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Icebreaker questions for teens could help them strike up a conversation and promote socializing. If your teen is shy, introduce them to icebreaker questions to help build good relationships and encourage open-mindedness. Moreover, by asking light-hearted questions, they can improve cooperative learning and learn more about their peers.
While choosing questions, you should also bear in mind that you are not asking too much about anyone’s personal life. Keep reading for some funny yet interesting icebreaker questions for teens that could help them break out of their shells and make new buddies.
170+ Icebreaker Questions For Teens
Even if you cannot remember all the questions at once, have one or two in your arsenal to start a conversation. Writer Jacob Gross mentions how one question in his repertoire is his favorite. Adding that it is appropriate for all ages, he says, “Over the last year or so, after having participated in and facilitated many icebreaker games, I have come to the conclusion that there is one question I love asking. One that I will never stop asking.
“What I love is that it has sparked so much conversation among people that don’t even know each other or are just meeting for the first time.
“Cue my favorite icebreaker question ever: What is your favorite kitchen appliance?” He adds, “I can’t even begin to say how much conversation has come from this question (i).”
Use these getting to know you questions to initiate the first contact and make social interactions easier. You won’t face any shortage of icebreaker topics after reading them.
Virtual icebreaker questions
These icebreaker quizzes and queries are ideal for video calls or an online setup when a few feel uncomfortable in a virtual and social setting.
- What did you eat for breakfast?
- How many cups of coffee or tea do you have each morning?
- What’s your earliest childhood memory?
- What book do you own but have never read?
- Are you an early bird or night owl?
- What’s on your bucket list and why?
- What’s one thing you could easily teach me how to do it right =?
- If you were to change your name, what would you change your name to? Why?
- What are your most and least favorite subjects?
- What’s the most embarrassing moment from your teen years?
- What’s the best thing going on in your life at the moment?
- If you could be eating any food from the world right now, what would it be?
- Which three words describe you best?
- What’s something you would never do in life?
- Do you prefer morning or night showers?
- Who do you admire in your life and why?
- Would you fit in with the crowd or stand out on your own?
- Do you have any siblings? How are they?
- What do you like the most about your schedule this year?
- What’s the grossest food you ever had to eat to be polite?
- What incredibly foolish thing have you done recently?
- If you were a store at the mall, which one would you be?
- What’s your favorite animal?
- What’s your best feature?
- What’s your favorite flower or plant?
- What’s the best gift you’ve ever received?
- What does your backpack say about your personality?
- Does your name have a special meaning, and or were you named after someone special?
- What are you most excited to do this year?
- What’s the worst thing you ever did as a child and got away with?
- What food do you love that a lot of people might find a little odd?
- Which is that food that you would never try?
- Show me your phone’s wallpaper?
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- Which common saying or phrase describes you?
- What’s your caffeinated beverage of choice? Coffee? Cola? Tea?
- What’s your favorite part about school?
- What’s your favorite way to get to school? (walk, bike, bus, or skateboard)
- What clubs or activities do you participate in?
- What was the first concert you ever went to?
- What’s one place you have no interest in traveling to?
Funny Icebreaker Questions
If you are looking to lighten the mood and share a few laughs with a new acquaintance, try these funny icebreaker fun questions and break the ice to feel closer to the new person.
- What is your funniest memory with your best friend?
- If you had to swap your legs with the legs of an animal, which animal would you choose?
- What is your most-used emoji?
- Which Netflix show did you binge embarrassingly quickly?
- What’s the most embarrassing thing that’s ever happened to you?
- What is the naughtiest thing you have done in school?
- Would you pet a shark or stare down a tiger?
- What’s the best prank you’ve ever played on someone?
- What was the funniest thing you’ve seen online?
- What is the craziest dare you have ever taken?
- What’s the strangest gift you’ve ever received?
- What was the worst style choice you ever made?
- If a theme song played every time you entered a room, what song would you choose?
- What is the funniest advertisement you’ve seen?
- Are you more like a bird or a squirrel?
- What commercial jingles or theme songs get stuck in your head?
- What’s your favorite joke to tell?
- What was the worst haircut you ever had?
- If you were the eighth dwarf, what would people call you?
- Which bad habits of people drive you crazy?
- What makes the world go round?
- If someone came up to you and said, “Hey, do that thing you do!” What thing would pop into your head first?
- If you had a huge amount of money, what unnecessary thing or experience would you indulge in?
- If you had to eat a crayon, what color would you choose?
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- What’s the most embarrassing fashion trend you used to rock?
- The zombie apocalypse is upon us. Which three people would you band with?
