty seconds to one minute, the
moderator asks each group call out their answer. If a person is unique and is the only one with
an answer, that’s okay. Examples of mingles: your favorite place on Earth; your favorite dessert;
the kind of animal you like best; if you could have dinner with someone, who would you choose;
your favorite hobby; if you could be anyone, what would it be?
Both halves of this game help people introduce themselves in a fun, interactive format
Superlative Game
The Superlative Game is a simple icebreaker that asks players to line up in ascending order for
various different categories (e.g. height, birthday month, etc.). It’s very easy to learn and play,
and it doesn’t require a lot of time.
This game can be classified as a get-to-know-you style icebreaker. The recommended group
sizeis medium, large, or extra large groups. Players will be divided into multiple teams of at least
five people. This game can be played both indoors or outdoors. There are no special materials
required to play. It works great with all ages.
Setup for the Superlative Game
The facilitator of the Superlative game needs to prepare a list of categories. These categories can
be surface-level categories such as height (in ascending order), birthday month (in ascending
order, from January to December), shoe size, number of siblings (least to most), etc. or you can
also make deeper categories, depending on your goals.
Playing the Superlative Game
Split the group into at least three teams. The ideal team size is at least five players per team, but
preferably no more than nine. Explain the rules and consider using one of the variations below
(such as the no talking rule).
Read the first category aloud, such as “Line up by increasing order of height. Go!” Each team
scrambles to get in the proper order. When a team thinks they are done, they must all sit down
and raise their hands. At this point, the facilitator checks the team and verifies that they are in
the proper order. If they made a mistake, they get awarded zero points that round and the
facilitator checks the next group that sat down. The first team to correctly get in order and sits
down gets awarded a point.
The facilitator then reads off the next category, and this process repeats until the game is over
(no more categories).
Variations
There are many variations to this game that are worth considering. These include:
1. No talking allowed. All players must rely on body language and hand gestures to get in the
proper order.
2. Head and feet only. You can only use your head and feet to signal where to go. No talking or
use of arms/hands to communicate.
Telephone Charade Game
Telephone Charades is a hilarious combination of the Telephone Game and Charades.
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Materials Required: Slips of paper with the clues written on them.
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Recommended Number of People: Groups of 6 are ideal.
Time Required: About 10 minutes per clue.
Ages: All can play. Clues can be adapted for all ages.
How Do You Play Telephone Charades?
Setup
Prepare clues for the game by writing them on slips of paper. Clues can be situations (e.g.
“Becoming the President of the United States of America”) or silly things (e.g. “dancing
Gangnam Style”). Arrange each team by having all members line up and face the same direction
(all members facing to the left, for instance).
Playing Telephone Charades
Show the clue to be acted out to only the last person in the line — let’s call him “Person A”.
Person A taps the shoulder of the next person in line (Person B), and Person B turns around to
watch. The first person (Person A) must act out the clue (without speaking or making any
noises) to the next person in line (Person B). Next, Person B taps on Person C’s shoulder and
after he turns around, acts out what he or she thinks is the clue to Person C. It’s possible that the
message gets warped or ruined along the way — but this simply makes the game funnier. Once
the acting goes down the line to the last person, the last person must guess what the original clue
was. If the team was successful in guessing the clue, the team gets a point.
If there are multiple teams, the first team to guess the same clue correctly wins.
Lost on a Desert Island
The situation is dire — following a shipwreck, you together with some other passengers have
been stranded on a deserted island with completely different living conditions, landscape, flora
and fauna from the ones you know from your own countries and hometowns! You are happy to
be alive, grateful for not being all alone, but at the same time you are pretty worried about how
to survive in the totally new environment in which you now find yourself.
At first sight the island appears uninhabited. However, you and your co-travellers while starting
to explore the place get the unsettling impression that there might actually be people living there.
You discover some traces of human life and some signs of a strange culture, while looking for
where to set up your camp for the night. You do not see or encounter any local people, but you
can feel their hidden presence around you.
