Games & icebreakers

Teambuilders | Affirmative Fold-Ups AFFIRMATIVE FOLD-UPS: Have group comfortably sit in a circle.Give each participant a sheet of paper and ask them…

Teambuilders | Back-to-Back BACK TO BACK: Every group member must find a partner of approximately equal height and weight, if possible.The partners…

Teambuilders | Chalkboard Sentences CHALKBOARD SENTENCES: This exercise asks the participants, working in teams, to race against one another to…

Teambuilders | Clipboards CLIPBOARDS: This activity can be done in two ways.The first is to do the activity at the beginning of a groups’…

Teambuilders | Human Knot HUMAN KNOT: The group starts out in one or two tight circles.Everyone in the group reaches across the circle with their…

Teambuilders | Keep It Up KEEP IT UP: The players form two or more teams with 10-12 players on a team.Each team gets into a circle.Each teams is…

Teambuilders | Lap Sit LAP SIT: The group will start in a circle.Every group member will turn placing their left leg towards the inside of the…

Teambuilders | Levitation LEVITATION: One person will lie on the ground on his/her back, with eyes closed (if they feel comfortable).The rest of the…

Teambuilders | Masks MASKS: Participants are given a piece of paper (preferably poster board).They are asked to cut out a face shape (that is fairly…

Teambuilders | Penny for Your Thoughts PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS: All participants are given a bag with pennies (each participant should have one penny…

Teambuilders | People Pass PEOPLE PASS: Have the group split into two smaller groups, if necessary.Have the groups lie down on their backs, in a…

Teambuilders | Piece of the Puzzle PIECE OF THE PUZZLE: Facilitator should cut a puzzle out of poster paper ahead of time.(There should be one piece…

Teambuilders | Possitive Bombardment POSITIVE BOMBARDMENT: One member is selected to be the recipient of positive feedback from the rest of the…

Teambuilders | Progressive Story PROGRESSIVE STORY: For this exercise, a group of people must know one another and feel comfortable discussing…

Teambuilders | Taffy Pull TAFFY PULL: Begin by asking group members to remove any sharp jewelry or belt buckles.Then, divide group into two teams…

Team Builders AFFIRMATIVE FOLD-UPS BACK TO BACK CHALKBOARD SENTENCES CLIPBOARDS HUMAN KNOT KEEP IT UP LAP SIT LEVITATION LIFELINES MACHINE GAME MASKS…

Teambuilders | Tinker Toy Competition TINKER TOY COMPETITION: The group leader should bring a box of tinker toys and divide the pieces in two (or…

Teambuilders | Touchstones TOUCHSTONES: This activity is best done at the end of a group experience.All participants are asked to chose a touchstone…

Teambuilders | Trust Walk TRUST WALK: This is an incredible trust activity!Every group member is either blind-folded, not blind-folded, but promises…

Teambuilders | Values Discussion VALUES DISCUSSION: Have participants find two people who are wearing the same color as them.Have them find a spot…

Teambuilders | What You Don't Know WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW: Tape a blank piece of paper (poster board - kind of like a billboard over the person’s head)…

Teambuilders | Willow in the Wind WILLOW IN THE WIND: Should follow after a “two or three person trust fall” has been completed.This activity can be…

Teambuilders | Three Person Trust Fall THREE PERSON TRUST FALL**: This trust activity should not be done with out doing a “two person trust fall”…

Teambuilders | Two-Person Trust Fall TWO PERSON TRUST FALL**: Every group member needs to find a partner of approximately equal height and weight.One…

Problem Solving Activities| Listening Skills Drawings LISTENING SKILLS DRAWINGS: You will need a piece of paper and a writing utensil for each…

High Energy | Jolly Green Giant JOLLY GREEN GIANT: This game is very similar to Sharks and Minnows .Two lines need to be established about forty…

Low Energy | ABC Game ABC GAME: Group members can sit in any formation (preferably a circle).The first person starts by making up a name for him/her…

