35 Fun Activities for College Students (interactive, team building, games) 

As a recent graduate, I know first hand how hard it can be to get a classroom of college students engaged in an activity. In my time in college, I’ve had my fair share of fun activities, but also activities that did not go over well in a college classroom.

Getting a classroom full of college students to participate in an activity can be a real challenge. Fortunately, there are some activities that students find fun and will engage in.

In this post, I share 35 fun activities for college students, that will actually get them participating. These interactive classroom activities involve games, team building exercises and interactive assignments.

35 Fun Activities for College Students

1. Shark Tank

Shark Tank is a great interactive team building game for college students. This is a great way for students to show off their leadership skills, presentation skills and creativity.

Similar to the Shark Tank TV show, students in small groups will come up with a product, a pitch and a presentation. This activity can span across one class or multiple classes, depending on how much time and effort you want students to put into this assignment.

To make this activity extra fun, select a panel of students to be the “Sharks”. Their objective will be to bring up questions, find the flaws in the product and give credit, where credit is due.

Even though the Shark Tank game seems like it might apply best to business and marketing classes, this activity can be played by any group of students for and adapted for any subject.

When I was in college, this was one of the best activities that left a positive impact on me. It’s a really fun way to get the class interested and engaged in an activity.

2. Kahoot!

Kahoot! is a trivia game that is great for new students. Most high school students and new students are probably already familiar with this game, and it’s super easy to set up.

Before you play this game in class, you will first need to enter the trivia questions on the Kahoot website. Once this is done, you can set up the game by logging into your account.

When you are ready, you will be given a code which students should type into their phone to join the game. Divide the students into teams. Team members will have to answer the multiple choice questions gameshow style.

This activity is loads of fun and a good way to get the class involved. Kahoot does not take much time to set up or play, and it’s a great way to test students on course material.

3. Scavenger Hunt

A scavenger hunt around campus was one of the first activities I did as a new student. This was a great ice breaker which allowed me to make new friends, get used to campus and have fun.

For this activity, you will need to come up with some sights around campus that students can visit. Once this is done, divide the students into groups and they will have to go on a scavenger hunt!

Students can take pictures of the sights and the winning time can get a prize. Scavenger hunts are always a fun group activity and a friendly competition that students will love.

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4. Elevator Pitch

The elevator pitch is an activity that I did when I was in college and I didnt realize how valuable it would be later on in life. For this activity, students have to come up with a 30 second pitch about themselves.

They can talk about their interests, hobbies, job, career, what they are studying etc.

This activity will even come in handy after a student is done their college years. As someone who graduated recently, I find myself giving the elevator pitch constantly when I meet new people.

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5. Two Truths and a Lie

Two truths and a Lie is a class game and a great ice breaker. This is a great activity for students to get familiar with new people and learns some little things about their classmates.

This is a very easy game to organize, students will be separated into small groups. The students will the have to tell their group members two truths and a lie. Their classmates will have to try and guess the lie.

6. Question of The Day

Question of the day is a fun activity for students to express themselves. At the beginning of class you should ask your students a question. Then ask them to write a paragraph answering the question.

This is a good creative outlet and a great way for students to practice critical thinking. This activity can be done a few times during the school year or regularly throughout the semester.

Here are some examples of questions you can ask your class:

• What is the biggest struggle that young people are currently facing?
• Where will technology be in 10 years?
• Would remote learning improve your academic experience? why or why not.
• If you could go back to middle school, what piece of advice would you give yourself?
• Should men and women be allowed to live in dorm rooms together? why or why not.

7. Potluck

A potluck is a fun activity that students will absolutely love. Speaking as a former student, I can guarantee that I’m not skipping class if I know there will be food!

There are so many different ways of doing this activity. Students can make food using local produce, students can make a food from their culture or students can make their best recipe.

This is a super fun way to celebrate the end of the semester and a great activity that students will love.

8. Debate

Doing a debate is a great way to get students to fully immerse and inform themselves on a topic. The great thing about doing a debate is that students will get educated on both sides of the matter at hand.

Doing a debate was one of the more memorable and fun classroom activities I did during my time in college. Having an in-class debate will boost student involvement, because no student wants to look uninformed in front of the class.

Start by dividing the class into a few different groups. Then, assign each group a topic and give them some time to prepare. Regardless of the outcome, a debate will have a positive impact on your students.

9. Local Tour

This activity is great for freshman. Giving a local tour is a great way to show the students around campus and even the college town. For many students, college can be an overwhelming experience. Therefore, giving them a local tour will make them feel more comfortable.

Consider showing them where the gyms are, the dining hall, where they can sign up for clubs and where they can meet with faculty members. These are some essential places that every college student should know.