The next morning when all of you wake up, you realise that you are surrounded by some 15
members of a local tribe that has been living there for ages without having any contact at all with
the rest of the world. You are scared and you do not feel fully safe in front of the island people as
their physical appearance is so powerful and their facial expressions are not at all easy to
interpret. After all you are in their territory and they most likely consider you and your friends as
intruders there.
In an effort to convince the islanders that you have come with good intentions, you try to initiate
a discussion with them to explain where you come from and what brought you to their island.
You say something in all the languages you have any knowledge of only to realise that the island
people do not understand a word you are trying to tell them. They are puzzled, you even more so.
What to do?
Your task with your shipwrecked mates is now to try to find a way how to explain to the
islanders where you come from (i.e. your place of origin - a European country/European Union)
and what the essence of the European societies is, such as values and ideals (e.g. social justice,
equal opportunities, free mobility of people, etc.). With your pair/small group discuss how you
could introduce yourselves to the islanders by using various symbols and body language to
express yourselves and describe the above items. Remember that you do not share a language in
common with these island people. GOOD LUCK AND HAVE GREAT FUN!
Two Truths and a Lie
Two Truths and a Lie is a classic get-to-know-you icebreaker. Players tell two truths and one lie.
The object of the game is to determine which statement is the false one. Interesting variations of
this game are provided below. This game is a get-to-know-you icebreaker. 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. For each person, he or
she 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
Four Corners
Group size: 6 or more (especially fun with large groups)
Time needed: 10-15 minutes or so
Supplies: Four signs for your 4 corners (labeled 1, 2, 3, 4); tape to hang signs; list of categories; a
microphone or very loud voice. You will need enough room for the group to move around.
Instructions: Hang the signs in each corner. Be sure the numbers are LARGE and easy to see.
Say:Tonight we’re going to discover just how much you have in common with the other women
in our group. I’ll read a list of items and you’ll need to move to the corner which best describes
you. Though you may not move every time, you must pick a corner – no standing in the
middle. First up, let’s see what your favorite beverage is: corner 1 – soda, 2 – water, 3 – tea, 4 –
coffee. 1 – soda, 2 – water, 3 – tea, 4 – coffee (you’ll need to repeat them at least once). Choose
another list and go thru as many as you wish or as time allows.
Categories List:
Favorite beverage: soda, water, tea, coffee
Preferred sweet treats: cake, pie, candy, cookies
Music preference: country, rock n’ roll, Christian, “oldies”
Which type of movie do you prefer: comedy, romance, drama, action
If you were going to watch a sport: football, baseball, basketball, soccer
Your choice if pampered: manicure, pedicure, haircut, massage
If we were having ice cream: chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, cookies and cream
What’s your favorite cuisine: Mexican, Italian, Chinese, American
Dreaded household chore: ironing, bathrooms, dishes, laundry
If you were to get flowers: roses, daisies, tulips, wildflowers
Favorite season: summer, fall, winter, spring
Favorite holiday: Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, your birthday
Favorite color: red, pink, blue, green
Dream vacation: Hawaii, Europe, Australia, Caribbean
If you could be a superhero: Wonderwoman, Spiderman, Batman, Superman
If you had the day to yourself: sleep, watch chick-flicks, shop, read.
Would like to try: skydiving, surf boarding, bungee jumping, zip lining.
Favorite fastfood: Chick-fil-A, Burger King, Wendys, McDonalds
King Elephant
Arrange chairs in a circle, and ask the players to take a seat. Each seat in the circle represents a
different animal, arranged in order from the top of the food chain (the King Elephant) down to
the bottom of the food chain (a slimy worm). Designate one person to be the King Elephant and
then inform the players what animal they each are in food chain order and demonstrate their
gesture. Typical gestures for the animals are:
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King Elephant ± hold one arm out, extended away from your nose, while the other arm
wraps around and holds your nose.
Bear - hold your two hands out in front of you like giant bear claws.7
Lion - connect your hands above your head to make a circle, and make a growling face.