High Energy | Ace Baseball ACE BASEBALL: Materials needed: Baseball bat and nerf ball (or larger ball). Baseball...without any of the rules of…

Low Energy | Adjective Name Game ADJECTIVE NAME GAME: The group is formed in a circle, and each group member is required to think of an adjective…

Problem Solving Activities| All Aboard ALL ABOARD: The object of the game is to get all of the people in the group onto the board.(Can either use a…

High Energy | Arch Ball ARCH BALL: Players (10-30) are divided into two equal teams. Each team forms a line, one in front of the other, about arms…

Low Energy | Artists, Clay, Model ARTIST, CLAY, MODEL: Participants divide into groups of three (an artist, a model, and some clay).One person is the…

Ice Breakers | Autograph Sheet AUTOGRAPH SHEET: Participants are given a sheet with various traits on it.The objective is to find a person in the…

High Energy | Bacon and Eggs BACON AND EGGS : In a sitting position in a circle, designate one person to be “it.” Go around the circle and tap each…

High Energy | Balloon Tag BALLOON TAG: Tie strings to balloons and then tie one balloon to each person’s ankle.It is every man/woman for him/herself…

High Energy | Balloons Over and Under BALLOONS OVER AND UNDER: A single line is formed with one person behind another. Four or five balloons filled…

High Energy | Bananna Relay BANANA RELAY: This activity is very similar to the “Neck Race.”However, in this game, a banana is placed between the…

Problem Solving Activities| BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!: This game is similar to “Scissors.”One person starts by saying (in a rather dramatic way and in…

Ice Breakers | Beachball Instructions Get a large inflatable beach ball and use a permanent fine or medium point marker to write all of the following…

High Energy | Bird Hunter BIRD HUNTER: One player is the “hunter” and the others are “birds.” The hunter throws a ball at the birds, who may run…

Problem Solving Activities| Birthday Line BIRTHDAY LINE: Explain to the group that this is a nonverbal exercise.The group is to form a single…

Ice Breakers | Bite The Bag BITE THE BAG: The team is instructed to form a large circle.The facilitator then places a brown grocery bag in the center…

Low Energy | Blanket Name Game BLANKET NAME GAME: Have your group divide itself into two groups.Tell them to sit on the floor facing each other.Hold…

Problem Solving Activities| Blind Polygon BLIND POLYGON: The object of the game is for the group to form a perfect square and a triangle (and other…

Problem Solving Activities| Blindfold Line-up BLINDFOLD LINE-UP: Ask the group to close their eyes and keep them closed for the remainder of the game…

High Energy | Blob Tag BLOB TAG: This is a great dame to play with other groups.First establish the boundaries and pick one person who wants to be…

Problem Solving Activities| Body English BODY ENGLISH: Split the group into two groups.Each group must plan and spell out the words by using their…

Problem Solving Activities| Brain Benders BRAIN BENDERS: Creatively divide the group into the desired number of small groups.Explain to the group…

High Energy | Capture the Flag CAPTURE THE FLAG: The playing area is divided in half; at each right-hand rear corner is a rectangle that is known as…

High Energy | Cat and Mouse CAT AND MOUSE : Before the game begins, designate one player as the “cat” and another as a “mouse.” The rest of the…

Ice Breakers | Catch me if you can CATCH ME IF YOU CAN: Players should be paired up.All players divide into two lines (facing in) shoulder to…

High Energy | Catching the Snake's Tail CATCHING THE SNAKE’S TAIL: A fish is formed with all of the students holding hands in a line. One end is the…

Low Energy | Chain Backrub CHAIN BACKRUB: Participants form a circle, shoulder-to-shoulder, and turn to their right.Next, players take an additional…

Problem Solving Activities| Chicken, Chicken CHICKEN, CHICKEN: This game is very similar to “Bang! Bang!”One person starts by saying (dramatically)…

