Minute Ice Breaker Games

Ice breaker games are useful for trainings, parties and other events where strangers need to get to know one another. They can break the uneasiness at the start of a stressful business meeting or training event. Ice breakers are short games that last from one to five minutes and often result in laughter or relieve stress for participants. The games are also popular at baby and bridal showers, birthdays or church gatherings.

Make up a variety of phrases, but leave the ends of the sentences blank. For example, write: "If I were on a deserted island, I would bring __." Or write phrases that require participants to give a list: "My favorite (movies, music, books) are_ ." Write the sentences or phrases on slips of paper and then put them in a box or small can. Pass it around and let everybody draw out one slip of paper. Once everybody has a slip of paper, each individual reads his aloud and completes his sentence with his answers.

At a group event or meeting, a ball that has random questions written on it is passed around. One the meeting has started, begin tossing the ball around. Each person who catches the ball must introduce herself and answer the question on the ball that is closest to her pinky finger.

After everybody has been seated at an event, meeting or training, go around the room and have everybody say his name, state his role or title in the business and describe himself in one word.

At the beginning of the event, ask the question, "If you were on a deserted island, what is one thing that you would bring?" Each person in the room must introduce herself and reply to the question with just one answer.

Put participants in groups of three or four, depending on the number of people attending the meeting. Tell each group to stand (or sit) in a circle together. Each person must turn to his right and give that person an adjective. Then afterwards, tell everyone to turn to her left, and give that individual a noun. Once everybody has done so, each person says his name and finishes the phrase, " I was given a ** **," by inserting the verb and noun that was told to him. For example, "My name is Mike and I was given a glowing cat."