Do you remember how you felt when you attended a new school or a classroom in your childhood days?
Have you ever attended a summer camp as a kid? Do you remember that feeling of discomfort on that first day?
Have you gone to a birthday party or a sleepover as a child? Do you remember the first hour when you felt like a complete outcast?
If your answer is “yes” to any of the above scenarios, you know how it feels to meet other kids for the first time without your parents.
This is where icebreaker games for kids come into the picture. They let you feel at ease with other kids. You interact with each other, talk and play, and become comfortable around each other.
Now, have you arranged a birthday party for your kid? Are you planning to invite other kids as well?
Then you can include an icebreaker game for kids in the event. It makes the kids happy and welcomed right from the start. And this will lead to more laughter and fewer tears.
Isn’t that what you want on your kid’s birthday?
So, what are the games that you can add to the event as icebreakers for kids? No idea?
Fret not. I’m here to make things easy for you and your kids. After all, it’s a birthday party, and you already have many things on your to-do list.
Isn’t it?
What Do You Mean by Icebreakers Games For Kids?
If you are still not sure what icebreakers games are, then this section is for you.
These games are actually organized activities. What happens here?
These games and activities encourage your kids to communicate and play with the other kids. It is somewhat like warming up before the actual workout starts.
The benefits?
Your kids get prepared for group experiences in sleepovers, parties, camps, and classrooms. As a result, they feel comfortable, share laughter and things about themselves, and have conversations with each other.
Best Icebreakers Games for Kids
Icebreakers are great for kids when you want them to gel well with each other. But, of course, your approach should be communal, and you should not leave anyone out.
Have you ever noticed that most activities for kids involve them sitting in a circle?
If so, have you wondered why?
According to psychology, if you sit in a circle, it creates a sense of belonging in you. And when kids sit like that, they feel good with the other kids in a classroom or elsewhere.
You know, I was a bit introverted when I was a kid. I took time to gel with other kids. That is the reason I never wanted to attend any birthday parties.
Also, on my birthday, I never attended school, as we had this thing of interacting with every kid in our class on birthdays!
If you are a parent to a kid like I was, I suggest introducing them to icebreakers games for kids.
These games are fun. They make it easy for kids to be social. And they make your kids happy.
Here I have come up with the best icebreaker games that are perfect for your kids. I have discussed each of them in detail. You will know what you need to play the game, how to set things up, and how to play.
All you have to do is make the kids play.
So, without further ado, let’s get started with the games!
1. Beach Ball
Things You Will Need
All you need is a beach ball that can be inflated. Remember, don’t use any hard-surface ball.
Setting up
Ask the kids to stand in a vast circle depending on the number of participants in the game. Now give the ball to any kid who will start the game.
How to Play?
This game is about tossing and catching the ball but with a twist.
The first kid who starts the game says any other kid’s name loudly and then tosses the ball to them. The kid who catches the balls says their name and then says one fun fact about them.
For example, if the first kid says “Tom” and throws the ball to Tom, Tom will receive the ball and say, “Hi, I’m Tom, and I like video games.”
The second kid then calls out another kid’s name and throws the ball to them, who then have to say their name and a fun fact about them loudly.
This continues until all the kids in the group get to say their names and tell an interesting fact about them.
Do you want a second round?
Then again, the kids have to throw and catch the beach ball. But this round will be about how well you listened to other kids in the first round.
Here, the thrower tosses the ball to Tom and says, “this is for Tom, who likes to play video games.” This continues until everyone in the group takes a turn in catching the beach ball and saying a fun fact about the other kid.
2. Toilet Paper Fun Facts Game
Things you will Need
You need a toilet paper roll.
Setting up
Make the kids sit in a big circle depending on how many are playing the game. Now take a roll of toilet paper and ask them to pass to the next kid in a clockwise direction.
How to Play?
While passing the roll, they have to tear it, making sure that they have at least one to six pieces of it in their hand. This will continue until all of the kids have pieces of toilet paper in their hands.
To make the passing of toilet paper interesting, you can tell them potty jokes. This can lead to happy giggles.
Once the passing is complete, ask them to show how many pieces of toilet paper they have in their hand – one by one.
