Icebreaker Questions for Kids
Questions for getting a group of kids talking, written for teachers, camp leaders, coaches and parents with a roomful of children from about five to twelve. They are grouped into silly, favorites, imagination and school, and each group starts easy and gets harder. Every question comes with a note on why it works and what to do with the answers.
One at a time · 01 of 79
Silly
“What animal noise can you do better than anyone else in this room?”
Why ask it
Expect a demonstration, not a description, which is the point. A group that has mooed and quacked together has very little shyness left in it.
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The questions
Each question, and why to ask it
Silly
What animal noise can you do better than anyone else in this room?
Why ask it
Expect a demonstration, not a description, which is the point. A group that has mooed and quacked together has very little shyness left in it.
What is the silliest word you know how to say?
Why ask it
Five-year-olds will choose a word and then be unable to stop saying it. Let that run for a moment: shared giggling does the job faster than any answer would.
What food would make the funniest hat?
Why ask it
Short enough for a fast trip around the circle where everyone answers in a word or two. Spaghetti goes early, so ask later kids for a food nobody has said yet.
What would be the worst possible flavor of toothpaste?
Why ask it
Disgust is a reliable crowd-pleaser at this age. Let the group vote on the worst suggestion and even the quiet kids take part without having to say a word.
What would you name a pet dinosaur that was only as big as a hamster?
Why ask it
Shrinking the dinosaur is what makes it work: a name for something fierce and tiny is funnier than either alone. Ask where it would sleep for an easy second round.
If sneezes made a different sound, what sound should they make?
Why ask it
Nearly impossible to answer without performing it, so expect a chorus of trumpet and duck sneezes. Save it for when the group needs to get a little noise out.
If you had a tail, what kind would you want and what would you use it for?
Why ask it
The second half is where the thinking happens. Monkey tails for carrying snacks beat fluffy tails for looking nice, and kids will argue the engineering.
What would a dog's favorite TV show be about?
Why ask it
Asks kids to see the world through someone else's eyes, which is a friendly skill to practice on day one. Squirrels and mail carriers feature heavily in the plots.
If you had to wear one costume to school every day for a year, which one would you pick?
Why ask it
The 'every day for a year' clause makes them weigh comfort against glory. Someone will realize a dragon suit is a problem in gym class, and the debate is on.
Which vegetable do you think would be the grumpiest if vegetables could talk?
Why ask it
Gives kids permission to be rude about broccoli in an approved setting. Ask for the grumpy voice too, if the group is already warm enough to do voices.
If a pet or any animal you know could send you one text message, what would it say?
Why ask it
Including 'any animal you know' keeps kids without pets in the game. Most messages turn out to be about food, which is probably accurate reporting.
Which would be harder: a whole day of walking backwards or a whole day of only whispering?
Why ask it
A two-option question lets shy kids answer by pointing or moving to one side of the room. The loud ones tend to discover mid-sentence that whispering is their weak spot.
If you could swap your hands for any two objects for one day, what would they be?
Why ask it
Better with eight and up, who enjoy finding the flaw in each other's plans. Spoon hands sound great until someone asks how you would open the fridge.
If you planned lunch for everyone here and nobody could say no, what would be on the menu?
Why ask it
Power with no veto goes straight to a child's head, and the menus show it. Compare a few out loud: you will find the group's one defender of vegetables.
What is the funniest thing you have ever seen an animal do?
Why ask it
Unlike the ones before it, this asks for a true story, so allow a little more time per child. Kids who struggle with invention usually do well with memory.
What would be a truly terrible name for a superhero?
Why ask it
Older kids get more out of this than little ones because the joke lives in the wordplay. Captain Homework or something close to it shows up within three answers.
What is something grown-ups do that looks really silly to you?
Why ask it
Kids have been quietly collecting evidence on this for years. If you are the grown-up in the room, offer yourself as the first exhibit and take it well.
If you could make one silly rule that everyone here had to follow for ten minutes, what would it be?
Why ask it
The rare icebreaker you can act on. Pick a harmless rule and enforce it: the group walks away with an inside joke, which is what you were after all along.
What is a joke, face or voice that always makes someone in your family laugh?
Why ask it
Every child has one reliable bit, and this closes the silly round on something real. Invite the demonstration but never insist, since performing on command is a lot to ask.
Favorites
What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast on a day with no school?
Why ask it
More specific than asking about favorite foods, so you get pancakes with a story attached and not a one-word 'pizza'. A gentle opener for a group that has just met.
Which animal would you most like to see up close in real life?
Why ask it
'Up close' does the work here, turning a flat favorite into a small adventure. Ask how close is close enough and you will sort the brave from the sensible.
What is your favorite thing to do outside when the weather is just right?
Why ask it
Splits the room into climbers, diggers, ball players and cloud watchers in under a minute. If you lead outdoor time later, you have just done your planning.
