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AUTOGRAPH SHEET: Participants are given a sheet
with various traits on it.The objective is to find a person in
the group who fits one of the descriptions and
get that person’s autograph next to the trait.When making up the list, be creative,
but include traits pertinent to the group.Each person may sign each sheet only
once.Here are some examples:
Likes broccoli _____________
Balances his/her checkbook ______________
Has been to a fortune teller ______________
Speaks another language _______________
BEACH
BALL QUESTIONS: A list of 83 questions
to use for this icebreaker or another. Click
here for details
BITE
THE BAG: The team is instructed to form a large
circle.The facilitator then places a brown grocery
bag in the center of the circle.Each member must pick up the bag with
his/her teeth while standing on one foot with
both hands held behind his/her back.After the entire group has successfully completed this task,
the facilitator cuts one to two inches off the
top of the bag.If a team member touches the floor with
his/her foot (or any other part of the body),
the member is disqualified.After each round, more of the bag is
cut.The
last team member who successfully picks up the
bag without falling, wins!This exercise, similar to a reversed limbo contest, can be
a lot of fun and a great icebreaker for new
team members.
CATCH
ME IF YOU CAN: Players should be paired up.All players divide into two lines (facing
in) shoulder to shoulder, with partners facing
each other.Participants should be given approximately
30 seconds to look at their partners, taking
in all details about the individual.The leader then instructs the two lines
to turn and face away from the center.One or both lines has 15-20 seconds to
change something about their appearance (i.e.
change a watch to different wrist, unbutton
a button, remove a belt, etc.).The change must be discrete, but visible
to the partner.The players again turn in to face each
other and have 30 seconds to discover the physical
changes that have been made.Players get to interact with each other
and have fun!
COMIC
STRIP CHAOS: Each participant takes a turn at picking
a comic frame out of the large container.After the entire group has each chosen
one, the participants begin to search for others
with the same comic strip sequence.After the participants have found everyone in their group,
they must arrange themselves so that the sequence
of frames are in chronological order to form
the comic strip correctly.Upon completion of sequence, the newly
formed group sits down together.Great game to break large group into
smaller groups.
CONFUSION:
Great high energy game to help participants
begin to feel more comfortable in new group.Give each participant a sheet with various
tasks and ask them to complete it when you say,
“GO!”Here is a sample:
Get a male to do five push-ups and sign
here
Stand on one foot with your arms outstreched
for 20 seconds.
Have someone
time you and sign here
Leap frog
over someone 5 times
Get someone to whisper the pledge of
allegiance and sign here
Play “Ring around the Rosy” with two
other people and have them sign here
Get a female to recite a nursery rhyme
Shake hands with someone you do not know
and continue holding hands while debating the merits of your favorite
ice cream flavor
Have someone
teach you a dance step (even if they make it
up)
First person to complete the entire
sheet, wins.
DO
YOU LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR: The group stands in a circle
with room in the center.(Best if played with groups of 20 or
more.)One person begins in the circle and says
to an individual in the group, “_________, do
you love your neighbor?” The individual pointed
out can either say, “Yes I love my neighbors
_______ and _______, but I REALLY love people
___________ (wearing green, from CO, etc.)”
or “No, I do not love my neighbors ________
and _________.”If the individual uses the first phrase,
all members of the group with that characteristic
must find a new spot in the circle at least
three spaces from they are standing.The person with no space (last person
remaining) becomes the caller.If the individual uses the second phrase,
his/her two “neighbors” must switch places with
one another.The group members move in quickly to
“lose” their spaces.The last of the two becomes the caller.
GEOGRAPHIC
LOCATION: Each group member is from a different
geographic location, but together they will
form a map.Once a map has been established by the
group, each group member will stand where he/she
thinks they belong to make the map as close
to scale as possible.
HOG
CALL: Break the group into pairs.Each pair must choose two things; a machine
and an animal.They then have to decide who is which.The pairs then divide up on opposite
sides of the room.Everyone must close their eyes (if they
feel comfortable), and by making only the noise
that their character would make, they must find
their partner.When they find their partner, they can
open their eyes and wait until everyone else
is done.Note:When conducting
an activity with eyes closed, have the group
raise their hands in front of their chests as
“bumpers,” and have at least one person (facilitator)
acting as a spotter.
HOMETOWN:
Post a large outline of Colorado (or the country)
on the wall.Leave border space for those born outside
of the USA.Have participants put their hometown
and first name on the map. Then ask them to
share about their hometown and how they decided
to go to CSU.
HUM
THAT TUNE: Each person in the group is given
a small piece of paper with the name of a nursery
rhyme or other song written on the paper. (i.e.
