# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
"To me, old age is always ten years older than I am" John Burroughs

In this engaging lesson, students will consolidate the use of future perfect and future perfect continuous through some engaging activities.

Show them a picture of how you see yourself when you are 70 and explain why you see yourself like that. (below you'll see the picture I showed my students). After some laughs and a bit of explaining, ask students:
How do you see yourselves when you are 70? Do you look forward to getting old?
Ask them to talk in pairs for two or three minutes and get feedback.

THE POEM- WARMING by Jenny Joseph

This is a nice opportunity to introduce poetry in class.

Explain that the poem they are about to listen/ read, written by Jenny Joseph, goes hand in hand with the picture of yourself shown above. After listening to the poem, ask students whether they think the author is looking forward to getting old and why.

It seems the poetess is rebellious, but she is only comfortable to 'break the rules' when she has the excuse of old age and senility. Ask students what they think about her attitude.

GALLERY WALK

On the walls of the class display pictures of elderly people reflecting different attitudes towards life when they are old.

Ask students to stand up, have a look at all of them, and decide which one will best represent their attitude to life. They now return to their desks.

Ask them to write two sentences using the future perfect and two sentences using the future continuous, based on the picture they have chosen.

Get students in threes now and ask them to explain their choice to their partners and use the 4 sentences they have written.

For example and based on my picture

I will have tried parachuting when I am 70

I will have probably written a recipe book.

I will probably be living in Bhutan

I will be living life to the fullest

I have used these pictures to display on the walls.
Students now work in small groups and answer the following questions about the future. Remind them that they need to elaborate on their answers, giving reasons and using different expressions to give opinions. All the questions contain either a future perfect or a future continuous form; encourage students to use these tenses in their answers.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Life Begins at 70: a Future Perfect and Future Continuous Lesson

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
"To me, old age is always ten years older than I am" John Burroughs In this engaging lesson, students will consolidate the use of future perfect and future perfect continuous through some engaging activities. Show them a picture of how you see yourself when you are 70 and explain why you see yourself like that.

# data[].attributes.body
4. ‘Same and Different’ Team Building Game

1. Split your participants into groups of 3 or more and allocate them to breakout rooms.

2. Ask each group to write down as a list on an online whiteboard or virtual sticky note all the interesting things that they all have in common (ask them to avoid obvious things, such as all being men or women) and something unique to each participant. They will have 5 minutes for this task.

3. At the end of the 5 minutes, ask each group to share

4. their list to the rest of the class via an online whiteboard.

5. ‘Big Lottery Win’ Warm-Up Activity

9. ‘Childhood Dream’ Ice-breaker

10. ‘Take a Picture of Something’ Class Acitivity

12. ‘Show a Map’ Fun Teaching Activity

15. ‘One Random Object’ Virtual Training Activity

16. ‘Accomplished Goals’ Online Group Activity

17. ‘Describe Yourself in a Tweet’ Activity

20. ‘Time Machine’ Virtual Training Activity

21. ‘Where in the World’ Icebreaker for Online Training

1. Ask participants to pick a place in the world where they would like to go or that suits their personality.

2. Ask them to post three clues for that place.

3. Explain that the other participants have to guess which place the other participants have chosen.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Symonds Research Training Course Materials

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Page Updated on February 2, 2023

Here are 21 free to use icebreakers for online teaching that you can use. Icebreakers are an important part of any training program, as they encourage people to participate from the start of a session, to get to know each other and to feel comfortable working with others.

How do you run icebreakers for online sessions though? We have written a separate post on 'How to run group activities in virtual classrooms for your students here. 🙂

There are many icebreakers you can do in face-to-face training sessions and some of them are classics that corporate trainers all over the world have been using for quite a while.

In this guide, we have put together some icebreakers specifically designed to be done online and others that are normally done in traditional classrooms and we explain how to adapt them for the online environment.

1. 'Two Truths and a Lie' Icebreaker

This is a classic icebreaker, which can be adapted to an online class.

Instructions

1. Ask one participant to write three statements about themselves: 2 true and 1 false.

2. Ask the other participants to vote on which statements are true and which is false.

3. After the first person has shared their statement and the group has decided which statement is false, the first person will reveal which statements were true and which one was false.

4. Move on until each person in the group has shared their statements.

5. The person who manages to correctly guess the most lies wins. Alternatively, you can play this game in a non-competitive way just for participants to get to know each other.

This is intended as a fun icebreaker so it's a nice activity for very early in any training or teaching.

Online tools you can use

2. Table Topics

Table topics are a set of cards, which you can find for sale online, on sites such as Amazon. Each card has a question on it to start a conversation and every pack of cards contains just over one hundred questions.

They are a great way to start a conversation for participants to get to know each other or to start a discussion on a specific topic. You can choose questions pertinent to the topic of your workshop

Instructions

You can type some of the questions from the card on a chat board and ask participants to write down their thoughts.

Alternatively, you could separate the participants into breakout rooms and assign each group one or two questions so that each person in the group can answer.

Some examples of questions include:

Is there such a thing as perfect?

Where would you most like to go and why?

Who's the funniest person you know?

Would you rather live for a week in the past or the future?

What is the meaning of 'peace' to you?

Who do you trust and why?

How would you describe your future in three words?

If you can go back in time to your 15-year-old self, what advice would you give your 15-year-old self?

What is your definition of being wealthy and why?

What can you do today that you were not capable of a year ago?

Online tools you can use

Breakout rooms (which are available in many web conferencing platforms, such as Zoom).

Online whiteboards and chats.

3. 'Three Words' Ice Breaker

This is a good warm-up activity and it can also be useful to discuss the importance of adapting to changing situations and thinking on one's feet.

Instructions

1. Ask participants to agree on a random topic. It can be anything from food to dogs, to rugby.

2. Explain that each person should contribute with three words to the story (and three words only at a time) and they will take turns to contribute.

3. Encourage the participants to say the first three words that come to their mind. It does not matter if they make sense or not.

4. Try to move from one person to the other quickly.

Online tools you can use

Online whiteboard, chat board, and other collaboration tools such as Padlet or Lino.

4. 'Same and Different' Team Building Game

The aim is to learn information about other people. Hence, this activity can be either a great icebreaker or a way for people within an established team to know each other better and communicate.

Instructions

Online tools you can use

Breakout rooms

Online whiteboard, chat board, and other collaboration tools such as Padlet or Lino.

5. 'Big Lottery Win' Warm-Up Activity

This game is good as a warm-up, for participants to familiarize themselves with each other and also to think creatively.

Participants can discuss together or be separated into breakout rooms, depending on the number of participants.

