Meeting Ice Breakers
1. Nametags: Prepare nametags for each person and put them in a box. As people walk
into the room, each person picks a nametag (not their own). When everyone is
present, participants are told to find the person whose nametag they drew and
introduce and say a few interesting things about themselves. When everyone has their
own nametag, each person in the group will introduce the person whose nametag they
were initially given and mention something of interest about that person. This helps
participants get to know and remember each other.
2. Penny Game: This also works best for small groups or for each small group sitting
together as a team (4-6 learners). Everyone in the group gets 10
pennies/toothpicks/scrap of papers, etc. The first student states something he/she has
done (e.g. water skiing). Everyone else who has done the same thing admits it and
puts one penny in the middle of the table. Then the second person states something
(e.g. I have eaten frogs' legs). Everyone who has done it puts another penny in the
center. Continue until someone has run out of pennies.
3. Similarities Game: Tell the newly formed groups that their assignment is to find ten
things they have in common, with every other person in the group, that have nothing
to do with work. (no body parts (we all have legs; we all have arms) and no clothing
(we all wear shoes, we all wear pants). This helps the group explore shared interests
more broadly.
4. “Questions”: Have each student write a question they want answered about the class
on a Post-it note. Have them introduce themselves and their question. Post all
questions on a wall chart. During, at the end of the first class, or at the onset of the
next class session, address any questions that were not addressed during the first
class.
5. Marooned Game: Break class into groups of 4-7 and tell them “You are marooned on
an island. What five (you can use a different number, such as seven, depending upon
the size of each team) items would you have brought with you if you knew there was a
chance that you might be stranded?” Note that they are allowed five items per team,
not per person. Have each group report their five items and briefly share why they
selected those items. This activity helps them to learn about another person’s values
and problem solving styles and promotes teamwork.
6. Fact or Fiction Game: Have students write on index cards 2 true facts about
themselves and 1 false. Other students have to guess which fact is false.
7. Magic Wand Game: You have just found a magic wand that allows you to change
three work related activities. You can change anything you want. How would you
change yourself, your job, your boss, coworkers, an important project, etc.? Have
them discuss why it is important to make the change. Another variation is to have
them discuss what they would change if they become the boss for a month. This
activity helps them to learn about others' desires and frustrations
8. Ice Breaker Ball Toss: Playful way for students to share some new facts about
themselves. Students toss the ice breaker ball to other students. Where their thumb
lands they share some new fact about themselves and toss the ball to another student.
9. Trait Trader Game: You have just taken a job as a trait trader in the fictitious
exchange, the Personality Market. You will be given a piece of paper (trade slip) with
a personality or character trait written on it (e.g. tall, creative, adventurous, quiet, etc.)
Write your name on the slip. You must trade your slip with someone else. If your new
Meeting Ice Breakers
trait also applies to you, write your name on that slip. If not, move to step three. Trade
again. When the facilitator calls out “exchange closed,” the game is over. Remember,
your goal is to end up with a trait that applies to you and to have written your name on
more slips than anyone else. Trait Slips (Consider: Over 5’8”, Born in the 70s, Red Hair,
Curly Hair, Athlete, Creative, Talkative, Adventurous, Quiet, Bossy, Demanding,
Funny, Dare Devil, etc.) You design the slips based on your group. Remember to be
sensitive to age, gender, etc.
10. Candy Confessions Game: What makes this candy different from other candy is that
each flavor is associated with a fact about you. Choose four candies from the bowl
without looking. In a moment, a key code will be revealed, indicating which truths you
should tell. Once the code has been revealed you may begin your confession.
Key Code (e.g. Kit Kats = Favorite Movie, Favorite Magazine, Favorite Song, or
Favorite Book, Krackle = Favorite Vacation Spot, Place You Would Like To Visit, Place
You Would Least Like To Visit, or Worst Vacation, Lollipop =Number of Years in
Current Position, Where You Work, What You Do, or Brief Description of First Job,
Gum Drops = Something About Where You Live, Something About Where You Grew
Up, Something About Your Family, Something About Your Town/City, Kisses =
Wildcard - tell us anything)
11. Autograph Bingo: A simple icebreaker that asks people to mingle and find people
that match interesting facts listed on a bingo card. The game is useful in that it causes
players to discover interesting and humorous facts about each other.
