Icebreakers that get people moving (for both small and large groups)
Icebreakers to ease tension are used in many schools and workplaces, right? Among those, the ones that get people moving seem even more effective at dispelling nervousness and anxiety, don’t they? Here, we introduce icebreakers that involve physical movement.
We cover activities that don’t require much space, ones suitable for small groups, and ones that can be done in teams for larger groups.
Try using them during sluggish morning briefings or before afternoon meetings.
[For Small and Large Groups] Physical Icebreakers (1–10)
Hula hoop down
This is an icebreaker called “Hula Hoop Down,” where you place a hula hoop on the floor without dropping it.
Form teams of about five people, balance a single hula hoop on everyone’s index fingers, and work together.
If you can set the hula hoop down on the floor without dropping it, you succeed.
It sounds simple, but unless everyone is perfectly in sync, the hoop will quickly tilt and fall.
Communicate as a group and move slowly to coordinate your actions.
Once you get the hang of it, you can turn it into a team competition and race to see who can place the hoop on the floor the fastest.
human disentanglement puzzle
Puzzle rings have recommended ages based on difficulty, but this “Human Knot” can be enjoyed by everyone from kids to adults! First, participants form a circle and cross both arms in front of their bodies.
Then, holding hands with anyone, everyone links up.
At the start signal, the group works together to untangle the knotted hands.
Be sure not to let go of the hands you’re holding.
Duck under arms, spin your body around, and keep untangling—if you can all form one big circle at the end, you’ve succeeded!
Ping-pong ball relay
With just a spoon and a ping-pong ball, you can play the icebreaker “Ping-Pong Ball Relay” anywhere.
It’s run as a relay, so it gets lively with large groups in team competitions.
At the start signal, players go one at a time: proceed along the course with the ping-pong ball balanced on a spoon, then return to the starting point and transfer the ball to the next person’s spoon to pass the baton.
If you have a large space, have all teams start simultaneously; if space is limited, have teams go one at a time and compete for the best time.
It’s a perfect recreational game for breaking the ice, even among people who don’t know each other!
Birthday line
Perfect for large gatherings like welcome parties! This icebreaker, called “Birthday Line,” uses participants’ birthdays.
It’s a simple game where everyone lines up in order of their birthdays—but talking is forbidden.
Use your hands to communicate your birthday to others.
Once everyone is lined up, check for any mistakes.
If you have a large group of several dozen people, it could be fun to make it a team competition based on speed or accuracy.
After the game, sing a birthday song for anyone whose birthday is that day.
When birthdays are the same or close, it somehow makes you feel a sense of closeness!
Jumbo Rock-Paper-Scissors
“Jumbo Rock-Paper-Scissors” is played by dividing into two teams and deciding how each team will express “rock,” “scissors,” and “paper.” For example, in a three-person team, “rock” could mean everyone crouches, “scissors” could mean the person in the middle crouches, and “paper” could mean everyone throws both hands up.
First, the team decides on their expressions, and there’s also a strategy time before each round to plan what to play, which gives everyone a chance to talk together.
You lose not only if you lose the rock-paper-scissors round, but also if anyone on your team performs the wrong expression.
Unite as a team and take on the challenge!
bottomless swamp
If you’re looking for a fun team-based icebreaker, we recommend “The Bottomless Swamp”! In this activity, the team uses two sheets of paper to cross an area assumed to be a swamp.
How you use the paper is up to you.
Discuss as a team how everyone can make it across, then try it out! It sounds simple, but the “everyone” part makes it tricky.
That’s exactly why it feels so rewarding when you finally clear it after trial and error—and sharing that success together will bring the team much closer.
paper tower
Paper Tower is an icebreaker where you build a tower out of paper and compete for height.
The game works one-on-one and is also fun as a team competition.
Since you’ll be using paper, try it indoors or in a place unaffected by wind or air conditioning.
For one-on-one play, adding a short time limit of about 2–3 minutes makes it more exciting.
For team play, setting aside time to discuss what kind of tower to build creates opportunities for conversation and can boost team cohesion, even for ad-hoc groups.