Team Building Icebreaker-Have You Ever

If you are looking for a fun team building icebreaker for a group of 15 people to up to 60 people, the “Have You Ever” team activity is pretty fun. To setup this icebreaker, set some type of marker or item for each person in the group. I usually place the markers in a rectangle. (Circles are really difficult to make.) If you want professional looking markers, you can Google “half cone markers”, and you’ll find many nice looking poly spot options. If you need something quickly, or if you are on a budget, go to your local grocery store and look for colored paper plates. They still look nice, but they are easy to buy and disposable. So, if you have 50 people, purchase 50 spot markers, and set the markers up in a big rectangle. Place one, single spot marker in the center of the shape. Have each person stand with one foot close to one of the spot markers. All participants should be outside of the rectangle except for the last person to claim a marker. Since the only marker left is in the center, that person must claim that marker. The person in the center then asks a question starting with, “Have you ever…?” (Incidentally, I typical make a rule that the question has to be “G” rated.) If the participants have done that particular thing that the question has asked, they must travel outside of the rectangle, all the way around, one complete time until he or she passes his or her starting point. Then, the participant can claim any spot marker that is unclaimed. Of course, the person who asked the question can immediately claim any unclaimed spot marker, so there will always be one person left who doesn’t have a marker. That person now moves to the center, and the activity starts all over again.

Common “Have You Ever” Team Building Icebreaker Questions

• Have you ever moved from one state to another?
• Have you ever got a speeding ticket?
• Have you ever cheated on a test?
• Have you ever received a quarterly bonus?

The key is to ask questions that get a lot of people moving around the rectangle. This icebreaker is designed to get the group to know each other better, and it is also a fantastic way to get the energy of the group to a much higher level. The first time that a question is asked, most people are very polite and slow moving. However, as they begin to realize that someone is going to be left-out each time, they begin to move faster. And then, they begin to move faster. After a few questions, the “question asker” will often get a little clever and begin to ask funny questions. When they do, your group will begin laughing hysterically. (By the way, don’t force these questions on the group. It is more fun when they happen naturally.)

• Have you ever called in sick when you weren’t
• Have you ever blamed your mistake on a coworker?
• And… my all time favorite… “Have you ever been arrested?”

When these questions start naturally, it is really funny, because a few people will start t move, and then realize what was just asked and go back to their starting point. (Hoping that no one noticed.) Realize that once the funny questions are starting to be asked, stop the exercise. Otherwise, each new questioner will try to outdo the last, and someone will eventually ask an embarrassing question. Make this team building icebreaker activity fun and light hearted, and the group will enjoy it.