12. Concentric Circles: Divide the group in two. Have one group form a circle inside a
larger circle, so that each participant is facing another person. Begin by having each
person introduce themselves to the person they are facing and answer a question.
After two minutes, have the inner circle move, one or two people to their left, while
the outer circle remains where they are. Depending on the size of the group, have the
inner circle move several people, or just a few. Sample questions are listed, but be
creative and make up your own!
• Who is a leader you admire and why?
• What is your wildest career fantasy?
• What is one goal you hope to accomplish this year?
• If you were a street sign, what would you be? Why?
• Who would you trade places with in history?
13. Skittles and M&M’s: This activity uses the colors of the skittles or M&M’s to
determine which question a participant will answer for the group. It is best to use
peanut M&M’s so you can tell the difference between M&M's and Skittles! Make a
sheet with the colors of each candy and the corresponding question. (see samples
below.) After the participant answers the questions, let them eat their treats! Make up
questions related to the organization.
o M&M’s Yellow If you were president, which one policy would you change?
o Red If you could travel anywhere with all expenses paid for two weeks, where
would you go?
o Orange Would you eat a bowl of crickets for $10,000?
o Green What color represents love and why?
o Brown Who would you like to trade places with in history?
o Skittles Red What magazine cover would you like to be on and why?
Meeting Ice Breakers
o Orange If you could use a voodoo doll on someone, would you?
o Purple If you could do anything without repercussion, what would you do?
o Green If you could change one thing about your working conditions, what would
it be? Yellow If you could have any talent, what would it be?
14. Toilet Paper: The facilitator should hold a roll of toilet paper between the fingers of
two hands. Approach each participant and tell him/her to take as long a piece as
he/she would like. Do not tell people what the toilet paper will be used for, but
encourage them to take a lot. After everyone has taken as many squares of toilet
paper as they want, the facilitator should tell them that each person has to say one
thing about themselves for every square they have! Participants should tell things such
as where they live, how many people are in their family, what a favorite food is, etc.
15. Hammer or Nail?:
Concept: metaphorical, abstract, right brain, control over one's life
Explain that this activity is meant as an exercise in abstract thinking. "Use your
imagination. Think of yourself in non-concrete terms." Ask students which of the two
choices best describes them. Give them time to think, and then ask them to raise their
hands to indicate their choice. "Who is a hammer?... Who is a nail?" Then have them
ask others near them why they feel like a hammer or a nail and give them about a
minute to discuss their choice.
In one session probably no more than six to ten of these should be done. If the class is
very small, students might be asked to walk to one area of the room (nails over here;
hammers over there) and talk about why they feel the way they do.
o Hammer or nail
o Racket or ball
o Child or old man
o Picasso or De Vinci
o Jeans or a suit
o Egg white or egg yolk
o Sun or moon
o Cube or ball
o Present or future
o Rock group or string quartet
o Yes or no
o Mountain or valley
o Physical or mental
o Pencil or ball point pen
o Teacher or student
o Question or answer
o Leather jacket or Harris tweed
o Black or white
o Leaf or wind
o Pencil or eraser
o Earthquake or typhoon
o Tortoise or hare
o City or country
o Dictionary or novel
o Pen or pencil
Meeting Ice Breakers
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15.
Agape or Eros
Cat or mouse
TV or Radio
Present or Future
First Letter Name Game: Have each person describe him/herself by using the first
letter of his/her name. For example: My name is Steve and I like Spaghetti, my favorite
candy is Sugarbabies and my favorite animal is a Snake.
16. Sentence from a Name Game: Have everyone pair up with someone they don't know.
Each person writes his first name on a piece of paper and exchanges it with his partner.
After a minute or two getting to know each other, each person makes up a sentence
with words starting with the letter of the other person's name. For example: KEVIN:
Koala Enjoy Vegetables In November.
17. Super Hero: Have each person draw a picture of them as a superhero they make up.
Each person shares their costume idea, super hero name, and special powers they
possess.