Supplies:
A large beach ball and a permanent marker
Set up:
With the permanent marker, write fun icebreaker questions all over the ball. You might write questions like "What was your favorite job?" "If you could live anywhere, where would you choose?" and "What pets did you have while growing up?" Vary the questions depending on how long your group has been meeting. Continue writing questions until the ball is covered.
Activity:
Have group members stand in a large circle. Begin by tossing the ball to someone. The person must answer the question his or her right thumb lands on while catching the ball. When finished answering, he or she tosses the ball to another person. Continue answering questions and tossing the ball for five to ten minutes, or until everyone has answered a question.
This works especially well with larger groups and new groups where people don't know one another well. This can also be adapted for children or teens by simply changing the questions.
