105 Icebreaker Questions for Teens

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Have you scrolled through several blog posts hoping to find just the right icebreaker questions for teens? I’m hoping that this post will be your last stop because I want to give you 105 icebreakers high school students will enjoy talking about during the “getting to know you” back to school transition. This blog post is your one-stop-shop for teenage ice breaker questions. You’re welcome!

As an introverted teenager, I used to think that icebreaker activities were a waste of time. This was mostly because they made me uncomfortable and I was self-conscious in talking about myself. Even good ice breaker questions left me tongue-tied.

Then I became a teacher. And I knew there was a need to build classroom community, so I started to think of ways to use icebreakers to foster student-to-student connections.

The Science of Ice Breaker Questions

There is actually some benefit to icebreakers in terms of human psychology. Did you know that it’s part of our human nature to like people who are like us.

Why? We want to be liked and there is less possibility of rejection when we share a mutual interest, value, or experience.

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If students perceive that their classmates don’t like them, chances are they don’t see much common ground between themselves and their peers. Furthermore, if students lack connection to each other, they are more likely they to participate in behaviors that separate them from the group.

That’s why it’s so important to take time to build a classroom environment, not just at the beginning of the year but throughout the year. Each time you pause for an SEL activity, ice breaker questions, or team builder, you are sending the message “we are in this together.”

Ways to Use Ice Breaker Questions for Teens in the Classroom

There are different ways to use ice breaker questions other than the typical partner interview.

Here are a few ways to spice up your ice breakers:

Icebreaker menus or choice boards.
Quick brain break during a lesson.
Question of the day projected on your agenda slide. Have students discuss at table groups or with an elbow buddy.
Speed dating. Form two lines and have one line rotate so students switch partners for each good icebreaker question you ask.
Have students find someone who has the same answer to the question as they do and write their answer/name beside the question.

105 Ice Breaker Questions for Teens

Use all or some of these good icebreaker questions for teens to get your students talking to each other.

And remember, the goal of these ice breaker questions for teens is to help students to find common ground with each other. You can emphasize this commonality by having students write down the connections they make to each person they talk to if you wish.

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Personal / Life Icebreaker Questions for Teens

What was your favorite game when you were a kid?
What is your biggest hope for the future?
What do you fear the most?
If you could have dinner with anyone in the world, who would it be and why?
What would people on social media say about you based on your posts?
What is your favorite meme and why?
What is the last song you sang out loud?
What is your favorite quote?
When you wake up in the morning, what are you most thankful for?
If you could switch one thing about yourself, what would it be?
Describe your perfect day.
Would you want to be famous?
What are you most likely to argue about?
What are the top two songs on your playlist right now?
Name three things you and I appear to have in common.
If you could change anything about your childhood, what would it be?
What is your greatest accomplishment?
Which family member are you most proud of?
Which family member are you closest to?
If you could know the future, would you choose to find out?
What would you change about your life, if anything, if you knew that you had a month to live?
When are you most likely to cry?
What do you take really seriously? Joke about?
Which TV or movie character would you be friends IRL with?
What is something you have always wanted to do, but have never done before?
When you are at a party, where are you and what are you doing?
What’s your most creative accomplishment?
What do you want to be known for?
What is your favorite memory?
Who is your favorite vlogger?
What show are you most likely to binge-watch?
What is your favorite sport to watch?
What is your favorite sport to play?
What favorite project are you working on right now?
What makes you happiest?
Do you think the world expects too much of young people?
In what ways do you think differently or the same as your parents?
If you could move anywhere in the world, where would it be?
How do you think the world will end?
What is your dream car?
What is your superpower?

Fill-In-The-Blank Icebreaker Questions for Teens

I wish I knew _____________.
I love it when _____________.
If only, _____________.
My motivation _____________.
My parents _____________.
I make the world _____________.
When it rains _____________.
Life is a _____________.
I predict _____________.
I sometimes imagine _____________.
Beware the _____________.
The most underrated invention is _____________.
At 4:49 tonight, I will be _____________.
I enjoy the little things in life, especially _____________.
_____________ is priceless.

School-Related Ice Breaker Questions for Students

What are your most and least favorite subjects?
What do you like the most about your schedule this year?
What are you most excited to do this school year?
What clubs or activities do you participate in?
If you could change one thing about our school, what would it be?
Who was your favorite teacher?
What is worth taking the time to understand on a deeper level?
Tell me about the last thought-provoking text you read.
What time do you wake up in the morning and go to bed at night?
What is your favorite location in the school building?

This or That Good Icebreaker Questions for Teens

Paper or plastic?
Up or down?
Real flowers or air freshener?
Lemonade or Iced Tea
Starbucks or Dunkin?
Target or Walmart?
Haircut or grow it out?
Formal or informal?
Noisy or quiet?
Always honest or little white lies?
Clean or messy?
Pasta or steak?
Book or Kindle?
Memes or gifs?
Rain or sun?
Sleep or no sleep?
Fortnite or COD?
Dance or sing?
Comics or manga?
Bright colors or neutrals?
Woke or ignorant?
Goodbye or hello?
Art or music?
Imagination or reality?
Movie at home or in the theatre?
Pillow fight or water balloon fight?
Popping bubble wrap or checking off items on a to-do list?
Reddit or Tumblr?
Gaming or social media?
ROFL or LMFAO?

Silly Getting-to-Know-You Questions

Would you rather pet a shark or stare down a tiger?
Are you more like a bird or a squirrel?
What makes the world go round?
If you could design the ultimate treehouse, what would it look like?
What book would you want to actually get lost in?
What is between here and there?
Which is better: finding a folded chip in the chip bag or a pencil with a really good eraser?
What is better than sliced bread?
If you had to re-make the world out of only one food, which one would you choose?

Back to School Ice Breaker Activities for Teens

Thanks for reading this post! I hope you found a bunch of good icebreaker questions for teens in your middle school or high school classroom.

I would encourage you to check out this fun bundle of back-to-school (or anytime of the year) ice breaker and getting-to-know-you activities. It helps you stay consistent with classroom community building and makes life easier to have ready-to-use resources on hand!

Hey, if you loved this post, I want to be sure you’ve had the chance to grab a FREE copy of my guide to streamlined grading. I know how hard it is to do all the things as an English teacher, so I’m over the moon to be able to share with you some of my best strategies for reducing the grading overwhelm.

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About Lindsay Ann

Lindsay has been teaching high school English in the burbs of Chicago for 19 years. She is passionate about helping English teachers find balance in their lives and teaching practice through practical feedback strategies and student-led learning strategies. She also geeks out about literary analysis, inquiry-based learning, and classroom technology integration. When Lindsay is not teaching, she enjoys playing with her two kids, running, and getting lost in a good book.