Alligator - extend your arms out in front of you, with one hand facing up, and the other
down. Clap your hands together like an alligator’s jaw
Monkey - puff out your cheeks, while pulling your ears out.
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Bird - touch your thumbs together and flap your hands like a bird flying.
Snake - make a slithering snake movement with one of your arms.
Chicken - place your hands under your armpits and flap your arms.
Fish - hold both your hands together and imitate a fish swimming upstream.
Worm - wiggle one bent finger.
Encourage players to also make funny, exaggerated animal sounds along with their gesture.
Depending on your players’ ability to remember, it might be helpful to place a piece of paper
with each animal’s name and picture on the floor in front of each chair.
How to Play: King Elephant is a rhythm game in that all players must stay on the beat set by the
King Elephant. Depending on which chair he or she is seated in, each person must correctly give
their animal signal (gesture and sound as described above) when called upon, and then make
another animals’ signal to choose the next person.
The rhythm speed is set by the King Elephant who begins the game. He or she can alter the speed
as desired for each round but should start out rather slowly until everyone catches on. Everyone
follows the rhythm of a 1-2-3-4 pattern, where 1 is a pat on the knees, 2 is a clap, 3 and 4 are left
and right thumbs (or when called upon, the animal signal). At the start the King Elephant repeats
this general pattern a couple times, then does his or her own elephant signal, followed by another
animals’ signal.
So, for example, a round would look like this:
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King Elephant starts the rhythm: knee pat, clap, left thumb, right thumb.
King Elephant continues: knee pat, clap, elephant signal (his or her own signal).
King Elephant signals another player: knee pat, clap, bear signal (another player’s
signal).
Bear continues: knee pat, clap, bear signal (his or her own signal).
Bear signals another player: knee pat, clap, fish signal (another player’s signal).
Fish continues: knee pat, clap, fish signal (his or her own signal).
And so on.
When a player, including the King Elephant, fails to keep the rhythm going during their turn or
makes a mistake on their signal (or does a signal when they aren’t supposed to) then they
become the new worm by moving to the last chair and everyone else moves up the food chain by
sliding up a seat. Those who change seats take on the role of that chairs’ animal, and the current
King Elephant starts the game again. The goal is to try to be the King Elephant by knocking out
anyone in front of you. Great fun!
Photoscavenger Hunt
For this activity, each group needs a list of objects and a disposable camera. Give each group 30
minutes to find the objects on the list. Rather than retrieving the objects (and having to worry
about returning them to their owners!), they must take a picture of the object with at least one
group member in the picture. This can be done either at school or using the community (if you
are in a small town where people know each other well enough). Record the time for each group,
have the pictures developed that night, and post poster boards with each group's pictures the next
day. Ideas for objects:
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Elvis record
8 track tape
Yo-yo
Merry-go-round
Big Wheel
Baby swing
Christmas decoration
Bigger and Better
Setup
Form teams of 3-5. Be sure that the players understand the guidelines of the activity — no
spending money is allowed, and to keep safety first. Set a time limit (for example, two hours)
and a final meeting point for every team to get back together and debrief.
Playing the Game
Distribute one small object like a pencil, pen or paper clip to each team. Explain the rules to
everyone. Set a time limit and a final meeting destination where every group can show off their
final object.
Teams take their object and meet with ordinary people on the street and ask them if they’d be
willing to trade for the group’s object. For instance, a team could ask someone, “Would you be
willing to trade us your keychain for this pencil?” The goal is to try to keep upgrading their
object and to get something “bigger and better.” This process continues until time runs out. All
groups go to the final destination in which judging can occur.
Once all groups return, there is a judging process for the largest, best, and most creative items
that teams were able to get. Sometimes amazing things can happen while playing this game —
it’s not unheard of for a team to come back with a working bicycle or something remarkable.
