NAME GAMES
Name Game
Have the small groups sit in a circle. Each person must introduce themselves using an adjective that begins
with the same sound as their first name. (Boisterous Bob, Delicate Diane, etc.) As the group is introduced,
each person should first introduce themselves and then go back through the line and repeat everyone
else’s introduction. The last person will have to name everyone in the group.
This is my name, this is my dance
Kind of like the adjective game, but instead of doing that, everyone has to do a dance move that goes with
his or her name. So someone could do the twist, someone could do the shopping cart, and as you go
around the circle, each person does the people that came before him or her, and then adds on their own
move. For large groups, you can have the person just do the 5 people that came before them, instead of
trying to remember 17 dance moves and names.
Guess Who!?!
Have each person write 5 significant things on a card about themselves with NO NAMES. Hand them in.
Mix them up. Then redistribute (can't have your own) & Look around & guess who the author might be.
Search for the card's author. Once you find a candidate for the card's author, do NOT show that person the
card & ask ONLY indirect questions to gain answers (I.E. "I have 3 brothers", can ask "Tell me about your
siblings", NOT "How many brothers do you have?"). When you find the card's author, link arms with that
person. Then they find their card's owner... until every person is linked.
Process: What did you base your guess on "who" the card was (gender, ethnicity, age, etc.) or who did you
decide to approach? Any surprises? How did it feel to link/latch onto some? How was it to be latched to?
SPLIT-UP GAMES
Line up in Order of Birthday
Without speaking the entire group must arrange themselves in order, by their birthday. The facilitator tells
them where 1 Jan will stand and which way the months will go (right or left of the start).
Animal Sounds
Invite people into a circle and pass out slips of paper with animal names written on them. The challenge
will be to find all other animals of one's own kind. No-one can talk - only animal sounds can be made. Tell
the kids to keep their eyes closed at all times. Ideas for animals include yak, anteater, chicken, ape, hyena,
donkey, velociraptor, elephant, snake, pig.
Hum-A-Long
The facilitator should have slips of paper with the name of a song on them. Choose 6-7 well known songs;
like the Brady Bunch Song or Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. The delegates must find their group, without
speaking; by humming their song. Have the small groups hum the song all together for everyone, once the
chaos has stopped.
h-Bear
Music is playing in the background (maybe). The facilitator calls out a number (start small – maybe 3 or 4).
Then campers must form hug groups of the called-out number. Any students not in a group of the right
number are out. Keep calling numbers and campers must form those groups. When ready to split up into
groups, say “new game!” and everyone will re-join the game. Then call out the number of students we
want in each group (for example, for 8 person groups, call out “8!”). And then have counselor leaders go to
each group and lead them to appropriate place for next activity.
OTHER
Train Wreck
Train-wreck-one person stands in the middle of the circle; all other participants are seated in a chair around
them. The person in the middle states a fact about himself or herself. Everyone who the fact holds true for
who is sitting must get up and move to another chair. Reminds me of musical chairs.
Sing-it Loud
Sing it loud, sing it proud-(I made up the name because I don't know what it is actually called): Students
are broken up into teams and a word is selected. Each team needs to come up with a list of songs with the
word in the lyrics. Each team has an opportunity to name one song with the lyric in it. In order to receive a
point the entire team must since the line with the word in it. Example: Baby is the selected word. The
Beibs- Baby.
Tootie Tah:
Everyone gets into a circle and then we do this goofy activity called Tootie Tah. The point is to get people
comfortable enough around each other to act like fools. If anyone isn’t doing it well, we will make them
heinie write their name! (make sure we pick someone who won’t mind)
 Hands together
 Feet apart
 Knees together
 Elbows out
 Chin up
 Butt out
 Tongue out
Knot Game
Split into groups of ten. Reach in with your hands and grab two different peoples hands. Have one person
start off by squeezing one of his hands and pass that squeeze along. This way, you can find out if you have
two separate circles, or one big one. The goal of the game is to fix yourselves so one big circle results. So,
without letting go of anyone’s hand, they must untangle themselves. The group who finishes first wins.
Human Twister
The facilitator is the caller. Start off with something common like right hand on white. Each freshman must
touch something white on someone in the group. The game progressively gets more complicated until the
caller calls something that only one person is wearing so that all the freshmen are crowded together in one
big lump.
Hot and Cold (Clapping game)
Everyone sits in a circle. One freshman is sent out of the room while the others decide on a task for that
person to do. (ex. Get down on hands and knees in the middle of the circle.) The group must not speak.
They instead will clap when the person is close to doing the task. They clap louder the closer the person
gets to doing the task. Sound effects are welcomed.