High Energy | Clam Free CLAM FREE: Start by defining the boundaries of the playing field. One person volunteers to be the “nuclear reactor” and…

Ice Breakers | Comic Strip Chaos COMIC STRIP CHAOS: Each participant takes a turn at picking a comic frame out of the large container.After the…

Low Energy | Concentration CONCENTRATION: The rhythm for the game is slap, slap (on the knees), snap, snap (one on each hand (right, then left).Group…

Ice Breakers | Confusion CONFUSION: Great high energy game to help participants begin to feel more comfortable in new group.Give each participant a…

Low Energy | Crock-A-Dilly CROCK-A-DILLY: Group members form a circle sitting Indian Style with their hands on their knees - palms up (right hand…

High Energy | Crows and Cranes CROWS AND CRANES: Players are divided into two teams. Mark two safety lines not more than 40 feet from center. Midway…

Low Energy | Dead Fish DEAD FISH: The group starts by getting into a comfortable position that can be sustained for a long period of time.Once…

High Energy | Dizzy Izzy DIZZY IZZY: Split the group into two teams (or however many you would like). Have them line up so they are about forty feet…

Ice Breakers | Do You Love Your Neighbor DO YOU LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR: The group stands in a circle with room in the center.(Best if played with groups…

Low Energy | Egg/Balloon Toss EGG/BALLOON TOSS: Split the group into two teams.Have all of the members of each team spread out so they are about ten…

High Energy | Elbow Tag ELBOW TAG: Everyone gets a partner and hooks elbows. The pairs spread out around the designated playing area. Two individuals…

High Energy | Everybody's It EVERYBODY’S IT: Just as the name says...everybody’s it!The object is to tag without being tagged.Once someone has been…

High Energy | Evolution EVOLUTION: It is essential that every group member knows how to play “Rock, Paper, Scissors.” Everyone starts out as an egg…

PDF, 290 KB. Download the original PDF file . The text below was extracted from it, so tables, images and layout may differ. September 2000, Av 5760…

Ice Breakers | Geographic Location GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION: Each group member is from a different geographic location, but together they will form a…

Getting to know you activity with sno-cones! Talk about breaking the ice! Snowcone flyer (Word ) Instructions: (1) Purchase/obtain sno-cone machine…

High Energy | Giants, Wizards and Elves GIANTS, WIZARDS, AND ELVES: The group is split up into two equal groups. Each of the two groups will huddle…

Low Energy | Group Juggling GROUP JUGGLING: The group starts in a circle formation.The leader of the group will begin with one object in hand (i.e. a…

High Energy | Guard the Bone GUARD THE BONE: This game is played in groups of four. One person is the dog and sits on his/her hands and knees. The…

Low Energy | HA HA!: Have the group lie on the ground or floor.Position each to lie their head on another’s tummy.One of the end people will…

Low Energy | HAGOO HAGOO: Separate the group into two even groups and have them stand in two separate lines (shoulder to shoulder) facing the…

Problem Solving Activities| Hieght Line HEIGHT LINE: Ask participants to close their eyes (if they feel comfortable).Without opening their eyes, the…

ACE BASEBALL ARCH BALL BACON AND EGGS BALLOON TAG BALLOONS OVER AND UNDER BANANA RELAY BIRD HUNTER BLOB TAG CAPTURE THE FLAG CAT AND MOUSE CATCHING…

High Energy | Hill Dill HILL DILL: The person who is “it” stands in the center of the play area while the other players stand behind one of the goal…

Ice Breakers | Hog Call HOG CALL: Break the group into pairs.Each pair must choose two things; a machine and an animal.They then have to decide who…

Ice Breakers | Hometown HOMETOWN: Post a large outline of Colorado (or the country) on the wall.Leave border space for those born outside of the…

Problem Solving Activities| How're Ya Doin'? Just Fine, Thanks HOW’RE YA DOIN’?JUST FINE, THANKS: Ask the group to close their eyes and get into a…

