Icebreakers are important when meeting with new groups of students, or even groups that have been together for a while. I use icebreakers to begin new topics, encourage dialog, help everyone have equal opportunities to share his/her thoughts with the group, and to help everyone to get to know each other.
I pulled this batch of icebreakers out for my last lunch bunch. As it was a relatively new group, and we are beginning to talk about bullying, I thought these sticks would be good to get the conversation flowing.
I made these sticks using craft sticks I painted and then added questions written on them with a sharpie. I then covered them in mod podge. They do have dyed craft sticks, but if you are using them for lunch bunch, and they get wet or worse–covered with food, the dye gets all over. The painted sticks can be time consuming to paint (I paint both sides), but are nice and bright, color coded by types of questions (you can use a specific color for certain topics) and can be easily cleaned, not to mention, the color doesn’t run all over the table.
Here are the questions I put on the sticks:
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I think cyberbullying . . .
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Something I do everyday to make the world a better place is . . .
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The most caring person I know is . . .
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One way my school is safe is . . .
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A bad choice I made that i wish I could change is . . .
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If I knew someone was posting bad things online I would . . .
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One thing I am proud (of myself) is . . .
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One way I believe in myself is . . .
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I know people can count on me for . . .
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One way I am a leader is . . .
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If I could have 3 wishes to make our world a better place they would be . . .
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Is it bad to be labeled a “wannabe”?
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What are some “labels” students have in our school?
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When you hear the word “competition” how do you feel?
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Something I would not change about myself is . . .
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Why is it better to give than receive?
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Respect to me is . . .
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When I am being bullied I usually . . .
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The reason people are bullies is . . .
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A kind thing I did for someone was . . .
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One way I can stop bullying is . . .
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If I saw someone crying in the bathroom I would . . .
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I think someone with good character is (or does) . . .
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The qualities of a good friend include . . .
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When someone doesn’t keep a secret I feel _______ because . . .
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Fairness is important to me because . . .
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When friends are honest they . . .
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A courageous act I did was . . .
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I speak out against bullying by . . .
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When I close my eyes and think of peace I see . . .
Do you have favorite icebreaker questions that you like to ask? Leave a comment below and let everyone know.