People to People
The facilitator is the caller. Every freshmen partners with another. The facilitator says a body part of one
partner needs to meet a body part of their partner. These body parts are left in position unless the caller
changes them. The partners become more and more twisted together and if they fall down they are out.
The game ends when there is only one pair left standing.
Evolution
Participants wander around initially as an egg and they waddle around. They find someone who is also an
egg and do rock-paper-scissors-shoot. The winner becomes a chicken, the loser remains an egg. The game
progresses from egg to chicken to guerilla to human. If a participant loses to another human, they then
become an egg again.
Down by the Banks
“Down by the banks with the hanky panky,
where the bullfrogs jump from bank to banky,
With an eep ipe ope op
Jumped in the water and it went ker-PLOP”
On the ker-PLOP, the person whose hand is about to be hit should try to move it away quickly. If
he/she moves it away before the person before hits it, then the person before is out. Otherwise, the
person whose hand was hit is out.
Ha-ha game
Everyone lies on each other’s stomachs in a circle, and one person starts with “ha.” Then the next person
says “ha, ha.” Then the next says “ha, ha, ha” and it continues. The object of the game is not to actually
laugh.
Form a square eyes closed
Everyone stands in a circle, closes their eyes, and has to form a square.
π-Time
Facilitator calls out one of four things below. If the person cannot find a group, they are out, and the
winner is the last one left (sometimes two people).
Study (one person) - everyone drops to the floor, legs-crossed and pretends to be studying a book. Usually
no one gets out on this one, but a variation is that the slowest person to sit down is out.
Athena cluster (two people) - one person squats while another pretends to type on their back.
π (three people) - two people get on all fours parallel to one another and the third person lies on top to
form the Greek letter π.
Stata Center (four people) - four people each standing at different heights and in different directions stand
with their arms out and fingers spread, imitating the awkward shape of the Stata Center.
Shark Attack
Baby shark doot-do, doot-doot-do-doo
Mama shark…
Papa shark…
Grandpa shark…
Going swimming…
Hungry shark…
Shark Attack…
Lost a leg…
CPR…
It’s not working…
Happy shark…
Name on Back Game (need nametag stickers or tape and paper)
Write down the names of famous people on the nametags. The names can be all certain category like
Movie Stars, Cartoon Characters, famous people in history, or they can be any group. Place nametags on
back so that kids can’t see their names. People go around asking yes or no questions to others, trying to
guess name on back. When they guess it correctly, nametag is placed on front. Game ends when all have
finished or time runs out.
Hand Tapping Game
This works when you have a small group at a table or lying down on the ground. Place hands flat on table
with palms facing down. Place your right hand on the other side of the person’s hand on your right and
your left hand on the other side of the person’s hand on your left. The play proceeds with one person
declaring which way the taps will go. He then taps once and then the next hand taps and it goes around the
circle. Taps can reverse by double tapping when it is your turn. After playing a while you can hit your fist
lightly on the table to skip a hand. If a hand taps out of order, or is too late in tapping based on the majority
rules, that hand is taken off the table. Winner is the last person left after everyone’s hand have been
eliminated.
Reconstructing a song
Take a well-known song or theme song that people would easily recognize the tune and change the words
so that they describe your cluster, the things going on at the program, or even to make fun of the
counselors.
Fall Away (with funny faces)
Have everyone stand in a circle with their heads down. Call “heads up” and everyone has to look at one
person and hold that stare with a funny face. If any two people are making eye contact then they scream
or yell and fall away like they just died. Call “heads down” after each round is over. Continue until a single
person (or no one!) remains.
Elephant, Rabbit, Moose, (and Charlie’s angels)
Start with only a few of the above and then add more to make more complex. One person is in the middle
of a circle (more if a large group) and points to anyone in the circle, calls any of the above four things, and
quickly counts, “1, 2, 3, 4, 5!” If the group can form the thing called before you finish counting, then no one
switches with you. If they don’t finish, then the one who messes up the most or acts the slowest switches
with the caller.
Elephant – middle person takes one arm, reaches under the other, and grabs his nose. The other arm sticks
out like a trunk. People on the sides form big ears with their hands placed high and low on either side of
the middle person.
Rabbit – middle person’s arms are sticking straight up like ears. People on the sides place their fist on the
hips of the person in the middle to form paws.
Moose – middle person places two hands on their face, covering up their nose and mouth to form a snout.
People on the sides place one arm outstretched with fingers spread on the top of their head and crossed
with each other to form the antlers.
Charlie’s Angels – Just like the poster.
Booty Tag
Just like regular tag, except you can only tag by bumping someone’s butt. Choose more than one person as
“it.” No tag backs.
