Ice Breaker Questions

When people meet for the first time or after a long time of not seeing each other, we often exhibit an air of stiffness and formality. The social interactions are more awkward instead of allowing free expression. When this happens, we need to break the silence with jokes or a fun game.

Ice breaker questions are great for every social function including meetings, church gatherings, holidays, and dating. These questions help people open up, make the participants more interesting, and also exude a more welcoming environment. In today’s post, we share some ideas to break the ice at your upcoming gathering.

Ice breaker questions for teens

A group of teens meeting for the first time can be awkward at first. They may form small groups, sit in corners, or just stare into space waiting for some social activity to start. The first day of school is one of the events that give students the jitters. To break the ice on the first day of school, try these questions:

• What would you do with an extra hour of free time after school?

• How do you spend your time in nature?

• Do you have a hidden talent or skill that your classmates don’t know about?

• What do you want to excel at in school?

• What catchphrase do you say all of the time?

• If you were given the chance to see into your future, would you?

• What do you think your life will be like in the next 10 years?

• What do you plan to do after high school?

• Has anyone ever told you that you look like a celebrity? If yes, which celebrity?

• What is on your bucket list that you want to achieve before high school ends?

• If you could switch lives for a day with anyone in the world, whose life do you want to live for a day?

• Where is your favorite place to date?

• Do you have a dream destination and when would you like to go there?

• If you could go on a vacation for a day with a famous personality, who would it be and where would you go?

• If you could drive any car in the world, what would it be?

Now you may have adjusted to your classmates in school but when it comes to joining school clubs, you may start to feel the jitters again. After all, many of your schoolmates in the club are from different classes and grade levels. Don’t worry because, with some ice breaker questions, you will definitely realize that you have more in common than you think:

• Are you related to someone famous?

• What would you do with your 15 minutes of fame?

• If you could choose a nickname only club members would call you by, what would it be?

• What is the most fun project you worked on?

• Who do you look up to for inspiration?

• What fuels your passion every day?

• What is one quality you have that is highly useful when you are working in a group?

• If someone influential could speak to the members of this club, who would you choose?

• If you could host a TV show, what would the show be called?

• If you could write a book, what would you write about?

• What is one piece of advice that influenced you the most?

• When did you realize you were interested in (insert club activity e.g. photography)?

• Who is your role model?

Ice breaker questions are not just for school. You can play this game at the start of the camp night or a sleepover. Open-ended questions such as these are great for your youth group gathering:

• What is the best video game you have ever played?

• If you can be a video game character, which one would you like to be?

• If all apps crashed except one, which one would you wish would remain on your phone?

• Which website do you visit the most?

• What is one trend that everyone loves but you can’t stand?

• If you can only choose between music and videos for the rest of your life, which would you choose?

• When you were a little kid, what did you think you would be at this age?

• Which song do you think has the best lyrics?

• If you were made to choose between listening to your favorite song or watching your favorite flick, which would you choose?

• Would you rather be good with words like Shakespeare or good with numbers like Einstein?

• Would you rather be smart or good-looking?

• What is the best Valentines gift you’ve received?

 

Meeting ice breaker questions

When the participants already know each other and often see each other in the workplace, ice breaker questions can still be beneficial. You can utilize this game as a prelude to the topic of the meeting. Whether you are brainstorming or organizing a project, you can all benefit from ice breaker questions before you get started on your agenda. Here are some worthwhile questions to ask:

• What is one word you’ve been waiting to hear from your boss?

• What worries you most about work this month?

• What do your coworkers complain most about?

• What habit in the workplace do you find most irritating?

• What characteristic of your coworkers do you value the most?

• If you could instantly upskill for work, what skill would you like to develop?

• What excites you most about your job this year?

• If you could change anything about your job, what would it be?

• In what work culture can you contribute most successfully and how far is your current work culture from your ideal?

• What are the circumstances that would prompt you to go job hunting in secret?

• What is one thing you would like to accomplish in your lifetime?

• What are you an advocate of?

• What difference have you made in the organization so far?

• What office machine do you use the most?

• What is the best part of your workday?