- See more at: http://www.howdoyouplay.net/active-games/how-to-play-bigger-andbetter.html#sthash.cKXhnVfs.dpuf
Personal Trivia Baseball
The object of this game is to read an interesting fact about a player and guess who it is about.
Hand out four scraps of paper labeled on one side with the letters S, D, T, and HR. Each scrap
represents single (1 pt), double (2 pts), triple (3 pts) and homerun (4 pts), respectively. Have the
players write interesting facts about themselves for each of these categories. The S scrap should
be easier, perhaps something that they may have revealed in front of the group in another
activity. The interesting facts about themselves for D, T, and HR get increasingly more difficult
or more obscure.
Afterwards, collect the scraps of paper and place them in a baseball diamond pattern. Split the
team into two groups. Each group works as a team to get as many points as possible. Each player
gets to pick from which pile (S, D, T, or HR) they want to draw. If they pick up a slip that says,
“Went to France last summer” and can correctly guess which player wrote that fact, they earn the
1, 2, 3 or 4 points based on the S, D, T, or HR category they chose. The teams get three wrong
answers or “outs” before play switches to the other team.
Play continues for 4 innings or until there are no more clues. The team with the most points wins.
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5.
Unique and Shared
Organize students into groups of 4-5 (preferably with other students they don’t know well)
SHARED: Instruct a notetaker for each group to create a list of the common traits or qualities
that students in the group have in common. Avoid writing things that are immediately
obvious (e.g. don’t write down something like “everyone has hair” or “we are all wearing
clothes”).
Ask a member from each group to read their list.
UNIQUE: On a second sheet of paper have the students record Unique traits and qualities; that
is, items that only apply to one person in the group. Instruct the group to find at least two unique
qualities and strengths per person.
When time is up, share the unique qualities in one of the following ways: (1) each person
can share one of their unique qualities themselves; (2) have each person read the qualities of the
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person to their right; or (3) have a spokesperson read a quality one at a time, and have the
others guess who it was.
Variations:
you can mix the groups up rather than keep them the same for both sections
you can ask them to find shared and unique traits related to the topic/ subject you’re studying
Who Done It?
Who Done It? is an icebreaker that reveals interesting (and sometimes incredible!) things people
have done. It’s a simple guessing game that is straightforward to play.
This game is a get-to-know-you style icebreaker in which players try to guess which person
corresponds to each item written on notecards. The recommended group size is a medium sized
group of about eight to sixteen people, although the game can be adapted to accommodate other
sized groups. Playing this icebreaker indoors is most ideal. Materials required are: several
notecards and pens. Who Done It? is playable by all ages, including college students and adults
in corporate settings.
Setup and Gameplay for Who Done It (Whodunit?)
This game can be played individually or with two teams. For extremely large groups, choose ten
volunteers and split them into two teams of five. To set up the game, pass out an index card and a
pen for each participant. Ask each person to write down something interesting they have done.
Examples include the following:
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I went skydiving once.
I got arrested before.
I once drank a gallon of milk.
I lived in seven different states.
I ate bugs before.
Try to instruct people to write a fact that most people don’t already know – the sillier (or more
unbelievable) the better. Collect all the. Shuffle the cards and then pass them back out. Each
person takes turns reading aloud their card and then the reader must guess whose fact he or she
read. After he or she guesses, the guessed person simply says “yes” or “no”. If the person
guesses correctly, the guessed person can briefly explain what they wrote (if desired). The
guessing continues until all cards are exhausted. Everyone reveals who wrote which card at the
end.
The Who Done It? game is a good, simple get-to-know-you game that is especially good for
groups with new people, or for whenever you wish to help people get to know each other better
to break the ice. Sometimes humorous facts can be revealed, leading people to exclaim, “You did
WHAT?”
Beginning Your Meeting
Icebreakers should be a regular part of every meeting. They help to deepen relationships so that
group members can share openly and trust can grow.
