Ice-Breaking Activities for Adolescents Applicable to All Scenarios
In today's world where technology and social media dominate, it's essential to keep young minds engaged and connected. Here are 31 easy-to-play icebreaker games suitable for teenagers that require minimal materials and encourage creativity, interaction, and fun across modalities, whether in-person or virtually.
1. Guess That Movie
This group game is a fun way to test your movie knowledge. Teams secretly decide on a movie scene to re-enact and present to the whole group, with the goal of being guessed correctly.
2. Icebreaker Games for Teens
Organized activities designed to help people warm up to new social situations, overcome awkwardness, and build bonds with their peers.
3. The Shoe Exchange Icebreaker
A simple game that requires a group of teens and an open space. Participants leave one of their shoes by the door, redistribute the shoes, set a 5-minute timer, and then have 2 minutes to discuss with the shoe owner using a conversation starter.
4. Deserted Island
Imagine you are going to be stranded on a deserted island for a year and must choose one song, book, and luxury item to bring.
5. Human Knot
A large group game where participants cross their right hand over to grab the right hand of the person next to them, then cross their left hand over their body to hold the left hand of their other partner. The goal is to untangle themselves without unclasping or re-clasping their hands.
6. Pictionary People Game
Divide into two groups, and each person writes their name on one side and three of their favorite things on the other side. The game is played by having each group stack their cards in a pile and then swapping stacks with the other group. An assigned dealer from each group pulls a card out, memorizes the activities written on it, and then draws a picture of one of the objects while the rest of the team shuffles through the cards and tries to match the activity with the person.
7. Time Bomb Introductions
A game that requires a tennis ball. Participants stand in a circle, go around the circle and say their first name. The tennis ball is a "time bomb." When someone throws it in the group, they only have 2 seconds to say someone else's name and throw the ball to them. If they can't remember anyone's name in 2 seconds, the "bomb" explodes, and they are "out."
8. Introduce Your Pet
A game that involves students sharing photos or videos of their pets during a virtual class.
9. Card House Challenge
Build the largest card house in 10 minutes, with the house that stands the longest winning a prize.
10. Spontaneous Virtual Show and Tell
Participants are asked to spontaneously grab an item closest to them and share it with the group.
11. Popcorn Catch
Pairs of participants try to catch popcorn in their mouth while taking steps backward, with the pair who catches the most popcorn from the farthest distance winning.
12. Icebreaker Questions Jenga
This game uses Jenga blocks with icebreaker questions written on them, with participants answering questions when they pull a block or having to answer multiple questions if the tower tumbles.
13. Building Team Challenge
Teams have 10 minutes to build a structure that can meet a challenge, such as being the biggest, tallest, most vital, or weirdest-shaped structure, using random construction items like glue, popsicle sticks, tape, marshmallows, etc.
14. Virtual "Would You Rather?"
Participants select a numbered question and answer the corresponding "Would You Rather" question.
15. Crossword Name Game
A crossword game is played in smaller groups where participants create a crossword using their names.
16. Toilet Paper Fun Facts Game
Participants rip off as many pieces as needed and share one fun fact about themselves for each piece they ripped.
17. Common Three Game
Teams have 5 minutes to discuss their interests and find three things they have in common, such as a shared favorite holiday, favorite subject in school, growing up in the same area, the same favorite color.
18. Introduce Yourself with a Birthday Month or Astrological Sign
Participants are called by their birthday month or astrological sign and share one random fact about themselves.
19. Rose, Thorn, and Spaghetti
Participants share the highlights and lowlights of their day or week.
20. Blindfold Trust Walk
A game about communication, focus, and trust, where one team member is blindfolded and guided through an obstacle course using only their partner's voice.
21. Selfie Challenge
An ongoing game where participants are assigned a topic for a weekly photo challenge, with participants sharing selfies that fit the theme and commenting on each other's photos.
22. Sit Down Icebreaker
The group leader begins by completing the sentence "sit down if..." with silly or strange phrases, such as: "Sit down if you ate chocolate today." "Sit down if you have been to South Dakota." "Sit down if you eat pineapple on your pizza." "Sit down if you have a pet cat." "Sit down if you have a TikTok account." Instruct teens to sit down if the statement is true for them.
23. Bag of Stories
A game that requires a large bag and random everyday items. Participants reach in to grab one of the objects without looking, and then the leader begins a story based on their holding object. The game continues around the circle until everyone has contributed to crafting an intriguing tale based on objects from the bag.
24. Toss and Chat Game
Requires an inflated beach ball and a permanent marker. Participants write silly random topics on each colored portion of the beach ball, and then toss the ball to each other. Whoever catches the ball must answer the question that their right index finger ends up touching.
25. Two Truths and a Lie
Participants go around the circle and each person lists three things about themselves- two factual statements and one false statement.
26. Don't Break the Frown
The game is played by dividing the group into pairs of 2 and having them stand back-to-back. After a countdown from 3, each pair turns to face their partner and stare into their eyes. The goal is to stay frowning for as long as possible.
27. Watermelon Explosion
Teams compete to explode a watermelon by wrapping rubber bands around it, with the team whose watermelon stands the longest winning.
28. "Find-Someone-Who" Human Bingo
Requires pre-made Bingo cards, pens, and prizes. Participants need to talk with each other and find someone who meets the criteria listed in each box within a set time frame. The first to get a full BINGO or aim for a "blackout" game wins a prize.
29. Bubblegum Challenge
Competitors compete to blow the biggest bubble using chewing gum.
30. Mix and Match Candy Challenge
Requires a bowl of multicoloured candy and a posterboard list of challenges correlated with each colour. Participants pick a handful of candy, perform the challenge associated with the selected colour, and if they don't like that challenge, they can find someone to swap colours with.
31. Nature Treasure Hunt
Requires baskets or buckets and outdoor space such as a forest or garden. The game is all about being creative and finding unique items in the natural environment to represent each earth element: air, water, fire, earth, space.
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