Instructions

1. Explain to the participants to imagine that they have just won the lottery. They have won 25 million Euros, GBP, dollars, or any big amount in the local currency of the country they are in.

2. Give participants 5 minutes to list all the things they would do with the money. There is no limit to the number of things they can put down, as long as they can write them within 5 minutes.

3. After 5 minutes are up, ask everyone to talk about their list and discuss.

4. If you wish to, you can then sort the items on the lists into logical groups that you will find naturally evolve according to:

1. Material items

2. Friends and family

3. Travel and luxury

5. Some other categories may also emerge

6. Allow 5 minutes for the group to discuss the list. This normally will occur very easily.

Online tools you can use

Online whiteboard, chat board, and other collaboration tools such as Padlet or Lino.

6. 'Storytelling' Icebreaker | Team-Building Activity

Because of the creative and cooperative nature of this game, it is a good activity to use either as an icebreaker or as a team-building activity. It can also be useful for a training session on creativity.

Instructions

1. In advance of the training session, prepare some documents or boards (you can use MS Word or create boards with an image manipulation program) with a set of 4 pictures on each.

2. On the training day, separate the participants into groups of 4 people in breakout rooms and assign each group one of the files with the photos.

3. Give the groups 10 minutes to look at the photos and to create their narrative that creates a story that connects the four images.

4. When the 10 minutes are up, ask each group to share their story onto a virtual board and to spend up to three minutes telling the story of their images. Allow other groups to then suggest how they might have developed the story and if they would have used the images differently.

Online tools you can use

Breakout rooms

Online whiteboard, chat board, other collaboration tools such as Padlet or Lino.

7. 'Introducing Each Other' - Ice Breaker

This is a good activity to get participants to get to know each other so that they find themselves in a familiar environment.

Participants can do this activity either before the session, in their own time, or during the session.

Instructions

1. Pair up participants in twos.

2. Give them a list of questions to ask each other.

3. Ask each pair to interview each other, either via email or in breakout rooms.

4. When all the participants convene together in the same virtual room, each participant will introduce the participant they interviewed.

Online tools you can use

8. 'Hope and Fears' Icebreaker

This is a classic icebreaker, which is good as a reflection tool or to assess what the participants' expectations are from the training.

Instructions

1. Ask participants to write down their greatest hope (for example, for the session, for the current year or for a specific project) and then their greatest fear.

2. In a face-to-face class, the participants differentiate the answers by, for example, writing each answer on a sticky note of a different color.
Online, you need to find another way to differentiate them. For example, you could use Padlet or Lino, which allow you to create virtual sticky notes of various colors.

3. Read all the hopes first and then the fears and discuss.

Online tools you can use

Online whiteboard, chat board, and other collaboration tools such as Padlet or Lino.

9. 'Childhood Dream' Ice-breaker

This icebreaker is useful to start a discussion on how priorities and goals can change throughout a person's life.

Instructions:

Online tools you can use:

Online whiteboard, chat board, other collaboration tools such as Padlet or Lino.

10. 'Take a Picture of Something' Class Activity

This is a fun activity, which is good to get people to know each other using visuals and creativity.

Instructions

1. Ask participants to take a picture of something.
Typically, you choose a specific theme. For example, ask participants to take a picture of their shoes or a picture of something that is on their workstation or the view outside their window.
Remember to ask participants to take a picture and upload it before the training session starts, as otherwise, it might take too much time out of the training session if they were to do it in real-time.

2. Ask participants to share the picture on a virtual board.

3. Start a discussion. For example, you could ask why they chose that particular item on their desk, or what they like the most about the view they can see from the window, etc.

Online tools you can use

Online whiteboard, chat board, other collaboration tools such as Padlet, Evernote, or Lino.

11. 'Asking Questions' Icebreaker

This is a good way for participants to get to know each other in a relaxed manner.

Remember to ask questions that are light-hearted though, as you want to start on a positive note.

Instructions

Online tools you can use

Online whiteboard, chat board, other collaboration tools such as Padlet, Evernote, or Lino.

Tools that allow you to create a survey, such as Survey Monkey or Google Forms or a wiki, such as Slimiwiki.

>> Buy course training materials

12. 'Show a Map' Fun Teaching Activity

This is a good activity if your participants are located in many different geographical locations.

Instructions

Online whiteboard, chat board, other collaboration tools such as Padlet, Evernote, or Lino.

Tools that allow you to create a survey, such as Survey Monkey or Google Forms or a wiki, such as Slimiwiki.

Online tools you can use

13. 'Lost in Space' Online Training Activity

This is a good activity to get to know participants in a way other than just asking the usual questions.

1. Ask the participants to imagine that they are living in a space station. All of a sudden, the space station malfunctions and they have to evacuate. They are only allowed to take 5 items with them. Which items would they choose?

2. Ask participants to share their answers in the chatbox, explaining why they chose those five items.

Instructions

Online whiteboard, chat board, other collaboration tools such as Padlet, Evernote, or Lino.

Tools that allow you to create a survey, such as Survey Monkey or Google Forms or a wiki, such as Slimiwiki.

Online tools you can use

14. One Word (or One Image) Activity

This is another activity suitable for participants to share information about themselves creatively.

Ask participants to choose one word that best describes them or their life and to explain why.
Alternatively, you can ask them to choose an image (they can download it from the Internet or take a picture with their smartphone, for example).

Ask them to share their answers via the chat feature or on a virtual whiteboard.

Instructions

Online whiteboard, chat board, other collaboration tools such as Padlet, Evernote, or Lino.

Tools that allow you to create a survey, such as Survey Monkey or Google Forms or a wiki, such as Slimiwiki.

Online tools you can use

15. 'One Random Object' Virtual Training Activity

This icebreaker is a fun game, aimed at making participants feel relaxed and creating a sense of community. You could also use it as an energizer, if needed, when you sense that your participants are losing focus.

1. Ask a participant to pick one random object that is in their room and not tell anyone what it is.

2. Explain that the other participants will have to guess what it is, by asking questions that require a yes or no answer.

Instructions

You could use a chat board for this, but it is not necessary. You could just run the activity by speaking and maybe use a virtual board to record the scores. You can also, if you wish to, make it a competition, whereby the participant who correctly guesses the most objects wins.

Online tools you can use

16. 'Accomplished Goals' Online Group Activity

This is a good activity to focus on positive things (i.e. people's achievements). It is also a networking tool, as participants could be interested in achieving the same goal that another person in the group has achieved and whom they might ask for advice from.

Instructions:

You could use a chat board for this, but it is not necessary. You could just run the activity by speaking and maybe use a virtual board to summarize the discussion at the end and highlight what can be learnt from each person's experience.