Goals:
o Should not be a „yes‟ or „no‟ question
o Should give everyone a chance to talk in the first 15 minutes of the meeting
o Should help introduce the topic of study
Examples:
o For “The Beatitudes”
ou feel that you are lacking something?
o For “Moses Parting the Red Sea”
impossible?
through?
o For “Creation”
share why
Blanket Game
Students are divided into two teams. Each team sits on the floor facing the other team. A blanket
is held by two volunteers (teacher and a student) between the two groups. Each team then
quietly chooses one member of their team to sit just behind the blanket and ahead of their own
team. At this point the chosen individuals are sitting facing each other, but concealed by the
blanket. The blanket is then dropped and the two students quickly identify his opponent. A point
is scored for the team who shouts out the opposing person's name first.
Modification: Each team can reveal a verbal clue describing the chosen individual directly
behind the blanket, prior to the dropping of the blanket.
Sardines
In the usual game of hide and go seek, one person is ”It,” everybody hides, and It has to find
them. In the Sardines version, It has to hide and everybody goes looking for him/her! When
somebody finds where It is hiding, he/she has to go into the hiding place, too. As more and more
players find It, they squeeze in together, tighter and tighter. Play until all the players are
crammed together like Sardines in a can.
Screaming Viking
Summary: A stationary game in which players are seated in a circle, and one person points to
someone in the circle and instructs them to act out a “screaming viking”, a “smurf”, a “chia pet”,
among other humorous things.
How to Play: Screaming Viking is an entertaining game in which people act out silly motions
and makes noises. To begin, have everyone sit in a circle with one person in the middle. The
goal of the game is not be in the middle at the end of the game. The person in the middle points
at a person seated in the circle and then screams, “Screaming Viking! (or one of the other
formations described below). One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten!” While the
person is counting, the person who was selected and the people directly to the left and right must
form a “Screaming Viking” formation, described below.
If any of the three people (the person selected and the people to the left and right of that person)
do not correctly respond in time (before the count to 10 is up) then whoever messes up must go
into the middle. The appropriate response can be one of the following:
1. Screaming Viking: each person to the left and right of the selected person must make a rowing
motion outwardly to the sides, while the person in the middle must place his or her fingers to the
sides of his/her head with index finger pointed upwards, like horns. All three people must scream
loudly.
2. Smurfs: the 3 of them interlock arms and sing the smurf song, “La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la.”
3. Chia Pet: the three of them must act as a growing chia pet with hands lifting upwards. The 3 of
them must shout, “Ch-ch-ch-chia…”
4. Jello: the person in the center wobbles like jello, while each person to the side holds their arms
out, forming a bowl. You can make up other appropriate responses — the sillier the better! The
more enthusiastic and wacky you are, the more entertaining the game.
Shoe Pile Mingle
A good way to have new people meet everybody. Everyone takes off one of their shoes and
throw it into a big pile. Then each person picks up a different shoe from the pile and finds the
person it belongs to. Works well for large groups.
Ultimate Ninja
An action-packed, fast paced, hilarious game in which the object is to become the
“ultimateninja” — the person with the quickest reflexes! Dodge the other player’s attacks and get
the others out. Works well with 6 – 12 people. It is a great action-based game that involves
quickness, a little bit of strategy, and skill. The goal is to be the “ultimate ninja,” or the person
who has the quickest reflexes. Players try to eliminate others by successfully hitting their hands.
The game is played clockwise, with each person taking a turn. On your turn, you are allowed one
motion: (1) an attempt to hit another person’s hand with your hand, or (2) one movement, such
as taking a step in any direction. When a player is trying to hit your hand, you are allowed one
motion to dodge the strike; however, you must hold this new position once you dodge. If a player
successfully hits your hand, you are “out” and you must leave the circle. The last person
remaining wins.
Detailed Instructions: Gather everyone and have all players stand towards the center of a room.
