Ice-Breakers with Miro

Set-ups

If you don’t have an account, visit Miro and sign up for free.

Step 1: Visit the Miro Website

Open your web browser and go to the official Miro website: https://miro.com.

Step 2: Sign Up

On the homepage, locate the “Sign up free” button.

Step 3: Choose Your Sign-Up Method

Miro offers multiple ways to create an account. You can choose one from the list.

Step 4: Verify Your Email Address

If you signed up using an email address, Miro will send a verification email to the address you provided.

Step 5: Set Up Your Profile

Enter your name.

Choose your role.

Specify your team size or organization type (if applicable).

Click “Continue” to proceed.

Step 6: Create or Join a Team

Miro will ask if you want to create a new team or join an existing one:
To create a new team, enter a team name and invite others via email (optional). To join an existing team, you’ll need an invitation link or email from the team admin

Step 7: Start Using Miro

Once your account and team setup are complete, you’ll be taken to your Miro dashboard.

Procedure

Step 1. Prepare the Board

• Create a New Board: Miro provides a wide variety of pre-made templates for you to choose from. If you are a first-time user, we highly recommend starting with the “Blank board” template. Simply select it to get started (Image 1).

• If a webpage like the one shown in Image 2 appears, click the “X” in the top right corner to close it
• Add Instructions: Click the “T” button on the toolbar on the left side to create a text box at the top of the board (Image 3). In the text box, write clear instructions for the activity. For example: “Welcome! Use two sentences to briefly introduce yourself.” You can use any of the features in the toolbar to make adjustments as needed (Image 4).
• Organize the Space: Click the “Shapes” button on the toolbar on the left side to select a shape you like (e.g., square, circle, or star) (Image 5). After adding a shape, you can use any features in the toolbar to adjust its size, color, or position as needed (Image 6).

Step 2. Design Ice-Breaking Activities

You can choose one or more activities based on the students’ proficiency levels and the time available.

Activity 1: Virtual Name Tags

Overview:

Students create personalized name tags using sticky notes to introduce themselves by sharing their name, hometown, and a fun fact.

Instructions:

• Create Sticky Notes: Click the “Sticky note” button on the toolbar (Image 7) to create sticky notes for students, one for each student. Label each sticky note with a name like “Student 1” (Image 8).
• Add Prompts: Include questions for students to answer on their sticky notes: “What’s your name?”, “Where are you from?”, “What’s one fun fact about you?” (Image 9).

Student Interaction:

Ask students to edit their sticky note with their answers. Once completed, they can read each other’s name tags and have a quick chat in their groups (Image 10).

Activity 2: Emoji Storytelling

Overview:

Students select emojis from a pre-designed set to describe their personality, hobbies, or interests, and explain their choices in groups or pairs.

Instructions:

• Create a Prompt & Box: Click the “T” button on the toolbar to add a text box with the prompt “Use 2 emojis to describe your personality or hobbies.” Then, click the “Shapes” button to create a box for emojis (Image 11).
• Add Emojis: Use Miro’s icon tool to add a variety of emojis to the box created before (e.g., smiley faces, animals, objects) (Image 12 & 13 below).

Student Interaction:

Ask students to create a sticky note by clicking the “Sticky note” button on the toolbar (Image 14). Then, have them select two emojis from the emoji box and drag them onto their sticky note (Image 15). If the sticky note covers the emojis, right-click the note and select “Send to back” to move it behind the emojis (Image 16). Afterwards, students can explain their emoji choices in pairs or small groups.

Activity 3: Collaborative Mind Map

Overview:

Students collaboratively build a mind map around a central topic (e.g., university goals), adding ideas and vocabulary related to academic, social, and personal aspirations.

Instructions:

• Create a Mind map: Click the “+” button on the toolbar and select “Mind map” (Image 17). Choose a style you like, then click “Add to board” (Image 18).
• Create a Topic: Add a central topic like “What are your goals for university?” in the middle of the mind map (Image 19). Click the “+” button to add or delete lines/branches as needed (Image 20).

Student Interaction:

Ask students to add their own information by clicking the text boxes around the lines to share their ideas (Image 21). After all students have finished writing their answers (Image 22), encourage them to share and discuss their ideas with each other in groups or pairs.

Step 3: Share the Activity

• Share the Board: Click the “Share” button in the top-right corner of Miro (Image 23).
• Name the Board. Give your board a title (Image 24) and click “Save”.
• Generate the link: Choose “Embed” and make sure to uncheck “View only” option. Click “Copy link” to copy the generated link and share it with your students (Image 25). They can use this link to log in and access the board you created.