Online tools you can use:

17. 'Describe Yourself in a Tweet' Activity

This activity is different from the traditional introduce yourself type activities, in that it has an additional challenge. That is, participants have to manage to communicate as effectively as they can, using a very limited number of characters.

There is a limitation to this activity though, as participants will need to have a Twitter account and not worry about their tweets being seen by everyone as tweets are public (direct messages used to be limited to 140 characters but, in 2015, the limit was extended to 10,000 characters).

1. Ask participants to describe themselves in a tweet.

2. You could do this activity before the training session and then take screenshots of the Tweets to show during the online class.

Instructions

Twitter social media account for you and the participants.

Online tools you can use

18. 'Bingo' Icebreaker

This is a classic icebreaker that can be adapted for online teaching.

In a traditional face-to-face session, you would prepare a table with a series of interesting facts and then give each participant a copy of the sheet so they can move around the room trying to find somebody to whom that fact applies.

1. To run the activity online, create a 5 by 5 table with interesting facts, one for each box of the table. For example, you could write things such as: speaks more than two languages, has been to Argentina, etc. Or, it would be a good idea to tie the facts with the topic of the class.

2. Share the file with the table with your participants, either in advance or during the session. You can share by email, through the file-sharing feature of the web conferencing system, or with an online sharing tool such as Google docs, Dropbox, or Evernote. Alternatively, you could do the activity in real-time using a tool such as Padlet or Lino.

3. Ask participants to write their name under each of the statements that apply to them.

4. Ask participants to share the answers and discuss.

Instructions

Online whiteboard, chat board, other collaboration tools such as Padlet, Evernote, or Lino.

Tools that allow you to create a survey, such as Survey Monkey or Google Forms or a wiki, such as Slimiwiki.

Email

Online tools you can use

19. 'Interests and Hobbies' Activity Online

This activity helps participants to get to know each other but with an element of fun.

Ask participants to post three links that reflect their hobbies.

The other participants have to guess what their hobbies are.

Instructions

Online whiteboard, chat board, other collaboration tools such as Padlet, Evernote, or Lino.

Online tools you can use

20. 'Time Machine' Virtual Training Activity

This activity is suitable for those who like history and as a trainer, it can help you to introduce a bit of imagination to your icebreaker.

1. Ask your participants: 'If you could go back or forward in time, where would you go?' 'Why?' You can then follow up with questions such as 'Is there a person you would like to meet?'

2. Ask participants to share the answers.

Instructions

Online whiteboard, chat board, other collaboration tools such as Padlet, Evernote, or Lino.

Tools that allow you to create a survey, such as Survey Monkey or Google Forms or a wiki, such as Slimiwiki.

Online tools you can use

21. 'Where in the World' Icebreaker for Online Training

This is another game that allows participants to know each other in a fun way.

Instructions

Online whiteboard, chat board, other collaboration tools such as Padlet, or Lino.

>> Buy course training materials

Online tools you can use

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
21 Free fun Icebreakers for Online Teaching and virtual remote teams

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Free activities and icebreakers for online teaching for freelance online trainers or teachers. Virtual classroom lessons and workshop fun team-building games.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
315 Truth or Dare Questions for Friends, From Deep to Spicy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Icebreakers For Teens

Icebreakers are facilitation techniques which can help people get to know each other in a short period of time. When used correctly, icebreakers help participants relax and learn more about each other while having some fun!

Icebreakers can also help create an environment conducive for learning or cooperation. This article will share a few fantastic icebreakers for groups of teens.

Time Bomb (Introductory icebreaker)

A very simple game that can help people learn each other's name while having fun. Ask the group to stand in a circle and have each person to say their name. Now, throw a tennis ball to someone in the group. They have 2-seconds to call the name of someone and throw the ball to them. If they cannot remember a name, the tennis ball "bomb" explodes and that person is out of the game.

The round ends when the only people left know everyone in the group. You can make the game more fun by having a prize for people who don't get "blown up" by the tennis ball after a few rounds.

Pass the Candy (Getting-to-know-you icebreaker)

This is a fun icebreaker for people with a sweet tooth! It involves giving participants a small amount of colored candy (usually skittles or M&Ms). Questions or challenges are assigned to each candy color. The questions can be silly, funny or more serious, depending on the type of group event. For example:

Red candy might be "Sing the chorus of your favorite song"

Green candy could be "Tell the group a story or joke"

Blue can be "What is your favorite TV show and why?"

Orange is "What is your ideal career path?"

Participants can eat all of the candy they like except for one piece. They get to choose the question or challenge that they perform. It's a simple icebreaker and sharing food brings people together.

Making Appointments (Getting-to-know-you icebreaker)

Appointment cards are handed out within the group. Each card has space for 3 or 4 names on one side and some introductory questions on the other. The group mingles and people set up appointments with each other.

Once everyone has filled in their cards, announce that it is time for the first appointment. Give them 5 minutes to ask each other their questions and have a chat, Then, move onto the next appointment.

Pictionary People (Getting-to-know-you icebreaker)

Participants are divided into two groups. Everyone gets a card upon which they write their name and the names of three things they like to do. For example, activities like "eating ice cream", "playing computer games " or "swimming".

The two groups swap cards. A drawer takes a card from the pile, memorizes the objects listed on the card, puts the card back into the deck and shuffles it. He or she begins to draw one of the objects while the rest of the team looks at the cards to see if they can link the activity with a person. The first team to successfully match activities to names wins!

Three Things in Common (Getting-to-know-you icebreaker)

The participants are divided into groups of 3 or 4. Each group must find three things that they have in common with each other. The weirder those things are - the better. After 10 minutes each group announces the three things they have in common. Everyone votes to decide which group has the "weirdest" three things in common.

Destination Charades (Fun icebreaker)

Everyone thinks of a city or country that they have been to or want to visit. They then choose three clues to describe the place and act those clues out using charades. The person to guess the city or country gets a prize!

Little known fact... (Fun icebreaker)

Participants stand in a circle and simply share an unusual or funny fact about themselves. It is a very simple activity that helps the group share a few laughs and learn more about each other. A twist on this game is to have people tell the group three fun facts about themselves, but one of the facts is a lie. The group has to vote on which fun fact is the lie.

Sit down if... (Fun icebreaker)

The group stands in a circle. The group facilitator then asks a range of silly questions and people sit down if the if they answered yes to the question. Questions can be as strange or random as you like, for example: "did you eat cheese today?". The last person standing wins a prize.

