Examples of ice breakers

Here are some examples of ice breakers that can help to get people talking and build connections:

Fun and Lighthearted

  1. "Two Truths and a Lie": Each person shares two true statements and one false statement about themselves. The others have to guess which one is the lie.
  2. "Human Bingo": Create bingo cards with different traits, characteristics, or interests (e.g. "has traveled to another country", "speaks more than one language", etc.). Each person has to find someone who fits each of the characteristics and get them to sign the corresponding square.
  3. "The Name Game": Have each person introduce themselves and share a unique fact about themselves that starts with the same letter as their name (e.g. "I'm Sarah and I love sailing").
  4. "Would You Rather": Present two difficult choices and ask each person which one they would prefer (e.g. "Would you rather be able to fly or be able to breathe underwater?").

Thought-Provoking

  1. "The One-Word Game": Ask each person to come up with a word that describes themselves, such as "adventurous" or "creative".
  2. "If I Could...": Ask each person to share something they would like to do if they had the chance (e.g. "If I could travel anywhere in the world, I would go to Japan").
  3. "What's the Best Advice You've Ever Received?": Ask each person to share a piece of advice that has stuck with them.
  4. "What's Something You're Looking Forward to in the Next Year?": Ask each person to share something they're excited about or looking forward to.

Creative

  1. "Draw Your Favorite Hobby": Ask each person to draw a picture of their favorite hobby or activity.
  2. "Write a Haiku": Ask each person to write a haiku poem about themselves or their interests.
  3. "Create a Meme": Ask each person to create a meme that represents themselves or their sense of humor.
  4. "Show and Tell": Ask each person to bring an object that represents something about themselves and share its significance.

Interactive

  1. "Scavenger Hunt": Create a list of items or challenges that people have to complete around the room or outside (e.g. "Find someone wearing the same color shirt as you", "Take a photo with someone who has the same birthday as you").
  2. "Group Storytelling": Start a story and then pass it around the group, with each person adding a sentence or two to continue the story.
  3. "Role-Playing": Assign roles to each person and have them act out a scenario (e.g. "You're a customer, I'm a store clerk").
  4. "Game Show": Create a simple game show with questions or challenges that people have to complete (e.g. "Who can answer the most trivia questions correctly?", "Who can complete a puzzle the fastest?").

Remember to keep the ice breaker activities short, fun, and engaging, and to make sure they're relevant to the group and the purpose of the gathering.