10. Cup Pong

Now, we all know that beer pong is part of the college experience, but who says it can’t be educational? This game is super easy to set up and it will get the whole class participating, excited and having fun.

To set this game up, all you will need is 12 red solo cups, a bit of water and some questions to ask your students.

Begin by separating the class into two teams.

Each team will have the chance to answer a question. If they get it right, they get to take a shot. If they get it wrong, the other team gets the chance to answer. The game goes on until there are no cups left!

Playing cup pong may seem like an unconventional way of teaching, but it will get the class involved and the students will have a blast.

11. Case Studies

As someone who studied business in college, I did my fair share of case studies. A case study is an amazing way to learn about the ins and outs of a specific business and industry.

The cases assigned to students can be adapted based on the subject matter being taught in the course. This is one of the teaching methods that prepared me the most for the real world.

Case studies can be done individually or in larger groups. If you expect a lot out of your students, giving a divided assignment and a lot of time for them to complete it, will ensure that they learn a lot and do a good job.

12. Guest Speakers

Having the class attend a guess speaker lecture is a good way to give your students a break from regular student life. Sometimes, having a laid back class where they get to hear a guest speaker is a nice change.

Having your students attend a live event, like a guest speaker, will get them out of their dorm rooms and attending the event.

13. Video Presentation

Video presentations are a really fun activity for students to express their creativity. It’s super easy for a group of students to create video presentations using social media apps like TikTok or Instagram.

You can have students create an advertisement, skit or educational video on a specific topic. When I was in college, these were my favorite kind of group activities. It was so much fun seeing what other students would create.

14. Hangman

Now, we all know the classic game Hangman. However, it’s a great ice breaker for new students. When freshman first arrive to college, they are super nervous. S o playing a game of hangman can put them at ease.

To make things interesting, give a small prize to the first student who guesses the answer.

15. Word Limit Answers

Word limit answers are is a creative way for students to express themselves. This may sound like a lazy student’s dream, but it’s actually more challenging than you might think.

Having your students answer a question with a limited word limit is pretty hard. Students will have fun with this activity and they will have to get creative when answering the question.

16. Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down

Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down is an ice breaker that every student is going to be familiar with. This is a game that students in elementary school, middle school and high school have all played before.

A few students come up to the front of the class, while the rest put their heads down on the desk, with their thumbs up. Each of the students standing at the front must choose one person at a desk, and put their thumb down.

The students who had their thumbs put down then have to guess who did it. This is a great way to have new students feel at ease in college.

17. Interview Role Play

Interview role play is an awesome activity for current students who are nearing the end of their time in college. Have your students pair up in groups, give them a scenario and have them interview each other.

This is a great activity, as you will have some students in leadership rolls doing the interview. Those students who are being interviewed are going to get valuable experience as well.

18. Attend an Upcoming Event

On college campus, there is always some sort of interesting upcoming event that is happening. Invite your students to a great event on that’s happening campus and they will have loads of fun.

Here are some educational, fun and special event ideas:

• Job fair
• Live concert
• Cultural events
• Sporting events
• Guest speaker

19. Breakout Rooms

Breakout rooms were a very popular method of getting students to interact when online classes were happening. It encouraged students to have group discussions, get to know each other and help one another get better grades.

Breakout rooms can be done in person and also online. Many students really liked doing school remotely, so having an online breakout room class once in a while is fun change.

20. Therapy Dogs

There are plenty of programs that will bring therapy dogs to schools. You may need to have this run by the office of student activities, but it’s a really good one.

Therapy dogs are great for mental health. Plus, what student doesn’t want to spend some time with adorable dogs?

College can be hard on students and get stressful. A recent study suggests that dogs lower stress, so why not bring animals in for your class and even the whole student body?

21. Building Card Towers

Building card towers is a super activity that encourages classmates to work together to achieve the common goal of building a card tower.

To run this activity, you will need to separate the class into groups, give each group a deck of cards and let them figure it out. This is one of the most fun ice breakers and a great way for students to make new friendships.

22. Mystery Puzzle

A mystery puzzle is another fantastic ice breaker that gets students working together. This one takes a bit of creativity, but if done properly, students will really enjoy it.

Begin by creating a few scenarios that cover a various different themes. When the mystery is created, separate the classroom into groups and have them solve it!

23. Favourite Song Project

Every student listens to music on their free time. What better way to get them engaged in an activity than to ask them to write about their favorite songs?

This is a really easy activity to organize. Just ask your students to write a bit about their favorite song, or songs, and why they like it so much.

24. Photo Challenge

The photo challenge is a great ice breaker for new students. This is a nice way for freshman to get familiar with the college campuses and get see what similar interests they have with their classmates.

