101 Middle School Icebreakers: Games, Activities, Worksheets, & Questions

Discover 101 engaging icebreakers for middle school, including games, activities, worksheets, and questions to help students connect, build a sense of community, and thrive in their new learning environment.

Perfect for educators and parents!

Transitioning to middle school can be an exciting yet challenging time for students.

New friendships, unfamiliar classes, and different social dynamics can make it difficult for middle schoolers to feel comfortable and confident.

Icebreakers are a fantastic way to help students get to know one another, build a sense of community, and ease any anxieties they may have.

Fun icebreakers are a great way for new classmates to make new friends.

They are also great for new teachers when starting a new school year.

You can use icebreakers for youth groups, summer camps, parties, and more!

What are good icebreakers for middle school?

The best ice breaker activities for middle school are a combination of games, worksheets, classroom activities, and fun questions.

Many teachers like to use easy icebreaker activities for the first 10-15 minutes of class during the first week of school.

It is a good way for classmates to learn interesting facts about each other.

With these 101 icebreakers, you’ll be on your way to building a strong foundation of camaraderie in your middle school classroom.

More than anything else, icebreakers for kids, tweens, and teens are about opening the door to meaningful conversations and creating a sense of unity among students.

Whether you’re trying to foster an atmosphere of inclusion, break down barriers between cliques, or increase participation during class activities, these icebreakers are the perfect starting point.

If you are looking for an icebreaker for the first day of school or interactive games for the entire class, here are 101 icebreakers for middle schoolers, along with activities, worksheets, questions, and virtual icebreakers designed specifically for middle schoolers.

Take some time to explore the list below and find the right activity for your middle schoolers – they’ll thank you for it!

Middle School Icebreaker Games

Fun icebreaker games for middle schoolers!

However, many of these icebreaker games can be customized to any grade level.

They can even work for older students like high schoolers or younger students in elementary school.

Remind the kids the goal of this game is to have fun!

Two Truths and a Lie: Each student shares two true statements and one false statement about themselves. The rest of the group tries to guess which statement is the lie.
Human Bingo: Create a bingo card with various statements that apply to the students (e.g., “Has a sibling,” “Loves pizza,” “Plays an instrument”). Students walk around and find classmates who match the descriptions, signing their names in the corresponding box.
Silent Line-Up: Students silently line up in order of their birthdates without talking. They must use non-verbal communication to determine their positions.
The Great Wind Blows: Students sit in a circle, leaving one chair empty. The person standing in the middle says, “The Great Wind Blows for anyone who…” and shares a fact that applies to them (e.g., “has a pet dog”). Anyone who shares the same fact must quickly stand up and find a new seat. The person left standing becomes the next one in the middle.
The M&M Game: Pass around a bowl of M&Ms and have each student take a few. For each M&M they take, they must share a fact about themselves.
The Human Knot: Students form a circle, reach across, and grab the hands of two different people. They must then work together to untangle the knot without letting go of each other’s hands.
Four Corners: Label the corners of the room with different categories (e.g., favorite season, favorite type of music). Students move to the corner that best represents their preference and discuss why they chose that category.
Snowball Fight: Each student writes a fun fact about themselves on a piece of paper, crumples it up, and engages in a “snowball fight” by throwing the paper balls around the room. Once the fight is over, everyone picks up a snowball, reads the fact, and tries to guess whose fact it is.
Guess the Emoji: Project a series of emojis on the screen and have students guess what phrase or expression the emojis represent. This is a fun way to test their pop culture knowledge and start conversations.
Zoom In: Show students a series of zoomed-in images and ask them to guess what the object is. This game can spark curiosity and encourage students to pay attention to details.
Musical Chairs with a Twist: Play a game of musical chairs, but instead of removing chairs, have students sit in each other’s laps when the music stops. This encourages teamwork and communication.
Celebrity Heads: Write the name of a famous person on a sticky note and attach it to each student’s forehead. Students then ask yes or no questions to figure out who they are.
Silent Drawing: Pair up students and have them sit back to back. One student will describe a picture while the other student attempts to draw it without asking any questions.
Balloon Relay: Divide students into teams and have them race to transport a balloon across the room using only their knees or elbows.
20 Questions: One student thinks of a person, place, or thing, and the rest of the group takes turns asking yes or no questions to figure out what it is.
Marshmallow Tower: Divide students into groups and provide them with marshmallows and toothpicks. Challenge them to build the tallest tower in a set amount of time. This is a fun STEM-building activity!
Pictionary: Divide students into teams and have them take turns drawing pictures for their teammates to guess the word or phrase.
Charades: Like Pictionary, students take turns acting out words or phrases for their teammates to guess.
Memory Tray: Place various objects on a tray and give students a minute to memorize the items. Remove the tray and have students write down as many items as they can remember.
Alphabet Race: Divide students into teams and have them race to list items in a specific category (e.g., animals, foods, countries) for each letter of the alphabet.
Blindfolded Obstacle Course: Set up a simple obstacle course in the classroom or outside. In pairs, one student is blindfolded and must navigate the course while their partner gives verbal instructions.
The Name Line-Up: Challenge students to line up in a specific order, such as by alphabetical order by first name, without talking.
Telephone: Students sit in a circle and pass along a whispered message. The last person in the circle says the message out loud, and the group can compare it to the original message.
Human Tic-Tac-Toe: Divide students into two teams (Xs and Os) and use masking tape to create a tic-tac-toe grid on the floor. Teams take turns placing a student in a square until one team achieves three in a row.
I Spy: Choose an object in the room and say “I spy with my little eye, something that is…” followed by a description of the object. Students take turns guessing what the object is.