Ice Breakers | Hum That Tune HUM THAT TUNE: Each person in the group is given a small piece of paper with the name of a nursery rhyme or other song…

Ice Breakers | Human Scavenger Hunt HUMAN SCAVENGER HUNT: The paper will have a series of questions on it (in a bingo format - in…

Ice Breakers | Human Taco HUMAN TACO: Stick labeled note card (with taco ingredient) on the back of everyone’s shirt.(i.e. the word meat printed on a…

Low Energy | Human Twister HUMAN TWISTER: You will need two different colored slips of paper for each person in the group (the size of a 3 X 5…

Low Energy | I Love You, Baby I LOVE YOU, BABY: The group forms and sits in a circle.The “it” player approaches one person and says, “I love you…

Ice Breakers AUTOGRAPH SHEET BEACH BALL QUESTIONS BITE THE BAG CATCH ME IF YOU CAN COMIC STRIP CHAOS CONFUSION DO YOU LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR GEOGRAPHIC…

High Energy | Ice Cubes ICE CUBES: Divide the players into two equal teams. At a starting signal, each team picks up an ice cube and tries to melt it…

Beach Ball Ice Breaker INSTRUCTIONS: Get a large inflatable beach ball and use a permanent fine or medium point marker to write all of the following…

Have a bingo type game where you have a grid and you write different things in each box like "has green eyes" or "been to cltc before" then you go…

Low Energy | Indian Chief INDIAN CHIEF: The group sits in a circle formation.One group member is asked to leave the circle to close their eyes and…

Low Energy | Is Mrs. Mumble Home IS MRS. MUMBLE HOME?: The group will sit in a circle formation.One person will start by turning to the person next…

High Energy | I'm Sending a Letter I’M SENDING A LETTER: The group starts by sitting in a large circle. There should be some room between each…

High Energy | Kabaddi KABADDI: Any playing area can be used with boundaries set and a center line created. Two teams are created. Each team is on one…

Low Energy | Killer KILLER: Everybody will start close together with their eyes closed and thumbs up.The leader will squeeze the thumb of one group…

High Energy | Lemonade LEMONADE: Divide the players into two teams. Have the teams line up at opposite sides of a playing area, which is clearly…

High Energy | Life Savor Relay LIFE SAVOR RELAY: This activity is similar to the “Banana Relay” and the “Neck Race.”In this game, each team member…

Low Energy | Line Name Game LINE NAME GAME: This game is a variation of the Motion Name Game .Can be played with group of any size.Best if group has…

High Energy | Line Push Tag LINE PUSH TAG: One person is “it” and one is “not it.” The rest of the group lines up in a straight line shoulder to…

High Energy | Line Relay LINE RELAY: Divide the group into two equal teams. Designate a starting line and end line. On the signal, the first person…

High Energy | Log Roll LOG ROLL: Have the entire group lie down on their stomachs, shoulder to shoulder, forming a straight line. Then the person on…

High Energy | Loose Caboose LOOSE CABOOSE: Groups (trains of 3 or 4) depending upon the size of the group are made up with the individuals lining up…

ABC GAME ARTIST, CLAY, MODEL CHAIN BACKRUB CROCK-A-DILLY EGG/BALLOON TOSS DEAD FISH HA! HAGOO HUMAN TWISTER I LOVE YOU, BABY INDIAN CHIEF IS MRS.…

Low Energy | M&M Swap M & M SWAP: Have the group form a circle standing up.After everyone is given a plastic spoon, the first player is given four or…

Teambuilders | Machine Game MACHINE GAME: The object of this game is to create a machine out of a group of people (i.e. ceiling fan, hot air balloon…

Ice Breakers | Make a Date MAKE A DATE: Give each participant a paper plate.Have them draw the face of a clock on their plate with a line next to…

High Energy | Man Overboard MAN OVERBOARD: First the Captain of the ship must explain the directions of the ship to it’s passengers. Starboard means…

