You’ve likely been through the scenario. You’re at a class or a company workshop, and most people there don’t know each other well. You might get asked to say your name, and what you hope to get out of the class or session. In other words, very boring stuff! Next time, make things more fun and eventful with icebreaker questions.
An icebreaker question is given at the beginning of a meeting or activity to help everyone get to know each other. The question could be serious, but they are often fun or silly. They help those involved reveal some personal information about themselves. A good icebreaker question helps people show their personality, giving answers that are noteworthy.
Interesting questions help make things fun from the very start. If you’re organizing the event, give the question, then provide your own answer as an example. Proceed through the participants so that everyone gives an answer. For example, if people are situated in a circle, simply go around the circle. If people are meeting online, have one person answer, then nominate the next person to answer. This way everyone understands when it’s their turn to speak.
Of course, the icebreaker question itself is important. To choose the best question, think about the dynamic of the group, and how much time you want to allot to answering the question. Usually, a unique question is better than a basic one. If you’re planning to ask multiple questions, start with basic ones first, then you can move on to more difficult or outrageous questions.
What that out of the way, here some of our favorite icebreaker questions:
What is the best piece of career or life advice you’ve ever gotten?
How do you like your potatoes?
Talk about your favorite pet from childhood. It could be your own pet, or pet owned by someone else.
Which band would you like to play at your funeral?
Which holiday is your favorite?
Which subject were you best at in school?
Do you know how to speak more than one language? If not, which language would you like to learn most?
Who is your favorite author?
Do you prefer to take classes in-person or online?
If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would you eat?
Which decade is your favorite and why?
Would you rather live one hundred years in the past or one hundred years in the future?
Would you rather live in a large city or a small town?
What do you miss about kindergarten?
What is a current trend that you can’t understand?
If you could teleport anywhere, where would you go right now?
Would you rather stay at a hotel or an AirBNB?
If you didn’t have to work, how would you spend your free time?
What is your phone wallpaper? Why did you choose it?
What are your hobbies?
What song could be your personal theme song?
Which Disney character do you find the most interesting?
When you are alone in the car, how loud is the music?
What is the emoji you use the most on your phone?
Which TV show do you remember the most from your childhood?
Tell us one thing you have on your bucket list.
Which beverage goes best with pizza?
What is your favorite food for breakfast?
What is your favorite movie genre?
Give one embarrassing story from your childhood.
What is the first book you remember reading?
What is the worst job you’ve ever had?
What crime would you commit if you knew you would get away with it?
What is your favorite season of the year?
How did you choose your college?
You can have an unlimited supply of one thing for the rest of your life. What do you pick?
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
Are you more productive in the morning or at night?
Which kitchen gadget or appliance do you find the most useful?
What is your favorite season?
If you could live in any country, which country would you choose?
If you had to move to another country, which one would you choose and why?
Would you rather do a large project by yourself or as part of a team?
What is your favorite holiday and why?
If you could have one super power, which one would you choose?
If you could visit any fictional time or place, which one would you pick?
Which burger toppings are your favorite?
Do you prefer big dogs or small dogs?
What piece of advice would you give your younger self?
Name one movie that made you laugh a lot.
What breed of dog would you be?
Aliens arrive on Earth and ask you to go with them on their spaceship, never to return. Do you go with them? Why or why not?
What actor would you want to play you in a movie about your life?
If you had to write a textbook, what subject would it be for?
What fictional family would you most like to join?
Which app on your phone do you use the most?
How would you describe your job to a five year old?
What do your family and friends think you do all day?
What are the best and worst aspects of working from home?
If you could learn one language instantly, which one would you choose and why?
What is something you did at work that no-one noticed?
What was your first job?
What animal would you like to be reincarnated as?
Which color is your favorite and why?
What was your first screen name online?
It’s a zombie apocalypse! You can have any one person to help you, living or dead. Who do you choose? Why?
What is a food that you will you never eat?
Which musical instrument is your favorite?
What is the strangest food you’ve eaten?
Which actor did you have a crush on in childhood?
What movie do you wish you could watch again for the first time?
Which genre of books do you find the most interesting and why?
Conclusion
Asking icebreaker questions can be a fun and easy way to get people at your event talking and help them feel more at ease with each other. Set aside a few minutes to ask some questions at your next meeting. It’s totally worth it!
