ESL Speaking

Games + Activities to Try Out Today!

  • Adult Activities
  • Kid Activities
  • Textbooks
    • ESL Textbooks for Adults
    • ESL Textbooks for Children
  • Teacher Resources
    • Resources
    • Online TEFL Course
  • Learn English
    • Learn English
    • Confusing English Words

in Activities for Adults· Activities for Kids

Toilet Paper Ice breaker Speaking Activity | ESL Warm-Ups

Are you looking for a quick activity to do on the first day of class that will help your students get to know each other? You’ve come to the right place! Keep on reading for all the details you need to know about the toilet paper icebreaker activity.

ice-breaker-speaking-activity

Check out this ESL icebreaker activity that’ll help your students get to know each other, and have a bit of fun in the process. After all, who doesn’t like to have a bit of fun with toilet paper, right?

Toilet Paper Ice Breaker Speaking Activity

Skills: Speaking/Listening
Time: 5-30 minutes
Level: Beginner-Advanced
Materials Required: Toilet Paper

This toilet paper ice breaker speaking activity is the perfect way to start your first class off with a bit of fun. It also helps your students get to know each other, as well as you, the teacher. The age group this activity works best with is teenagers but it can be used for a variety of ages.

Although some students may have played it before, it’s still worthwhile. Just mention to the students that if they’re played it before to keep quiet about what the secret is (how many squares to take).

Materials: Just a Roll of Toilet Paper

Bring in a roll of toilet paper, and depending on the size of your class, tell the students they can take a certain number of pieces (big classes 1-4, small classes 4-8). Don’t give them any other information except for that.

Once everyone has their paper, tell them that they have to tell the class one thing about themselves for each square of paper that they have. For each sentence, they “throw-away” one square until they’re done.

103 Low-Prep ESL Speaking Games & Activities for Kids, Teenagers, and Adults: The Ultimate Book for...
103 Low-Prep ESL Speaking Games & Activities for Kids, Teenagers, and Adults: The Ultimate Book for...
  • Amazon Kindle Edition
  • Bolen, Jackie (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 159 Pages - 09/11/2023 (Publication Date)
Check Price on Amazon

Large Class? Consider Groups of 4

If you have a huge class and want to get your students talking, even more, you could set a higher minimum (maybe 5 or 6) and then put the students into groups of 4 while they do their introduction. It’s like ESL Christmas to have multiple groups doing this fun activity at once!

Alternative: Follow-Up Questions

A way to extend this activity is to set a higher minimum, perhaps 8 or 10 pieces of TP. Then, students can do it in groups of 5 or 6.

The first person tells one thing about themselves and throws away a square of toilet paper. Someone (whoever is fastest) can ask a follow-up question. They also get to throw away a square of toilet paper. The next person in the circle says their statement and so it continues with one follow-up question, etc.

Or, Consider Using Candy

A fun way to use this ESL ice breaker speaking activity for kids is to use some candy, like Skittles or Smarties. The students can eat one candy for every fact that they tell about themselves.

More Ideas for Teaching English

Do you like this Toilet Paper Icebreaker Activity?

If you found this ESL ice breaker speaking activity useful, then you’ll need to check out this book on Amazon: 39 ESL Icebreakers: For Teenagers and Adults. Break the ice and get your class started off in style with these fun, engaging ESL icebreakers.

Available in a Variety of Formats

You can get the book on Amazon in both digital and print formats. The cheaper digital one can be read on any device-Smartphone, tablet, Kindle, Mac or PC. You just have to download the free Kindle reading app. Keep a copy on the bookshelf in your office as a handy reference guide for when you’re doing lesson plans. Or, take the digital version to your favourite coffee shop for lesson planning on the go.

It’s Easier than Even to Start your Classes Off the Right Way

Yes, it really is that easy to make interesting, varied English classes for your students. Get the semester started off on the right foot with one of these fun icebreakers.

Shop Now

Check out 39 ESL Icebreakers for Teenagers and Adults on Amazon today. But, only if you want to have some ESL awesome going on in your life!

shop-now-amazon

Have your say about the Toilet Paper Ice Breaker Activity

What do you think about this ESL icebreaker? Or, do you have another go-to ESL activity or game that you like to use for this purpose? Leave a comment below and let us know what you think. We’d love to hear from you.

Also be sure to give this article a share on Pinterest, Facebook or Twitter. It’ll help other busy teachers, like yourself find this useful teaching resource.

Oh yeah, interested in making a bit of cash in your spare time? Check out these side-hustles for teachers.

tefl-toilet-paper-activity

Last update on 2025-05-14 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

About Jackie

Jackie Bolen has been teaching English for more than 20 years to students in South Korea and Canada. She's taught all ages, levels and kinds of TEFL classes. She holds an MA degree, along with the Celta and Delta English teaching certifications.

