This fun and engaging Ice Breaker Card Game features 80 open-ended questions designed to help students get to know each other while practicing speaking skills. Modeled after a classic numbers-and-colors card game, this ESL-friendly version includes meaningful conversation prompts that require complete answers—not just “yes” or “no.”
Perfect for Elementary, ESL, EFL, and ELL classrooms, this activity encourages students to relax, talk about themselves, share experiences, and discover what they have in common. It’s an excellent way to build classroom community during the first week of school or anytime you want to encourage communication. The questions naturally reinforce Present Simple and Past Simple answer formation.
What’s Included in This Download
- 80 Ice Breaker Question Cards designed for young learners and English language learners
- Topics include: likes & dislikes, preferences, food, sports, school, hobbies, family, “about me” questions, and more
- 4 DRAW TWO cards – next player draws two cards
- 4 SKIP cards – skip the next player
- 4 REVERSE cards – reverse the order of play
- 4 WILD cards – change the color
How to Use This Ice Breaker Activity
Print, laminate, and cut out the cards. Students play just like the classic game—they match cards by color or number—but to play a card, they must answer the open-ended question on it. This format encourages natural conversation, improves fluency, and reduces anxiety during the first days of school.
Perfect for Teachers Searching For:
- Back-to-school ESL speaking activities
- Icebreaker games for young learners
- Conversation prompts for ELL students
- UNO-style classroom card games
- First week of school activities
- Low-prep ESL speaking practice
- Open-ended question cards for oral fluency
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Pair this activity with the ESL Getting-to-Know-You Back-to-School Ice Breaker Board Game from HotChocolateTeachables.com. These additional speaking prompts are perfect for small-group discussions, partner interviews, and community-building lessons.
Also Available on TpT
You can also purchase this Ice Breaker Card Game on Teachers Pay Teachers: Ice Breaker Card Game - Getting to Know You Questions - Back to School