Ice Breakers for College Students

There are many reasons why it is good for college students to get to know their fellow students. They could be classmates who will need to collaborate with each other on projects, students participating in the same extra-curricular activity, fraternity or sorority mates, or students living in the same residence hall. When students know one another a little better, they are more likely work well together, and amicably solve disputes with one another without outside intervention. Small activities known as ice breakers are fun ways to get students more acquainted with one another. Here are several ice breakers for college students who need help in becoming more familiar with one another. Hopefully some of these ice breaker ideas will be perfect for getting to know you sessions on campus.

The Three Question Interview

Students are separated into groups of two. Each student then draws three interesting questions out of a bag. Then, the members of each pair uses the three questions to interview one another. After the interviews are finished, the teammates use the questions to introduce each other to the rest of the group. Some question ideas are:

• What is your favorite smell?
• Why do you like your favorite song?
• What is your favorite place to take a walk?
• If you could combine menu items for any fast food restaurant, what would your meal contain?
• What was the last thing that you made with your hands?
• What do you fear most about school this year?
• What are you looking forward to this semester?
• What is the worst noise in the world?

Who am I?

Participants have a nametag stuck to the backs of their shirts. The tag contains the name of a famous person. In order to find out who they are, they must ask other students questions about the person on their nametag. At the end of the ice breaking session, students take turns guessing who they are. Those who are correct win a small prize.

Stranded on a Dessert Island

Divide the students up into groups. Instruct them to imagine that they are stranded on an island and must agree on five items that will help them survive.  The team members must discuss with one another which items are most important, and come to a consensus. The first group that has their five items is the winner.

Find the Match

On scraps of paper in a fishbowl write names of people or items that go together. For example, on four separate slips of paper write, bread, eggs, milk, and maple syrup (the ingredients for French toast), or on separate scraps of paper write Hawkeye, Hot Lips, BJ, Radar, etc. (characters from MASH). Just make sure that there is a slip of paper for everybody to draw from the fishbowl. When everybody has a paper, they must then speak to other students and find the group they belong to. This is a great way to build teams of students for group activities.

The Getting to Know you Scavenger Hunt

Scavenger hunts are always fun activities for college students. In this version have students submit to the session leaders an interesting fact about themselves. Then, compile each interesting fact on a sheet of paper to give each student. When the scavenger hunt begins, each student must find which of their classmates matches each interesting fact.

These are just a few of the fun ice breaker activities that can be used to help students get to know one another. Remember that the purpose of these activities is to provide students with an enjoyable experience while meeting one another. This means making sure that the activities are fun for everybody and not overly competitive.