What is the best smell in the whole world?
Why ask it
Smell questions catch kids off guard because nobody has asked them one before. Rain, new crayons or a grandparent's kitchen tell you far more than a favorite color.
What is your favorite game to play when there are lots of kids around?
Why ask it
Practical as well as friendly. A camp leader who listens now holds a list of games the group already knows, likes and can explain to each other.
What is a song you know all the words to?
Why ask it
Asking for a known song and not a favorite spares kids from defending their taste in front of peers. Two children naming the same song have usually just made a friend.
What do you like to draw most when you get a blank piece of paper?
Why ask it
Almost every child has a default drawing, whether horses, race cars or one very particular monster. Hand out paper afterwards and your next activity is sorted.
Which season do you like best, and what is the first thing you do when it arrives?
Why ask it
Without its second clause this would get a one-word answer. With it, you learn who jumps in leaf piles and who heads for the pool, and the winter fans get to defend themselves.
What is the best birthday cake or birthday treat you have ever had?
Why ask it
Children remember cakes with surprising precision, down to the frosting color. 'Or treat' leaves room for kids whose families mark birthdays differently.
Which toy or stuffed animal have you had the longest?
Why ask it
Younger kids will give you its name and full medical history. With eleven-year-olds, add 'when you were little' so nobody has to confess to a current teddy.
What is your favorite place to go that is not your home or your school?
Why ask it
Ruling out home and school forces a real choice: a cousin's yard, the library, one particular climbing tree. Shy children find places easier to talk about than themselves.
What is the best story anyone has ever read out loud to you?
Why ask it
Reaches kids who do not yet read on their own as easily as those who do. Ask who did the reading: the voice is often remembered better than the plot.
What is your favorite way to move: running, climbing, swimming, dancing, biking or something else?
Why ask it
A menu helps the five-year-olds, and 'something else' keeps the door open for the gymnast and the kid who just likes spinning. Useful to know before you plan a game.
What is your favorite thing to do when rain keeps you stuck inside?
Why ask it
Shows you each child's quiet-time self, which the playground never reveals. The builders, readers and fort makers find each other quickly once it is said out loud.
Who is your favorite character from a book, show or movie, and what do you like about them?
Why ask it
The reason matters more than the name. 'She is brave' or 'he never gives up' tells you what a child admires, which is often what they hope to become.
What is your favorite special day of the year, and what is the best part of it?
Why ask it
Left open on purpose, since families celebrate different days. The best part is rarely the presents: more often it is a certain food, a cousin or being allowed to stay up late.
What is the best thing you have ever built, made or cooked?
Why ask it
Lets kids brag about effort instead of stuff they own, which keeps things even across the group. Ask how long it took and whether it still exists.
What do you like best about the town or neighborhood where you live?
Why ask it
Children rarely get asked for an opinion on where they live. In a camp that draws from several towns, it also gives everyone a little home turf to describe.
What is a food you used to dislike but really like now?
Why ask it
Changing your mind is a fairly grown-up thing to have done, and this asks for a small story about it. Picky eaters get to be the experts for once, and they know it.
What is something you love that you think nobody else in this room loves?
Why ask it
Invites each kid to stake out something of their own, then often proves them wrong when a second hand shoots up. Either outcome is good for the group.
Imagination
If a wild animal could safely live in your bedroom, which one would you pick?
Why ask it
'Safely' removes the practical objections, so the tiger fans can relax. Ask where it would sleep and what it would eat, and the five-year-olds will have a full care plan.
If you could paint your whole house one color, inside and out, what color would it be?
Why ask it
A favorite-color question wearing a disguise, and much better for it. Picturing an all-purple kitchen gets a laugh, which a plain 'purple' never does.
If you could talk to one kind of animal, which would it be and what would you ask first?
Why ask it
What they would ask first is the revealing bit. Some want gossip from the family dog, others want to know what the whales have been singing about.
If you shrank to the size of an ant for one hour, where would you go exploring?
Why ask it
One hour keeps it an adventure and not a horror story. Kitchens, gardens and the inside of a backpack come up, along with a sudden respect for spiders.
If you found a door at the back of your closet, where would you want it to lead?
Why ask it
Children split between faraway places and very near ones, like a best friend's room. Both answers are telling, and neither needs any explaining to the group.
If you could be any age for one week, which age would you choose?
Why ask it
Little kids almost always pick older, and some older ones quietly pick younger, which surprises the room. Ask what they would do with the week.
If you built a treehouse with anything you wanted inside, what is the first room you would add?
Why ask it
Naming the first room forces a priority. You learn who wants a snack kitchen, who wants a library and who is mainly interested in the trapdoor.
If you had a robot that could do only one job for you, what job would you give it?