• What day are you most efficient?

• At what time are you always the busiest?
• In your opinion, how long should our weekly meetings last?

• What sparks your creativity at work?

• What book would you recommend to your colleagues?

When you conduct an interview or a job orientation for new employees, you will be tasked to make the employees feel welcomed in their new workplace. Ice breaker questions will let the participants get to know their new coworkers and hopefully build camaraderie among them. Some good questions to ask are:

• Do you prefer waking up with or without an alarm clock?

• What would you say are your peak working hours?

• What is your solution for being unable to sleep at night?

• Do you often arrive early or late at your appointments?

• What do you think is the most overused excuse for being late?

• What are the three most important characteristics of your boss that would make you do your best work?

• What is your pet peeve in the workplace?

• What type of coworker do you think you could be best friends with?

• What hobby do you think you might enjoy when you retire?
• What is your toughest accomplishment to date?

• What value would you bring to your job?

• What are the values you admire in a successful person?

• What is one thing you learned about the company that made you want to work here?
• What is the first thing you would spend on with your first paycheck from this company?

• Why do you think this job is suited for you?

• What will you do differently in this company from your previous company?

• If you could decorate your office space in a way that will bring you more efficiency, how would you decorate your work area?

Group ice breaker questions

Whether you have associates meeting for the first time and you’re introducing them or you are having a big reunion or a usual gathering, you can ask these awesome questions to help everyone relax and loosen up for some quality bonding. Let’s start with fun and light questions like these:

• What is one thing that never fails to amaze you?

• What are your favorite topics for conversation?

• If you won the lottery, what charitable cause would you donate money to?

• What is one unexpected feature you would like to include in your dream house?

• If you could explore a fictional world from a movie/book in real life, which world would it be?

• What sport is your least favorite?

• What is one hobby that you always wanted to try but never did? Why so?

• What one piece of clothing describes your personality and why that?

• Can you tell us the story of your first kiss?

• What was your first memory of your life?

It is also good to ask questions for self-reflection as these also help us get to know the members of the group in a broader sense. Questions such as these are meaningful:

• What is something that you know by heart?

• What is the best thing you’ve discovered so far?

• What do you hope the future holds for you?
• If you could go back in time and start life all over from that year, what year would it be?

• What was your biggest adventure?

• What was the highlight of the previous year for you?

• What was the highest point of this week for you?

• If you could change the outcome of something that happened this week, how would you change it?

• What was your most regrettable purchase?

• With whom are you happiest?

• What job do you think you’d be terrible at?

• What is a perfect day like for you?

• What restores your energy when you feel demotivated?

• What are three things you always buy every time you go to the grocery?

If you want the group to share deeper thoughts and more meaningful experiences, you’d do well by asking questions such as these:

• What is the most important lesson you learned in life and how did you learn it?

• If you could give one advice to this group, what would it be?

• What is your life goal?

• If you could change just one thing about yourself, what is it and why would you change it?

• What is one thing you would never change about yourself?

• What is one thing your parents keep on reminding you about?

• What is your definition of success?

• What is your definition of fair?

• What was the hardest thing for you to let go?

• What is one thing that is difficult for you to accept even now?

• What are you most grateful for?

• What did you have to give up to reach where you are now?

• Where is the farthest you’ve traveled?

• Complete the sentence: You cannot be successful without ____?

• What is one world problem that you wish to eliminate and what steps have you done so far towards this cause?

• Is there a cause you support the most?

 

Christian ice breaker questions

As a small group leader, a pastor, a Christian workshop organizer, or fellowship leaders, good ice breaker questions can help to transition the group from the hustle and bustle of their daily life to the church event. These questions are beneficial for those leading a women’s gathering, a discipleship group, a ministry for couples or young adults. Let us start with questions that help the members of the church get acquainted with one another.

• What makes you feel blessed?

• What three personal attributes do you really like about yourself?

• What would you like to change about yourself to become a better Christian?

• What is the turning point in your life that led you to become a Christian?

• Which Christian person had the most influence in your life?

• What is your favorite Bible verse and what does it mean to you?

