Engaging Icebreakers for College Students: Fostering Connection and Community

Asking "How is everyone?" at the beginning of a meeting or diving straight into a round robin doesn’t stimulate connection or bonding. It also doesn’t encourage everyone to have a voice. The more introverted personalities may not feel comfortable stepping out of the woodwork. This often leads to meetings being dominated by the same people, contributing to group think.

To start certain events or activities off on a different note, this article compiles a list of fun icebreakers designed to help college students connect, build camaraderie, and create a welcoming environment. These activities are suitable for both in-person and virtual settings and can be adapted to fit various class sizes and course objectives. Recognizing the importance of icebreakers in fostering inclusion and community can set a positive tone for the semester.

The Importance of Icebreakers in College

Icebreakers are more than just fun and games; they serve a crucial role in helping students feel comfortable, reduce anxiety, and encourage early participation.

Icebreakers for college students encourage new students to have conversations, get to know you and each other and build a sense of community and trust. Icebreaker activities help students relax and connect with one another during orientation, creating a sense of community and trust in a classroom setting. Used early on, icebreakers can help students feel comfortable in your classroom or team meeting. They’re ideal for the first day of school, but can be used throughout the semester and serve as a precursor for teamwork and collaborative learning. A classroom icebreaker for college students can be as simple as asking learners to introduce themselves to the class or to the students sitting next to them, but games and activities offer a chance to interact with a greater number of classmates and build camaraderie.

Effective first-day icebreakers for college students are activities that help students feel comfortable, reduce anxiety, and encourage early participation.

Icebreakers for college students support community-building by breaking down social barriers, encouraging conversation, and helping classmates discover shared interests or experiences. When students feel more connected to one another, they are more likely to participate, collaborate on group work, and engage with course material.

Classroom icebreakers are a powerful way for college professors to set a positive tone at the beginning of a course. These activities help college students introduce themselves, share fun facts, and discover what they have in common with fellow students. By encouraging students to interact and get to know one another, icebreakers help build a sense of community and belonging right from the start. When students feel comfortable and connected, they’re more likely to participate, collaborate, and engage with the material and each other throughout the semester.

Fun icebreakers offer a range of benefits for both students and teachers, especially for first year students who may be new to the college experience. Icebreaker activities help students feel more at ease in the classroom, making it easier for them to participate in class discussions and share their ideas. Icebreakers can also introduce students to key course concepts in a fun and engaging way, setting a positive tone for the rest of the semester. When students feel supported and included, they’re more likely to take academic risks, ask questions, and explore new ideas.

The best icebreakers can help students create connections and build a sense of camaraderie in your classroom. It can also help educators get to know their students and build better relationships.

Icebreakers don't just allow educators to encourage informal conversations in the classroom, but they also will enable them to re-engage students during periods of stress or disengagement. The goal is to help students understand who they're learning with and use that experience to learn from them. In the long run, this fosters a sense of camaraderie and belonging, removing the feeling of isolation that's common in new environments.

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Icebreaker Activities

Two Truths and a Lie

An icebreaker classic, Two Truths and a Lie is a fun way to help students get to know each other. Each participant tells the group three “facts” about themselves. However, one of these “facts” will not be true. Fellow participants will then have to guess which of these “facts” is a lie. This gives students a simple way to introduce themselves and get to know each other.

My Most Embarrassing Moment

What better way to get people to loosen up than to have them share their Most Embarrassing Moment? Each student will take turns sharing this moment with the group. Give students no more than two minutes to share their memory and get ready to laugh.

Birth Map

A Birth Map enables participants to visualize the diversity in the room. It also gives people the opportunity to share a little bit about their background and build rapport. Place a map and pins at the front of the room (please note that this can also be done in a virtual environment) and ask people to place a pin where they were born. Have people share with the group where they were born and one fun fact about their birthplace.

People Bingo

People Bingo is a good game to play for individuals meeting each other for the first time. It is an excellent way to get students to interact and get to know each other. In People Bingo, create a grid of nine empty squares on a paper or Excel sheet. Each square has a general prompt that’s not too personal, such as:

Find someone who traveled to a foreign country
Find someone who has two brothers
Find someone who knows how to play the guitar

Provide each student with a piece of paper containing a grid in which each square contains a statement. The statement should be broad and non-intrusive (for e.g., ‘has an older brother’ or ‘is a freshman’). Distribute a copy of the grid to each student and ask them to find peers who fit each of these statements. The goal is to complete a row or column and call out “Bingo!” After they do that, ask them to share what they've learned about their peers with the rest of the group. Students are given a set amount of time to find a classmate for which the statement holds true. Whoever gets to Bingo first is the winner.

