Ice breaker activities are always a great way to create a relaxed and fun atmosphere at any social or professional event. They help people find common ground, get to know each other, and build connections.
Table of Contents
One popular ice breaker game is Ice Breaker Bingo, a unique twist on a traditional bingo game that instead turns the game into ‘Human Bingo,’ filled with fun conversation starters.
We’ll explain all you need to know about Ice Breaker Bingo and how to play this unique game! It’s perfect for workplace meetings, networking events, the start of a new school year, or even at parties.
Keep reading to find out our picks of the best Ice Breaker Bingo ideas to add to your bingo card!
What is Ice Breaker Bingo?
Ice Breaker Bingo is a game that combines the elements of traditional bingo with getting to know your fellow players. It is often played at conferences, workshops, team-building events, or even parties to initiate conversations and encourage networking. This game works well for both adults and kids, and is ideal for work and school settings.
Participants are given a bingo card with various categories or questions instead of numbers. They have to find people who match the given criteria and fill out their bingo cards accordingly. The first person to complete a row or the entire card wins a prize or simply earns the title of the “Ice Breaker Bingo Champion.”
When to Play Ice Breaker Bingo
Ice Breaker Bingo is perfect for a range of occasions, and no matter what your event is, there’ll be a way that Ice Breaker Bingo will work for it.
The game works best when new people are meeting for the first time, as this creates more opportunities for conversation starters, and the prompts on the bingo card are therefore more interesting. Any chance where new people need to mingle is a perfect time to use Ice Breaker Bingo. Think of it as a ‘Get to Know You‘ Bingo game.
Some examples of a suitable event for Ice Breaker Bingo include:
- A work party
- The start of a new school year
- The first office meeting with new employees
- A family party with lots of family members
- A break meeting
- A networking event
Of course, there are many other opportunities to play this game! Use it as a fun way for everyone to get to know fun facts about each other. This can apply to family events too, particularly if you have a large family, and family members might be surprised to learn some of the unique facts about each other!
How to Play Ice Breaker Bingo: A Guide to Playing the Ultimate Ice Breaker Bingo Game
Ice Breaker Bingo is a fantastic way to kick-start conversations and build connections among participants at any social or professional event. This ‘human bingo’ game adds a creative twist to traditional bingo by replacing numbers with categories or questions that encourage people to have interesting conversations and get to know each other better.
The beauty of this game is you can decide how long to play for. If you want to use it as a quick mini-game during a work meeting, or maybe you want it to last as a longer starter activity in the classroom, then Ice Breaker Bingo can easily be adapted for this.
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to play Ice Breaker Bingo with family, friends or colleagues!
- Step 1: Create Bingo Cards
Create unique Icebreaker Bingo cards for each participant by listing categories or questions in each square instead of numbers. Ensure that each card has a different arrangement of categories to add variety and prevent multiple winners at once.
You can easily create bingo cards using online templates, or you can even make them by hand. Keep reading to see our list of the best ice breaker bingo game ideas to include on each bingo card!
Tip: Before playing the game, e-mail all employees (if possible) and ask them to contribute a fun fact about themselves. This can help you to plan which bingo card ideas to add to the game, and ensures that everyone will have something to contribute or talk about. If you’re in a school setting, ask students to write down a fun fact about themselves and place it in a box so you can plan your bingo card around this. - Step 2: Explain the Rules
Gather all the participants in a central location and introduce the game. Explain that the objective is to fill out the Icebreaker Bingo card squares by finding people who match the given categories or questions. Emphasize that the goal is not only to win the game but also to engage in conversations and learn about each other. Participants should be reminded of the rules throughout, and be sure to tell them that they need a different person for each answer. - Step 3: Distribute Bingo Cards
Distribute the prepared bingo cards to each participant. Make sure everyone has a pen or marker to fill out their cards. - Step 4: Play!