“Row, row, row your boat,” “Rock-a-bye baby,”
etc.)All of the people who are given the song
must hum that tune and fine everyone else singing
the song.They then form a group.
HUMAN
SCAVENGER HUNT: The paper will have a series
of questions on it (in a bingo format - in squares).Participants are required to find another participant who can
answer “yes” to a question.They must have that person sign their
name within the square.The object is to meet as many people as you can, and fill a
“BINGO!”(A complete line either horizontally,
vertically, or diagonally) You can only use
each participant once.Note: The center circle should be a freebie.Here are some samples:
Knows their zodiac sign
From a northern state
Knows when Martin Luther King’s birthday
is
Member of a sorority or fraternity
Has been a competitive athlete
Has traveled abroad
Knows how to polka
HUMAN
TACO: Stick labeled note card (with taco
ingredient) on the back of everyone’s shirt.(i.e. the word meat printed on a note
card) Have each player mingle around asking
yes/no questions to find out the taco ingredient
that is on their back.Explain the correct order of ingredients
in a Human Taco: shell, meat, cheese, lettuce,
tomato, salsa and then give the start command,
“I’m hungry!Let’s eat!Run for the Border!”Each individual must find out which ingredient
they are and then find enough to form a complete
Human Taco.
IMPORTANT
ITEM: Have each person bring something to
the meeting that means something special to
them or that they would not have left home without,
and then ask them to take turns sharing.
LOLLIPOP:
Pass out dum-dum lollipops to the group.For every letter that appears in the
flavor, the participant has to share something
about him/her with the group.
M
& M GAME: This activity is very similar to the
Toilet Paper Game, but instead of using a roll
of toilet paper, you may use a bag of M &
M’s.Make
sure the group members do not eat their M &
M’s until their turn has passed.
MAKE
A DATE: Give each participant a paper plate.Have them draw the face of a clock on
their plate with a line next to each number
(no digitals!).Then have participants walk around a find a “date” for each
hour, writing their name by the hour.The catch is, no one can make a “date”
with more than one person per hour.After everyone has made their dates,
speed up time and allow 1-3 minutes for each
hour.The facilitator then asks a question
for discussion on each date.The pairs will have a chance to get to
know one another.
MUMBLE
JUMBLE: Before the activity begins, the leader
will cut up a few pictures into puzzle pieces.Each group member will grab a piece of
a puzzle from a bag.The group members will keep their puzzle
piece to themselves until the leader says, “GO!”At this point, the group members will try to locate the other
members of the group with the pieces to form
the appropriate pictures.Whichever group does it first, wins.Good activity for breaking into retreat/activity
groups.
SELF
INTRODUCTION EXERCISE: The objective of this exercise
is for members of the team to become acquainted
with one another to work more effectively as
a team.Each individual needs to complete the
paragraph below and then, if they feel comfortable
disclosing, may be asked to share answers with
the rest of the group.
Hello, my name is __________.I am ____ years old and I am majoring
in ________.My hometown is ______________ and I really
________ it there because ______________.I always dreamed that someday I would
________________, and that dream has ______
true.I feel __________ about it now!Some things I like to do include ______________.There are many things I am good at and
one of them is ______________.I did a really interesting thing once
and that was ____________.My family consists of ______________.If I could change one thing about myself
it would be _____________.Still, I am really glad to be here right
now because ______________.I would really like to get together with
anyone who be interested in _________________.The one thing I want to be remembered
for is _______________.As far as future plans are concerned,
I hope to be ________________ someday.
SENTENCE
STEMS: Form dyads (2) or triads (3) and have
participants complete the rest of the sentence.The leader can read the sentence to all of the participants
or all participants can have sheets of paper
with these listed and take their own time in
covering them.(Excellent for roommates!)Here are some examples:
Before I came to CSU, my main interests
were...
The way I would describe my family is...
The thing I remember most about highschool...
My fondest memories of another person
are...
My most unusual friend is...
The things I value most are...
My favorite pastimes are...
Some of the things that make me happy
are...
Where I hope to be five years from now...
The thing I would most like to accomplish
this year...
The thing that concerns me most about
college is...
Good starters for roommates might be:
The first day we met, the things I noticed
about you were...
Since then, some things that surprised
me about you were...
Something I like about you is...
It appears to me that an important difference
between us is...
I think we might have to compromise on...
What I think I will get out of having
a roommate is...
I think the most important thing I have
learned from this discussion is...
