Searching for icebreaker questions for teens can be tricky. A lot of questions on the internet are overly simplistic for teenagers, while others might not be appropriate for a school setting. This blog post explores fun icebreaker questions for high school students, as well as several ways to use icebreaker questions in your classroom. You can also use these icebreaker questions for youth ministry, sports teams, and other youth groups.
Year after year, icebreaker questions are one of the most engaging back-to-school icebreakers for older students. They’re guaranteed to set a positive, conversational tone in your classroom. After reading this blog post, you’ll learn how to lead a number of icebreaker question activities to get to know your students.
What are some fun questions to ask teens?
The best icebreaker questions for teens are a delicate balance between engaging and appropriate for school. When compiling a list of high school icebreaker questions, avoid controversial, polarizing, or political topics that require mediation or mindful facilitation. Similarly, steer clear of questions that are overly personal.
However, also be mindful to not choose questions that are too simplistic or cringe-worthy. If you’ve worked with teenagers before, you can probably already picture the eye rolls! The ideal high school icebreaker questions spark genuine conversations, encourage students to share their experiences and interests, and create an inclusive atmosphere.
This “speed-meeting” icebreaker questions card deck is designed to appeal to the interests of older students. Some examples include:
- What is your dream career?
- How do you feel about social media?
- What is your zodiac sign?
- What is your biggest “pet peeve”?
- What is the best advice you have ever received?
This icebreaker game includes 36 icebreaker questions for teens in total. They come in both handout and card game formats to use as a small group activity or for stations around the room. They’re sure to get your students engaged in meaningful conversation!
Fun Icebreaker Games for Back-to-School
Have you heard of the game “We’re Not Really Strangers?” This game is designed to bring people closer together. It invites participants to engage in meaningful conversations through thought-provoking questions. “We’re Not Really Strangers” gained viral popularity on social media in recent years.
The popularity of this icebreaker question game goes to show that people love the opportunity to get to know one another, especially with the help of the right types of questions. If you haven’t heard of this game, you’ve probably played some variation of it! Icebreaker question card decks are hugely popular and appeal to a wide range of audiences.
Before investing in any deck, it is worthwhile to make sure that the questions are suitable for school. As engaging as these games might be, they are often not designed for the classroom. This is why I developed an icebreaker question card deck for students: it includes school-appropriate icebreaker questions for teens that are highly engaging without being too personal or controversial.
How to Use Icebreaker Questions in the Classroom
There are several ways to set up icebreaker question games in the classroom. My favorite include leading a game of “Speed Meeting,” breaking students into small groups, or using icebreaker questions as attendance prompts during roll call.
“Speed-Meeting”
For a high-energy, fast-paced game of “Speed Meeting,” set up different stations around the room. To determine how many stations you need, you will need to take into account how many students are participating and divide that number into two. These stations can be set up in a circle, and each station will have one handout with icebreaker questions. You can write down a list of icebreaker questions for students, or use this ready-to-play version with 36 icebreaker questions for teens.
Allow 2-3 minutes for students to discuss the questions at each station. Once the time is up, you can rotate the stations by instructing either the students on the inside or on the outside of the circle to all rotate in the same direction. By the end of the game, students will have had the opportunity to chat with many of their classmates using engaging, low-stakes questions.
Attendance Prompts
For attendance roll-call prompts, introduce an icebreaker question at the start of each class. Instead of having students respond with “here,” they can respond with their answer to the question.
This makes an especially effective icebreaker activity for English Language Learners as it encourages conversation in a low-risk environment. To help students prepare their responses, you can provide these icebreaker questions to students in advance. They can practice independently at home, or with their classmates during instructional time.
Small Groups
Break students into groups and have each group read and answer icebreaker questions. This option is a more laid-back approach to spark discussion in your classroom. It also works great if you group students with a particular theme, project, or activity in mind.
For example, if you are beginning literature circles with your students, you can use these as a warm-up activity for each group. If you teach freshmen, you can make groups that represent students from different feeder schools. For teachers in specialized subjects like music, you may wish to group students based on the type of instrument they are playing. The options are endless!
Fun Icebreaker Questions for Teens
Finding relevant icebreaker questions for teens can be a challenge, but it is well worth the effort! By selecting thought-provoking yet respectful questions, you can set the stage for meaningful connections and a positive social environment throughout the school year. My viral icebreaker question card deck includes engaging, student-centred questions for teenagers. To download this ready-to-play icebreaker game, click here.