Have everyone say the words, “Ultimate… Ninja!” and then have everyone pose in a ninja
stance. Choose one person to begin the game. On a person’s turn, he or she may try to strike
someone’s hand with one motion, or he or she make move one step. Once this person does his
one motion, it immediately becomes the next person’s turn (following clockwise order). The
second person can immediately try to strike someone’s hand or take a step in any direction. You
are allowed to dodge in one motion when you think someone is trying to strike your hand;
however, you must hold this new pose after you dodge. For example, when a person named John
tries to hit another person’s hand (e.g. Sally), Sally is allowed to move her arm backwards to
dodge; however, Sally must hold this new pose until it’s her turn (or until someone else tries to
strike her hand). This gamesounds complicated, but it’s actually quite simple
Story Starters
The facilitator will prepare index cards in advance, with the following story starters on each card:
“Once upon a time, I…”
“My favorite place I ever went to is…”
“The silliest thing I ever did was…”
“My ideal vacation is…”
“The craziest thing I ever did (that I’ll admit to) is…”
“If my life were a book, I would title it…”
Distribute these cards to each group
Within each small group, each group member must choose one Story Starter and begin a story
using one of these sentences as a starting point. Each group can vote on which story is the most
interesting. The most interesting stories can be shared to the larger group.
Human Knot
Divide your group into teams of 6-8. Each team forms a small circle. Ask them to extend their
right hand across the circle and hold the left hand of the other team member opposite them. Then
extend their left hand across the circle and hold the right hand of another group member. The
task is to unravel the spider's web of interlocking arms without letting go of anyone's hands. Give
them a three minute time limit to complete the task. Pressure!
Around the World
The leader begins by saying the name of any country, city, river, ocean or mountain that can be
found in an atlas. The young person next to him must then say another name that begins with the
last letter of the word just given. Each person has a definite time limit (e.g. three seconds) and no
names can be repeated. For example – First person: London, Second Person: Niagara Falls, Third
Person: Switzerland
Supermarket
The first player says: "I went to the supermarket to buy an Apple (or any other object you can
buy in a supermarket that begins with an A). The next player repeats the sentence, including the
"A" word and adds a "B" word. Each successive player recites the sentence with all the alphabet
items, adding one of his own. For example; 'I went to the supermarket and bought an Apple,
Banana, CD, dog food, envelopes, frozen fish'. It's not too hard to reach the end of the alphabet,
usually with a little help! Watch out for ‘Q’ and ‘X’ ☺
Ultimate Rock, Paper, Scissors
This is fun large group adaptation of Rock, Paper, Scissors.
To play, first review the standard rules of rock, paper, scissors, described at the end of this
activity.
Ask players to spread out and find a partner. Each pair plays a best of three round of Rock,
Paper, Scissors. The losing player then stands behind the winning player and enthusiastically
cheers for that player.
This new team then finds another team to play a new round of Rock, Paper, Scissors. Each time a
team wins, it collects the other team's players, and they line up behind the unbeaten leader.
At the end, there will be two large teams, led by the unbeaten leader in front. After the final
match, the celebration begins!
Traditional rules of Rock, Paper, Scissors...
Two players face each other and simultaneously throw out one of the following hand signals:
rock, paper, or scissors.
Rock is formed by making a fist. Rock "beats" Scissors, by breaking them. Rock is beaten by the
signal for Paper, as Paper covers Rock.
Scissors is formed by horizontally extending your middle and index fingers (a sideways peace
sign). Scissors "beats" Paper by cutting it. Scissors are beaten by Rock, as Rock smashes
Scissors.
Paper is formed by holding your hand out straight, with palm facing down. Paper "beats" Rock
by covering it. Paper is beaten by Scissors, as Scissors cut Paper.
Generally, each player holds one hand out in front of their bodies and they simultaneously chant,
"One, Two, Three, shoot" and on "shoot," both players display their signal. The player whose
signal beats the other wins.
Rock, Paper, Scissors Evolution
This game is a fantastic group mixer ice breaker activity.
Player must wander around the room and battle each other in Rock, Paper, Scissors. The winner
evolves to the next stage and the loser stays as they are.