Now it’s time. Depending on the number of toilet paper pieces each has, they have to share an equal number of things about themselves. It can be anything from their likes, dislikes, habits, and interests.
3. Duck Duck Goose With Names
Things You Will Need
You need a clear open space. There should not be any barrier or something that children can trip over.
Setting up
Make the kids sit in a circle with their legs crossed. They should face each other. One kid needs to be “it” to begin the game.
How to Play?
The kid who is the first “it” starts the game by saying their name loudly. They go around the outer circle, tap on the head of each kid and tell their name.
If they come to the head of someone whose name they don’t know, they need to say, “you are it.” And then they have to run to their original seat running around the circle.
The newly tagged “it” then gets up quickly, says their name loudly, and acts as the previous “it.” This means they also go around the outer circle of kids, tap on each of their heads and say their names.
The winner is the one who gets all the names of the kids correct first.
4. The Human Knot
Things you will Need
There has to be an open and clean area where ten to twenty kids can play this icebreaker game. You can divide them into smaller teams if you have a larger group of kids.
Setting up
Gather all the kids and ask them to stand shoulder to shoulder. Then, they should all make a circle and face inwards.
How to Play?
Each of them will have to extend their left hand and hold the left hand of the person standing on their right.
Once done, each of them has to extend their right hand and hold the right hand of the person standing on their left.
Once done, you will see that all of them are standing with their hands crossed.
Now ask them to introduce themselves to the kid standing right before them. While doing so, they will have to try to detangle themselves. But the catch is that they cannot let go of anyone’s hand.
Of course, they can adjust the grip of their hands but can’t unclasp.
Let them talk to each other and move left and right as needed while sorting out how to detangle their hands.
You can use a timer and set it to fifteen minutes, within which the kids have to detangle their hands or open the human knot.
Fun Fact
Did you know the game of human knot or holding hands can reduce your stress hormones and increase your bonding hormones?
This helps the kids warm up to other kids. They feel a closer connection between themselves.
5. Crocodile Race
Things you will Need
Take a marker to mark the race’s beginning and ending line of the race. You can make use of either chalk or tape as markers.
Setting up
How many players do you have? If you have many players, you can divide them into small teams of five to eight players.
How to Play?
Make all the players stand in straight lines. Bring all the teams to the starting line. The team leader of each group stands in the line first. Each of them should put their hands on the shoulders of the kids standing right in front of them.
Now, when you say “get, set, go,” each team has to crouch down and go to the endpoint like that. The main idea is that each team should look like a crocodile crawling on the ground.
The first team that reaches the finishing line first wins the game.
6. Line-up Game
Things you will Need
You don’t need such things to start this game. All you need is a big group of kids who are older than six years old.
Setting up
Depending on the number of kids, you need to divide them into small groups of five to eight. Then, choose one among them as the “caller.”
How to Play?
The caller is the one who tells all the teams how to line up at the beginning of each round.
For example, the caller may say, “everyone, please line up from the oldest to the youngest,” or “everyone, please line up from the tallest to the shortest,” or in any other format they want.
Then you have to set a timer for ten seconds. According to what the caller has said, the group that gets lined up first wins the game.
This game makes the kids communicate with each other to decide who should stand where in the line.
To make things interesting, you can arrange a small prize for the winning team.
7. Candy Bowl Game
Things you will Need
You need a bowl that has different kinds of treats or candies. There should be enough candies so that each kid can have at least six pieces of them.
Setting up
Ask the kids to sit in a way that looks like a circle. Now give the bowl full of candies to one kid and tell them to take any number of candy pieces from one to five.
Once the first kid has their share of candies, ask them to pass the bowl, so each one has their candies.
Just make sure that they don’t eat the candies altogether.
How to play?
Now, ask each player how many candies they took. Then, they had to say something about themselves for each candy they took.
To keep variation in this icebreaker game for kids, you can assign a particular topic for every type of candy.
Let me give you an example. If someone has taken a chocolate from the bowl, they must share what they like. Or, if someone has taken a jawbreaker, they have to share something about their family.
Once all the kids playing the game has their turn sharing some facts about themselves, ask them to have their candies together.