Related Post: 101 Animal Riddles

Middle School Icebreaker Activities

Fun icebreakers for 6th graders-8th graders!

Name Toss: Students stand in a circle and toss a ball to each other, saying the name of the person they’re throwing it to. This helps students learn each other’s names quickly.
Find Your Match: Each student receives a card with a word or image on it. They must then find the classmate with the matching card and learn three facts about them.
Team-Building Challenges: Split students into groups and give them a task to complete together, such as building a tower with limited materials or solving a puzzle. This encourages teamwork and communication.
Classmate Interview: Pair students and have them interview each other for a few minutes, then introduce their partners to the class.
Time Capsule: Have students write a letter to their future selves, discussing their interests, goals, and experiences. Collect the letters and store them until the end of the school year, then return them to the students.
Personal Coat of Arms: Students design a personal coat of arms, incorporating symbols and images representing their interests, values, and dreams.
Would You Rather: Present a series of would you rather questions to the class and have students move to one side of the room or the other based on their preference. Encourage discussion about their choices.
Friendship Bracelets: Provide materials for students to make friendship bracelets and exchange them with their classmates as a token of friendship and support.
The Compliment Game: Have students sit in a circle and take turns giving the person next to them a genuine compliment. This activity promotes kindness and positivity.
Human Graph: Pose a question or statement, and ask students to physically position themselves in the room based on their level of agreement or preference.
The Skittles Game: Pass around a bowl of Skittles and have each student take a few. Assign a question or topic to each color, and students must share something based on the colors they picked.
Secret Pal: Organize a secret pal exchange, where students draw names and write anonymous encouraging notes to their secret pal throughout the week.
Jigsaw Puzzle Race: Give each group a small jigsaw puzzle and have them race to complete it. This encourages teamwork and problem-solving skills.
Collaborative Art: Provide large sheets of paper and art supplies, and have students work together to create a mural or collage representing their class.
Human Camera: Pair students and have one student act as the “camera” and the other as the “photographer.” The photographer poses the camera and then describes the scene they want to capture. The camera student then sketches the scene based on the photographer’s description.
Quote of the Day: Have students share a favorite quote or saying and explain why it’s meaningful to them.
Dream Job: Have students create a poster or presentation about their dream job, including the skills and qualifications needed and the reasons why they’re interested in that career.
Class Motto: Collaborate as a class to create a motto or slogan representing the group’s values and goals.
Culture Sharing: Encourage students to share something about their cultural background or family traditions with the class.
Affirmation Station: Set up a designated area in the classroom where students can leave positive notes and affirmations for their classmates.
Classroom Debate: Organize a friendly debate on a light-hearted topic. Divide students into two teams and have them present their arguments for or against the chosen topic.
Storytelling Circle: Have students sit in a circle and take turns adding a sentence or two to a collaborative story.
Show and Tell: Have students bring in a special item from home and share its significance with the class.
Class Cookbook: Ask students to share their favorite recipes from home and compile them into a class cookbook that can be shared with their families.
Positive Affirmations: Encourage students to write positive affirmations about themselves and share them with the class. This can boost self-esteem and help students focus on their strengths.
Kindness Challenge: A Kindness Challenge benefits everyone and can be done in groups or individually. Use this free Kindness Challenge printable to help the kids keep track of their progress.