The stages are:
1. Egg - person holds both hands on top of their head so they look like an egg.
2. Chicken - make chicken sounds and flap your wings.
3. Dinosaur - act like a dinosaur (roar).
4. Gorilla - act like a monkey.
5. Human - wave and act like a human (say I'm a human).
The first player to win as a human wins the game.
Feel free to add in additional stages of evolution if you'd like to make it hard - just be creative.
You can also make it so the loser of a rock paper scissors match will devolve into the lower stage
of evolution - this will make the game more challenging.
Amoeba
Everyone begins as an amoeba (ie quatting on the floor and waddling about). Each amoeba must
find another amoeba and play 'paper, scissors, stone' with them. The winner then becomes a
chicken (quatting slightly higher up and using arms as wings) and the loser stays an amoeba.
Chcikens must only play 'paper, scissors, stone' with other chickens. Winners become dinosaurs
(standing up with one arm in front of their head like a long neck) and losers return to being
amoeba. Dinosaurs must find dinosaurs to play 'paper, scissors, stone' with and winners become
Diana Ross (stand on chairs and sing the following - actions in brackets):
"Stop! In the name of love (right hand out in front, bring it round to the side and then both hands
on heart), before you break my heart (point, breaking action, point towards yourself, both hands
on heart again)"
Eventually everyone will be standing on their chairs singing their hearts out!
Giants, Wizards and Elves
The key to the game is this:
Wizards cast spells on giants. Giants squish elves. Elves are small and quick and outsmart
wizards. The game begins with teams huddling together, deciding which creatures the team will
be. The entire team must be the same creature at the same time. As soon as the teams have
decided on their creature, they line up face to face with the opposing team, in rows about four
feet apart. On the leader's command team members jump to their pose. A point is scored on the
basis of which creature beats which. If both teams form the same creature, no point is scored and
teams return to their huddle to decide their next team move. The first team to score 5-7 points
wins. Keep games short. Sides can be scrambled, and the game played again to avoid any
emphasis on competition.
Motions: Giants - Stand tall. Arms straight over head. Fingers curled ready to grab. Voices give
loud "growl."
Wizards - Crouch slightly. Arms extended, fingers extended to cast spell. Eyes lurk behind arms.
Voice a wizardry "hiss."
Elves - Crouch down on haunches. Hands and arms in front puppy style. Voice one loud "ha."
Name Game
The first person gives his or her name: Cranky Carla. The second person gives the first person’s
name and then his own name: Cranky Carla, Blue-eyed Bob. The third person starts at the
beginning, reciting each person before her and adding her own: Cranky Carla, Blue-eyed Bob,
Zesty Zelda.
Captains Orders
Tell all participants to stand in the middle of the room facing the leader who is in the front of the
room. Explain that all participants are sailors and they are all on a ship. Assign one person to be
the "Captain." The role of the Captain is call out the actions and dismiss the players who don't do
the actions quick enough or who break from character. Once the captain calls an action, each
player has 3-4 seconds to start performing the action. If they don't find a group fast enough or
perform the right action, they are out of the game.
The Captain will give a series of orders. Any sailor who cannot complete the order correctly in a
timely manner is out and must sit down on the side.
The orders and their explanations are as follows:
1. Go West: All must run to their right.
2. Go East: All must run to their left.
3. Hit the Deck: All must quickly lie on their stomach.
4. Captain's Coming!: Everyone stands at "attention" (in a salute), and they can’t move from this
position until the caller says, "At Ease!" If they laugh or break from the attention, they are
dismissed.
5. Man Overboard: Sailors must find a partner. One person drops to one knee the other stands
behind them, puts a hand on their shoulder. Both scan the ocean for the overboard man.
6. Three Men Eating: Sailors are to form groups of three and sit down in a circle. Next they are
to cup as if to hold a plate and scoop with the other hand quickly as if to feed themselves.
7. Four Men Rowing: Sailors are to form groups of four and sit in a row on the floor. They are to
swing their arms as if they are rowing.