Why ask it
Room cleaning wins by a mile, so push for a second, stranger job. The one-job limit is what makes them choose instead of listing everything they dislike.
If you made a new animal by mixing two real ones, which two would you mix?
Why ask it
Pairs well with paper and pencils: everyone draws their creature and the group guesses the ingredients. Ask for a name as well, since the naming is half the fun.
If you were as tall as a giant for one afternoon, what would you do that you cannot do now?
Why ask it
Look for the helpers, who rescue kites from trees, and the mischief makers, who step over the school. Both are good company, and now you know which is which.
If it could rain anything except water for five minutes, what would you want to fall from the sky?
Why ask it
Five minutes is long enough for consequences, and someone will point out that raining marshmallows beats raining pancakes with syrup. Let them debate the cleanup.
If you invented a new holiday, what would people celebrate and how?
Why ask it
What a child thinks deserves a holiday says a lot: pets, little brothers, mud. The 'how' is what stretches it, so ask about the food and whether school is closed.
If you could step inside any book, movie or game for one day, which one would you visit?
Why ask it
Kids who picked the same world find each other instantly. A follow-up worth asking: would you be the hero, a sidekick or just someone watching from a safe distance?
If you woke up tomorrow able to do one thing perfectly, what would you want it to be?
Why ask it
A wish with a bit of truth inside it, since kids tend to name something they are already working at. Skateboard tricks and spelling tests both make the list.
If you designed a playground and cost did not matter, what would be in the middle of it?
Why ask it
Putting one thing in the middle makes them choose the star attraction. Partner kids up to combine their designs and you have a drawing activity for the next half hour.
If you opened a store, what would it sell and what would it be called?
Why ask it
Eight and up enjoy the naming most. Expect candy shops and pet shops, and now and then a child who arrives with opening hours and a complete business plan.
If you could spend one night sleeping anywhere, like a lighthouse, a submarine or a cloud, where would it be?
Why ask it
The examples show how wide the door is, which helps kids who freeze on open questions. Notice who chooses cozy and who chooses daring.
If you could put a message in a bottle for a kid on the other side of the world, what would you write?
Why ask it
Most children start with a question, not a statement, which is a good instinct to point out. It can turn into a real writing activity if you have the time.
If you were in charge of the whole world for one day, what is the first thing you would change?
Why ask it
Answers divide between free ice cream and something startlingly serious, like nobody going hungry. Give both kinds exactly the same respect.
If you could invent something that does not exist yet, what problem would it solve?
Why ask it
Framing it around a problem produces better inventions than asking for a gadget. The problems are personal ones: lost socks, early mornings, a sibling who will not knock.
School
How do you get to school, and what do you see along the way?
Why ask it
Nobody can get this one wrong, which makes it a sound warm-up. Bus kids, walkers and car riders discover each other, and the second half rewards the children who notice things.
What do you usually do first when recess starts?
Why ask it
Tells you who sprints for the ball, who heads for the swings and who goes looking for one particular friend. Handy for a teacher pairing kids up early in the year.
Which part of the school day goes by the fastest for you?
Why ask it
Time flies during the part a child loves, so this finds the favorite subject without asking for one. Recess counts, and somebody will say so immediately.
What is the best lunch you have ever eaten at school?
Why ask it
Worded to work for cafeteria trays and packed lunches alike, so no one is singled out. Pizza day has passionate supporters and should be allowed its moment.
Which school supply makes you happiest: new markers, a sharp pencil, a fresh notebook or something else?
Why ask it
Low stakes, with oddly strong opinions behind them. Well timed for the first week, when the supplies are still new and the erasers still have corners.
What job in the classroom would you most like to have?
Why ask it
Line leader remains the most coveted office in elementary school. A teacher who asks in the first week gets a job chart that more or less fills itself in.
If your class could have any pet, what should it be and what should it be named?
Why ask it
Put the names to a class vote and you have ten minutes of cheerful democracy. Even if no pet is coming, the winning name tends to get attached to something in the room.
What is a book you read at school that you would tell a friend to read?
Why ask it
A recommendation is easier to give than a review, and it hands the quieter readers some standing. Keep a list on the wall and let it grow through the year.
What was the best field trip you have ever taken, or one you wish your class would take?
Why ask it
Offering a wished-for trip protects kids who have not been on one yet. What they remember is usually the bus ride and the gift shop, which is worth knowing if you plan trips.
What is the most interesting thing a teacher has ever brought in to show your class?
Why ask it
Kids recall the snake skin, the old typewriter and the model volcano years afterwards. For a teacher, the answers are a fair guide to what sticks.
If your classroom could move anywhere for one day, like a beach, a zoo or a spaceship, where should it go?
Why ask it
Changing the scenery is an easy thing to imagine together, and the class can vote on a winner. Ask what the lesson would be once you all got there.
What is something you learned this year that you did not know last year?
