The purpose of an icebreaker is to help people feel comfortable sharing into the room. While interactive games and activities can help to break the ice, sometimes they can feel a bit like hitting an ice-cube with a hammer. For some people, traditional icebreakers make them feel less comfortable, not ore so.
Used well, icebreaker questions offer a good alternative to interactive activities, especially when you are working with the same group over a period of time. Icebreaker questions allow you to peel beneath the surface and encourage a deeper understanding of what makes each person tick. Some icebreaker questions to try:
1. What was your first job?
2. What are you reading right now?
3. Have you ever met anyone famous? Who and how?
4. If you could do any job other than the one you have, what would it be?
5. Who is someone you really admire and why?
6. Where is your favourite place to visit?
7. What is the best holiday you’ve ever had?
8. What is your most favourite family tradition?
9. Who influenced you the most growing up?
10. What is one thing you’d like to try this year?
11. What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
12. If you were to do a TED talk, what would it be about?
13. Which charity do you wish people knew more about and why?
14. If you could live in one TV/Netflix series, what would it be?
15. What is the best gift anyone has ever given you?
16. If they made a movie of your life, who would you want to play you?
17. What is the weirdest food you’ve ever eaten?
18. When was the last time you did something for the first time?
19. If someone rented a billboard for you to use however you wanted, what would you put on it?
20. If there were a holiday in your honour, what would it be?
What icebreaker questions do you use?
Kerri Price
Kerri is a professional facilitator with over 20 years experience in facilitation roles. She is the founder of The Facilitators Network and regularly facilitates workshops on Facilitation and Building a Facilitation Business.
Email: kerri@thefacilitatorsnetwork.co.nz