• What Christian book had a major impact on your life?

• What Christian song is most meaningful to you?

You may also want to know their points of view on certain matters in life. This can result in a good conversation that you can relate to the Bible. Some questions that ask for the perspective of others are:

• What do you think is the secret to long life?

• Why, in your opinion, has divorce become prevalent?

• What would you say is the moral condition of this world?

• What is the secret to a happy and godly marriage?
• In your marriage, who often asks for forgiveness first?

• Which is harder: to forgive or to ask for forgiveness?

• Why do bad things happen to people who are good?

After several meetings with your discipleship group, you are bound to grow closer and desire to have a deeper relationship with your brothers and sisters in Christ. Here are some deep and personal questions that can also help other members with their personal growth:

• What lessons have you learned from personal failures?

• Have you forgiven yourself from failures and mistakes you’ve made in the past?

• How do you comfort those who suffer from tragedy or loss?

• What scares you about the future?

• What personal fear do you want to overcome?

• What do you think do others say about you behind your back?

• How do you honor your parents?

• How do you honor your husband/wife?

• What or who is your inspiration to be all that you can be?

To take your meeting to a deeper, spiritual context, you can ask these spiritual questions that turn the attention of the individual to the Creator. Here are some questions you can ask the group about God:

• What is the difference between religion and one’s faith?

• What spiritual advice had the most impact in your Christian life?

• How do you discern God’s will for your life?

• What do you fear about God?

• When is it difficult for you to put your trust in God?
• How has God changed your life since you gave your life to Him?

• Which teaching in the Bible do you find the hardest to obey?

• When was the last time you knew your prayer was answered?

• If you would die today, do you think you can stand before God?

• When did you feel God is real in your life?

Adult ice breaker questions

Discussions with other adults can get a little boring. If you’d rather not discuss work on your date or night out, you can lighten the conversation with ice breaker questions. Let’s start with some conversation starters:

• What is the most common misconception of others about you?

• How often do you feel bored?

• What is your weekend routine like?

• What are one truth and one lie about you?

• If you were stranded on an island, who would you absolutely hate to be with?

• You wouldn’t be caught dead, doing what?

• What do you like about living/working in this area?

• In your opinion, where is the best place to live in your 20s (or the age of your friend)?
• What is your retirement plan like?

• How much have you checked off your bucket list?

• Which day of the week do you like the most? Which day feels like a drag?

• On a scale of 1 to 10, how well can you sing?

• What is one New Year’s resolution that you actually managed to do?

To get the conversation rolling, you want to talk about fun and silly things. Here are fun questions to ask adults on most occasions:

• Do you have any mannerisms?

• Do you have a silly nickname? What is the story behind it?
• Have you ever drunk-called your ex?

• Which song reminds you of an ex?

• In what way are you a nerd?

• What is the naughtiest thing you remember doing as a kid?

• Who causes the most stress for you?

• What is one thing you will never be made to do under any circumstance?
• If you were a drink, what drink would you be?

• If you turned into a food, how would you make sure no one would eat you?

• If you could have the body of a celebrity, which celebrity would that be?

• Which singer would you like to date?

• Which superhero would make a good best friend?

• What is the craziest thing you’ve ever done when you were drunk?

Vacations are also some of the best times to ask questions that can help relieve tension. Here are some good questions to ask while you’re on vacation:

• What destination did you want to transport yourself to whenever you were stuck in traffic?

• What is one food you tried on vacation that you miss so much?

• What is the best thing about being on vacation?

• When were you last on vacation?

• What is your email vacation response like?

• What would you give up your vacation for?

• If money and obligations were not an issue, how often would you go on vacation?

• How did you end up choosing this destination for your vacation?

• What country would you absolutely love to live in?

• What is your retirement plan like?

If you want a heart-to-heart conversation with an adult, you can ask deep and meaningful questions such as these:

• When was the last time you were happy?

• What is your usual mood like?

• What was the best surprise that you’ve ever pulled off?

• When did you last stand up for someone?

• What is the best risk you’ve ever taken in life?

• What are the three most important values you would never trade for?

