Need a faculty icebreaker that does not feel like one more meeting activity? Bring in a little movie magic and a few music clues. These two pop culture challenges are designed to get people talking, thinking, moving, and laughing in just a few minutes. They are low-prep, team-friendly, and perfect for adding some energy to your next back-to-school faculty meeting.
1. Reel Mystery Cast Challenge
Divide your faculty into teams of four. Each team will receive an envelope with four main characters from the same movie.
The challenge is to work together to identify the movie and then write a summary of the movie in 12 words or less.
Rules:
Do not use the movie title.
Do not use the names of your characters.
Do not use actor names.
The whole team helps create the summary.
When it is your team’s turn, read your summary aloud to the group. The rest of the faculty will try to guess the movie. Bonus points for drama, sound effects, gestures, or a school twist.
To make prep easy, I’ve put together a spreadsheet with 55 movies and four cast cards for each one. Just make a copy, pick your favorites, print, cut, and you are ready for your own round of movie mystery fun.
Option B: School Scene Remix
Want a different option? Add a school spin. Instead of writing a 12-word summary, have each team write a short movie synopsis that connects the film to school, teaching, or faculty life.
For example, if a team draws The Wizard of Oz, they might say:
“Welcome to Oz Elementary, where Dorothy is trying to find the office, the Scarecrow forgot his lesson plans, the Tin Man needs more coffee, and Toto just joined the faculty meeting.”
Then they could end with: “There’s no place like school!”
2. Song Sleuths Challenge
Each person draws a song title. Then they walk around the room and find the three other people whose songs are by the same artist or band.
After the group is formed, they create three clues to help others guess their artist or band.
Then it is time for a Mix and Guess Round. Find another group, share your clues, and see if they can guess your artist or band. After both groups have had a turn, move on and share with another group.
Try to meet with at least three different groups before time is called.
Rules:
Do not sing the song.
Do not use the artist or band name.
Do not use any of the song titles in your clues.
Your group may use the internet to help discover facts.
Example clues for ABBA:
This group had huge hits in the 1970s.
Their songs inspired a popular movie musical.
Their music makes people want to dramatically enter a room.
Bonus
For more back-to-school fun, check out my earlier post, Eight Back to School Icebreakers for Team Building and Bonding. It has several easy ideas for getting your faculty up, moving, and connecting without making anyone feel too uncomfortable.
You might also like my Collective Resume Activity for Teachers and Students post. This one is a great fit when you want something a little more reflective, but still easy and group-friendly. Staff work together to create a “resume” that shows their shared experience, strengths, hobbies, and fun facts. It is a simple way to celebrate all the talent in the room and remind everyone that they are part of a pretty amazing team.
Whether your faculty is solving movie mysteries or tracking down song clues, the goal is the same: get people moving, talking, and laughing together. These activities are quick to set up, easy to customize, and just playful enough to bring some energy into the room. Pick your favorite movies, choose your favorite artists, and let the guessing begin. Wishing you the best for the 2026–2027 school year.