Why ask it
Children are often surprised by their own answer, because learning is hard to see from the inside. Anything counts, from long division to tying a shoe.
If you could add one brand-new subject to school, what would everyone learn?
Why ask it
You will hear cooking, animals and video games, and sometimes 'how to make friends', which deserves a pause. Ask who they think should teach it.
If you got to be the teacher tomorrow, how would you start the morning?
Why ask it
Half the room declares extra recess and the other half turns out to be stricter than you. Both halves are telling you what they think school is for.
What would you put in a time capsule for kids at your school to open many years from now?
Why ask it
Asks children to decide what is worth remembering about right now. Popular toys lead, but someone usually adds a class photo or a note, and the mood shifts nicely.
What makes someone a good person to sit next to?
Why ask it
Really about friendship, though it pretends to be about seating. Kids say things like 'shares the eraser', and the whole room gets to hear what kindness looks like in practice.
What is one rule you think every classroom should have?
Why ask it
Rules that kids propose are rules that kids defend, so it suits the start of a year or a camp session. Expect a silly one first, then a surprisingly fair one.
What is something you are good at in school that you could help someone else with?
Why ask it
Turns the usual talk about what is hard into what each child can offer. Write the answers down: you have a list of classroom helpers the kids picked themselves.
What is the hardest thing you have learned to do at school so far, and how did you figure it out?
Why ask it
How they figured it out is the valuable half, because it lets kids hear that other people struggle and get through it. Reading and riding out a tricky friendship both qualify.
What is something you want to get better at before this school year ends?
Why ask it
Best saved for last, once the room has warmed up, because it means admitting you are not good at something yet. Go first yourself, with a real answer.
How to run an icebreaker with kids
Practical guidance for the conversation itself
Before you start
Choose by age, not by order
Read the list with your group in mind before you read it aloud. Five and six-year-olds do best with questions that have a physical or one-word answer, while the oldest want something they can argue about. Within each tag the early questions are the gentlest.
Get on their level
Sit in a circle on the floor, or on chairs the same height as theirs. A standing adult firing questions at seated children looks like a quiz, and kids answer quizzes as briefly as they can.
Answer first yourself
Give your own answer before asking anyone else, and make it short and slightly ridiculous. It shows the length you are after and proves that nobody will be laughed at for a silly answer.
Make passing normal
Tell the group at the start that anyone can say 'pass' and that you will come back to them at the end. Most children who pass will answer on the second visit, once they have heard a few others and know what is expected.
Stop while it is still fun
Two or three questions are plenty for one sitting. End while hands are still in the air and the group will ask for it again tomorrow, which is a far better result than getting through the list.
Ways to run it
Pass the ball
- 1Sit everyone in a circle and hold up a soft ball or beanbag.
- 2Read one question, answer it yourself, then roll or toss the ball to a child.
- 3Whoever holds the ball answers, then sends it to someone who has not had a turn.
- 4Change the question after every five or six answers so the last children are not repeating the first.
Pick a side
- 1Choose a question with clear options, or turn any favorite into a choice between two.
- 2Point to one side of the room for each option and let everyone walk to their answer.
- 3Ask one or two volunteers from each side to explain their choice.
- 4Let anyone who was persuaded switch sides before you read the next question.
Partner and report
- 1Pair each child with someone they do not know well.
- 2Give the pairs one question and two minutes to swap answers.
- 3Bring the circle back together and have each child share their partner's answer, not their own.
- 4Swap partners and repeat with a new question if the group still has energy.
Draw it first
For the youngest children, or a group with several very shy members, hand out paper and have everyone draw their answer before anyone speaks. Holding up a picture is much easier than talking into silence, and the drawings give you something to ask about.
Question of the day
Write one question on the board each morning and let children answer as they arrive, out loud to you or on a sticky note. Over a few weeks it becomes a ritual, and the quiet children get a daily chance to be heard without an audience.
When it goes sideways
The child who will not answer
Do not wait in silence with the whole circle watching. Offer two options to choose between, accept a nod or a point, and move on warmly. A word with that child one to one later in the day does more than any amount of coaxing in front of the group.
The child who will not stop
Long answers are usually enthusiasm, not rudeness. Set a friendly limit before you begin, such as one sentence each or only while you hold the ball, and thank the talker by name as you move along.
Everyone copies the first answer
Younger children often repeat whatever the first child said, because it was clearly an acceptable answer. Let it go the first time, then ask for an answer nobody has given yet, or start the next round with a different child.
Silly turns unkind
Questions about funny or gross things can tip into jokes about a person in the room. Step in at once with one plain rule, that we laugh about ideas and never about people, and then carry on without making a speech of it.
The energy boils over
A good silly question can leave a group too wound up for whatever comes next. Follow it with a favorites or school question, lower your own voice, and the room will usually come down with you.