People Bingo (Getting-to-know-you icebreaker)

You can create bingo cards where each square has a question like "Have you been to Disneyland?". Participants need to find someone in the group who answers "yes" to that question before they can mark the box off. It encourages people to mingle with each other and learn more about each other. The first person to tick off 5 squares wins!

Team engineers (Team-building icebreaker)

Participants are split into teams of 4. Each team is given a collection of objects and asked to build something. The objects should include items like sticky tape, glue and paddle pop sticks. You could also include a challenge, where teams need to accomplish a specific task with their creation!

Defuse the bomb! (Team-building icebreaker)

This activity is best performed in a large room or outdoors. Put a container holding some candy in the middle of the space. Create a taped off "quarantine" area surrounding it. The team must find a way to retrieve the container without touching the ground inside the taped-off area. Provide a variety of materials including timber, bricks, sticks, ropes and wheels to help them achieve their task. When they get the container back without touching the ground they get the candy! It is a great team-building exercise.

Fireman's relay (Team-building icebreaker)

The participants are split into groups of 5. Each group has to transfer as much water as possible from a barrel into another barrel, 50 yards away. The teams have access to buckets, ropes and hoses. They must devise a plan and put it into action. The team who transfers the most water in 10 minutes wins.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Icebreakers For Teens Icebreakers are facilitation techniques which can help people get to know each other in a short period of time. When used correctly, icebreakers help participants relax and learn more about each other while having some fun! Icebreakers can also help create an environment conducive for learning or cooperation.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Many of us have seen over-used or boring icebreakers fall flat, especially during conferences and training.

Whether we're the ones leading them or enduring them.

But when done right, icebreakers are highly effective, help people connect who otherwise might've been too shy to speak, create a welcoming atmosphere and more.

So in this blog post, we'll go over 15 fun, effective ESL icebreakers you can use to get students chatting and improving their English.

Contents

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere.Click here to get a copy. (Download)

1. Paper Airplane You

Level: Upper-beginner +

Skill focus: Writing
Instructions:
1. Have students write three to five facts about themselves on a piece of paper.

2. Next, they fold the paper into a paper airplane. (If you aren't sure how to make one that flies, check out this article on creating the best paper airplanes.)

3. On your count, everyone flies their planes toward the middle of the room. Then students pick up a plane that landed near them.

4. Students take turns reading the facts written on the plane and try to guess whose it was. Let the class help if individuals get stuck.

You can even tailor your students' answers to what you're studying.

For example, if you're doing a sports unit, have students write three sports they like. If you're studying travel, they could write three places they would like to go.

2. Four Corners

Level: Intermediate - Advanced

Skill focus: Listening
Preparation:
Before playing, label the corners of your room one through four. Then brainstorm several get-to-know-you questions.
How to play:
1. Start asking students the questions you've come up with. For example, ask about their favorite sports, their favorite movie genres, their favorite animals, etc.

2. Give the students four answer choices-one for each corner. For example, if you're asking about their favorite animals, you might give them these choices: 1. Dog 2. Cat 3. Fish 4. Bird.

3. Students then move to the corner that represents their answer.

This helps students get to know one another and see what they have in common with other students in your class. And that's a good starting point for chit-chat and/or developing friendships.

3. Say Cheese

Level: Any level

Skill focus: Speaking
Preparation:
1. Gather some small, opaque containers. Like old film canisters (ask at a photo lab-they usually have some they're getting rid of) or plastic Easter eggs.

2. Tape an icebreaker question on the outside of the container. If you need some ideas of questions to ask, look at this list for inspiration.

3. Put a small item inside each container. If you want pairs of students working together, put the same item in each two canisters. If you want groups of three, then put the same item inside each of the three containers.

Good items to put inside the canisters include pennies, cotton balls, popcorn kernels, erasers, etc.
How to play:
1. Give each student a random canister.

2. Tell students not to look in their container but to shake it instead.

3. Using the sound of the canister only, they should find the person/people with the same item in their container.

4. After students find their partners or groups, have each person introduce him/herself and answer the question on the outside of their canister. The other members of the group should also answer each question.

5. To maximize this activity's effectiveness, ensure the items have different questions outside the container. Or keep it simple and put a different question on each canister.

By limiting students to the sound of their item and permitting them to listen only to their own canister, students will have to describe what they hear to find their match, giving them good speaking practice.

Another great aspect of this game is once you set it up, it'll be ready to use anytime you need to fill a few minutes.

And you can change things up whenever you want by putting new questions on the outside of each canister or changing the items inside.

4. Concentric Circles

Level: Intermediate - Advanced

Skill focus: Speaking
Preparation:
Divide your class into two groups. Form two circles in the middle of the room, one inside the other so each person faces one partner.
How to play:
1. Ask an icebreaker question to the class and give students a chance to answer.

2. After one minute, call out, "Rotate!"

3. The inner circle should move one spot clockwise. Students should now be facing a new partner.

4. Call out another icebreaker question and give students a minute to answer before rotating again.

5. Keep going until you run out of time or until students are back facing their first partner.

5. Where Are You From? Where Will You Go?

Level: Any level

Skill focus: Speaking
Preparation:
You'll need a world map for this activity, so grab an empty bulletin board and get one up before you start.
How to play:
1. Give each student two pushpins or straight pins to put on the map.

2. Each person should put one on the map to mark where they're from and another to mark where they would like to go.

3. Once all the pushpins are in place, the class tries to decide who placed each pushpin on the map.

This is a flexible activity that you can adapt to the skill level of your students.

For beginning students, have them ask simple questions for their guesses:
Mario, are you from Italy? Na-An, do you want to go to the Bahamas?
For intermediate students, encourage them to use modals and phrase their guesses as statements:
Mario might be from Italy. Na-An could've marked the Bahamas.
Challenge your advanced students with this activity by requiring them to give reasons for their guesses. For example:
Na-An probably chose the Bahamas because she loves the beach.
6. Cootie Catcher Questions

Level: Intermediate - Advanced

Skill focus: Writing / Speaking
How to play:
1. Have students follow these directions to make a paper cootie catcher.

2. Have them write a get-to-know-you question under each flap (the "fortunes" area).

3. Students pair up and play, answering the questions that they land on.

4. Give each person a chance to run the cootie catcher and to answer a question from their partner's before switching pairs and going another round.

7. Who's in Your Circles?

Level: Intermediate - Advanced

Skill focus: Speaking
How to play:
1. Have each student draw three concentric circles on a blank piece of paper.

2. Pick a topic for the round (favorite food, favorite season, etc.) and have students write it in the center circle.

3. They should label the second circle "Love," the third circle "Like" and the space outside the circles "Don't Like."

4. Each student writes something (say, a food) they love in the innermost circle under the topic.

5. Students start chatting, bringing their papers with them and asking how other students feel about the food they wrote.