- What is the most unusual thing in your wallet, pocket, or purse right at this moment?
- If you could design the ultimate treehouse, what would it look like?
- What’s the most annoying machine you deal with regularly?
- If your life became an action movie, which fictional character would you want to be?
- What are you hilariously bad at?
- What do you feel about clowns?
- If aliens landed on earth tomorrow and offered to take you home with them, would you go?
- What is your pet peeve in traffic?
- If you were a superhero, what would your super name be? What would your superpower be?
- Which is better: finding a folded chip in the chip bag or a pencil with a really good eraser?
- What is the funniest hobby?
- What’s the best or worst prank you’ve played on someone?
- If you had to wear a shirt with one word on it for an entire year, which word would you choose?
- How did your parents embarrass you as a child?
Great Icebreaker Questions
If you are looking for some great icebreaker ideas and topics, which can provide thoughtful insight into what the other person is thinking, go through this section.
- If you were sponsored by a brand, which one would you want it to be?
- Would you rather win an Olympic medal or a Nobel prize?
- Have you ever been told you look like someone famous? Who was it?
- You have your own late-night talk show; who do you invite as your first guest?
- If you could have any new skill instantly, what would you choose?
- Would you like to be famous? What for?
- What would the title of your autobiography be?
Point to consider- If you could go to outer space for free, as a tourist, would you do it?
- What is your greatest achievement?
- What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
- What motivates you?
- If you were famous, what would you be famous for?
- Have you ever won a trophy or medal?
- Who is the most inspirational person to you?
- When you die, what do you want to be remembered for?
- What would you do with your “15 minutes of fame?”
- What would be the most surprising scientific discovery imaginable?
Image: Shutterstock
- What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
- What works of art have really made an impression on you?
- Say, you’re independently wealthy and don’t have to work; what would you do with your time?
- If you’re going to sail around the world, what would be the name of your boat?
- What culture would you like to learn more about?
- If you could live in any sitcom universe, which one would it be?
- What is the best praise or advice you’ve received?
- What fictional family would you be a member of?
- If you could be on a reality TV show, which one would you choose and why?
- If you were featured on the local news, what would you most likely be there for?
- If you could be any sports personality, who would it be and why?
- Have you ever won a contest?
- If you could live the life of any historical figure, who would you choose?
- What mundane superpower do you have?
- Can you curate the perfect playlist for any occasion?
- Do you always select the perfect produce while shopping?
- What’s your hidden talent?
- If you could rule the world for a day, what would you ban.
- Who would you like to be for a day?
- What’s the noblest endeavor a person can dedicate their life to?
- Which famous person would you like to meet?
- Which famous person would you never want to meet?
- If you could invite five famous or noted people (past or present) to dinner, who would you choose?
Weird Icebreaker Questions
While trying to talk to a new person and get acquainted, a few weird questions can easily add to the fun and help break the ice. Use the following for creating your icebreaker activities.
- What is the weirdest food you have ever eaten?
- If you could switch lives with any fictional character for a day, who would it be and why?
- How was your craziest date experience?
- What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when I say “slug”?
- What’s the most embarrassing thing your parents have ever done?
- What’s the most out-of-character thing you’ve ever done?
- What’s the most embarrassing thing you’ve ever emailed or texted someone?
- What’s the loveliest fashion trend you participated in?
- What is the most bizarre encounter you have had in life (at work, personal, travel, or with friends)?
- What was your most proud moment?
- Who did you last unfollow on Facebook?
Image: Shutterstock
- What was the silliest thing you have ever done?
- If you could have an unlimited supply of one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?
- What is a weird habit that you have?
- If you were a candy bar, which candy bar would you be? Share why.
- What’s your best scar story?
- If you could be one kind of beer, which one would you be and why?
- Would you keep one alien with you if they beamed down to the Earth?
- What is the weirdest food combination you’ve made and tried?
- What’s the strangest name someone you have met had?
- If you had to pick a new part of your body to sit on, what would you choose?
- What fruit or vegetable would you most want to be?
- What was the craziest theme park or fair ride you’ve been on?
- What is the strangest item near you?
- What is the scariest thing you have done for fun?
- What do you feel nostalgic for?
- What popular song drives you crazy?
- What’s the strangest family tradition in your family?
- Who do you do not like at school?
- What’s the amazing skill you have?
- If you had to be Siamese Twins with one person, which person would you pick to be stuck with?
- What’s the craziest thing on your bucket list?
- What’s a weird fact you happen to know?
- What was the worst gift you gave to your friend?
Image: IStock
- What are you good at but embarrassed about?
