Icebreaker Games That Get Any Group Talking

Two truths and a lie: each person says three things about themselves, and the group guesses which one is made up. It suits groups of up to about 15, and people always remember the odd facts afterwards.

This or that: call out two choices, such as beach or mountains, and everyone moves to one side of the room. People find out what they have in common without anyone having to speak first.

Keep the rules short and let them move. Play would you rather with a side of the room for each answer, or hunt for classmates who share a favorite food, a pet or a birthday month.

Choose questions with no wrong answer, so a quiet child can join in without worrying. A spin on the projector also means no child is put on the spot by the teacher.

Choose something light that nobody has to perform. A question wheel works well: spin one, go round the group, and let anyone pass who wants to.

For a bigger room, split people into pairs or small groups first. Two minutes with one other person feels much easier than speaking to 30.

On a video call, keep it visual: share a screen, spin the wheel, and let people answer in the chat or out loud. Yes or no questions work well, as everyone can reply with a thumb at the same time.

A wheel saves you from thinking up questions and takes the pressure off whoever is leading. Nobody feels picked on, because the wheel chose. You can also type your own prompts and save the wheel for next time.