Icebreaker Activities and Games
Ideas for Parties, Meetings, Workshops, and Team Building
Jul 28, 2009
Many presenters find it hard to get participants to take an active role in the program. Using icebreakers to get people to relax and talk to one another is a great way to get people energized for other activity ideas. Once people are relaxed, they may be more receptive to other things to come.
Icebreakers for Meetings and Workshops
These two meeting icebreakers can be done with any size groups. The intention is to get people talking and to learn a little bit about one another.
Who Has Ever?
This game is done as a whole group. The group may be large or small. The presenter asks a question that begins with “Who has ever?” Anyone who can answer in the affirmative stands up. It lets the group learn little facts about each other that can be conversation starters later.
This can be made more fun if the questions are about silly things, such as “Who has ever gotten tangled in a leash while walking a dog?” or “Who has ever started driving and realized they left a coffee mug on the roof of the car?”
Scavenger Hunt Partners
In this icebreaker activity, people work with the persons they are sitting next to. The presenter gives them a list of things to find in their wallets, handbags, on their body, or with them at their seat. The list can be projected onto a screen using an audio visual aid, or printed on a paper.
Imagination should be used when creating the list. Some ideas of things to hunt for are:
- A penny of a particular year
- A bird (often found on currency)
- A hologram (can be found on credit cards)
- A hair pin
- A paper clip
- A red button
- A piece of gum
Team Building Icebreakers
These icebreakers get people into groups or teams. The presenter may want to plan another activity following the icebreaker, in which the teams must work together on a task.
Puzzle Piece Search
This icebreaker idea is used with table groups. Before the activity, the presenter should put a jigsaw puzzle on each table. As people enter the room, they are directed to a particular table. One piece should be removed and put on a different table. As each group completes their puzzle, and realizes a piece is missing, they must go visit other table groups to find their piece.
Comic Strips
This activity gets people moving around and talking. As people enter the room, they are handed one panel from a comic strip. They must try to find other people who have panels from the same comic strip. Once they have everyone, their task is to put the panel in order and read the comic together.
Icebreakers for Parties
At parties, often people know a little bit about one another. These icebreaker games are more relaxed, and are designed to get people started having fun. They are perfect for office parties.
Gum Game
As people enter, get them into groups of four, or group them according to where they are sitting. Hand one person in each group a pair of rubber household gloves and a pack of gum. The person must put on the gloves, pull a piece of gum out of the pack, unwrap it, and put it in his mouth. Then the gloves and gum are passed to the next person. The first group to have all team members chewing gum is the winner.
Memory Game on a Tray
This is a popular game at baby showers and wedding showers, but it can be adapted for any kind of party. Place ten items on a platter or tray. Pass the tray around the room so everyone gets a chance to look at it, and then put the tray away.
Each person should write down as many items as he or she can remember from the tray. After a set amount of time, one or two minutes, have participants put their pencils down. The winner is the person who remembered the most correct items.
These icebreaker ideas can be adapted and used in a variety of ways. The intent is to help people relax and get to know one another in a non-threatening manner. Some of them lead in to other activities that may require team work or problem solving. They work well with large and small groups.
Further reading: First Day of School Icebreaker Activities gives five ideas for the classroom.
 |
 |
 |