Low Energy | Motion Name Game MOTION NAME GAME: Have everyone stand in a circle.Anyone can begin the game by saying his/her name and demonstrating a…

Ice Breakers | Mumble Jumble MUMBLE JUMBLE: Before the activity begins, the leader will cut up a few pictures into puzzle pieces.Each group member…

Low Energy | Name Tag Mania NAME TAG MANIA: Participants are given a name tag and a magic marker.They are asked to print their name on the upper…

High Energy | Neck Races NECK RACES: Split the group into two teams. Have them line up male-female, if possible. Give the person in the front of the…

Low Energy | Ongoing Tag ONGOING TAG: This is an ongoing tag game that you can initiate at the first meeting of the group.You tell the group that one…

High Energy | Partner Tag PARTNER TAG: The game is started by each group member getting a partner.Between the two partners one will decide to be…

Problem Solving Activities| Pass the Pebble PASS THE PEBBLE: All players stand about while one goes around pretending to drop a pebble into the hands…

High Energy | People to People PEOPLE TO PEOPLE : An odd number of people is necessary for the activity to work. To begin, everyone grabs a partner.…

High Energy | Pirates Gold PIRATES’ GOLD: Split the group in half and make one team the “Pirates” and the other “Coast Guards.” One person within the…

Low Energy | Posture Relay POSTURE RELAY: Two teams line up side by side.The first person in line runs up and around a cone and back with a bean bag…

Teambuilders | PRUI PRUI: The purpose of this game is to integrate group members and build trust and communication.Have each player take a blindfold…

High Energy | Raid RAID: The leader begins by choosing two “exterminators.” Everyone else is an ant. The “exterminators” will be doing the chasing.…

Low Energy | Rain/Thunder RAIN/THUNDER: This is a game of “follow the leader.”Closed eyes create the rainstorm effect.Participants sit in a circle…

High Energy | Red Rover RED ROVER: Divide the participants into two equal teams. Team members hold hands and face each other with about twenty feet…

High Energy | Rolling Down the Hill Race ROLLING DOWN THE HILL RACE: Split the group into two teams and have them stand at the top of the hill. When…

Ice Breakers | Solemn and Silent S OLEMN AND SILENT: The instructor explains that this exercise will take self control.Members pair back to back.On…

Problem Solving Activities| Scissors SCISSORS: Split the group into small groups of any number you would like and have each group sit in a circle.The…

Ice Breakers | Self-introduction Exercise SELF INTRODUCTION EXERCISE: The objective of this exercise is for members of the team to become acquainted…

Ice Breakers | Sentence Stems SENTENCE STEMS: Form dyads (2) or triads (3) and have participants complete the rest of the sentence.The leader can…

Low Energy | Seven Elevens SEVEN ELEVENS: Have group get into a circle on the floor.A volunteer from the circle will start the game by saying…

Low Energy | Seven Up SEVEN UP: Seven people from the group are chosen to stand in the front of the room while all others remain seated with their…

High Energy | Sewing up the Gap SEWING UP THE GAP: The object of this game is to tag the chasee before he/she can “sew up the gap.”(All of the gaps…

Ice Breakers | Shoe Factory SHOE FACTORY: Have the group stand in a large circle shoulder to shoulder.Then have everyone remove their shoes and put…

Ice Breakers | Shoe Game SHOE GAME: Have the group stand in a large circle shoulder to shoulder.Then have everyone remove their shoes, tie them…

Problem Solving Activities| Shoe Sort SHOE SORT: Creatively divide the groups into two smaller groups.Then tell a space sotry while handing out the…

Teambuilders | Sing Down SING DOWN: Teams are created of anywhere from three to ten in a group.The leader will give the groups a word (i.e. love…

Low Energy | Slaps SLAPS: The group begins by lying on their stomach in a circle with their heads facing the middle of the circle.Every participant’s…

