20 Fun and Easy EFL Icebreakers for Beginner Students: Step-by-Step Guide

Create bingo cards with different names in each square. Students mingle to find the classmates whose names appear on their card, asking a few questions once they find a match to get to know each other better.

Each student shares three statements about themselves — two true, one false. The class asks questions and guesses which statement is the lie.

Prepare a list of statements related to students’ interests or experiences (“Find someone who has traveled to another country”). Students mingle, asking questions until they find a classmate matching each one.

Pass a ball around the class. Whoever’s holding it says a word related to a topic you’ve chosen — animals, food, hobbies — before passing it on.

In pairs, one student draws a simple picture while the other guesses what it is, then they switch roles and continue.

Sitting in a circle, each student says their name with an adjective starting with the same letter (“Happy Hannah”). Each new student repeats everyone who spoke before them, then adds their own.

Start a story with one sentence (“Once upon a time, there was a little boy”). Each student adds the next sentence, continuing the story around the room.

Write simple words or phrases on slips of paper (“playing soccer,” “eating pizza”). One student picks a slip and acts it out silently while the rest of the class guesses.

Prepare picture cards of everyday objects, animals, or actions. Show a card to a student and have them say the word in English.

Start with one word (“cat”). Each following student says a new word beginning with the last letter of the previous one (“cat” → “table” → “elephant”).

Play a sound — a doorbell, a car engine — and have students guess what’s making it, saying the answer in English.

Prepare cards with related word pairs (“apple – tree,” “book – read”). Give each student a card and have them find their match by asking each other questions.

Choose a category — animals, food — and have each student name something from it, moving through the alphabet letter by letter (“apple,” “banana,” “cat”).

Roll dice printed with simple pictures (a person, a car, a house) and have students build a story together using whatever images come up.

Call out a color in English. Students find something in the classroom matching that color and name it.

Show a flashcard with a word or picture — the first student to say it correctly in English wins a point.

Write names of famous people or characters on sticky notes, one on each student’s forehead. Students ask yes/no questions to figure out who they are.

In teams, one student draws a word or phrase on the board while their team guesses what it is in English.

Give students open sentence starters (“My favorite food is…,” “I like to…”). They complete the sentences and share their answers with a partner.

In pairs, one student interviews the other with simple questions (“What’s your favorite color?” “Do you have any pets?”), then the two switch roles.