Meet & Mingle: 3 Fun Dorm Games to Break the Ice

Getting to know your new neighbors is such a fun part of dorm life! Are you ready to make some new friends and start the year on a fun note? These college dorm games from PBteen can get you started on the road to an exciting time in your new home.

Around Town Scavenger Hunt

This fun dorm game helps you and your dormmates get out of your building and even off campus to find different “local classics” – like favorite restaurants and must-visit stores around the area. By working in teams and searching around for things you aren’t yet familiar with, you can learn a lot about each other, your school and your new town. You can even ask your RA or an older student to help out with the items on the list so you can focus on the traditional foods and other items that are popular on campus. For example, if there’s a great burger place somewhere in the neighborhood, put it on the scavenger hunt list. Other possibilities include making a social media post featuring a photo with the school's mascot or a jersey from a member of the football or basketball team.

Zombies vs. Survivors

This one has a lot of room for creativity; you can make the game as intense or simple as you want. Because you're all just getting to know each other, it’s a good idea to keep things low key. The basic concept is that everyone playing is on one of two teams: zombies or survivors. The zombies’ goal is to “convert” as many survivors as possible, and the survivors' goal is to “eliminate” as many zombies as possible – both by tagging each other. Each team can dress up in costume to really get in the spirit of the game.

You might want to provide a basket of costume items so people can easily get involved last-minute when they see how much fun you’re having! In order to mark players as "converted" or "eliminated," you can use anything from flag football-style belts to water balloons filled with washable paint, with the zombies’ balloons containing red paint and the survivors’ filled with green or another color.

Door Decorating Contest

Appoint your RA or another neutral party as the judge and have each room on your hall get to work decorating their doors. Feel free to set a theme or impose a spending limit to keep things fair. A time limit can also be helpful for making the event more exciting. You’ll learn a lot about your dormmates when you see what they come up with for their doors, and working together with your new roommate can be a great way of forming a bond. See if you can get a local restaurant – maybe while you’re on your scavenger hunt – or the college bookstore to donate a prize to encourage more rooms to participate. At the end of the contest, you can all enjoy some pizza in the common room or lounge area. Ask your RA what they think of the idea, and don’t be afraid to see if you can get some help putting it all together!