Jackie is the author of more than 100 books for English teachers and English learners, including 101 ESL Activities for Teenagers and Adults, Great Debates for ESL/EFL, and 1001 English Expressions and Phrases. She loves to share her ESL games, activities, teaching tips, and more with other teachers throughout the world.

You can find her on social media at:
YouTube
Facebook
Pinterest
Instagram

« Wild Animal Names in English | List of Wild Animals
Doctor Names List in English | Kinds of Doctors, with Pictures »

Comments

  1. Bonita Read says

    at

    Thank you Jackie. Such a fun idea !

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Great Debates for ESL/EFL: 39 Important Debating Topics for English Learners and Teachers (Teaching...
Great Debates for ESL/EFL: 39 Important Debating Topics for English Learners and Teachers (Teaching...
Check Price on Amazon
103 Low-Prep ESL Speaking Games & Activities for Kids, Teenagers, and Adults: The Ultimate Book for...
103 Low-Prep ESL Speaking Games & Activities for Kids, Teenagers, and Adults: The Ultimate Book for...
Check Price on Amazon

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. What does this mean? I recommend products (only ones that I like) and if you purchase a product through that link, I earn some money.

Search this site

39 No-Prep/Low-Prep ESL Speaking Activities: For English Teachers of Teenagers and Adults Who Want...
39 No-Prep/Low-Prep ESL Speaking Activities: For English Teachers of Teenagers and Adults Who Want...
Check Price on Amazon
TOEFL iBT Vocabulary Builder for Score 90+: Higher-Level TOEFL Words, Expressions, Phrases & Idioms...
TOEFL iBT Vocabulary Builder for Score 90+: Higher-Level TOEFL Words, Expressions, Phrases & Idioms...
Check Price on Amazon
101 ESL Activities: Games, Activities, Practical ideas, & Teaching Tips For English Teachers of...
101 ESL Activities: Games, Activities, Practical ideas, & Teaching Tips For English Teachers of...
Check Price on Amazon

Different Types of Adverbs with Adverb Examples

Asking for Permission English Expressions, Phrases & Dialogues

Books For English Learners: Top 20 Easy Book Recommendations

Topics to Debate about With Friends | Debate Topics for Friends

50 Food Trivia Questions and Answers for All Ages

Online TEFL Courses

Get Certified Entirely Online

67 ESL Conversation Topics with Questions, Vocabulary, Writing Prompts & More: For English Teachers...
67 ESL Conversation Topics with Questions, Vocabulary, Writing Prompts & More: For English Teachers...
Check Price on Amazon
Scatter Sheets for Intermediate-Advanced Students to Improve Fluency: ESL Speaking & Vocabulary...
Scatter Sheets for Intermediate-Advanced Students to Improve Fluency: ESL Speaking & Vocabulary...
Check Price on Amazon
1001 English Expressions and Phrases: Common Sentences and Dialogues Used by Native English Speakers...
1001 English Expressions and Phrases: Common Sentences and Dialogues Used by Native English Speakers...
Check Price on Amazon
39 ESL Warm-Ups: For English Teachers of Kids (7+) Who Want to Get their TEFL Classes Started Off...
39 ESL Warm-Ups: For English Teachers of Kids (7+) Who Want to Get their TEFL Classes Started Off...
Check Price on Amazon
Jackie Bolen

Disclosure Statement

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

  • Adult Activities
  • Kid Activities
  • Textbooks
  • Teacher Resources
  • Learn English

Our Top-Seller

39 No-Prep/Low-Prep ESL Speaking Activities: For Teenagers and Adults (Teaching ESL Conversation and...
39 No-Prep/Low-Prep ESL Speaking Activities: For Teenagers and Adults (Teaching ESL Conversation and...
Check Price on Amazon

Search

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

More ESL Activities

making weekend plans in english

Weekend Plans (Easy English Dialogue for Beginners)

how to order sushi in English

Ordering Sushi (Easy English Dialogue for Beginners)

English dialogue feeling under the weather

Feeling Under the Weather: English Dialogue & Practice Questions

dialogue meet someone new

Meeting Someone New Dialogue (For English Learners)

About, Contact, Privacy Policy

Jackie Bolen has been talking ESL speaking since 2014 and the goal is to bring you the best recommendations for English conversation games, activities, lesson plans and more. It’s your go-to source for everything TEFL!

About and Contact for ESL Speaking.

Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Email: [email protected]

Facebook

Pinterest

TikTok

YouTube

LinkedIn

Address: 2436 Kelly Ave, Port Coquitlam, Canada

Copyright © 2025 Jackie Bolen + ESL Speaking. All Rights Reserved.