Fun Fact
This game allows the kids to share things about themselves. They open up to each other and learn how to have fun together.
8. A Great Wind Blows Chair Game
Things you will Need
You need chairs equal to the number of participants in the game.
Setting up
Gather all the chairs together and arrange them in a circle. They should face inwardly. This arrangement of chairs is similar to that of a musical chair.
Choose one kid who will act as the “caller,” and they will lead the game by standing in the middle of the circle made of chairs. If you want, you can make an adult the “caller,” too.
How to Play?
It is the caller who starts the game. They say, “ a great wind blows for everyone who __.” They can put anything in the blank. It has to be some characteristics that kids mostly have.
For example, the caller can say, “a great wind blows for everyone who … has long hair, is tall, has straight hair, drank milk for breakfast, has brown eyes, has an older brother,” and the list goes on. It all depends on how creative the caller is.
Once the caller ends the phrase, the kids who find similarities with it stand up and move to some other seat. Their new seat has to be at least three chairs away from their original seat.
Similar to the gameplay of musical chairs, the chairs in this game, too, get removed. A single chair is removed in every round. If someone doesn’t get a seat to sit, they go out of the game.
The winner is the last kid who is left with a seat. You can arrange a prize for the winner.
9. Team Architect
Things you will Need
Gather random art and building materials, for example, books, toothpicks, popsicle sticks, bottles, marshmallows, or tape.
Setting up
Depending on the number of kids, you need to divide them into small teams, preferably five to six kids in each group.
Make them sit at tables with their groups. Each group gets an equal number of supplies.
How to Play?
The kids have to create a structure out of those unusual or limited art supplies you have given them. They should not use anything apart from the ones you have given them.
Tell them that they have to act like architects. And to create the structures, they have only a certain amount of time. So they have to make the systems strong or big. The bigger or, the stronger, the better, as this will increase their chances of winning the game.
To let the kids start making structures on a positive note, you can give them a demo on how they can build a tower using marshmallows and toothpicks that is strong enough to support a bottle at the top of it.
This is such a game that lets the kids be as creative as they can with the limited supplies. Once all the groups make their structures, you can vote and choose the winning team.
Fun Fact
Did you know that creating art projects can make you feel more comfortable socializing?
A game such as Team Architect does just that! If you make your introverted kid play it, even they will be encouraged to learn team-building skills and create something unique out of it.
10. Conversation Cubes
Things you will Need
You can buy a conversation cube game from Amazon with at least six dice. Each side of the dice has one topic of conversation.
If you have a group of ten to twelve kids, you will require one cube game. But, of course, if you have more kids, you will need more cubes.
Setting up
Divide the kids into small teams of five to seven. Ask them to sit in a circle if you want them to sit on the floor.
If you want them to sit on chairs, you can arrange them around the tables in a circular manner.
The dice should be placed in the middle.
How to Play?
The first kid in a group will roll the dice. Then, ask them to read the question aloud on the top of the cube. Let them answer it.
The cube can have questions such as “name something you are afraid of,” “where do you like to travel?” and “who is your role model?” “name a time when you were embarrassed,” “name one thing you can’t live without,” and more.
Each player in a team should get the chance to roll the dice. You can select a kid randomly to roll the dice first. And then the ones sitting right to them will continue.
Fun Fact
Did you know that it is easy to get kids talking to each other when you give them a topic?
This game of rolling dice can help you with that! It works as a surprise element, as you don’t know what will come up when you move the dice. This anticipation makes the conversation all the more exciting.
11. Icebreaker Hopscotch
Things you will Need
You need a taped-off board of hopscotch. Or you can make use of chalk to create one.
For every five to eight kids, make one board of hopscotch.
Setting up
Mark a letter randomly in each square when the hopscotch reaches the floor.
How to Play?
Let the kids stand in a line in front of each hopscotch. Then, they can hop and go ahead as far as they want.
The kids have to talk about their favorite things depending on the letter they land on hopping.
For example, if a kid lands on the letter “B” and the letter “Z” with two of their feet, they have to say, “B is for a ball, my favorite thing to play with.” Similarly, “Z is for a zoo, my favorite place to visit.”