 

Christmas ice breaker questions

Christmas is a time for merriment with friends, family, and all your loved ones. Still, time apart can result in awkwardness even within your family and your group of friends. Breaking the ice with questions such as listed below will help bring back your fondness and closeness with one another. Let’s start with questions you can ask anyone to revive the holiday spirit:

• What activity are you looking forward to the most this Christmas?

• What is the first thing you usually do on the morning of Christmas?

• When do you open Christmas presents?

• When do you start buying Christmas presents?

• Do you ever save for Christmas shopping?

• What is the best Christmas gift you have ever been given?

• What food do you really like to eat at Christmas?

• What is your favorite Christmas movie to watch every year?

• Would you rather receive money or a handmade gift this Christmas?

• What is something others like about Christmas but you don’t?

• What is your most memorable memory of Christmas?

• If you were Santa Claus, what food would you want to be left out for you?

• What for you is the true meaning of Christmas?

Ice breaker questions are also beneficial for family gatherings. There are family members who only visit during the holiday season while others only come home every few years. Even those who work or study abroad may need a bit of an adjustment when coming home for the holidays. To spark meaningful and joyful conversations with your family members this Christmas, you can ask them these questions:

• What is your fondest memory of Christmas as a child?

• What do you miss the most about this family?

• What gift would you like to receive from your family this Christmas?

• What is one thing that would make this Christmas season better?

• What holiday dessert are you looking forward to the most this year?

• What is your go-to outfit at Christmas parties?

There will also likely be kids present at your family gathering this Christmas. Hence, we have listed below a few ice breaker questions for kids this Christmas:

• When do you think should you be allowed to open your Christmas presents?

• Would you rather open the biggest presents first or last?

• If you could have a special wish granted this Christmas, what would you wish for?

• If you could give one of your presents to someone else this Christmas, who would you give it to and why?

• Do you think adults should get presents?

• What do you think do your parents want for Christmas?

Aside from family reunions, you may also be looking forward to Christmas parties with friends, schoolmates, and colleagues. For all the social events you will be attending this Christmas, it is good to have a handy list of icebreaker questions like these:

• What Christmas song makes you cringe?

• What song makes you feel like the holidays are here?
• If you could be the DJ of this Christmas party, what would be on your playlist?

• What is the coolest gift you’ve ever received from a coworker or schoolmate?

• What is the best last-minute Christmas gift?

• What is the cheapest gift you can buy that would still be greatly appreciated?

Team ice breaker questions

Did you know that high-performing teams utilize ice breakers even long after they have been working together as a team? First of all, ice breaker questions can help the team transition into the meeting. Ice breaker questions also encourage everyone to actively participate in the team brainstorming or weekly meetup. The following questions should help leaders unite the team for better performance and ideas:

• Why are you here?

• What is the main thing you hope to accomplish in this meeting?

• What is your top priority at work right now?

• What is one thing on your mind that can make it hard to focus on this meeting?

• What do you hope to learn today?

• What can the team do to help each member stay actively engaged?

• What are your ideal working hours?

• What has been your best experience with this team so far?

• What is one thing you learned about your work the past year?

• What are your work-related New Year’s resolutions and have you been able to stick to them?

• What talent or skill do you have that is not fully utilized in your current job?

• What changed about your perspective at work ever since you had this job?

• What do you enjoy most about being in this team?

Now not every ice breaker question should be about work. You can ask personal questions that help you understand your teammates better and gain insight into their personal background, preferences, dreams, and passions to make it easier to connect to them. Here are some questions that will help you get to know your team better:

• Are you currently working on any personal passion project?

• How do you maximize your time away from work?

• How do you recharge during the weekend?

• How do you recharge midweek?

• What is your favorite meal of the day?

• What is a skill you learned as a child that you still utilize to this day?

• What is a lesson you learned from your childhood that had the most influence in your life?

• What is one thing you want to have but won’t buy for yourself?

• What is the area where you are most organized and also an area where you tend to be disorderly?

• What is the best photo you’ve taken or seen this month?

• What toppings do you like on your pizza?