For this activity, students will have to either take a cool, fun or interesting photo around campus and present it to the class. The more effort and creativity that goes into this challenge, the more fun it will be.

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25. Classroom Charades

Everyone knows how to play charades. Charades is a great game to get students out of their comfort zone and to create an environment in class where students feel comfortable.

For some students, they may feel shy or absolutely dread the idea of going up and doing charades in front of the whole class. It’s important that everyone has fun and feels comfortable doing this activity.

26. Bus Trip

In college, activities are often done indoors, but what about the outdoor activities? Taking a bus trip to a local museum or a local landmark is a great way to get students out of the classroom.

It’s a fun way to get to know your students outside of class and one of my most memorable trips I ever did in college, was an overnight camping trip. I got to know my teacher really well on the drive down and made some awesome memories.

27. Board Games

Nowadays, it can be hard to get a Gen Zer to name 5 different board games. For many college students, playing board games is a really fun experience.

There are some cool board games that can be played in the classroom and it’s a real change from phone games or video games. Having a class where you play some board games will a great activity for the whole class!

Board Game Recommendations:

• Snakes and Ladders
• Scrabble!
• Guess Who?
• Clue
• Connect Four
• Jenga
• The Game of Life

28. Community Service Activity

If you’re looking to show school spirit while making a positive impact on campus, consider organizing a community service day. This is a great opportunity for students to bond with each other while making a positive impact on the community.

Invite students to volunteer at local organizations. Whether at an animal shelter, a nursing home, or a hospital.

If planning a field trip is not an option, you can always do something on campus. Organizing a trash cleanup is a good way to get the students outside and do something positive for the community.

29. Adult Coloring Books

If you’re looking for an activity that college students absolutely love, then check out Adult Coloring Books! This activity is relaxing engaging, making students feel young again.

Throughout my time in college, I had one teacher plan this activity during exam time. She gave the class the option of studying or doing adult coloring, and most students decided to color.

Coloring was an excellent way to wake our minds off of exams, and it was quite therapeutic.

30. Use YouTube For Classroom Activities

YouTube is a great tool for classroom activities. On YouTube, there are plenty of useful resources that can lead to some fantastic class discussions. Throughout my time in college, the professors would use TED Talks to inspire us and to get the class talking.

There are plenty of YouTube videos that encourage students to think outside of the box. Oftentimes, these videos can be very impactful, and they will resonate with them.

31. Collaborative Concept Mapping

Splitting the students into small parties and having them develop a concept map is a great activity that encourages teamwork, critical thinking, and group discussion. Since a concept map requires students to work together, this is a great activity for students to break the ice.

Start by giving the student a blank sheet of paper and giving them a concept. After 10-15 minutes, most groups should be done and ready to share their ideas with the class.

You can end this activity by having the students present their concept map to the class.

32. Crazy Hair Day

When it comes to campus events that get student engagement, Crazy Hair Day always works!

Planning a day where students can come to school with crazy hair is one of the best college event ideas. This activity is great because any student can get involved, it’s easy to plan.

A good way to encourage students to come to school with crazy hair is by making it a competition. Around lunchtime, host an event where students can vote on who has the craziest hair!

This is a great activity for Spirit Week, and it is a fun way to get your fellow students excited about an event.

33. The One-Minute Paper

If you’re looking for a fun activity for college students, consider trying the One-Minute Paper. This fun activity encourages students to think independently and develop their writing skills.

For this activity, you will begin by giving the students a prompt. The students will have one minute to write about the prompt, and then they can either read it to the class or submit it to the teacher.

This is an activity that I did several times throughout college, and I always found it a fun way to build writing skills.

34. Moral Dilemmas

Moral Dilemma is an interactive activity encouraging students to converse and voice their opinions.

For this activity, you create a few groups of students and provide them with an ethical dilemma. Students will then have to think outside the box and come up with a creative solution.

When students are coming up with a solution, they may share their personal experiences, which can lead to some heated discussions. It’s important to monitor the conversations and make sure students are pushing the conversations forward instead of arguing.

35. Movie Day

If you’re looking for an activity that every student loves, planning a movie day is a great idea. These movies can be classics, educational, or relevant to a theme you are trying to cover.

As students, we appreciate a fun activity that doesn’t involve “traditional” school work. Even if it’s a movie that leads to an assignment, college students will appreciate it.

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Final Thoughts on 35 Fun Activities For College Students

Getting a classroom full of college students to participate in an activity can be a real challenge. On the bright side, there are plenty of activities that are tons of fun for college students.

As a recent college graduate myself, I can say that all these activities mentioned above are really fun and a great way for students to get to know their classmates and teacher better.

What’s your favorite activity for college students? Please let me know in the comments below.