6. When a classmate answers, the person should write their classmate's name in the appropriate area of their paper.

7. Play for a few minutes and then start again with another topic-sport, type of music, favorite season, etc.-with a new sheet of paper.

8. After a few rounds, encourage students to discuss common interests with people who share their inner circle on different topics.

8. Two Truths and a Lie

Level: Any level

Skill focus: Speaking / Listening
How to play:
1. Pair students up in groups

2. Each thinks of three statements about themselves-two of them are true and one is a lie.

3. The students tell their three statements to their partner.

4. The partner has to guess which statement is the lie.

5. The students confirm if their partners guessed correctly or not, and they continue to guess until they get it right.

Beginner students can opt for simple phrases like "I'm from [country]," "I like cats," "I'm [number] years old," etc. While intermediate and advanced students can create more complex statements, such as past experiences or future plans.

9. Would You Rather

Level: Intermediate - Advanced

Skill focus: Speaking / Listening
Preparation:
Depending on your students' levels, you may or may not have to prepare for this game.

Lower intermediate students might have trouble thinking of "would you rather" questions, so it's a good idea to have some prepared ahead of time that you can give them.

Advanced and upper-intermediate students should be proficient enough to create their own questions.
How to play:
1. Have students partner up in groups of two.

2. Each student takes a turn asking, "Would you rather..." and giving two options. For example, "Would you rather eat the same food every day or listen to the same song every day?"

3. Once the partner student has answered the question, have them explain why they chose the option they did.

4. The students switch turns and repeat the process.

10. Find Someone Who...

Level: Intermediate - Advanced

Skill focus: Comprehension / Speaking
Preparation:
On a whiteboard or sheet of paper, write 10-15 statements describing experiences.

Examples could be, "Find someone who has a tattoo," "Find someone who is an only child," "Find someone who has never been out of the country before," etc.
How to play:
1. Give students the statements.

2. Explain that they need to find one person who identifies with each of the statements as quickly as possible.

3. Set a timer for 5-10 minutes and let the students go around the room asking their classmates questions to match them with the statements.

11. Never Have I Ever

Level: Intermediate - Advanced

Skill focus: Listening / Speaking
How to play:
1. Have students sit or stand in a circle, holding up five fingers.

2. Decide who goes first and the rotation of the circle (i.e., will you take turns going clockwise or counterclockwise?)

3. Each student takes turns creating a "never have I ever" statement, such as "Never have I ever been to Europe."

4. If any student in the circle has done what the person says they never have, they must put a finger down. Once all five fingers are down, the student is out of the game.

5. Whoever is the last to run out of fingers wins.

12. Memory Wall

Level: Upper Intermediate - Advanced

Skill focus: Listening / Speaking / Retention
How to play:
1. Give everyone in the group 2-3 minutes to think of a unique or interesting fact about themselves.

2. Once the time is up, the first person shares their fact.

3. Each student recites the list of the previous students' interesting facts, adding one new fact about themselves at the end. This means the last person tries to recite the entire class's facts plus their own.

With this game, it's very likely that you'll need to allow the other students to help the ones further down the line-which is perfectly fine!

13. Telephone Pictionary

Level: Any level

Skill focus: Writing / Reading
How to play:
1. Take out a sheet of paper and give it to the first student.

2. The first student writes a sentence or phrase at the top of the paper, then passes it to the next student.

3. The next student draws a picture of the first student's phrase, then passes it to the next student.

4. That student writes a sentence describing the picture.

5. Repeat the process until the paper has gone through the whole class.

14. Charades

Level: Any level

Skill focus: Speaking / Comprehension
Preparation:
Before class, prepare enough actions, characters, etc. for each student in the class. You'll be assigning each student something to act out.
How to play:
1. Give each student a piece of paper with their assigned action, item, character, etc. This can be themed to match your recent lessons, such as a sport or animal.

2. Each student takes turns acting out what's on their paper for 60 seconds while the rest of the class tries to guess what their assigned paper was.

3. Have each student take turns acting out their paper for 60 seconds until the whole class has had a turn.

15. Jenga Questions

Level: Intermediate - Advanced

Skill focus: Speaking
Preparation:
Write questions on each Jenga block before class that each of your students will answer. Put them in a box and take them to class.
How to play:
1. Start on one side of the classroom and have the first student pull out a Jenga block randomly from the box.

2. Have the student read the Jenga block question out loud and then answer the question.

3. Once they've answered, continue through the classroom, letting students pull out blocks and answer them one by one until you reach the last student.

What Makes a Good ESL Icebreaker?

Not all icebreakers are created equal. And not all icebreakers are good for ESL students.

Here's what to look for when choosing effective, appropriate icebreakers for your English class:

Don't make students take big social risks with people they barely know. Not everyone is ready to put their personal details out there for the world to see. So good icebreakers don't expect your students to get overly personal with people they don't know. There needs to be a fine line.

Match your students' proficiency level. No one will participate if your icebreaker requires more English input or comprehension than your students can handle. But if it's too easy, they'll get bored quickly. You want your icebreakers to be at your students' language level, not above or below it.

Good icebreakers appeal to students. In other words, they aren't lame. When choosing an icebreaker for your class, keep in mind what they like. A bunch of fifteen-year-olds aren't going to like the same things that business professionals like. You can find general icebreaker dos and don'ts here.

Pro tip: Sometimes, giving the students something to talk about in an icebreaker game can be beneficial. For example, you can choose a video on FluentU-such as a film trailer or mini-documentary-then ask more in-depth questions to spark meaningful discussions about the video topic. Start with some basic questions, such as "What did you think of the video?" or "Do you and your partner agree with the video?" The interactive subtitles and key vocabulary on FluentU will also help improve their listening comprehension.

Getting to know new people in English shouldn't cause anxiety in your students, and it doesn't have to.

With activities that appeal to your students and don't put them in too intimate situations, getting to know one another can become something your students love and look forward to.

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere.Click here to get a copy. (Download)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
15 ESL Icebreakers to Get Your Students Talking | FluentU English Educator Blog

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Click here to discover 15 unique ESL icebreakers that will get your students chatting in English fast. Explore icebreaker games like Concentric Circles, Jenga Questions, Telephone Pictionary and more. Learn which levels they're best for, how to prepare them and how to play them. Plus, learn what makes an icebreaker effective.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
At the start of a new semester, teachers around the world turn their attention to the very first class. With a new group of students to integrate and make comfortable, icebreakers are an activity that are essential to those first days. But what makes a good activity? Ideally, teachers need icebreakers that are low in social risk, matched to your class's proficiency level, and perhaps just a bit silly. A good activity will encourage bonding, participation, motivation, and allow students to relax both mentally and physically. Of course, it's an added bonus if they can be easily adapted as warm ups or speaking activities during the year. Here are 13 adaptable icebreakers that we love...

