[Self-Introduction & Games] Icebreaker Ideas Collection
Are you familiar with “icebreakers”? They’ve become a popular method among business professionals, so if you’re in the workforce, you may have experienced them at least once.
An “icebreaker” is a way to break (or loosen) the stiff atmosphere (the “ice”) when you’re in the same place with people you’re meeting for the first time or haven’t spoken with much.
What do you actually do? Everyone present participates in activities such as game-like self-introductions and games that help shorten the distance with others or create opportunities for people to get to know you.
In this article, we’ll introduce icebreakers that are actually used in practice.
They’re effective for moments like “no one is speaking” or “the atmosphere feels heavy.” Be sure to give them a try!
- Break the ice with intros and team battles! Party games to spice up your welcome event
- Fun games recommended for making friends with people you’ve just met
- [Let’s Get Closer] A Collection of Engaging Questions for Self-Introductions
- [In a Short Time] Icebreakers and Fun Games That Shine at Morning Meetings
- A roundup of recommended icebreakers for college students
- Games you can play with just conversation. Classic and popular activities you can enjoy without any props!
- Icebreakers that get people moving (for both small and large groups)
- A collection of icebreakers you can enjoy with a small group
- [Play Right Away!] Exciting Recreation Games Recommended for Elementary School Students
- A roundup of recommended personality tests for icebreakers
- Icebreaker Ideas and Games Collection
- [Conversation Skills] Get the Crowd Going! A Collection of Talk Theme Ideas
- A collection of hilarious questions that will liven up the conversation and might help you learn more about the other person
[Self-Introduction & Games] Icebreaker Ideas Collection (11–20)
paper tower
This is an icebreaker called the “Paper Tower,” where you build a tower using only paper.
You must not use any tools other than paper—no scissors, glue, or anything else.
Teams discuss how to build the tallest possible tower as they go.
There’s a two-minute time limit for building, and at the end signal, you must not be touching the tower; the goal is to compete for the tallest tower.
Because it’s just two minutes, teams choose a leader and proceed with a brief discussion.
Through the discussion, participants get to know each other, and during the two minutes of building, a sense of unity is created.
It’s a highly recommended icebreaker.
Negative-Positive Self-Introduction
First, have people introduce themselves in a negative way.
The listeners then rephrase those negative words into something positive and say it back to the speaker—that’s this “Negapoji Self-Intro” activity.
For example, if someone says, “I’m shy around new people,” you might respond, “So you’re cautious.” If you add a time limit, people might get flustered and struggle to find words, but it definitely livens things up.
These skilled hands
Shake hands with your partner and firmly remember how it feels.
One person closes their eyes while the other moves away and shakes hands with many people.
The person with their eyes closed should have someone stop when they think, “This is my partner.” Now, open your eyes and see if you were right!
Point-and-Vote Election
At the cue “Pointing election, one-two-three!” everyone points at someone.
The person who gets the most fingers pointing at them gives a greeting.
Repeat this, but anyone chosen may not use a greeting that has already been said.
If someone repeats a greeting, they must do a penalty game.
If pointing doesn’t produce a clear winner, hold a runoff vote between the top two.
Paper puzzle
Paper Puzzle is an easy icebreaker you can do anywhere with just paper and scissors.
Each team prepares a sheet of paper, cuts it up randomly, and shuffles the pieces on the table.
Teams then swap and try to reassemble another team’s paper like a puzzle; the first team to restore the original sheet wins.
Surprisingly, curvy cuts—though they look messy—are often easier, while pieces cut straight down in vertical lines can be trickier because the edges are subtly similar.
Work together as a team to put it back together!
Actually, a self-introduction
Simply stating your name and saying “Nice to meet you” doesn’t leave much of an impression.
That’s where the “Actually, …” self-introduction comes in: you weave a little “Actually…” story into your intro.
If you share a small personal secret, people are more likely to remember you later as “Oh, the person who talked about ___.” It’s a simple idea, but it’s quite persuasive.
[Self-Introduction & Games] Icebreaker Ideas Collection (21–30)
Birthday chain
An icebreaker called “Birthday Chain” where everyone lines up in order of the earliest birthday.
Sounds easy, right? But in this game, you’re not allowed to speak.
You form a single line with January 1st at the front and December 31st at the end, but you can only communicate your birthday using gestures.
Make numbers with your hands to tell others and line up accordingly.
The more people there are, the harder it gets.
A good tip is to first group roughly by month and then sort by day within each month.
At the end, everyone sings a birthday song to the people with birthdays in that month.