Activities for ICEBREAKERS
Mar 30, 2017 14:12:23 GMT -5
John Craine, Tanya Munroe, and 3 more like this
Post by sarahck on Mar 30, 2017 14:12:23 GMT -5
Yes, go ahead all y'all and groan because YOU HATE ICEBREAKERS. I know. But then hush, because you have to do it. If you don't everyone just feels awkward. And they won't come back to Centering ever again.
The facilitators' guide has a list of "openers" for each session -
Session 1 - Dyads. You all know this one because we made you do it during your training.
Session 2 - Triads. This is the one where groups of 3 figure out something they all have in common and things that are unique to them in the group. I find this activity very complicated. Any activity that requires a Venn Diagram to explain has lost me.
Session 3 - Relaxation charades and cult-like chanting - Everyone introduces themselves and acts out their favorite way of relaxing and the others guess what it is. Good so far, right? But then CHI suggests that the group repeat that persons name and activity three times, which, IMHO, gets a little creepy.
Session 4 - Sharing advice - Everyone shares a good piece of advice they've heard about taking care of yourself during pregnancy. I've never tried this one!
Session 4 - Family - Everyone says their name and one thing from their childhood family that they'd like to keep and one thing that they want to change with their new family. I actually do this one as a popcorn activity, because sometimes there are some pretty sensitive things that come up.
Session 5 - Share something about your birth (where, when, stories, etc) (Another one I've never tried)
Session 6 - How you got my name and whether you like it or not (I'm a big fan of this one myself)
Session 7 - What you're going to name your baby and why (another favorite!)
Session 8 - "Close your eyes and put your hands on your belly to feel the baby's movement" - another one I've never tried, but I guess it would start a good conversation about kick counts
Session 9 - Share something they've learned about taking care of babies
Session 10 - Say something about how you're doing now
AND here are a couple I've done in the past and liked:
1. Where in the world – Make the middle of the room the town where you currently are. People have to go as far away or close to the middle for each of these questions: “Where were you born?” “Where’s the farthest place you’ve ever been?” “Where would you like to go?” “Where’s your favorite sports team?”
2. M&Ms – Give each player a small handful (3-5) of M&Ms and instruct them not to eat them yet! Then go around the room for each color and if you have that color M&M you have to complete the line:
3. “Stand up if”
- have everyone stand up if the following is true for them. Kind of fun for energizing.
- You had coffee this morning
- You have a dog
- Your hair is its natural color
- You play a musical instrument
- You speak another language
- You are wearing underpants
- You’ve cried in the past week
- You read a good book recently
- You’ve been given a hug in the past 2 days
Feel free to follow up on any of these that are appropriate (like, "Pantomime playing that instrument and we'll guess what it is" or "Say hello, how are you in that language" etc etc).
Also, feel free to add more. Once in a staff retreat I added "You have ever had sex in a public place" and I learned which of my coworkers have done what at which local bars and even that one of my coworkers used a CEMETERY when the time was right. But, in general, it's best to start light and silly before you get deeper.
4. Without talking, people have to group up with others they have these things in common with as they are called out:
• Birthday in the same month as yours
• Favorite way to creatively express yourself (writing, singing, dancing, etc)
• Same favorite subject in school
• Favorite thing to do on the weekends
5. We make one circle of people on the inside facing out, and one circle on the outside facing in so that everyone has a partner looking at them. You stand in front of one other person and discuss the topic that the leader gives for one minute. Then the outside circle takes a step to the left and they move on to the next topic.
1. Talk about the neighborhood you grew up in
2. Talk about your earliest memories
3. Talk about the time you badly broke a rule
4. Talk about when/how you decided what you wanted to be when you grew up
5. Talk about what one thing you love and one thing you hate about how your job/school
6. Talk about a goal you have for yourself for the next year – professional or personal
7. Talk about where you hope to be five years from now
6. ONCE THE GROUP KNOWS EACH OTHER REALLY WELL (like, session 10 or so) Give out a sheet to everyone and have them write their name on top of the paper. Then they hand their piece of paper to the person to their left. Give them 30 seconds to write all the good things that come to their minds about the person whose name is on the top of the paper – things you like about them, things you respect about them, their skills and qualities, good memories etc. Then hand the paper to the left again, and repeat the process until the papers have gone all the way around the circle (everyone had had the chance to write about everyone else). Then collect the papers and read them out loud and have the group guess who that paper was for. It was funny and sweet and how everyone has a good keepsake of their good qualities for days when they forget.