Related Post: 101 Winter Jokes

Icebreakers for Middle Schoolers: Worksheets

All About Me: Have students complete a worksheet with prompts for sharing information about themselves, such as hobbies, favorite subjects, and family members. Print the FREE All About Me Printable Worksheet from the Resource Library – sign up here to get the link.
Word Clouds: Students create a word cloud using adjectives that describe themselves. Then, they share their creations with the class.
Interest Inventory: Provide a worksheet with various categories (e.g., favorite movies, books, activities) for students to list their interests.
Goal-Setting Worksheet: Encourage students to set personal and academic goals for the year and share them with their classmates.
“Who Am I?”: Students complete a worksheet with clues about themselves, such as favorite foods, hobbies, and future aspirations. Classmates try to guess the identity of the person based on the clues.
Classmate Scavenger Hunt: Provide a worksheet with a list of traits, interests, or experiences (e.g., has traveled to another country, can play an instrument). Students must find classmates who match the descriptions and write their names on the worksheet.
The ABCs of Me: Students create an alphabetical list of words that describe them, with one word for each letter of the alphabet.
Dream Vacation: Students complete a worksheet describing their dream vacation, including the destination, activities, and travel companions.
Classmate Crossword Puzzle: Create a crossword puzzle with clues about the students in the class. Students must solve the puzzle by using their knowledge of their classmates.
Personality Quiz: Provide a fun, age-appropriate personality quiz for students to complete and compare their results with their classmates.
Acrostic Poem: Have students create an acrostic poem using their name or a word that describes them.
Classroom Rules: Provide a worksheet for students to brainstorm and suggest classroom rules that they believe are important.
My Favorite Things: Provide a worksheet where students can list their favorite things in various categories (e.g., favorite food, song, sport, etc.). Students can then compare their lists with their classmates.
The Best Day Ever: Have students describe their ideal day, including activities, people, and places they would visit.
Classroom Job Application: Have students complete a job application for a classroom job they’re interested in, such as a class librarian, tech helper, or clean-up crew member.
Growth Mindset Reflection: Provide a worksheet that prompts students to reflect on their growth mindset and ways they can develop it further.
Bucket List: Provide a worksheet for students to create their own bucket list, listing experiences they want to have and goals they want to achieve.
Friend Venn Diagram: Have students create a Venn diagram comparing their similarities and differences with a classmate.
Gratitude Journal: Provide a worksheet for students to list things they’re grateful for and encourage them to reflect on their blessings.
Current Events Reflection: Give students a worksheet to reflect on a current event and share their opinions and thoughts on the topic.
Goal Setting: Provide a worksheet for students to set academic and personal goals for the school year and action steps to achieve them.
My Future Self: Have students create a profile or write a letter to their future selves, imagining where they’ll be and what they’ll be doing in 10 years.
Classmate Interviews: Pair students and have them interview each other using a set of pre-determined questions. Students can then introduce their partner to the class.
Classroom Survey: Create a survey for students to share their opinions and preferences on various classroom topics, such as seating arrangements, group work, and preferred learning styles.
Name Wordle: Have the students create an adjective Wordle of their name. They can use this list of name adjectives.

Related Post: 101 First Day Of School Questions

Middle School Icebreaker Questions

The perfect warm-up questions for students!

These youth icebreaker questions will surely get kids, tweens, and teens talking!

“If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?”
“What is your favorite book or movie, and what do you like about it?”
“If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?”
“What is something you’re looking forward to this school year?”
“What is one thing you’re proud of accomplishing?”
“What is your favorite family tradition?”
“What are three things you can’t live without?”
“If you could be any animal, which one would you choose and why?”
“What talent or skill do you have that others might not know about?”
“What is a favorite memory from your childhood?”
“What is something you want to learn or improve on?”
“If you could meet anyone, past or present, who would it be and why?”
“What is your favorite way to spend a weekend?”
“If you could create a new holiday, what would it be and how would people celebrate it?”
“What is a book or movie that made a big impact on you and why?”
“What is something unique or interesting about your family?”
“What challenge have you faced, and how did you overcome it?”
“What is your favorite subject in school and why?”
“If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be?”
“What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?”
“What is your favorite thing about yourself?”
“What is a hobby or interest you’d like to try?”
“If you could travel back in time, which era would you choose and why?”
“What are three words your friends would use to describe you?”
“If you got to be the teacher for the day, what rules would you have?”

101 Icebreakers for Middle School: Games, Activities, Worksheets, & Questions

These fun games can be used in small groups, in a large circle, or even in a virtual classroom.

Classroom icebreakers are valuable for helping middle school students feel more comfortable and connected in their new environment.

By using a combination of games, activities, worksheets, and questions, you can create a fun, engaging, and inclusive atmosphere that encourages students to share their interests, experiences, and perspectives.

This collection of 101 icebreakers will provide you with many creative and exciting ideas to get your middle schoolers talking, laughing, and forming new connections.

Games like Truth or Dare, Charades, and Capture the Flag are perfect for energizing the room, while activities such as My Future Self and Gratitude Journal can help students develop a positive outlook.

Worksheets such as Goal Setting and Classroom Surveys can help identify individual preferences.

At the same time, questions like “If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?” can encourage students to explore new ideas and share their thoughts.

No matter what type of icebreaker activities you use, the goal is to create a safe and welcoming space for all students.

Be sure to create an environment where everyone feels comfortable participating.

Do you have an icebreaker game or activity that we missed? Please let us know in the comments!