Decision Making Ice Breaker Activities

Whether in a classroom setting or at a party, the mood of the event can be set by an icebreaker activity. Icebreakers get participants talking and interacting for a cause. Decision-making activities help participants establish trust and share personal experiences to solve a problem. Encourage positive relationships and a positive environment with an ice-breaker activity.

Two Truths and a Lie is a decision-making activity that is useful as an icebreaker. The participants write down two things about themselves that are true. They also write down one thing about themselves that is a lie. Each group member has the chance to share the facts with his group members. The group members must decide which two items are true and which is a lie. Participants in the group may work together to reach a decision and then explain how that decision was reached.

For this decision-making ice breaker game, the leader will need four bags. Place a small treat inside each bag. Ask for three participants from the group. Each volunteer chooses a bag based on how it looks. Each volunteer can keep his bag, trade it with someone else or trade it for the extra fourth bag. Next, each volunteer feels the object inside the bag without looking. Then he has the option to trade again. Finally, each person opens his bag and sees what is inside. The leader of the activity should ask why certain bags were chosen and what changed their desire for that bag. Ask participants if they felt confident in the decision made or if there were moments of doubt. Repeat the activity several times, so everyone in the group has a chance to play.

The Solution Seeker icebreaker activity requires all participants to sit in a circle. Each person writes down a personal problem on a blank sheet of paper. Some possible problems may be, “How can I get my parents to change my curfew?” or “How can I get better grades?” Each person then passes his paper to the right. Everyone takes a few minutes to read the problem and write the first solution that comes to mind. After 30 seconds, pass the paper to the right again for another person’s solution. Repeat this process until everyone receives his paper back. This activity is a quick decision-making game with some funny answers.

Divide the group into teams of 8 to 10 people. Inform each group that they are in an air-raid shelter after an atomic bomb has fallen. The shelter only has enough air and food supply for six people. The remaining members must leave the shelter so the others can survive. Randomly assign roles (doctor, housewife, move-star, politician) to each group member by choosing out of a hat. Each group member must plead his case on why he should stay in the shelter. The group decides as a whole who must stay and who goes. Set a time limit to make the decision process more difficult.