The facilitators' guide has a list of "openers" for each session -
Session 1 - Dyads. You all know this one because we made you do it during your training.
Session 2 - Triads. This is the one where groups of 3 figure out something they all have in common and things that are unique to them in the group. I find this activity very complicated. Any activity that requires a Venn Diagram to explain has lost me.
Session 3 - Relaxation charades and cult-like chanting - Everyone introduces themselves and acts out their favorite way of relaxing and the others guess what it is. Good so far, right? But then CHI suggests that the group repeat that persons name and activity three times, which, IMHO, gets a little creepy.
Session 4 - Sharing advice - Everyone shares a good piece of advice they've heard about taking care of yourself during pregnancy. I've never tried this one!
Session 4 - Family - Everyone says their name and one thing from their childhood family that they'd like to keep and one thing that they want to change with their new family. I actually do this one as a popcorn activity, because sometimes there are some pretty sensitive things that come up.
Session 5 - Share something about your birth (where, when, stories, etc) (Another one I've never tried)
Session 6 - How you got my name and whether you like it or not (I'm a big fan of this one myself)
Session 7 - What you're going to name your baby and why (another favorite!)
Session 8 - "Close your eyes and put your hands on your belly to feel the baby's movement" - another one I've never tried, but I guess it would start a good conversation about kick counts
Session 9 - Share something they've learned about taking care of babies
Session 10 - Say something about how you're doing now
AND here are a couple I've done in the past and liked:
1. Where in the world – Make the middle of the room the town where you currently are. People have to go as far away or close to the middle for each of these questions: “Where were you born?” “Where’s the farthest place you’ve ever been?” “Where would you like to go?” “Where’s your favorite sports team?”
2. M&Ms – Give each player a small handful (3-5) of M&Ms and instruct them not to eat them yet! Then go around the room for each color and if you have that color M&M you have to complete the line:
- Blue: “When I get home, I’m going to…”
- Red: “One challenge I had this week was…”
- Orange: “Something I’ve learned lately was…”
- Yellow: “I thought it was really great this week when…”
- Green: “The best thing about my school or job is…”
3. “Stand up if”
- have everyone stand up if the following is true for them. Kind of fun for energizing.
- You had coffee this morning
- You have a dog
- Your hair is its natural color
- You play a musical instrument
- You speak another language
- You are wearing underpants
- You’ve cried in the past week
- You read a good book recently
- You’ve been given a hug in the past 2 days
Feel free to follow up on any of these that are appropriate (like, "Pantomime playing that instrument and we'll guess what it is" or "Say hello, how are you in that language" etc etc).
Also, feel free to add more. Once in a staff retreat I added "You have ever had sex in a public place" and I learned which of my coworkers have done what at which local bars and even that one of my coworkers used a CEMETERY when the time was right. But, in general, it's best to start light and silly before you get deeper.
4. Without talking, people have to group up with others they have these things in common with as they are called out:
• Birthday in the same month as yours
• Favorite way to creatively express yourself (writing, singing, dancing, etc)
• Same favorite subject in school
• Favorite thing to do on the weekends
5. We make one circle of people on the inside facing out, and one circle on the outside facing in so that everyone has a partner looking at them. You stand in front of one other person and discuss the topic that the leader gives for one minute. Then the outside circle takes a step to the left and they move on to the next topic.
1. Talk about the neighborhood you grew up in
2. Talk about your earliest memories
3. Talk about the time you badly broke a rule
4. Talk about when/how you decided what you wanted to be when you grew up
5. Talk about what one thing you love and one thing you hate about how your job/school
6. Talk about a goal you have for yourself for the next year – professional or personal
7. Talk about where you hope to be five years from now
6. ONCE THE GROUP KNOWS EACH OTHER REALLY WELL (like, session 10 or so) Give out a sheet to everyone and have them write their name on top of the paper. Then they hand their piece of paper to the person to their left. Give them 30 seconds to write all the good things that come to their minds about the person whose name is on the top of the paper – things you like about them, things you respect about them, their skills and qualities, good memories etc. Then hand the paper to the left again, and repeat the process until the papers have gone all the way around the circle (everyone had had the chance to write about everyone else). Then collect the papers and read them out loud and have the group guess who that paper was for. It was funny and sweet and how everyone has a good keepsake of their good qualities for days when they forget.