• How do you save time in the morning?

• What do you usually do the night before a big event?

• Are you allergic to anything?

• Do you have special holiday traditions that you haven’t heard any other family does?

• Do you often travel during the holidays or stay at home?

• What did you dress up as last Halloween?

• When do you make your bed?

• What is one thing that could go wrong in the morning that can lead to a bad start at work for you?

• Have you ever been in an accident?

• How many pairs of shoes do you have?

• How many books have you read last year?

• How many books are you planning to read this year?

 

Weird ice breaker questions

Do you love asking weird questions? These quirky questions make great ice breakers too. Try them at your next conversation:

• What have you been keeping in the trunk of your car?

• What is the oddest food you tried while you were on vacation?

• Are you sweet, bitter, spicy, or sour?

• What is on your screen wallpaper?

• What is one thing you’ve done that was completely out-of-character?

• What one thing is the least important to the world but is personally important to you?

• What strange smell do you like?

• What is your strangest dream?

• What is the weirdest, most unbelievable fact that you know about?

• What is the largest animal you think you will be able to fight singlehanded?

• What should two warring countries trade with each other to end the war?

• If space aliens came in the middle of the night and offered to bring you to their planet, would you go with them?

• What would you say is the most normal thing about you?

• If you could relive one day over and over, which day would you choose?

• What do you absolutely hate in this world?

• If you can change anything in world history, what event would that be and how would you change it?

• If you could be a part of a superhero league, what would be your superpower? Also, what would be the name of your league?

• If every time you enter a room a song would start playing, what song would you want that to be?

• What powers would a perfect nemesis have and how would you defeat him/her?

• What superpower would you hate to have?

• What would you do if you had the power to become invisible right now?

• What figure can you see living on the moon?

• If you could have a butler, what weird requests would you make?

How weird are your friends’ choices in life? Forget about the hard decisions you need to make on a daily basis and make the conversation light and fun with funky questions you can ask your friends like:

• Which is more important to you: stability or adventure?

• Would you rather be outdoors all your life or indoors?

• Which would you rather lose: your money or your friends?

• Which is more important to you: cooling or heating?

• Would you rather stay at a hotel made of chocolate or made of ice?

• If you could talk to a historical figure every time you were in trouble, who would it be?

• If you would become famous tomorrow, what would you like your screen name to be?

• Would you rather live forever as a 20-year old pop star or as a 40-year old wealthy person?

• Would you rather die fast or slow?

• What would be the best thing about living on another planet?

• Would you rather be a hot drink or an alcoholic drink?

• Would you rather be caught in public wearing your shirt inside-out or your front shirt backward?

• Which is more fun: sneaking out of school or sneaking out of your house at night?

• If you could read the mind of either a criminal or a mentally ill person, which would you choose?

Ice breaker questions for dating

One of the best ways to calm your nerves when you’re on a date is to ask ice breaker questions. These questions will help you get an impression of the other person and see if you’re a good fit for each other. Try these questions on your next first date:

• What is the coolest word you know?

• What is the longest word you can spell?

• What is the funniest pickup line you ever used?

• How do you feel about going to the movies or eating out in a restaurant by yourself?

• If you had the power to teleport, how would you do it?

• What is in your coffee?

• What would you give up your career for?

• What is one thing you look forward to at work?

• What would be the highlight of your year?

• What is your playlist when driving?

• When is the best time to go on vacation?

• What foreign food can you make at home?

• What would make your stay in this city/town longer?

• What do they call you at home?

Once you sense that the two of you are hitting it off, you can throw in some funny icebreaker questions to show that you have a good sense of humor. It is also a good time to find out if your date can take your humor too. Try these funny questions on your date:

• Is there something stuck in my teeth? (while flashing a big, cheeky smile)
• If we turned into animated characters right now, who would you and I be?

• If you can kiss an animated character and it will turn into a real-live human, which character would that be?

• How would you assemble the perfect burger?

• How high would you like your wedding cake to be?

• If there are no cops around, are you likely to break traffic rules?

• What do you do when you find hair in your food at a public restaurant or at someone else’s home?

