Table Topics is a simple icebreaker that you can use to get people talking at the start of a training session. Give participants a question card and ask them to take turns answering questions in pairs or small groups.
The activity usually takes around 10 to 15 minutes, and you can even make up your own questions if you don’t have a set of cards.
How Long Does the Table Topics Icebreaker Take?
- The activity takes 10–15 minutes. It can be extended to 20 minutes, though, if you wish.
- This is a free activity that you can use and implement in your own training planning, often as a short icebreaker within a broader communication skills session.
How Many People Can Participate?
This activity works with groups of almost any size.
They can interact in pairs, in small groups, or with the whole class, depending on the size of the class.
What Is the Purpose of the Table Topics Icebreaker?
Table topics are a set of cards that you can find for sale online, on sites such as Amazon.
Each card has a question that participants can use to get a conversation started, either to get to know each other or to discuss a particular topic.
Some examples of questions include:
- Is there such a thing as perfect?
- Where would you most like to go and why?
- Who’s the funniest person you know?
- Would you rather live for a week in the past or the future?
- What is the meaning of ‘peace’ to you?
- Who do you trust and why?
- How would you describe your future in three words?
- If you could go back in time to your 15-year-old self, what advice would you give your 15-year-old self?
- What is your definition of being wealthy and why?
- What can you do today that you were not capable of a year ago?
How Do You Run the Table Topics Icebreaker?
There are three easy ways to run the Table Topics icebreaker. Choose the format that best suits your group size and the time available.
Option 1: Rotating Partners
- Give each person a card. Then ask them to stand in two parallel rows facing each other and ask the question to the person in front of them.
- They can then swap cards and ask each other their new question.
- Keep going until everyone has had a chance to ask different questions with several participants.
After each round, ask one row to move along one place while the other row stays where it is.
Option 2: Volunteer Questions
- Ask one participant to be the host and ask a group of volunteers to answer the questions.
- Give each person 1 or 2 minutes to answer as many questions as they can.
Option 3: Small-Group Discussions
- Ask participants to form small groups. Give each group one or two questions and let each person in the group answer.
This flexibility makes it easy to adapt depending on where the activity sits within your session.
More Free Training Activities
In addition to this Table Topics training activity, if you are a teacher or trainer looking for lots more free training activities, then you might be delighted to know that we have lots more that you can take a look at and use.
Some of the free training games available include the following:
- 12 Free Collaboration training activities
- 14 Fun Management & Leadership activities
- Free videos of Training activities from our YouTube channel
- Free Goal Setting Activities for trainers
- For more activities like this, see our free group icebreakers and energizers for training workshops.