Encourage players to move around the room and mingle with others to find individuals who match the categories on their Icebreaker Bingo card. Encourage them to strike up conversations and ask questions to get to know each other better. Once they find someone who matches a category, they can ask that person to sign or initial the corresponding square on their card. - Step 5: Complete Rows or the Entire Card
The participants continue to find teammates who match the categories on their bingo card until they complete a row or the entire card. Remind players that they should only have one person sign or initial each square; duplicates are not allowed. - Step 6: Declare a Winner
The first person to complete a row or find all of the answers on the entire card should call out “Bingo!” to inform the group. Verify their answers by reviewing their signed or initialed squares. If there are multiple winners, offer to play multiple rounds with different bingo cards, a tiebreaker round or multiple prizes to keep the game exciting. - Step 7: Reflect and Share
After the game concludes, gather everyone together and provide an opportunity for participants to reflect on the connections they made. You can ask volunteers to share interesting stories or insights they learned through the game. This sharing session encourages further engagement and strengthens the bonds formed during the game. - Step 8: Follow-Up Activities
To build on the connections established during Ice Breaker Bingo, consider planning follow-up activities or discussion topics related to the categories or questions on the bingo cards. This is particularly great in school settings, where you can plan further icebreaker games and even plan a future ‘Get to Know You’ bingo game. Follow-up activities provide an opportunity for participants to delve deeper into shared interests and continue building relationships beyond the game. - What about Remote Workers?
Have no fear – Icebreaker Bingo can still be played even if you have employees who complete remote work.
A great way to play this game online is using breakout rooms during an online meeting. Most online video tools, such as Google Meet or Microsoft Teams, offer the option of breakout rooms, in which participants can go into different ‘rooms’ and speak privately about their questions. You can then rotate the team members so that they get to speak to everyone in different rooms.
30+ Ice Breaker Bingo Ideas for Your Bingo Card
Ice Breaker Bingo is a highly versatile game that can be customized to suit various group sizes and different environments. You can easily plan a networking bingo, but then adapt it for your workplace.
If you’re making your own Icebreaker Bingo cards using an online tool, try to be creative with the categories or questions to make the game even more engaging and specific to your event.
To help you get started, we’ve listed over 30 of the best Ice Breaker Bingo ideas to get everyone talking!
Remember, the key to a successful game of Icebreaker Bingo is creating a relaxed and inclusive environment where people feel comfortable interacting and sharing. So, have fun, encourage conversations, and watch as connections flourish!
- Find someone who has traveled to at least three continents.
- Find someone who can play a musical instrument.
- Find someone who speaks more than one language.
- Find someone who has won an award or trophy in their life.
- Find someone who volunteers for a charity.
- Find someone who loves spicy food.
- Find someone who can do a handstand.
- Find someone who has read at least 20 books this year.
- Find someone who has a hidden talent.
- Find someone who has seen their favorite band live.
- Find someone who has met a celebrity.
- Find someone who has climbed a mountain.
- Find someone who has completed a marathon.
- Find someone who has skydived or bungee jumped.
- Find someone who loves to cook or bake.
- Find someone who can solve a Rubik’s cube.
- Find someone who has a pet.
- Find someone who has an unusual hobby.
- Find someone who does yoga or practices meditation.
- Find someone who prefers tea over coffee.
- Find someone who knows how to knit or crochet.
- Find someone who can juggle.
- Find someone who has more than 10 people in their family.
- Find someone who has been on a road trip
- Find someone who has attended a music festival.
- Find someone who has gone scuba diving.
- Find someone who has participated in a dance-off.
- Find someone who enjoys hiking or camping.
- Find someone who has run a half or full marathon.
- Find someone who loves to sing karaoke.
- Find someone who can perform a magic trick.
- Find someone who has moved house in the past year.
- Find someone who loves country music.
- Find someone who has twins in their family.
- Find someone who has traveled outside of the country in the past year.
Enjoy a ‘Human Bingo’ Game with Ice Breaker Bingo!
These Icebreaker Bingo ideas are just a starting point to encourage conversation and interaction among participants, helping them to find common ground with one another.
Feel free to customize or create your own Icebreaker Bingo questions based on your event’s theme or fun facts participants have shared about themselves. Remember, the goal is to create an enjoyable and inclusive environment where everyone feels comfortable sharing and connecting.
Incorporating Icebreaker Bingo into your next event can make icebreakers not feel so daunting. Whether your team members can speak multiple languages or even perform a magic trick, Icebreaker Bingo is the perfect way to get to know these unique facts about them!
Eleanor is a qualified English teacher and has received a Post Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE), specializing in Secondary English, and holds a BA (Hons) in English Literature from Liverpool John Moores University. She is certified to teach English as a foreign language (TEFL) and has worked with students in the U.K. and South East Asia. She currently works as an English teacher in Vietnam, teaching students across a range of ages.