Icebreaker Questions: Fun Conversation Starters

These icebreaker questions  provide a simple way to start conversations, build relationships and help children feel more comfortable when working with an ELSA or other trusted adult.

The collection includes a mixture of fun, familiar questions and more thoughtful questions that encourage children to share their opinions, experiences, preferences and ideas. This gives you plenty of choice depending on the child, their age and how well you already know them.

Use a couple of questions at the beginning of a session to break the ice and get conversation flowing, or keep the questions handy to use whenever you need a simple way to engage a child. They can also be used as circle-time questions, giving children the opportunity to listen to each other’s answers and discover things they have in common.

Icebreaker questions can be particularly useful when you are building a relationship with a new pupil. Rather than beginning with questions that feel too personal or formal, starting with something fun and easy to answer can help create a relaxed atmosphere and encourage natural conversation.

The questions can help children:

• develop confidence when talking to others
• practise listening and responding
• share their opinions and preferences
• talk about their experiences and interests
• discover things they have in common with others
• develop conversation skills
• begin to feel more comfortable in a new or unfamiliar situation
• build positive relationships with adults and peers.

You can also make the activity more interactive by answering the questions yourself. Sharing your own answer gives the child something to respond to and creates opportunities to practise listening, turn-taking and reciprocal conversation.

For older children, choose some of the more thought-provoking questions and use them to encourage discussion, reasoning and thinking skills.

A versatile collection of icebreaker questions that can be used in ELSA sessions, one-to-one work, small groups or circle time to make starting conversations easier and more enjoyable.

Download: icebreaker questions