Fun Icebreaker Games For Your Next Dinner Party

Waiting for the last course to finish cooking does not have to mean awkward silences. These simple icebreaker ideas keep guests chatting and laughing in small Maltese dining rooms while you finish laying the table.

A matching game that doubles as place settings

When not everyone around the table already knows each other, a simple matching game breaks the ice nicely. Tape a name and a small photo underneath pairs of coasters, mix them up, and let guests turn them over two at a time to find their match. It is a gentle way to learn names before the starters arrive, and once the game is done the coasters carry on doing their job for the rest of the evening. In a compact apartment dining area, this works especially well since there is no extra clutter to find room for.

SOARÉ place mat, water hyacinth, 37 cmSVARTSENAP place mat, green-blue, 35x45 cmGLATTIS coasters with holder, brass-colour, 8.5 cm, 6 packFLYGFISK place mat, dark grey, 38x30 cmLÄTTAD place mat, seagrass/black, 37 cmIKEA 365+ coaster, cork, 10 cm, 2 pack

Shop Place mats & coasters

Let guests dress their own wine glasses

Give your more creative friends something to do with their hands before dinner is served. Set out ribbons, paper shapes and small decorations and invite guests to personalise their own wine glass, so nobody mixes up whose drink is whose later in the evening. It is a relaxed activity that suits a warm summer evening on a balcony or terrace just as much as a cosier winter dinner indoors, and the glasses themselves make a pretty, informal centrepiece once everyone has had a go.

Turn table setting into a team challenge

For guests who need a bit more encouragement to join in, try a light-hearted race. Split everyone into two teams and give each group the plates, bowls, napkins, candles and even a stool to set up, then see who finishes first. It gets people talking, moving and laughing together before they have even sat down to eat. Afterwards, stools that fold flat or stack neatly are a practical choice for Maltese homes, since they tuck away easily in a store room or under a table until the next gathering.

BEKVÄM step stool, beech, 50 cmBEKVÄM step stool, white, 50 cmNÄMMARÖ stool, outdoor, foldable/light brown stained, 37x45 cmKYRRE stool, birch, 42x45x48 cmPERJOHAN stool with storage, pine, 49x45x28 cmMARIUS stool, black, 45 cm

Shop IKEA Stools

Whichever game you choose, a well-laid table and a few playful extras go a long way, and everything you need can be ordered online for your home in Malta or Gozo.

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