Ice Breaker Ideas

Today we have advanced means of communication like cell phones and the Internet which can help people keep in touch 24 x 7. Yet people are more and more distant from each other today and indifferent to the point of not acknowledging each others presence. In such a scenario when people are brought together in meetings, icebreaker ideas are necessary, which can help bridge the gap and make people connect with each other.

Sometimes the only way to make people know each other is to force them to be together. The thing which brings people together is laughter and an interest in each other.

For Adults
Adults come with their share of prejudices which sometimes makes it difficult for them to get to know other people. Here I suggest some ideas for large groups or meetings, which can help liven up the whole mood.

Catch & Name
This is a nice icebreaker idea for a large group of people. The idea is that everybody should get to know each others names. All you need is a rubber ball, that could be tossed around, which is big enough to be caught easily. The rule is that the group has to shout out name of the guy or girl who catches the ball as it is tossed around in a circle. Before the game starts everybody must stand in a circle and introduce themselves. It can be a lot of fun as with every ball toss, people get to know each other.

Dumb Charades
This is a nice ice breaker idea for small groups. The idea is that you can make two or more groups according to the number of people. A person from every group is given a name of a Hollywood movie or any other name and he has to help his group in guessing the name, without saying it aloud or lip-syncing it. He can use hand gestures, facial expressions or even draw things on a board! Keep points for right guesses. This is a fun game which is enjoyed by almost every group.

Introductions in Groups of Two
If it's a large group, you make small groups of two each for this activity. These people must be randomly picked to be together. Then you give them time to get to know each other. Then they must introduce each other to the rest of the group. This idea works most of the time.

For Kids
Kids rarely need ice breaker ideas to get to know each other. Their inherent curiosity and playfulness makes it easy for them to be friends. Still, ice breaker games are always welcome, as kids basically love having fun.

Tell a Joke
Every kid must introduce himself and tell a joke to the group. If he can't come up with a joke, then he/she must sing. This idea works in smaller groups of kids. If kids laugh together, they connect very well!

20 Questions
One of the kids must think about the name of a famous personality. Then the rest of the kids must guess who he/she is, by asking him only 20 yes or know questions!

Tail the Donkey
Every kid is blindfolded in turns and asked to put a tail on the donkey's picture put up on the board. Kids can guide the blindfolded guy/girl. Kids enjoy this game a lot.

You can come up with your own ones. Ultimately to make the world a better place, we need to demolish the walls of hate and indifference. In reality, a simple and disarmingly honest smile is the best ice breaker idea that one can come up with!