- Where’s the weirdest place you’ve ever slept?
- If God sneezes, what should you say?
- What’s the weirdest Wikipedia Rabbit hole you’ve stumbled upon?
- What animal would be cutest if scaled down to the size of a cat?
- If you were a refrigerator, what item would you hate holding?
- What season would you be?
- What period and place would you choose to visit if you had a time machine?
- What is the side dish you prefer to have with your favorite food?
- What would you do if you had a pet dragon? Where would you hide him?
- Which salty food do you prefer to have at any time of the day?
- Which movie villain scares you the most?
- Which are your biggest phobias?
- If you could live anywhere in the world, which place would you choose?
- Which two animals would you like to swap sounds?
- What is the weirdest pizza topping, according to you?
- Have you ever entered a room and forgotten the purpose?
Illustration: Interesting Icebreaker Questions For Teens
Image: Dall·E/MomJunction Design Team
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Why are icebreakers important for students?
In the classroom, icebreaker exercises allow students to relax and create a light learning environment, encouraging them to participate and share ideas. It also helps students build friendships, prepares them for collaborative projects, and encourages them to be the host of class discussion (1).
2. Why is it called icebreaker?
The “ice” here refers to the tension because of the unfamiliar setting or meeting someone new, and the word “breaker” refers to breaking this unfamiliarity. So, an icebreaker relieves tension or awkwardness when meeting new people or being in an unfamiliar situation.
3. How can I choose the right icebreaker question?
Choose open-ended questions that are stimulating yet appropriate for the age group and setting. Avoid sensitive topics that might make participants uncomfortable. Ask a mix of fun and thought-provoking questions to keep everyone engaged. Additionally, consider testing the questions with friends or family to ensure they resonate well with the audience.
4. How can I come up with my own icebreaker questions?
When coming up with your own icebreaker questions, keep them lighthearted and positive, and use open-ended questions to avoid putting anyone on the spot. Also, be creative and unique with your questions, and lastly, don’t forget to test them out.
5. Can icebreaker questions be used in professional settings?
Yes, icebreaker questions can be used in professional settings like workplaces or institutions. They are great at making everyone feel at ease before the beginning of a meeting. It helps establish rapport, builds a positive and fun atmosphere at work, encourages bonding among team members, and maintains inclusivity. However, being mindful while using icebreaker questions at work is important.
6. How can icebreaker questions be used in a group setting?
Icebreaker questions can be used in multiple ways in group activities for teenagers. First, it helps in building bonds with team members and encourages participation. It can be used in introductory icebreakers and icebreaker games like ‘Two Truths and A Lie’ and ‘Truth or Dare.’
7. Are there any inappropriate or offensive icebreaker questions that should be avoided?
Some topics to avoid when asking icebreaker questions include offensive language, personal or intrusive questions, and sensitive topics involving body shaming. Also, refrain from including questions that are emotionally triggering, potentially racist, or filled with hate and mockery.
8. How do icebreaker questions help in virtual settings?
Icebreaker questions in virtual settings can ease tension and help participants feel connected, even if they haven’t met in person. These questions also promote engagement by making discussions more enjoyable and less intimidating.
These icebreaker questions for teens are excellent conversation starters and help in making new friends. You could ask questions about their hobbies or their interests and get the conversation going from thereon. Not only that, you could also use these questions when you are running out of topics to discuss or for making icebreaker games for teens. When children know each other, they will feel more engaged in group games and team-building activities. It is important that you remember not to ask way too personal questions right away as you are just getting to know each other, and you need to keep things light.
Infographic: Points To Remember About Icebreaker Questions
What better way to get to know your friends better than a list of interesting, weird, and funny icebreaker questions? However, there are a few essential points that you need to remember while playing this game to ensure that you don’t hurt anyone’s feelings unintentionally. So, to help you with the same, we have the following infographic prepared that contains some do’s and don’ts for this game. Illustration: Momjunction Design Team
Key Pointers
- Icebreaker questions help teens socialize more effectively.
- They are especially beneficial for introverts and socially awkward teenagers.
- Funny and light-hearted questions about hobbies and interests work well.
- For virtual discussions, icebreaker questions may set the conversation flowing.
- Deep and quirky questions can be used with close friends, but avoid overly intrusive ones.
Personal Experience: Source
MomJunction articles include first-hand experiences to provide you with better insights through real-life narratives. Here are the sources of personal accounts referenced in this article.
i. My favorite icebreaker question. ever.;https://medium.com/@jcbgrss/my-favorite-icebreaker-question-ever-f134fd41b42b
References
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