Virtual Ice Breaker Questions & Activities For Middle & High School Students
Building a strong community with your older students can be difficult, especially in a virtual environment. But older students often yearn for the feeling of community they had when they were younger, especially when transitioning from public schools to a digital schooling environment. Many older students also crave a deeper 1:1 interaction with an older mentor, and Virtual icebreakers can accomplish this. They create a platform for student comfort and belonging, especially when curated to boost their sense of self.
Here are a few virtual icebreaker games that can get older kids engaged and excited to be part of your 1:1 schoolroom.
Virtual Time Capsule
Creating a virtual time capsule can be a fun way to document student growth at the end of the year and help your student understand how they have grown over the year. It’s a perfect activity for older students because it is introspective.
To create a virtual time capsule, teachers should make themselves owners on a google doc. Create a writing prompt that helps students think about their yearly personal and academic goals. Some prompts questions may include:
What is one personal goal you have for yourself this year?
What is your dream career?
What do I want to stand for this year?
What am I good at?
What are two things I can do daily to improve my day?
Make a page for your student and share the document with them. Allow them to answer questions freely at the beginning of your introductory class, then let them discuss their answers with you if they would like. In a 1:1 teaching session, it’s fun for the teacher to fill this out with the students to show that they also still have room to grow, and that personal growth is a life-long process.
At the end of the year, have your student fill out the same prompt and discuss the differences in their answers. How have they grown? How have their answers changed?
“Take a Picture” Game
Older students often have access to cellphones and tablets, and there are ways to teach students to constructively use those tools for their education while also helping them introspect. The photo game does just that!
Ask your student to take a picture of something at their house. Make sure not to pick a photo with a neutral subject so that your student does not feel out of place. Some neutral subjects might include:
Take a picture of your favorite view out a window in your house
Take a picture of your favorite spot in the house
Take a picture of your favorite activity to do in the house
Take a picture of an item that means something to you
Have your student upload their picture to the zoom chat or a document shared with you. Then, discuss their pictures and why they chose them based on the prompt. Like the other icebreakers, it’s fun (and even preferable) for teachers to participate.
Pictionary
Pictionary is a fun icebreaker that translates well in a digital environment. It allows students to open up and get silly, but it also allows introverts to connect with their teachers in a low-pressure interactive environment.
To play Pictionary on zoom or another video conferencing system:
Start by having students pick a random subject. You can use a random subject generator like the one found here.
Have students share their screen and use paint or a similar program to draw their prompt.
For an extra challenge, encourage the artist to mute themselves.
Pictionary is versatile because you can play it for as long or as short as you’d like.
Three-Minute Talent Show
Teachers across the board know and love their students because every one of them has a talent that makes them unique. Teens and pre-teens not only love to show off their individuality through activities like talent shows, but they love to see and support their peers’ talents.
Having a mini talent show (or three-minute talent show) can help showcase their talent without putting a lot of stress on students to over-perform in front of kids their age or parents. For the three-minute talent show, ask your student to come to class with a talent they can showcase in three minutes or less. Talents don’t have to be limited to singing, acting, or drawing to work well in a digital sphere. Some great talents for a mini talent show might include:
Dancing
Reading some poetry or a piece of fiction
Showcasing the tricks you’ve taught your pet
A short magic act
Quick origami or towel-folding
Reciting the alphabet backward in 30 seconds
Decorating a cookie you baked
Doing a mini science experiment
Cheerleading
Stand-up comedy
Lacing-up hiking boots in less than a minute
If your students seem hesitant, help them think about some of their favorite things they do and how they can turn that into a talent for the 2-minute talent show. Teachers should also show off a skill that they have, though they should stick with a silly or low-key skill so as not to overshine their students. Remember, this is about celebrating your student!
The most crucial part of 1:1 icebreakers is making your student feel comfortable in your class. So, before committing to an icebreaker, see if you can get a sense of what will best bring you and your student together. A good icebreaker activity can create bonds between students and teachers which can last for a lifetime.