Five Fabulous Icebreaker Games

If you're looking for a few good get-to-know-you games for your next church function, check out these innovative and noncompetitive games for people of all ages. These icebreakers will not only have the participants laughing, but also fellowshipping and getting to know one another. Try them out at your next group event!

1. Knots
The group clumps up tightly and each person takes two hands (cannot be of the same person). They then have to work themselves into a circle without breaking hands.

2. Crossword Puzzle
Make several large crossword puzzles on pieces of paper. As people arrive, have them to choose a puzzle and begin working on it. See that an equal number of people are working on each puzzle. They end up sharing and working together.

The same idea can be used cutting up pieces of a cardboard heart, and participants must put the heart together.

3. Balloon Pop
Give everyone a balloon. Each person is to blow up his/her balloon (really big!), tie it off and hold it at his/her stomach. When everyone has a balloon blown up, each person is to work with the others to form a circle. Once the circle is formed, the people begin moving inward until all balloons are touching.

They then keep moving inward until the balloons begin to pop. The object is to pop all the balloons you can. This can be done as teams. The key is to blow the balloons up as far as you can without bursting them.

4. Getting into groups
There are lots of ways to get people into groups. Here are just a few.

A. Get enough round bubble gum balls for each person in your group. Make sure there are several colors (enough for each group you need). On cue, everyone chews their piece of gum. After five to 10 seconds, everyone sticks out their tongues and tries to find those with the same color.

B. Write out colors on pieces of paper (one for each group you want to have). Give each person a piece of paper with a color on it when he/she enters the room. On cue, participants get into groups by yelling out their colors and finding all the others with the same colors. Here are some alternatives:

• Tape the pieces of paper under their chairs.
• Use animal names and have them make the sound of the animal they get.
• Do a silent grouping by having the participants simply hold up their group name without saying anything.

C. Group the months of the year into as many groups as you need. Have the participants call out the month they were born in to group. You could do the same thing with years people were born in, etc.

5. "Family-arity:" A paper game icebreaker for a "family" activity
Each person gets a piece of paper with the following statements printed on it. The object is to get your paper filled out with autographs of persons who match the list (Leave room on the paper for signatures).

Instructions: Find someone who can sigh each space with the requested information. If your birthday is between January and March, start with number one; April and June, number four; July and September, number seven; and October and December, number 10. Participants must get autographs from another person who ...

•  Has the same name as someone in your family.
•  Drives the same kind of car as your mother.
•  Was born in the same state as you.
•  Has the same number of brothers and sisters.
•  Lived in an apartment at some time.
•  Opens presents on Christmas Eve.
•  His or her mother or father walked to school.
•  Has a great-grandparent living.
•  Plays a musical instrument (name it).
•  Has a birthday in same month as you.
•  Has a nickname.
•  Had to share a room with a family member when growing up.

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