20 icebreaker questions for a small group without forced sharing
'Tell us something nobody knows about you' can feel like a demand for a secret. A first conversation does not need to be intimate to be useful.
These twenty prompts were written for this guide. They invite preferences, everyday examples and ideas, with room to pass. Choose questions that fit the age and setting of your group.
Five easy starts
Tell people they may give a fictional example, answer a different question or pass. Do not ask someone to justify why they passed. That makes the opt-out usable rather than a second public test.
- What small thing makes a routine day more pleasant?
- Which everyday object would you recommend?
- What kind of weather would you choose for a free afternoon?
- Which snack or drink would you add to this meeting?
- What fictional place would you visit for an hour?
Five questions about curiosity
Keep recommendations optional. A question about an idea can be answered without buying a book, taking a holiday or sharing a private hobby. Follow up with 'what interests you about that?' rather than asking for proof of expertise.
- What skill would you like to try without needing to be good at it?
- Which ordinary process would you like to see behind the scenes?
- What subject could you happily listen to someone explain?
- Which book, film or game idea sounds interesting to you?
- What would you ask an expert if you had one question?
Ten prompts for a second conversation
Avoid interpreting the answers as a personality assessment. These prompts start conversations; they do not establish somebody's ability, attitude or fit for a job. In a classroom, simplify the language and let pupils choose a concrete example.
- What would make a shared workspace more comfortable?
- Which task is nicer with another person?
- What is a helpful way for someone to explain instructions to you?
- What would you put in a one-hour beginner workshop?
- Which simple invention would improve a queue?
- What would be a good title for a film about making tea?
- Which two ordinary objects would make an unusual board game?
- What could this group make together in thirty minutes?
- What should a useful meeting leave people with?
- Which question from today would you keep for another group?
A twelve-minute paired version
Use two minutes to explain the options, three rounds of two-minute conversations, two one-minute changeovers and two minutes to close: twelve minutes altogether. Ask each pair to split speaking time, and use a new prompt each round.
Picknado's partner rotation can arrange new partners without repeated pairs inside the schedule. For an odd group, explain the rest turn instead of surprising the last person. Keep any debrief about the conversation process, not a public report of somebody else's personal answer.
The EEF source below concerns collaborative learning, not a test of these prompts. A conversation starter is only the opening; for teaching, give the subsequent group task a clear purpose and participation structure.
Source: Education Endowment Foundation · Collaborative learning
Sources & further reading
The links identify sources for factual statements. Schedules and worked examples are our illustrations, not user studies.
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