Moving activities

1. Blobs and lines

This activity is easy, quick, keeps students moving and talking, plus helps them discover what they have in common. The idea is for students to listen to their teacher's prompts and organize themselves in a line (for example, in alphabetical order of last name) or in blobs according to something they have in common (birth month).

Try these prompts:

Line up in chronological order of your birthdays

Line up in order of how many siblings you have

Find those who are allergic to the same things as you

Gather with those who have the same colored clothing as you

Line up in alphabetical order of your fathers' names

Gather in four blobs: those who traveled by car to class, those who traveled by bus, and those who traveled another way

2. This or that

Along the same lines, in this activity students move to a particular side of the room to represent their opinions on a certain topic. To make this icebreaker work, "yes/no", "true/false", or "would you rather X or Y" questions are best. (A quick Google search will reveal dozens of sites with icebreaker questions to use or adapt.) Examples are:

True or false (teacher indicates the sides of the room that correspond to each answer): I had breakfast this morning.

Would you rather be invisible for a day or be able to fly for a day?

Yes or no: Do you speak more than three languages?

Tip: If you want to have questions with multiple answers you can assign each to a specific corner of the room.
3. Signatures

Ask the students to invent a "signature" movement or sound. It can be extremely simple: a clap, cough, turn in a circle, bow, word, mime, or gesture. Show yours first and go around the class (the students' signatures shouldn't repeat). Then it's time to remember them, beginning with yours and going around the circle again.

Mingles

4. Classmate bingo

An oldie but a goodie. Create bingo cards with prompts for students to use to ask each other questions. The idea is to cross off all the squares. Use simple prompts like those below, or try more complicated ones for higher level classes:

5. Who's in your circle?

Ask your students to draw three cocentric circles on a piece of paper. Give them a topic (food, seasons, sports...) and ask them to write it in the center circle. In the second circle students write "love", in the third "like", and outside the circles "don't like". Under the topic, students individually choose a specific example to focus on (e.g., bananas, spring, tennis). Students then mingle and ask their classmates how they feel about the item they have chosen, writing the students' names in the circles that correspond to their opinions. Repeat with another topic.

Small group speaking activities

6. Toilet paper roll

Produce a roll of toilet paper and ask students to take as many sheets as they like, without telling them why. Once the class has their sheets, reveal that each sheet corresponds to a question their small group will ask them. You can also do this with pieces of candy.

7. Two truths and a lie

Students write down three sentences with information about themselves, however, one must be a lie. Other students then ask them follow-up questions to discover which statement was a lie.

_Tip: This is a great way for teachers to give information about themselves on the first day of class. Ask students to think of follow-up questions in pairs.
_

8. Three things in common

Small groups must identify three things that they have in common with each other - the stranger, the better. Put prompts on the board if you would like, then give students time to talk. Later, students report back and vote on which group has the strangest three things in common.

Open class speaking activities

9. Time bomb name game

This is a fun, quick activity for students to remember each other's name. Ask your class to form a circle and say their name. Then, throw a tennis ball to one of your students. They have two seconds to say some one else's name and throw the ball to them, before it "explodes" and they are out of the game. Continue until only one student remains.

10. Beach ball toss

Before class, write icebreaker questions over a beach ball in permanent marker. Standing in a circle, students throw the ball to each other. When caught, or when the teacher says "stop", the student with the ball must answer the question closest to their left thumb. Repeat until each student has answered at least one question.

11. Candy pass

Give each student a small handful of colored candy (such as Skittles). Tell the class that a question has been assigned to each candy color. Write these on the board, considering having a mix of serious and more humorous questions such as:

Blue: Would you rather be a tiny horse or an enormous chicken? Why?

Red: What is your ideal job and why?

Green: Tell the class about your house and who lives in it.

Yellow: What are three countries you would like to visit and why?

Students are then told to eat all their candy - except for one piece. In this way they can choose the question they will answer.

12. Sit down if...

With the class in a circle the teacher asks a series of quirky yes/no questions. Students sit down if they can answer "yes" and the last student standing is the winner.

13. Speed dating

This activity allows students to talk to a maximum number of classmates in a short time. To begin, have your class form two concentric circles facing each other. Ask an icebreaker question and tell them they have a minute to discuss it. After one minute, the outer circle rotates counter-clockwise one position - and the activity is repeated with another student and another question. Continue until students have returned to their original partners.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
13 fail-safe icebreakers to use in class today ‹ EF Teacher Zone

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
At the start of a new semester, teachers around the world turn their attention to the very first class. With a new group of students to integrate and make comfortable, icebreakers are an activity that are essential to those first days. But what makes a good activity?

# data[].attributes.body
Icebreaker ideas for:
1. would you rather
2. 2truths a lie
3.positive/negative/crazy- with topics, hot potato
4. chain story
5. hot seat
6. open-ended questions
7. one beep (counting game)
8. interview and introduce
9. Balderdash- More advanced/older
10. find someone who
11. show and tell
12. online scavenger hunt
13. roll the dice speaking

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
BridgeUniverse - TEFL Blog, News, Tips & Resources

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
By Camille Turner
November 26, 2021

Whether teaching in a physical classroom or a virtual one, the first day of English class is crucial for setting the tone for the whole term, so it's important to start with a bang. ESL icebreakers are a great way to accomplish this, and they also get students moving and build confidence. However, icebreakers aren't just for day one! Throughout the term, English students might be coming to class tired after a long day, so you want to get them engaged and energetic, and it might take a little creative ice-breaking to do that! Let's take a look at some of the best ESL icebreakers out there.
If you're new to teaching, you'll want to get initial training and qualification with a TEFL certificate. You can explore our online TEFL courses to get started!
Why should I use ESL icebreakers in class?

First, let's talk about how ESL icebreakers are beneficial in many classroom situations.

Teachers often use them on the first day of class to get students comfortable with one another and to establish a relationship between them and the students.

ESL icebreakers are also a way to build confidence and trust and allow students to see the classroom as a safe space for practicing English, asking questions, and even making mistakes.

Icebreakers are a lot of fun and can also be used to give students a break from more structured class activities.

They can be implemented at the beginning of class or anytime during the lesson to boost energy levels and recapture students' attention.

If you find you have a few extra minutes, icebreakers can also make a good, productive way to fill the time.

Get game and activity ideas for the online classroom by taking a Bridge Micro-credential course.
What makes a good ESL icebreaker?