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Scavenger Hunt

Also, an icebreaker classic, scavenger hunts are an excellent activity for orientation. Not only do they encourage collaboration, but they also help first-year students familiarize themselves with campus. Create a list of items or clues related to the lecture hall environment. Each clue should lead to a physical object or location, acting as the clue for the next one.

Split the team into groups and provide them with a list of items or landmarks to find within a limited amount of time. Divide the class into small groups of three to five individuals and give them the clues, along with the instructions and set a timeframe for the hunt. The team that is first to check off every item on their list wins. The team that finds the most items or completes the entire game wins. This helps students get familiar with their environment in a group setting. Please note that scavenger hunts can also be organized in small spaces or virtually.

Share a Meaningful Photo

I personally love this icebreaker because it is a great way to get some insights into the personality of teammates and what they value. This is also a great activity for remote teams. Have each team member send in a photo that has meaning for them prior to the meeting. Then the team lead will pull up each photo one by one on a projector or shared screen. Each person will be given the floor to explain to the group why their photo is important to them. Please note that the photo can be of a person, a place, a cherished pet, quote, or anything that holds meaning for the individual.

Guess Who?

Guess Who, is a great activity to get teammates who already know each other to bond. This activity helps students find commonalities and build connections with their peers. Give each student an index card and ask them to write down three facts about themselves. These facts could be about their interests or personal experiences.

Have everyone write a fun or surprising fact about themselves on a piece of paper. Split the class into several groups of 10 or more students. Now take the cards from students within the same group, shuffle them, and hand a different index card to each student. Ask them to figure out who the card belongs to. Put the pieces of paper into a hat and read the facts out loud one at a time. The team will then try and guess who each fact belongs to. Let the person who wrote the fact identify themselves and provide additional context if necessary. The group identifying the most individuals in a set period wins the game.

My Favorite

This is a perfect icebreaker to spark discussion and encourage people to get to know each other better. ‘My Favorite’ is a quick and simple activity that can be repeated on a weekly basis as a fun ritual. The only preparation needed for this icebreaker is to ask the team what their favorite “fill in the blank” is. Each participant will then say, “My favorite song, fruit, city, show, etc. is “fill in the blank”.

Name Game

This age-old party game is also a great icebreaker. It enables participants to informally interact with their teammates. In this activity, you need to write down a few famous names on different cards. These names can either be of popular celebrities or even scholars who are relevant to the subject.

Write down the names of famous people on sticky notes; one name per team member. Shuffle the cards, and ask one student to pick out a card. Then, they need to hold it up to their head, facing the classroom, and their peers can give clues to help them guess. Students will then place the sticky note on their forehead, asking the group questions to guess which personality they are embodying. This way, everybody learns more about important figures. Ask one student from each team to act out a prompt and let their team guess it within a specific timeframe. They can only use gestures and body movements to do so. Keep rotating till every team gets their turn. This team icebreaker helps students loosen up and informally interact with their classmates.

Three of a Kind

This team-building activity is a great way to help students get to know each other better and find commonalities. Ask students to group themselves into a group of three based on shared interests or characteristics. You can provide them with prompts such as:

Shared interests
Hometown
Birthplace
Favorite sports
Shared classes

Give students a limited timeframe to find three other students with whom they share something in common. It shouldn't be something obvious like eye or hair color. Give them 10 minutes to find two partners with the same commonalities. After they do that, they also need to introduce their partner and another thing they learned about them.

This or That

Present students with a choice between ‘this or that.’ Topics should be relatively light, such as whether they prefer dogs or cats (though you could also tie this back to course material).

Longest Line

Instruct students to form one continuous line based on certain criteria, such as alphabetically by first name or from shortest to tallest. For large classes, you could ask students to gather in groups based on some commonality (such as by birthday month). Another engaging option is to have students line up according to the part of the world they are from or a country in the world they would most like to visit. The goal is for students to line up as fast as possible-a result of clear and open communication in medium-sized groups.