8. Walk the Plank!: Five people stand in a single file row hands on the shoulders of person in
front of them.
Bang!
Get everyone to stand in a circle facing inwards. The leader running the game will need to stand
in the middle of the circle. The leader points at someone in the circle. That person must duck
down straight away and the two people either side of them must turn to face each other, hold
their hands in the shape of a gun and say/yell "bang". All this needs to happen as quickly as
possible.
Whoever ends up getting "shot" is out. So if the person who gets pointed at originally doesn't
duck down quick enough, then they are out. If they do duck down quickly, then whoever says
"bang" first out of the two people either side of them stays in and the other person is out.
When there are only two people left, they stand back to back, and the person who was in the
middle starts counting. With each count the two people take steps away from each other, western
style. The person who was in the middle then yells bang, and the two people turn and say "bang".
The person who is fastest wins, and gets to be in the middle the next round.
This is a super fun youth group game that needs to no extra materials and is easy to explain and
get the hang of. Kids might want to play a few rounds so they can get a second chance if they get
out really quickly.
For the leader running the game, after a few turns they might want to make their pointing a bit
trickier by looking away or spinning in a circle. Be creative!
Toilet Paper Icebreaker
Pass around the toilet paper roll and ask each person to tear off as many sheets as they normally
use, then pass it to another member of the group and ask them to do the same. Don’t explain the
purpose at this point – it just adds to the mystery! Continue until everyone in the group has torn
off some paper. Some people will take only a couple of sheets, others will reel off heaps! You
can embellish the reason for passing around the toilet paper once it starts to go around by stating,
“This is the last roll of toilet paper in the building,” – some worried faces might appear!
Once the roll has been around to everyone, explain the next part. For each piece of paper torn
off, they must reveal one fact per piece about themselves. The facts can be simple such as their
middle name, where they were born, countries visited, etc. The more pieces equal more facts.
Sometimes you REALLY get to know a person by the number of pieces they have torn off.
It is a great icebreaker as it encourages sharing, gets people laughing and breaks down barriers!
The wind blows for….
Everyone sits in a circle with someone standing in the middle who says “the wind blows for”
followed by a statement that is true about themselves (ex. People wearing sneakers). Everyone in
the circle who the statement applies to has to get up and find a new seat.
Wink Murder
Ask the group to sit in a circle. Choose a number of playing cards to match the number of young
people in your group. Be certain your selection contains an ace. Each young person then draws a
card. They must not comment or show it to anyone else. The player who chooses the ace is the
murderer and he kills his victims by winking at them! The game begins quietly with players
sitting looking at each other. When someone catches the eye of the killer and is winked at, they
are killed, and can die in any manner they choose. Some prefer to die quietly with a whimper,
some opt for the blood curdling scream technique, while others might fall off their seat and lie
prone on the floor. The object is to identify the murderer while trying not to be killed in the
process. An incorrect guess results in instant death!
Backward Clump
Divide into pairs. Ask each pair to sit on the floor with their partner, backs together, feet out in
front and arms linked. Their task is to stand up together. Once everyone has done this, two pairs
join together and the group of four tries to repeat the task. After they succeed, add another two
and try again. Keep adding people until your whole group is trying to stand together. A sight to
behold!
Pass the Polo
Invite the group to line up in teams of six. Give each person a toothpick, which they must hold in
their mouth. The person at the front of the line has polo on his toothpick and he must (without
using his hands) pass the polo down the line. If anyone drops their sweet, the team must start
again from the front of the line with a new polo.
One minute please!
The aim of the game is to talk for one minute on a given subject. You announce the topic and a
member of the group is randomly selected to speak for one minute. Use a pack of cards to
randomly select i.e. person who draws the lowest number. Choose subjects to stimulate the
imagination and which may be amusing. Put a stopwatch on each person to see how long they
last before drying up! Subjects might include, my earliest memories, my favorite computer game,
why beans are good for you, 10 things you can do with potatoes, Alligator wrestling, premillennialism (no, not really!)