
Shuffle a deck of cards and hand out a card to each student. This classroom icebreaker is ideal for large groups of students (a maximum of 50). It also helps them learn about a figure who may have previously been unknown to them. This team icebreaker helps students loosen up and informally interact with their classmates. Students place a sticky note on their forehead and interact with their classmates, asking questions to understand which person they are embodying.

Write down names of famous people (or names related to course material) on sticky notes. This classic party game can also be applied in the classroom-you can even tweak it to reflect the curriculum. This is a good icebreaker to help your students warm up to one another at the start of the school year-especially those who are meeting one another for the first time. You can even award a prize of your choice, such as a bonus point or two on an upcoming assignment. Written inside each square is an item, such as ‘travelled to another continent’ or ‘has a younger sister.’ Students are given a time limit to find classmates who fit the description. Students are given a piece of paper with a grid of squares. This is like Bingo, but with people instead of chips. The trick is to provide open-ended questions rather than those with a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer to get students talking. Ask a question, such as “what’s your favorite thing about college and why?” Pairs discuss the answer, then rotate the circle to form new pairs for the next question-exposing students to the different perspectives of their peers. Arrange students in two circles, one inside the other, with students facing each other in pairs.

This is a great team-building icebreaker for an in-person learning environment.