It's fun!

A good ESL icebreaker is, first and foremost, fun, meaning that it should appeal to your students. One of the main ideas behind icebreakers is to get students out of their shells and make them more comfortable with speaking in class, so you'll need to use an icebreaker that interests them.
Try these fun ESL speaking activities to get students talking.
It's level-appropriate

Make sure that the icebreaker you choose is level-appropriate and that while pushing students to share more, you don't go overboard and make them uncomfortable by asking them to share too much or things that are too personal.

The rules are simple

Additionally, ESL icebreakers that only have a few rules are typically easier to explain to English learners and ensure that you spend less time going over instructions and more time actually conducting the activity.

It's easy to prepare

Finally, a really good icebreaker doesn't require too much preparation and additional materials but rather focuses on oral participation and fun.
These low-prep ESL activities are great for teaching online.
ESL icebreakers for in-person teachers (with adaptations for online teachers)

Each of the following icebreakers requires little to no preparation, is easy to explain, and can be adapted to all levels and ages. These activities promote student talk time and encourage students to become more comfortable with speaking up in class.

A teacher playing ESL icebreaker games from the Bridge Teaching English to Teenagers TEFL/TESOL course

1. Would You Rather... ?

In this game, students think about two scenarios and choose the one they would rather do. The "Would you rather... ?" questions (a variety of which can be found online), can range from goofy to serious, such as:

Would you rather be poor and happy or rich and unhappy?

Would you rather have a missing finger or an extra toe?

Would you rather find your soulmate or find a billion dollars (and never find your soulmate)?

Would you rather eat your favorite meal for every meal for the rest of your life or never be able to eat your favorite meal again?

Would you rather speak all languages fluently or be able to speak to animals?

Would you rather lose your wallet or lose your keys?

You can play this as a whole class or put students in groups and give them a stack of cards with questions, and they take turns asking each other. Either way, following up by asking "Why or why not?" can lead to some fun discussions.

How to adapt this activity to the virtual classroom: You can simply ask your student(s) the questions or you can have your own stack of cards in front of you and draw a card for each student, reading it aloud to the class. Alternatively, you can have student(s) write down their own questions before class and come prepared to ask you or their classmates.

2. Two Truths and a Lie

This can be a good ESL icebreaker for the very first class or as a warm-up later on.

One student thinks of three statements about himself/herself that they will share with the class. Two are true and one is a lie. For example, the student may say something like, "I have five dogs, I've lived in three countries, and I'm a ballet dancer." Then, the other students must guess which statement is a lie and if they can, explain why they think so. At the end, the student will reveal whether the others guessed correctly or incorrectly.

If used on the first day, the teacher can start by demonstrating the game as a good getting-to-know-the-teacher activity!

How to adapt this activity to the virtual classroom: Teachers can easily play this game in a virtual setting by having everyone take turns making statements. Students can either raise their hand when they want to guess which statement is the lie or they can type their guess into the chat box.
Check out these ESL warm-ups for students of all ages.
3. Positive, Negative, Crazy

Write a discussion topic on the board (for example, food, pets, social media, or dating) and then start passing a ball or "hot potato" from student to student. As students pass the hot potato around, they must stop when they hear you say the words positive, negative, or crazy.

When you say, "positive," the student holding the potato must stop and make a positive statement about the topic. For example, If the topic is food, their statement might be "My favorite restaurant is Ichiban Sushi."

If you say "negative," they must make a negative statement about the topic, e.g., "I've never eaten Chinese food!"

And, if you say, "crazy," the sentence they create can be anything they like, such as, "One time I ate a whole pizza myself!"

How to adapt this activity to the virtual classroom: Instead of passing around a ball, you can assign each student a number and then roll a die (either physical or virtual) to see who has to make the next statement. I.e., if the die lands on six, then the student assigned to the number six has to make the positive, negative, or crazy statement.
Strike up a conversation with these TEFL/TESOL discussion questions for adults.

EFL teacher Rachel Cordova working with students online

4. Continue the Story

In this creative game, first think of several half-sentences and write each one on the top of its own piece of paper. The half-sentences should be written so that students can easily finish them to start a story, such as:

As soon as I woke up...

Ana was walking to school when suddenly...

The teacher came into class with a...

Alternatively, put these examples on the board and then have students each think of a half-sentence and write it on a piece of paper. Then, collect the papers and mix them up.

Students will then work in groups (or you can do this as a whole class). A group is given a paper with a half-sentence at the top and the first person in the group must read the half-sentence out loud, then finish it with whatever they like to continue the story (they will write it down and say it aloud). Next, the student passes the paper to his or her right and writes another sentence to continue the story.

When everyone has had a chance to contribute to the story, a representative of each group can read the completed story to the class. Not only can the stories be very funny, but this icebreaker gets students used to being more spontaneous with English.

How to adapt this activity to the virtual classroom: Skip the paper and, instead, simply verbally tell the student(s) the half-sentence they'll be working with. Alternatively, have students prepare a half-sentence before class and then assign the prompts to one another. You could also have them email the sentences to you prior to class, and you could assign them to the other students in class.
Learn about the importance of storytelling in the ESL classroom for young learners.
5. The Hot Seat

This ESL icebreaker is a fun vocabulary guessing game.

Put a chair at the front of the room with its back facing the board; this is the hot seat, and a student volunteer must sit here. Then, write a word on the board (for beginners, tell them the category or theme of words, such as jobs or food - ideally vocabulary they are already studying). Then, the other students try to prompt the hot-seater into guessing what the word is by describing it without saying the actual word (fun with famous people too!).

For example, if you've told your beginner class the category is fruit and the word on the board is pineapple, the students can say things like:

It's a big fruit.

It grows in tropical places.

It's yellow inside.

It has spines.

With guessing games like this one, students are really enthusiastic about trying to get their peers to guess correctly and win the game. The desire to guess takes over, and formerly reserved students forget that they were ever afraid to speak up in English.

How to adapt this activity to the virtual classroom: Choose a student to be the guesser (in the "virtual" hot seat). Then, have them close their eyes as you hold a whiteboard up to the camera with the word written on it. Once the other students have seen the word, hide the whiteboard and have students take turns describing the word to the student who is guessing. Alternatively, if your online software allows it, you could type the word in and send it via chatbox to the students who aren't guessing.
Get more ESL vocabulary games for teaching online and in-person.
6. Open-Ended Questions

Have students each write down an open-ended question on a piece of paper. The questions could be something like "What is your favorite holiday?" or "What kind of movies do you like?"