Three Facts

Divide students into small groups, and have them share three facts about themselves to help them connect on a personal level: something personal, something professional, and something peculiar, such as an interesting hobby or habit. This icebreaker idea can easily be used in virtual meetings. It should be noted, the personal fact shouldn’t be anything too personal-it could be something as simple as a country they’ve always wanted to travel to.

Beach Ball

Like the name suggests, this activity requires an inflatable plastic beach ball. Take an inflatable beach call with multiple colored sections and write a different prompt on each section. You can include creative ones like “What’s your favorite anime/movie?” or “What’s your favorite conspiracy theory?” Arrange students in a circle. For larger classes, you may want to divide the class into smaller groups. Toss the ball around. Have students sit or stand in a circle and toss the ball around. When a student catches the ball, they must respond to the question or prompt under their left thumb. Continue the same until every student has their turn.

Sentence Completion

This activity is a versatile one that prompts students to share information about themselves in a structured way. Provide each student with a sentence starter or incomplete statement. For example, you can use prompts like:

“One thing most people don't know about me is…”
“If I could have any superpower, it would be…”
“My favorite genre of music is…”

Ask students to complete sentences to finish the prompt. The idea is to learn more about their personalities and interests.

Around the Globe

While cultural diversity is apparent in today’s classrooms, we need to do more to actually make it a fruitful opportunity for students to learn about each other. You can use Poll Everywhere to present an image of the globe and ask students to pin where they’re from or a place they’ve visited. After they’ve marked their locations, invite them to share why they chose those places and any memories they associate with these places. This promotes cultural awareness and lets students appreciate the diversity within the classroom.

Would you rather

This is a fun and thought-provoking activity that encourages students to express their preferences and engage in light-hearted debates. Present pairs of choices to the students, starting with “Would you rather…” For instance, “Would you rather travel back in time or into the future?” or “Would you rather have the ability to fly or be invisible?” Students take turns choosing their preferred option and explain why they chose it.

How’s your mood?

This activity is designed to promote emotional awareness among college students. Provide each student with a set of colored cards or markers representing different emotions, such as happy, sad, excited, or stressed. Invite them to share their chosen emotion with the class, along with a brief explanation of why they feel that way. The choice to share their issues is up to the student. This activity also helps you as an educator gauge the classroom.

Shed your problems away

This icebreaker is aimed at reducing stress and creating a positive atmosphere in the classroom. Here, you can give each student a small piece of paper or tell them to find one. Ask them to write down a problem or concern they have at the moment. Collect the paper, shuffle them and re-distribute the cards. Ask the student to read their card out, and the class can offer a collective solution.

Sweet stories

Sweet stories is focused on allowing students to share personal experiences. Here, you provide a selection of colored candy and ask them to pick one. Skittles or M&Ms are popular, so we recommend either one of those. Ask each student to pick a candy, and depending on the color they choose, they have to tell a story. For example, if they choose a yellow candy, they must share their favorite childhood memory, but if they choose a red one, they have to talk about their favorite cuisine.

Show and tell

You can conduct these in in-person or online sessions. Ask each student to bring an item they cherish or point to one during an online class. It could be anything they want-a treasured possession or memento. Every student explains why their object of choice means so much to them and shares stories related to them. It helps students get to know each other on a deeper level.

Dinner Party Guests

Ask students: If you could invite any three people, living or dead, to a dinner party, who would they be and why? This question allows students to share their interests, values, and the historical or influential figures they admire.

Bucket List Item

Ask students to share one item from their bucket list. This can range from travel destinations to personal goals.

Memorable Experience

Ask each student to share a significant or memorable experience from their past, such as a favorite childhood memory, a significant achievement, or an interesting travel story.

Favorites

Ask students to share their favorites, such as their favorite book, movie, food, or vacation spot.

Superpower

Ask students, if they could have any superpower, what would it be and why?

Tips for Effective Icebreakers

Consider your goals: When planning icebreakers for your class, it’s important to start with your goals in mind.
Class size: Consider the size of your class: some icebreakers work best in small groups, while others are ideal for larger groups. For large groups, the best icebreakers for college students are high-movement or fast-interaction activities.
Keep it inclusive: Start by choosing activities that are inclusive and respectful, ensuring that every student feels welcome to participate.
Clear instructions: Make sure your instructions are clear and the activity is easy to follow, so students know exactly what to expect.
Encourage participation: Choose activities that are interactive and fun, encouraging students to share, connect, and engage with one another in a way that feels natural and enjoyable.

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