Whether your class has been together since Reception or the classes have been mixed up yet again, spending some time at the start of the new academic year to build relationships, set a positive classroom culture and help your pupils feel at ease is crucial. Icebreaker games can help your children get to know each other a little better or improve their existing relationships, but they only work if they’re genuinely fun, inclusive and low-pressure.
Here are six tried-and-tested icebreaker games for primary school that your pupils will actually look forward to:
1. Getting to Know You Bingo
Give each child a bingo grid with prompts such as “Has a pet”, “Can whistle”, or “Has a birthday in summer”. Pupils move around the room asking questions to find someone who matches each prompt, writing their name in the box.
Why it works: It gets pupils talking to classmates they might not usually chat to and encourages active listening.
2. Two Truths and a Tall Tale
Children think of three statements about themselves: two true, one made-up. The class tries to guess which one is the ‘tall tale’.
Why it works: Quick, fun and a great way to share surprising facts.
3. Mystery Bag
Fill a bag with random objects (or ask pupils to bring something small from home). Each child pulls out an item and shares a short story or fact about how it relates to them, or invents a story if it doesn’t.
Why it works: Encourages creativity and storytelling skills.
4. Pass the Ball Q&A
Using a soft ball, throw it to a pupil and ask a light-hearted question (e.g. “If you could be any animal for a day, what would you be?”). They answer, then throw it to someone else with a different question.
Why it works: Adaptable for any age group and develops speaking and listening skills.
Alternatively, try our FREE 'What would you do?' Board Games as a fun way to get your class to know each other a little better and have fun
5. Human Bar Graph
Ask fun, non-intrusive questions such as “What’s your favourite season?” or “Pizza, burger or pasta?”. Pupils group themselves according to their answers, creating a living bar graph.
Other examples of questions you could ask for this game include:
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Are you an early bird or a night owl?
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What’s your favourite colour? (Give 4 to 5 colour options)
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Would you rather read a book or watch a film?
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Which is better: chocolate or crisps?
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Do you prefer drawing, writing or building?
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Would you rather go to the beach, the mountains or the city?
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Would you rather be able to fly or be invisible?
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If you had a superpower, would you choose speed, strength or mind-reading?
Why it works: Active, visual and shows pupils what they have in common.
6. Build a Paper Tower Challenge
This is a great activity for promoting teamwork! In small groups, give children the challenge of building a tower using just paper, glue and sticky tape. In KS1, you could challenge them to build the tallest tower they can that will hold up a small toy. Further up KS2, the challenge could be to build the tallest tower they can that would hold a book for ten seconds.
Why it works: Builds teamwork, communication, and problem-solving skills.
Tips for Successful Icebreakers in the Classroom
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Keep activities low-pressure and inclusive. You want everyone to be able to join in and feel comfortable doing so.
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Encourage pupils to work with different classmates, particularly if the class has already been together for a while. The more your children are comfortable and engaged with those outside of their immediate friendship group the better!
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Reflect afterwards on what they learned about each other. Did you learn anything new about someone you’ve known for a while? Did you find something in common with a new friend? Asking these questions helps to solidify their feelings of unity and camaraderie as a class.
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Final Thought:
Choosing the right icebreaker games at the start of term helps pupils feel comfortable, valued and connected, setting the tone for a happy, collaborative classroom all year round.
