Purpose: A great ice-breaker for a larger group of older youth/adults. 

Number of people needed: 12 or more 

Suggested age range: Ages 8 and up. 

Materials needed: none 

Instructions: Players find a partner and play Rock/Paper/Scissors to determine a best-of-3 winner. The person who didn’t win becomes a cheering squad for the winner as the winner turns to face the winner of another pair. The winner of that best-of-3 games goes on to compete against another winner with all subsequent fallen challengers joining their cheering squad. Play continues until the last 2 meet for the final round, all other players cheering for them. 

Purpose: A playful, fun, and movement-oriented ice-breaker for any group. Younger players might need modeling to keep the story going, or one facilitator could lead the entire activity. 

Number of people needed: 4 or more 

Suggested age range: Any—can simplify for younger participants 

Materials needed: None 

Instructions: Tell a nature story while acting each part out. The story passes from person to person (can assign turns or allow participation to unfold randomly). Begin with, “Once there was a tall tree” (reaching arms up high). “It was a willow tree” (bend over at the waist). “Its branches dipped into a pond” (drag fingers around in the “water”). And continue with the story, such as, “There was a fish swimming in the pond” (move around like a swimming fish). Alternately, the facilitator could lead the entire activity. 

Purpose: A playful, fun ice-breaker for older youth/adults. 

Number of people needed: 6 or more 

Suggested age range: 8 and up 

Materials needed: None 

Instructions: One person (the “Seal”) steps away from the circle. The rest of the group decides what action they want the Seal to perform. The Seal returns and the group uses applause to reward the Seal as the Seal tries to figure out what action the group assigned to them. 

Purpose: A playful, fun ice-breaker 

Number of people needed: 6 or more 

Suggested age range: 8 and up 

Materials needed: None 

Instructions: One person leaves the group. The rest determine who will be the Head Honcho (HH). HH begins leading an action (snapping fingers) and the group imitates them. The person returns and tries to figure out who HH is. HH shifts actions every 10-20 seconds. The group tries to keep the HH identity a secret by not staring at them, etc. 

Purpose: A great ice-breaker for a new group of older youth/adults. 

Number of people needed: 6 or more 

Suggested age range: Ages 5 and up 

Materials needed: Pieces of masking tape with plant and animal names on them. For younger ages use drawings with words and simplify categories, i.e. Tree, Flower, Bird instead of Willow, Purple Coneflower, Woodpecker. 

Instructions: Each player receives a tape/picture on their back without seeing it, identifying an animal or plant in nature. The goal is to ask yes/no questions to figure out your nature identity. Rules: Ask each person you mingle with only one question, and answer only one of their questions. 

Purpose: A playful, fun, and active ice-breaker 

Number of people needed: 8 or more 

Suggested age range: Ages 7 and up 

Materials needed: None 

Instructions: Divide the group into 2 equal teams. Define a playing field with a center line and opposite “safe zones” or bases for each team. Each team circles up and secretly decides which animal character to act out. Teams line up at the center line, facing away from the line. On the count of 3, the two teams turn and reveal their character by acting it out. The predator characters chase the prey, the prey characters turn and run toward their safe zone or base. Any tagged prey joins the predator team and play continues with the next round. Team with the most players at the end of the game wins. 

Purpose: A playful, fun, and active ice-breaker for a group of older youth/adults 

Number of people needed: 8 or more 

Suggested age range: Ages 10 and up 

Materials needed: None 

Instructions: You are a fledgling bird. Look around the group and, without disclosing it, choose someone to be your parent and someone else to be a predator. When the facilitator says to start, move to place your parent between you and the predator. Chaos ensues as everyone is trying to place a person between them and another person. For Covid accommodations, this needs to be played in a large space and have a way for people to practice spacing. 

Purpose: A playful, fun ice-breaker for any group

Number of people needed: 10 or more is best 

Suggested age range: Any, but younger players may be challenged to keep the hat hidden. 

Materials needed: A hat 

Instructions: One person is “it” and stands in the center. The group stands in a tight circle shoulder to shoulder, hip to hip, passing a hat around the circle behind their backs while the person in the center tries to determine where the hat is. Song: “Hat, hat, hat, hat; How I wonder how you wander from one hand into another…” Players could stand arm distance apart, and the person who is it keeps their eyes closed while the song is sung. After it is sung, they can guess where it is. (Similar to the fire in the sun.)