5 Fun Icebreakers for Kids (Updated 2024)
Icebreakers are a fantastic way to engage children and create a lively and inclusive atmosphere. Whether you’re organizing a children’s party, a school event, or a summer camp, incorporating fun icebreakers can set the tone for an enjoyable and interactive experience. These activities not only help kids get to know each other but also encourage teamwork, boost confidence, and spark creativity. If you’re looking for some exciting icebreakers that will captivate young minds and get them interacting and laughing together, you’ve come to the right place.
In this article, we will explore five fun icebreaker games specifically designed for kids. From energetic group games to imaginative storytelling adventures, these activities are sure to break the ice and create a positive and inclusive environment. Whether you’re a teacher, a camp counselor, or a parent planning a gathering, these icebreakers will make the kids feel welcome, build connections, and set the stage for a memorable and enjoyable experience. Get ready to unleash laughter, foster new friendships, and kickstart the fun with these three engaging icebreakers for kids!
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It isn’t only adults who may feel nervous when brought together with people that they don’t know. The same goes for children too. Luckily, there are a variety of different age-appropriate icebreakers for kids that you can use to bring a group out of their shells.
Ball Catch and Answer
If you have a group of children that don’t know each other, then this icebreaker is an ideal way to get them to get to know their peers as well as have fun too. Get the children to stand in a circle and grab a bean bag or a softball. Start the game by throwing your bean bag or ball at one of the children and ask them a simple question about themselves. “What is your name?” “Do you have a pet?” “What is your favorite color?” The children then take turns throwing the item and asking questions of their own. Play for 5 – 10 minutes, depending on the size of your group.
”Let’s talk! Bridge the gap. Break the ice.” – Debashis Sarmah.
There are also ways to add variety to this activity. For example, you can get a beach ball, put circular stickers all around the ball, and write fun questions on each sticker (or just write directly on the ball). The question can include things like “What is your favorite food?” and “If you could be an animal, what animal would you be?” When you throw the beach ball, the child will (hopefully) catch it, and the sticker that is under or closest to their right thumb when they catch it is the question they will have to answer. For even more fun, you can have the kiddos help you create the questions before you start the game as well. The options are truly endless!
The Line-Up
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A great icebreaker game, if you have a larger group, has to be The Line-Up Icebreaker. This works best with around six players per team, and mixed ages are ideal. You act as the caller of the game, asking the teams to line up in order of age, first name order, height, birthdays, longest hair, and most cousins. The list can go on. This encourages the children to learn more about one another and will have them laughing and interacting too.
Just like the previous icebreaker, this icebreaker can be tailored as well to meet the needs of different students. For example, you can have the students do the activity silently, or you can have them practice their writing skills by being required to communicate via writing only. If you are a class teacher, this activity allows you to quickly see who the different students are in your class and encourage problem-solving skills. This activity is known to bring leaders to the forefront, and this can be helpful in allowing you to understand how to continue running your class.
Funny Faces
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If you have a smaller group of children, then you might worry that there are fewer icebreakers that you can use. However, there are some icebreakers that are ideal for small groups.
Funny Faces is one of those. Ask the children to sit in a circle facing each other. One of the children is “it,” and he or she needs to make their funniest face to get everyone else to laugh. They get a point for every person who smiles or laughs. After a set amount of time (say 30 seconds) they then need to wipe their funny face off and pass it to the next child. This is great fun and is likely to have even the grown-ups smiling.
Emoji Charades
Like Funny Faces, this icebreaker for kids involves moving your face too! Give each kid a card with an emoji on it. Go around in a circle and have each kid act out which emoji they are. Everyone else guesses until they can get it.
This is an especially great icebreaker when you want kids to feel comfortable being in front of a group.
You can mix it up and play this game with animals instead of emojis. Write the name of an animal on each kid’s card and have them act it out for the other kids to guess.
Name That Tune
Put on the first few notes of a tune that the average kid would know, such as a nursery rhyme or clean pop music. Have them raise their hands when they have a guess for the song. You can play as many rounds as you want!
Conclusion:
Icebreaker activities are not only helpful for adults, but for kids too! We hope our list of ideas has helped you plan your next kids party, camp, classroom game, or activity. If there are any kids icebreakers you think we’ve missed, comment them down below!
These are some of the best icebreakers for kids. Want more icebreaker ideas?
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