If a kid completes the board, they can go out and sit alongside the hopscotch and watch other kids hop on it. So make sure that every kid gets the chance to play.
After all, the main intention here is to make the kids talk about the things they like. Please note that there is no winner in this game.
Fun Fact
Did you know this game is like the classic childhood game of hopscotch but with a twist?
This game allows the kids to not only share what their favorite things are but also practice their alphabetical recall.
12. Face to Face
Things you will Need
There should be a chair for each and every participant. Also, there should be conversation topics on enough index cards.
Setting up
Arrange the chairs in two lines. They should face each other. Make the kids sit on them facing each other. Now write one topic of conversation on one index card.
For example, you can write the following topics for conversation between the kids:
- What is your favorite place of travel?
- What is our favorite food?
- Which animal do you like the most?
- What kinds of treats do you like the most?
- Who is your role model?
Remember, the topics on the cards should be according to the kids’ age.
How to Play?
As the kids are sitting on the chair facing each other, ask them to make a pair with the one sitting opposite to them.
Now shuffle the cards and see which topic comes on the top. Read it aloud and ask the pair of kids to start the game.
First, they should talk among themselves about the given topic. Set a timer for twenty to thirty seconds, and when the timer is up, tell them to stop having the conversation.
Now ask them to change their chairs and pair with someone else. The similar process of shuffling cards and giving topics will continue until all the kids are paired with each other at least once.
Then the game ends.
13. Never Have I Ever
Things you will Need
You don’t need anything as such for this game. All you need is a big group of kids. They can choose either standing or sitting in a circle while playing this super fun game.
Setting up
Tell the kids to put both their hands up. All their fingers should be extended outwards. You can choose one kid randomly to be the first speaker.
Then the game can move forward clockwise or anticlockwise around the circle.
How to Play?
If you are the game captain, you have to go around each kid in the group. And they will have to say something they have never done before.
You can give them examples to get an idea of what they have to say. Following are some examples:
- Never have I ever played football
- Never have I ever gone to any art class
- Never have I ever peed in the pants
- Never have I ever eaten an icecream
- Never have I ever performed on a stage
Create a fun environment so the kids can come up with silly, never have I ever phrases. The sillier the phrases, the more fun.
All the kids doing that activity will have to put their fingers down. One finger down for each action they have done.
The kid who gets all their fingers down first wins the game.
14. Guess the Animal
Things you will Need
All you need are just kids for this game.
Setting up
Gather all the kids and make them create a circle. They will stand while playing this game. As you are the leader, ask one of the kids to come with you to the middle of the circle.
How to Play?
Whisper the name of a random animal to the ears of the kid standing in the middle of the circle with you.
Ask them to act it out so the other kids standing in a circle can guess the animal. Remember, they can’t use any words. But, of course, they can make sounds such as chirping or growling.
The kid who guesses the animal’s name correctly gets to swap places with the one standing in the middle with you.
Now you have to give the name of a new animal to this new kid, and they will have to act it out.
This continues until all the kids can act out the animal.
Remember, this is a fast-paced game. As soon as you say, “get, set, act,” they will have to start acting. And when someone guesses the right animal, they will have to come to you running.
This makes the whole game exciting for the kids.
15. Favorite Thing Hide and Seek
Things you will Need
If you are playing outdoors, you will need a playground that has enough places where the kids can hide.
And if you are playing indoors, you can choose any place that fulfills the same criteria.
Setting up
No such setup is needed for this game. Just make sure that there are a lot of places for kids to hide.
How to Play?
You can use the rules of a usual hide-and-seek game to play this game. But, of course, there is a catch.
The kid you selected to be the first “it” has to find another kid who shares their favorite thing.
Let me give you an example. If the “it” announces that they are looking for someone whose favorite color is pink, they have to go and find someone from the hiding kids whose favorite color is pink.
Now, if the “it” succeeds in finding the right kid who shares their favorite thing, that new kid will be the new “it.” And the search for the kid sharing their favorite thing will continue.
Just make sure that the “it” starts looking for kids once the count is over so that the kids can get enough time to hide.
16. Circle Up
Things you will Need
You need some colored tape or chalk. There should be a big group of kids, preferably more than ten.
