Whether you need an icebreaker for a classroom, boardroom, or living room, we’ve got you covered. Here are some options that get people to open up without making them feel like they’ve been put on the spot.

Tell me a boring fact about yourself. If you’re in a formal setting and going around asking each person a question, this is a solid option. It gives folks the autonomy to decide what they want to share, while lowering the pressure for them to share anything earth-shatteringly insightful.
What books, podcasts, or TV shows are you reading/ listening to/ watching these days? This is well suited for both formal and informal settings. It gives people the opportunity to nerd out about whatever they’re consuming, which can be really fun and satisfying if you can be genuinely interested and curious in whatever their answer is, even if it’s not your cup of tea.

Another beautiful thing about this question is that it doesn’t feel too vulnerable to jump into when you’re just getting to know someone, but it still allows folks to share bits of their personality as they talk about why they like it.
What’s one thing you’re looking forward to? This is great in most settings because it allows a good deal of freedom in how vulnerable people feel comfortable being, and it also can put people in a good mood to think about what they’re excited about.
What’s life been throwing at you these days? I love this question for informal settings. It’s a variation on “how are you” that allows for people to share as vulnerably as they’d like, and it works just as well on folks you don’t know well as it does on close friends and family. If you’d like other options for variations on “how are you,” feel free to check out some others that I really like here.
What’s something new you’ve learned or done this past week? This is a convenient conversation starter in most contexts because pretty much anyone can answer it, and there’s a lot of leeway in how vulnerable people can be, so it’s well suited to a lot of different settings and a lot of different people. It’s also especially good for starting a longer conversations because this question often leads to other people spontaneously sharing their own experiences with similar “new things.”

One last important note— If you find that you’re not getting the response you want from these, you might want to check out this article about how to cope with social awkwardness, as it can be hard to deliver icebreaker questions without feeling a bit awkward (and that’s totally normal and okay)!

I hope you find these helpful during your next getting-to-know-you situation!

Icebreaker questions you can use anywhere