SHOE
FACTORY: Have the group stand in a large circle
shoulder to shoulder.Then have everyone remove their shoes
and put them in the center.After the group has formed a pile with
their shoes, the leader has everyone choose
two different shoes other than their own.They should put them on their feet (halfway
if they are too small).The group then needs to successfully
match the shoes and put them in proper pairs
by standing next to the individual wearing the
other shoe.This will probably result in a tangled
mess - and lots of giggles!
SHOE
GAME: Have the group stand in a large circle
shoulder to shoulder.Then have everyone remove their shoes,
tie them together, and place in center. Have
one volunteer choose a pair of shoes other than
their own and make one statement about the owner
of the shoes (i.e. “The owner of these shoes
must be very thrifty and economical to wear
shoes in this condition!”).The owner of the shoes then comes forward,
introduces him/herself, and picks out another
pair of shoes to introduce.Game continues until all participants
have introduced themselves.
SOLEMN
AND SILENT: The instructor explains that this
exercise will take self control.Members pair back to back.On the count of three, everyone must
face their partner, look each other in the eyes,
and then try to remain solemn and serious.No speaking!The first to smile or laugh must sit
down.All who remain standing then take a new
partner and the activity continues until only
one person has not smiled or laughed.(Second round of playing can involve
two teams competing to outlast each other.)If you get a pair at the end who are
both keeping a straight face, the rest of the
group can act ask hecklers to disrupt them.
STINGER:
Have the group form a circle and close their
eyes.Facilitator circles the group and selects a “stinger” by squeezing
an individual’s shoulder.The group then opens their eyes and spends
time introducing themselves to others while
shaking hands (and trying to spot the stinger).The stinger tries to eliminate everyone without getting caught.The stinger strikes by injecting poison
with their index finger, while shaking hands.A person stung may not die until at least
five seconds after they are stung.The more dramatic the death, the better!When someone thinks they have discovered
who the stinger is, they may announce that they
know.If they get a “second” from someone else
in the group within 10 seconds, the two of them
may make an accusation.If the person does not get a second,
he/she must wait to challenge again, after another
person dies.If another person does step forward to
second the challenge, both point to who they
think it is on a count to three.If they do not point to the same person,
or they both point to the wrong person, they
both are automatically dead.If they select the correct person, the
stinger is dead and the game is over.
STRING
GAME: Participants select pre-cut lengths
of string from the group facilitator .Each member holds the string between
his/her thumb and forefinger.For each “wrap” of the string around
the finger, participants must share one thing
about themselves.
SUPERLATIVES:
Participants are asked to study the composition
of the group quietly and to decide on a superlative
adjective that describes themselves in reference
to the others (youngest, tallest, most uptight,
etc.).They then tell their adjectives, explain, and, if possible,
test their accuracy.
TOILET
PAPER GAME: Get a roll of toilet paper and explain
to your group that they are going camping and
need to take as much toilet paper as they think
they may need for a three day trip.Once everyone has an ample supply, explain
to the group that for every square in their
possession, they must share something about
themselves.NOTE: If anyone knows the activity, ask
them not to give away the secret under any circumstances.
TRUTH,
TRUTH, LIE: Give the group some time to write
down two things about themselves that are true,
and one thing that is a “lie.”Each group member will then share these
facts about themselves and the rest of the group
has to figure out which “fact” is actually a
“lie.”
UNCLE
FRED’S SUITCASE: The group forms a circle.The first person states their name and
the reason they picked this college, group,
etc.You
continue going around the group, repeating the
names of the people preceding their name and
why they chose to come to CSU.You also can substitute the “why you
came here” with other things.Another version of the game is to begin
with, “I packed Uncle Fred’s suitcase with........”
and continue around like that.The real trick is the last person in
the group who has to name all the people and
why they came, what they like, etc.
WHERE
ARE YOU?: Pick a year or a date before the meeting
and then give each person a chance to tell what
they were doing on that date (Jan ‘87, Summer
‘90).
WHO
AM I...OR FAMOUS PAIRS: In this exercise, group members
will be asked to identify the names of famous
pairs or persons.The leader tapes the name of a famous
person on the back of each participant.(i.e. Fred Flinstone, Mary Lou Retton,
Bill Clinton, etc.)The group member is not to see who is taped to their back.Their task is to find out who they are.The participants mill around the room
asking others yes/no questions.If the member receives a “yes” answer,
they can continue to ask that individual questions
until they receive a “no” answer.Then they must continue on to ask someone
else.When a group member figures out who they
are, they take off the tag, put it on the front
of their shirt, and write their own name on
it.The
member then can help other members find out
who they are.The exercise concludes when all members
have discovered who they are.
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