Setting up
Create five circles on the ground using chalk or tape. The circles should be big enough to accommodate at least eight people. Make sure that you use different colors to make the circles so that no two circles are of the same color.
How to Play?
Tell the kids to gather around you when you announce the game’s rules.
You need to name a color along with a topic. Then you will say, “get, set, go.” The kids will then run to their preferred circle and stand there.
For example, you may say, “circle up in the blue if you like eating candy” or “circle up in the yellow if your favorite sport is basketball.” The kids who like eating candy will run into the blue circle, and those who want basketball will run into the yellow circle.
You can continue this game for twenty-five minutes so that the kids can understand which of their peers like what or which of their peers share their interests.
17. Teddy Bear Introduction Game
Things you will Need
You need a stuffed animal. It can be anything, preferably a teddy bear. And you need a large group of children who are not more than six years old.
Setting up
Ask the kids to make a circle and sit. As an instructor, you will hold the teddy bear.
How to Play?
Tell the kids that they have to pretend that they are teddy bears. Then, you will give the teddy bear to them, and they will have to introduce themselves, holding it in their hands as if they are the teddy bear.
For example, you can start by holding the teddy bear in your hands and saying, “Hi, my name is John, and my favorite animal is a dog.”
Now give the teddy bear to a random kid and ask them to do the same. You can make the kids take turns in a clockwise direction in the circle.
The kids can be as playful with the teddy as they want. For example, they can play with their hands while saying something or pat their head.
This game is great for kids as they can relate much to the teddy bear, and you can regard this as one of the best icebreaker games.
18. High Five Competition
Things you will Need
You only need a large group of kids to play this exciting game.
Setting up
Tell all the kids to gather around you. Make sure that they have clean and sanitized hands.
How to Play?
Tell the kids that this is a contest for high five. And the more kids they high-five with, the more points they will get.
Remember you need to give them a set amount of time, for example, five minutes or eight minutes.
Once the time starts, the kids will have to go to the other kids in the group, know what their name is and then exchange a high five.
They have to high-five as many kids as possible within the given time and make as many friends as possible.
You can make the game more interesting by playing good music in the background and setting a timer.
This will make the kids more excited about the game.
Once the timer goes off, tell everyone to gather together. Now say, “raise your hands if you have exchanged high-fived with ten kids.” You can increase the number like twenty, thirty and so on.
The ones who have done the highest number of high five get the most points.
19. Telephone Game
Things you will Need
Just gather some kids because that’s all you need.
Setting up
Make the kids sit in a circle. Then, choose a kid randomly to start the game.
How to Play?
The kid you have chosen has to say a phrase to the kid sitting beside them. But they have to do this by whispering.
That kid then whispers the phrase they have heard to the next kid sitting beside them. You can ask them to go in a clockwise direction.
This whispering into ears continues until it reaches the last kid in the game. The previous kid then says what they have heard loudly.
To confirm if they have said the correct phrase, you ask the first kid to say the word loudly that they have started.
Almost all the time, the first one to say the phrase and the last one to hear the phrase never matches. But it turns out to be funny in the end, and the kids can laugh.
This teaches the kids that they should never listen to gossip or participate.
Fun fact
Did you know that the telephone game makes the kids aware of the wrong side of gossiping?
Conclusion
Here ends my list of the best icebreaker games for kids. These games are perfect for getting your kids to talk to other kids and make friends.
So, you can arrange a birthday party for your kid the next time or a sleepover for them. Don’t forget to include at least one of these icebreaker games because you don’t want the kids to feel uncomfortable around each other. Right?
Now, which of these games did you like the most? Which of these games do you think is the easiest to arrange?
Let me know in the comments!
Hi, I am Claudia, I run TheQueenMomma’s content creation team, personally focusing on topics which add joy to people’s life. You would usually see me writing on topics like Jokes, Riddles, Truth & Dare as well as Baby Names etc.
In my professional career, I have a Bachelor’s and Master’s in sociology and specialize in media and crime. Once I finished my education, I began my career working as a journalist, reporting on various topics like crime, justice and family law. Even though I valued journalism, I came to the realization that I wanted to have a more immediate impact in people’s lives as well as bring joy to them.