Four Corners

Here is another good ice-breaker for the start of the school year or as a funny way to better introduce people with each other. Four Corners (also known as Four Squares) is an easy activity by which students can show each other who they are through hand-painted cards. This ice-breaker is suitable for all age groups and works with small and medium-sized groups. It usually takes about 15 minutes, depending on how much time you want to allow for the conversation about the pictures. You need paper and writing utensils. Do not worry, artistic skills are not required for this ice-breaking game - you should simply have fun and encourage each other to be creative while illustrating who you are.

Preparation for Four Corners

Each player gets a pen and a sheet of paper. Each person divides their sheet into four squares, either by folding twice in half (lengthwise and crosswise) or simply by making an 'X' with two lines crossing in the middle. In each square, each person should portray themselves in the form of a drawing. The four themes should be selected in advance. For example, in the top left corner, each person could draw about their favourite hobbies, in the top right corner about the best vacation place in the world, and bottom left something like "if you were an animal, which one would you choose to be?", and in the bottom right corner, maybe something like "what are the most important things in your life?". You should feel free to be as creative, hypothetical, or profound as you want.

Five to ten minutes are enough for the drawing. When everything is finished, collect yourselves and speak about the pictures in groups. This ice-breaker is a great way for students to show and tell what's unique about them!