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Four Corners

Each person divides a sheet of paper into four squares and sketches an answer to four prompts — favorite hobby, dream destination, chosen animal, what matters most — then the group gathers to explain the drawings. No artistic skill required: the point isn't the picture, it's the explaining.

15 min2–30 peopleEasyPen & paperIn-person onlyClassroom ✓
By Jon Zajac · Founder & Chief Icebreaker · Last updated February 19, 2024

What is Four Corners?

Four Corners divides a sheet of paper into four squares, one per topic, and asks everyone to draw — not write — their answer. Favorite hobby, dream vacation spot, an animal you'd be, what matters most: pick four prompts ahead of time, then everyone fills their squares before the group gathers to explain what they drew.

It works because drawing removes the blank-page problem talking creates. Nobody has to invent something clever on the spot — they're explaining a picture that already exists, stick figures and all, which is a far lower bar than free-associating an answer out loud. And because everyone answers the same four prompts, the differences between drawings become the actual conversation.

Skip it for a room that's not up for drawing in front of others, or a fully remote group without a shared surface to work on — everyone needs a pen, paper, and a few uninterrupted minutes this activity can't run without. Groups who'd rather talk than draw are better served by a spoken activity instead.

The rules

  1. Give each player a pen and a sheet of paper.
  2. Fold — or draw — the sheet into four equal squares.
  3. Decide the four topics ahead of time, one per square.
  4. Draw yourself into each square based on its topic. No captions, no words.
  5. Budget 5–10 minutes for drawing.
  6. Gather the group and take turns explaining what's in every square.

Before you start

  • Group size: 2–30 people. Works for a pair working side by side or a full room of thirty.
  • Pen and paper for everyone. One pen and one sheet of paper per player. Markers or colored pencils are optional, for anyone who wants more than one color.
  • Choose your four topics first. Pick the four square topics before anyone divides their paper — favorite hobby, dream vacation spot, an animal you'd be, and what matters most are the classic set, but any personal, open-ended prompt works.
  • No artistic skill required. Say it before anyone picks up a pen: the point isn't the drawing, it's the explaining that comes after.

How to run it

  1. Hand out paper and pens 1 min

    Give each player a pen and a sheet of paper — markers or colored pencils too, if you're offering more than one color.

  2. Divide the sheet into four 1 min

    Fold the paper in half twice, or just draw the lines. Either way, everyone ends up with four equal squares.

  3. Announce the four topics 1 min

    Say the four prompts once, out loud, and remind the group that no artistic skill is required — the point is what's in the square, not how well it's drawn.

  4. Draw 5–10 min

    Everyone fills in their four squares, one drawing per topic. No captions needed — the explaining happens next.

  5. Gather and share 1 min each

    Bring everyone back together and take turns explaining what's in each square, with a follow-up question or two per person.

← 5–10 minutes for drawing. no captions — the drawing does the talking.

Facilitator tips

Offer more than one drawing toolMarkers, colored pencils, plain pens — a few options let people work in whatever medium feels most like them.
Pick topics anyone can answerOpen-ended prompts travel best across backgrounds — try "a cultural tradition that matters to you" or "an obstacle you've overcome" instead of anything with one right answer.
Say the skill part out loudNo artistic ability is required, and saying so before anyone picks up a pen keeps the focus on self-expression instead of drawing talent.
Build in accommodations before anyone asksLarger paper, bigger print on the prompts, or an alternate way to complete the four squares — offer them upfront rather than waiting for someone to request one.

Why it works

The picture does the talking firstNobody has to invent something to say cold — they're explaining a drawing that already exists, which is a lower bar than free-associating an answer out loud.
Bad drawings work just as wellThe four squares don't test artistic skill, only what's in them — so the person who draws stick figures gets exactly as much airtime as the person who can actually draw.
Same four prompts, four different roomsEveryone draws the same four topics, so the differences between drawings are the actual conversation — two people's "what matters most" squares rarely look alike.
HELLO, MY NAME ISJon

"This is the one I hand out when nobody's ready to talk yet. Four squares, no artistic pressure, and somehow the quietest person in the room ends up explaining the most interesting drawing on the wall."

Jon Zajac · Founder & Chief Icebreaker

Reflection questions

For classrooms and trainings that want the debrief — these turn the drawings into an actual conversation about what they meant.

  1. What did you enjoy most about creating your Four Corners drawing?Gets people talking about the process, not just the result — sometimes the best story is which square they liked drawing most.
  2. Which square was the hardest for you to draw, and why?Surfaces where people got stuck, which usually says more about them than the square that came easy.
  3. Did any of your squares spark conversations with others during sharing time? If so, which ones?Points back at the room, not just the paper — the real payoff is who your drawing ended up talking to.
  4. How well do you feel the Four Corners icebreaker helped your group members get to know each other?A direct check on whether the activity did its job — useful if you're deciding whether to run it again.
  5. Did participating in this activity change or reinforce any preconceived notions you had about others in the group? Why or why not?Pushes past the drawings and into what people actually learned about each other.
  6. Were there any topics in the Four Corners icebreaker that you wish were explored further or added? Which ones, and why?Feedback for your next round — the group will usually hand you your best topic ideas.
  7. What did you learn about yourself through creating your Four Corners drawing?Turns the activity inward for a second — worth asking last, once the sharing's already warmed the room up.

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Jon Zajac

Founder & Chief Icebreaker

I started IcebreakerSpot because I believe strong connections are the foundation of successful teams. This site exists to make it easy to find and share the icebreakers and team-building activities that build trust, spark collaboration, and help groups do great things together.

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