Students then either fold their papers or crumple them up into balls and drop them in a box as you pass it around. Then, go around the room and have students take turns drawing a paper from the box and answering the question. (Just be sure that students answer questions from their classmates, returning their own papers if they accidentally draw them.)

Ask follow-up questions if time allows.

You can easily tweak this activity for smaller classrooms with fewer students by having them each write three questions that have to be answered. You can also impose a speaking time limit, so students know how long they need to talk.

How to adapt this activity to the virtual classroom: Have students come to class prepared with one or two open-ended questions. They can take turns asking their classmates their questions, or you could ask the students to submit their questions to you ahead of class and you can ask the questions yourself.

An English teacher with BFITS, Thailand

7. One Beep

This is a very simple ESL icebreaker that works well for any age and is a great way to practice English numbers.

Traditionally, students alternate between saying a number and the word "beep" as they go around the room counting. For example, the first student would say, "one," the second would say, "beep," the third would say, "three," the fourth would say, "beep," and so on.

However, you can make this game as complex as you want, such as choosing to insert "beep" for odd or even numbers, on numbers divisible by three, etc. You could also bring it to the next level by creating other sounds or words they have to say for certain numbers. For example, every number divisible by three must be replaced by "beep," and every odd number must be replaced by "boop." For numbers that fall into both categories, you must say both ("beep boop").

Be creative and establish the rules based on your students' level.

How to adapt this activity to the virtual classroom: If playing in the virtual classroom, this game is probably best done with just one student since it's supposed to be a fast-paced game and it might lag online if there are multiple students. The teacher and student can take turns saying the numbers and sounds with one another.
Need more creative TEFL/TESOL activities? Here's how to use pop culture to teach English.
8. Interview and Introduce

This is an easy ESL icebreaker to incorporate on the first day of class (or later on if you feel students could get to know one another better). A benefit of this activity is that it removes the pressure of students introducing themselves at the start of class, which can sometimes cause stress for new students.

Simply break students into pairs and have them interview one another. To help students get started, give them a list of things to find out about their partner, such as where they're from, how many siblings they have, or what their summer plans are for the upcoming year. Then, they will introduce their partners to the rest of the class.

How to adapt this activity to the virtual classroom: Instead of breaking students up into groups, take turns interviewing students yourself. If your classroom platform supports a public discussion forum, you can also assign students a partner and have them complete the interview for homework by using the forum or simply emailing one another the interview questions.

9. Balderdash

This ESL activity, based on the game of the same name, works well for older and more advanced students.

Introduce a strange word that you're sure they've never heard before (ask them to be sure that no one knows it, and make sure nobody looks it up!). Have each student write down a definition that they believe fits the word.

Collect all of the definitions and insert your own-the correct one-into the mix. Read off the definitions and have students vote on which they believe to be the correct one. Give points for students who guess correctly.

For teaching young learners, you could use this same idea to teach new, level-appropriate vocabulary or even to review past words that you've taught them.

How to adapt this activity to the virtual classroom: Have students submit their definitions privately to you via chatbox (i.e., don't let the other students see who sent which definition). Then, read the definitions (adding in yours) randomly. Have students vote on the one they think is correct.

10. Find Someone Who

This activity gets students up and moving around and asking their classmates questions.

Create a list of traits, such as someone who has a birthday in July, someone who owns a cat, someone who has traveled abroad, etc. Then, have the students mingle with one another to find someone who fits each category. They can write down the names of their classmates next to each one to keep track of who fits which trait.

If you add the rule that they can only use someone's name for one category/trait, it will ensure that they get to speak with each of their classmates instead of simply talking to the one person who meets all the requirements.

How to adapt this activity to the virtual classroom: Assign the task as homework and have students use a public discussion forum to ask each other questions and find out which of their classmates fits each trait. They can share their findings in class.

Learn how to engage your older ESL students by taking Bridge's Micro-credential course: Games and Activities for the Online Classroom (Adults).

ESL icebreakers particularly well-suited to online teaching

11. Show and Tell

Ask your student(s) to bring a meaningful object to class and share the story behind it with you and/or their classmates. If your student is a beginner, you can have them describe their object instead. E.g., "It is purple. It is big." If you only have one student, consider asking them to bring in two or three objects total.

To get students comfortable with speaking and sharing, demonstrate the activity with an object of your own first.
Get more ideas for using realia in your classroom.

"Describe a Toy" online activity from the Bridge Micro-credential course: Games and Activities for Teaching Young Learners

12. Scavenger Hunt

This activity works in both the physical and virtual classrooms and gets students up and moving, which is sometimes hard to achieve in an online classroom!

Provide students with a short list (3-5 items) of types of objects they need to find. E.g., something purple, something cold, something that starts with the letter B, something that makes you happy, something that was a gift, etc.

You can then see who can collect the objects from around their house or the classroom the fastest. Have students take turns sharing what items they found. If you're teaching just one student, set a timer for five minutes (or whatever time you choose) and see if they can collect all of the required items before time runs out.

This activity is well suited to younger students and helps energize everyone at the start of class (or awaken everyone if the class starts to get a bit sleepy).
Looking for more ideas? Try these fun ESL games and activities for kids and teens.
13. Roll the Die

This is a great icebreaker activity, but it can also be used to practice pronunciation or review a group of vocabulary words.

Before class, you'll need to create a special die for this icebreaker. You can repurpose a large plush die from a craft store, use a small, square-shaped cardboard box, or get creative here. Print off images that represent a certain action you want students to take, such as saying a word three times, saying it fast, saying it slowly, saying it loudly, whispering it, saying it in a low voice, saying it angrily, etc. For example, a picture of an angry emoji could represent saying the word in an angry voice.

Cut the images out and glue or tape them to each side of your cube. You now have your die!

In class, have your student(s) say a word or set of words that you choose. Roll the die and direct them to follow the instructions shown. This is a fun and silly way to get students out of their shells while helping them practice their English-speaking skills.

ESL icebreakers: An all-around win for the TEFL/TESOL classroom

ESL icebreakers are a great way to boost students' energy, get them excited about the class, and build an atmosphere that makes them feel comfortable. Many icebreakers are also adaptable and can be used in both physical and online classes. While there are tons of icebreakers out there, the best ones are fun and engaging, promote speaking in English, and foster confidence.

Get more fun and engaging TEFL/TESOL games for the online classroom in Bridge's Micro-credentials suite: Teaching English Online Games and Activities.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
13 Easy ESL Icebreakers to Get Your Students Talking

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Whether starting the first day with a bang or re-energizing students throughout the term, ESL icebreakers get students moving, build confidence, and set the tone for the class. We share how to effectively use these ESL icebreakers in your class.