• Do you drive through a big puddle on the road or do you avoid it?

• How long before the traffic lights go green do you start honking at the car ahead of you?

If you participate in a speed dating event, you won’t have much time to ask long ice breaker questions. With that in mind, here are some this or that questions that are easy to answer and will help you learn about your date in as little time as possible:

• Burger or pizza?

• Take out or dine in?

• A bouquet of flowers or a single rose?

• A foot massage or a back rub?

• Ham and cheese or PB&J?

• Beer or wine?

• Pasta or rice?

• Sausage or bacon?

• Tea or coffee?

• Juice or shake?

• Online shopping or go to the mall?

• A steamy shower or bubble bath?

• Theme park or zoo?

• Indoor skydiving or outdoor skydiving?

• Movie or concert?

• Skating or bowling?

• Watching or playing sports?

• Riddles or jokes?

• Tattoos or piercings?

• Art festival or music festival?

• Candle-lit dinner or roof-top date?

• Soul mates or love at first sight?

 

Team meeting ice breaker questions

Ice breaker questions are also important to ask when having a meeting with your team. A great way for everyone to share their experiences, learn from each other, and get the team spirit on a high is by asking questions such as these:

• What was your first-ever job?
• What do you think are the important attributes of the members that make a team a great success?
• What factors contribute to the failure of a team?
• What is your go-to quote for inspiration?
• What is your current bedside table read?
• Are there any good movies you’ve seen lately that you can recommend?
• Have you traveled anywhere recently for the first time?
• Who would you say had the most influence on you while you were growing up?
• What family tradition are you looking forward to the most every year?
• What was the first thing you bought with your first salary?
• Have you ever had your 15 minutes of fame?
• Do you have any phobias that you would like to break?
• Are you a collector of anything?
• What is something you’ve never done before that you would like to do before the year ends?

It is also good to have a list of icebreaker questions for a team building, seminar, workshop, or conference where you meet with other teams. Here are some fun questions to ask to add excitement to your social function:

• What do people often compliment you on?
• Would you rather receive recognition in public or in private?
• Would you rather be criticized in public or in private?
• Can you speak a foreign language?
• Are you good at fixing things?
• Have you ever completed an activity that requires endurance? (e.g. running a marathon)
• Do you support any local sports teams?
• Can you read musical notes?
• What instrument do you play or would like to learn to play?
• What do all your love interests have in common?
• If you were a dictator, what would you name your country?
• If you could be mayor of any city, what would be the name of that city?

If you are talking to a small group or having a conversation with individuals who you would like to get to know better, you can ask them some personal questions like:

• For how long have you had your oldest pair of shoes?
• At which store would you max out your credit card?
• What is your spirit animal?
• What color represents your life today?
• What are your guilt snacks?
• What food is your weakness?
• What type of architecture would you like your dream house to be?
• What art exhibit are you attracted to the most?
• Which filter do you use the most on your social media photos?
• If you were to write an autobiography, what is one event in your life that will surely be in the book?
• How many cities have you lived in so far?
• When did you last travel long distance?
• Would you rather host a talk show or be part of a reality TV show?

Final thoughts

Clean and good ice breaker questions encourage people to talk so you can get to know them better. Appropriate ice breaker questions shouldn’t be offensive to anyone or too sensitive to ask. It is best not to ask anything about religion or politics as ice breakers because it can lead to more tension.

Bad ice breaker questions are like bad jokes. You will want to steer clear from questions that are naughty, offensive, absurdly serious, and any other question that will get the other party completely off-guard.

Confidence is key to asking fun ice breaker questions. You want to start off light and ask deep ice breaker questions as you go deeper into the conversation. You should also sense if the other participants seem uninterested and detached. You may have to carefully choose the questions you ask certain individuals.

Keep in mind that ice breaker questions are meant to prompt a flow in your conversation. It is best to choose the questions according to the conversation you hope to have. Ice breaker questions can be the start of a fun conversation or an immersive and passionate discussion. Bonus points if you can relate the answers to the questions to the lessons you want to teach in your discussion.