4 Still Easy, but Some Prep Needed Ice Breakers

Game 1: Number Cruncher

Materials Needed: Tape, Tape measure

How it Works:
Before your group meets, tape two long parallel lines on the floor. The lines should be no more than 18 inches away from each other, but no less than 12 inches and as long as you need for your group.

When you start, have your youth line up standing between the two taped line. Assign them a number. They need to remember their number.

Tell them that their goal is to switch spots until the line reverses in order. For example, if they are lined up 1-14 from left to right, then they need to end up 14-1 from left to right. However, they cannot step outside the tape lines at nay point  – if someone does, the whole group starts over. We let them put their feet n the line, but never over the line.

Variations:
Have students stand at random and then move to order of tallest to shortest, oldest to youngest, or in order of birthdays in the year. For extra challenge, make it so the no one in the group can speak.

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Game 2: If you were a ___________

Materials Needed:  Screen and projector, slide with different objects based on the season or have similar theme

How It Works:
This is something I use around holidays – Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, etc. I think of something that fits the holiday – Thanksgiving Sides for example – and find a bunch of pictures of that topic.

Have each person pick which they would be and why – go around the room and have everyone share

Examples of Topics:

  • Types of wrapping paper
  • Christmas trees
  • Images from Thanksgiving
  • Clocks and watches
  • Easter baskets
  • Santa Clauses
  • Homes
  • Cars

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Game 3: Interrogation

Materials Needed: Pads of paper, pens, time, lists of questions, chairs

How It Works:
Split the group into teams. You can do two teams or multiple. I would suggest multiple teams of 4 or 5 if your group is around or over 20 Youth.

Have a chair in the front of your space for each team – 4 teams = 4 chairs. Each team will also need a pad of paper and pen on each chair.

Explain these rules to your Youth:

In your group you will select one person to interrogate. You will have one minute to ask them as many questions as you can think of.

After that minute, that person will come and sit in your team’s chair. Once they are sitting in the chair, you are NOT allowed to communicate with them and vice versa

The leader will ask a question (if you have a screen to project the question on, that would be great). The person sitting here will write down their answer and show it to the leader only– it must be a TRUE answer (can’t say Big Mac when asking for shoe size). In your group, you will whisper to think of what this person’s answer is.

If your team gets what your teammate has written down correctly, you get a point. Most points win!

The catch of this game is that the questions you ask are random, unpredictable, and NOT what they ask each other in their groups. Here is a list of questions to help you out, feel free to use your own too:

  • What do you order from McDonalds?
  • What is your shoe size?
  • What is your eye color?
  • What is your favorite type of meat?
  • What is your favorite movie?
  • Who do you watch on TikTok/YouTube?
  • Who is your favorite superhero?
  • What is your favorite vegetable?

Extra Info:

  • I use this activity for kids to get to know each other, but also as a lesson starter. I’ve used this for devotions & Bible studies about friendship, knowledge, relationships.
  • Make sure you don’t show the next question too early – that would defeat the purpose of the game…

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Game 4: Sound Effects

Materials Needed: List of objects for which students can make a sound effect

How It Works:
Split the group into teams. Size depends on your group size and person preference. I like to use two large teams for this activity.

There are two ways you can play this game. It’s a little like charades, only with noises rather than acting it out.

Option 1:

Tell each team that they will pick one person each round to come to the front – everyone on your team needs to go once before someone comes up twice. Show the room the object the person needs to give an impression of.

Have the people give the impression & have Adult Leaders judge which was best. Best impression gets a point.

Option 2:

Have one person from each team come up like in Option 1. This person can NOT look at the screen. Show the rest of the room the object – THEY need to give an impression of the object. They CANNOT do ANY actions – this is voice ONLY.

The person in the front gets one guess. If they’re right, their team gets a point, and they switch with someone else on their team. If they are wrong, the other team gets a turn at the same object. Go until one team gets it right.

List of Objects:

Whale, bells, phone, bird, airplane, lightning, cow, chainsaw, stubbing your toe, dog, horn, bee, lawn mower, helicopter, fish, light saber, fart, cat, rain, thunder, snake, truck, sheep, tearing paper, wind, frog, fire, alarm clock, monkey, piano, siren, pig, boat, guitar, elephant, drums, horse, doorbell

About the author

Blake Brockman is the Director of Youth & Family Ministries at Peace Lutheran in Antigo, WI. He loves his wife Hannah, sports, and being creative with writing and his YouTube channel. Blake loves to learn and teach practical ways to walk with God.
View more from Blake

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