Even More Games! Each game listing has a title, a code, author (if any), and a description and examples of play. The code simply tells you if the…

Low Energy | Sounds in the Night SOUNDS IN THE NIGHT: Late at night, animal sounds drift into the darkened house; dogs howl, crickets chirp, cats…

High Energy | Spear the Sweets SPEAR THE SWEETS: This is a relay activity. All players place a toothpick in their mouths and line up in a line (front…

High Energy | Speed Rabbit SPEED RABBIT: Group stands in a circle leaving room in the middle for a person to be the caller. (Best with groups of 20…

High Energy | Spoon Game SPOON GAME: Split the group into two teams. Have them line up and, at about 30-40 feet away, place a cup. The first person…

High Energy | Spud SPUD: One person is picked to be it. All of the other participants are given numbers. The person who is it will throw the ball…

High Energy | Steel the Bacon STEEL THE BACON: Divide the group into two teams. Everybody on Team 1 gets a number and everybody on team two gets a…

Ice Breakers | Stinger STINGER: Have the group form a circle and close their eyes.Facilitator circles the group and selects a “stinger” by squeezing…

Ice Breakers | Superlatives SUPERLATIVES: Participants are asked to study the composition of the group quietly and to decide on a superlative…

Teambuilders | Team vs. The Wall TEAM VS. THE WALL: Divide the group into two teams.Two members of the team hold the rope at about four to five feet…

Low Energy | Think Fast THINK FAST: Have group stand and form a circle.When the group is in position, the leader explains that they will be playing a…

Low Energy | Toe Fencing TOE FENCING: Have participants find a partner and face each other, holding hands.They then try to tap the tops of each…

Ice Breakers | Toilet Paper Game TOILET PAPER GAME: Get a roll of toilet paper and explain to your group that they are going camping and need to take…

Problem Solving Activities| Traffic Jam TRAFFIC JAM: Divide the group depending on how many people there are.The groups need to be of even numbers of…

High Energy | Triangle Tag TRIANGLE TAG: This is a tag game for four people. Three of the group members hold hands in a circle and one of them is…

Ice Breakers | Truth, Truth, Lie TRUTH, TRUTH, LIE: Give the group some time to write down two things about themselves that are true, and one thing…

High Energy | Tunnel Relay TUNNEL RELAY: Each team stands in a single line (players one yard behind each other with feet apart). At the signal, the…

High Energy | Ultimate Deck Tennis ULTIMATE DECK TENNIS: Get players used to throwing and catching rings. Rings must be caught by letting it fall…

High Energy | Ultimate Frisbee ULTIMATE FRISBEE: Divide the group into two teams.Now set up two areas where points can be scored.Usually this is…

Ice Breakers | Uncle Joe's Suitcase UNCLE JOE’S SUITCASE: The group forms a circle.The first person states their name and the reason they picked this…

Low Energy | Wanna Buy a Duck? WANNA BUY A DUCK?: Participants sit in a circle.One person starts by turning to person on one side of his/her and…

Problem Solving Activities| Warp Speed WARP SPEED: The group starts in a circle formation Warp Speed has the same beginning as Group Juggling.Instead…

Low Energy | Water Gun Killer WATER GUN KILLER: This is a fun game!Leader takes pictures of all participants ahead of time.Each person is given a…

Ice Breakers | Who am I...Or Famous Pairs WHO AM I...OR FAMOUS PAIRS: In this exercise, group members will be asked to identify the names of famous…

Low Energy | Whomp 'em WHOMP ‘EM: One person is the “Whomp ‘Em Master.”That individual stands in the middle of circle with the “Whomp ‘Em…

Low Energy | WHOOOO? WHOOOO?: This is a night activity (and pretty spooky too - YAOW!).Ask for four or five volunteers to be hiders (owls, if you…

High Energy | Wizards and Gelflings WIZARDS AND GELFLINGS: The leader will begin by choosing two “Wizards.”The wizards will be doing the chasing.The…