Humorous Icebreaker Games for Women's Groups

Icebreaker games help ease tension and generate conversation, creating a relaxed environment for mingling and getting to know new people. Comical games that generate conversation and get all the women laughing at themselves and each other are especially effective for bonding and building purpose and unity, even if the women come from different age groups or diverse backgrounds. Most humorous icebreaker games are simple and require little expense, equipment or advance planning.

A story-telling game using toilet paper allows your guests to reveal something about themselves that gets other participants talking and laughing. However, nobody is required to reveal anything private or embarrassing. To begin, pass a roll of toilet paper around the group. Ask each woman to tear off a strip of any length she likes, but don't tell her why. Announce the rules when all the women have paper in hand -- each tears off one square of toilet paper and tells something true or comical about herself. Go around the table until all the squares have been used.

Although the candy facts game is similar to the toilet paper game, the rules are slightly different. Fill a bowl with colorful candy and give each woman a small plastic bag or a napkin to hold the candy. Ask each woman to take a small handful of candy, then go around the circle as everyone picks one piece of candy and tells something about herself. The catch is that the story depends on the color of the candy. For example, picking a blue candy calls for a childhood story, and a red candy means the participant tells something about her family, a pink candy calls for a story about a first boyfriend and a green candy calls for any random fact. Make up your own creative guidelines appropriate for the occasion.

This version of the traditional scavenger hunt is well-suited for women's groups. Plan ahead and make a list of items women may have in her bag or purse. For example, include items such as paper clips, bobby pins, pennies, breath mints, a romance novel, dental floss, a crossword puzzle, a button or theater stub. Include a few items that are more unusual, such as guitar picks, golf tees, a needle and thread or baby rattles. Each item is worth one point, and the woman with the most points in a predetermined time limit wins the game. If the group is large, divide it into teams of four to six women.

The shopping game is a slightly more involved version of a childhood party game. It requires no planning or supplies. The first woman says, "I went shopping and I bought...," filling in the blank with an item that starts with "A," such as "apron" or address book. The next woman repeats what the first woman said, and then adds something that starts with the letter B. The game continues through the alphabet and becomes very comical as each woman attempts to remember the growing list of items. If you want to keep the game moving and make it even funnier, eliminate women from the game when they pause or forget an item in the list.

The yearbook game has no rules and no winners or losers, but it is useful for prompting laughter and conversation. Ask each woman to bring her high school yearbook, then have fun comparing notes about old hairstyles, styles and fads. You can use items other than yearbooks, depending on the group. For example, use wedding albums, baby books, or just collections of funny old photos.