2 Truths, One Lie
Works only in small groups. Everyone has a slip of paper or index card and writes two truths about them
and one lie. The cards are shuffled and redistributed (it’s ok if you get your own back). One person reads
off their card and everyone guesses who wrote it until they get it right and the person admits it. Then they
have to guess which is the lie. After they think they know, the person who wrote that card has to reveal the
lie.
Honey, I love you, won’t you please, please smile?
This works well with a large group. The group stands in a circle and one person is in the middle. This person
comes up to anyone, puts their arm around them, and says “Honey (or their name), I love you, won’t you
please, please smile?” That person responds “Honey, I love you, but I just can’t smile.” If the person
responds by smiling or laughing, then they switch places. Otherwise, the person in the middle has to try
again.
Categories
The leader yells out a category, like favorite toothpaste, and everyone yells out their favorite brand, looking
for people that have the same favorite brand of toothpaste. Different sized groups are formed, and once
everyone settles, the groups individually call out what brand of the toothpaste their group represents.
Examples of categories include: favorite toothpaste, favorite ice cream brand, birthday month, number of
siblings, number of pets, favorite brand of tennis shoes, favorite candy bar, favorite type of music.
Who’s the leader?
All sit down cross-legged in a circle. One person either turns around or leaves the room while the group
chooses a leader. The person who left or turned around goes to the middle of the circle after the leader is
chosen. The group pats their legs then claps their hands repeatedly to start. The leader changes to
something else like snaps, arm circles, patting their head, etc. and tries not to be noticeable. The person in
the middle has to guess the leader until he gets it right.
Great wind blows
Groups sits in a huge circle. One person starts in the middle and says “The great wind blows for anyone
<insert something about self, such as ‘wearing glasses’ or ‘from NY’>” Then, everyone who also has that
thing must run to another spot in the circle. Last person without a spot goes to the middle. Repeat.
Do you love your neighbor?
Group stands or sits in a circle (works better if people are sitting). One person is in the middle, walks up to
someone, points to them and asks, “Do you love your neighbor?” That person responds with yes or no. If
he says yes, the people on either side have to switch places. When this happens, the person in the middle
tries to steal one of their spots. If he says no, he has to follow with, “They aren’t wearing jeans (or
something else creative),” and all in the group who are wearing jeans have to get up and find a different
spot. The leader then tries to sit in an open spot. If he can’t steal anyone’s spot, then he keeps going until
he can. Whoever is left in the middle is now it. (This is similar to the great wind blows).
Hook on tag
One person is “it” (or more if the group is large). Everyone else has a partner. They hook on to each other
by locking arms. Those who are “it” lock on to one of the pair’s arms and the person on the far end now
becomes “it.”
Blob tag
Works best in very large groups. A couple people are chosen as “it.” When someone gets tagged, they hold
hands. Both people are now “it.” As more people are tagged, they have to hold hands in a line. Eventually
you get a long line of people chasing after just a couple kids.
Concentration (word clap game)
“Concentration, are you ready, if so, let’s go…starting with names of ____” (boys, girls, fruits, animals,etc.)
Meanwhile, all clap on their knees, then hands together. The name of the object is said when the individual
claps their hands together. Go around in a circle until someone doesn’t say something on a beat or can’t
think of something. They are out and a new round is started with a new type of object.
Go Bananas
Bananas of the world unite!
Grow bananas
Pick bananas
Peel bananas
Chop bananas
Smang bananas
Eat bananas
Digest bananas
Poop bananas
Clogged the toilet
Plunge the toilet
GO BANANAS
Big Booty
Everybody in the circle gets assigned a number, except for one leader person, who gets assigned to be Big
Booty. All stand around in a circle and bang legs twice, then clap once (bang bang clap, bang bang clap…)
All start chanting
Biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiig booty big booty big booty,
Ahh yeah, big booty..
Big Booty says: Big Booty, number-5
Number 5 says: number-5, number-3
Number 3 says: number-3, number-7
Etc…
Person who messes up goes to the end of the line. The point of the game is to work your way up to Big
Booty.
Human Maze
Good inspiration idea. Kids form a maze holding hands. A few designated blindfolded people try to go
through the maze, one at a time. Each blindfolded person has a guide, who stands up on the deck, and can
direct the blindfolded person where to go through the maze. The winning pair is the one that gets through
the maze the quickest.
No-see tag
This is tag played in pairs. One person is blinded by the other person from behind. The un-bilnded person
gives directions to the blinded person telling them which way to go to tag people. Once you are tagged,
you switch places with the partner (or you are out).
Hand-slap game
People sit in a circle with their hands criss-crossed with the person next to them. Hands need to slap the
floor in order (clockwise or counterclockwise). If a hand double-slaps, then reverse the order. If you slap
out of turn, that hand is out. Keep going until there is a winner.
Music-making game
One person starts the beat. Go around in the circle, each person adding a sound effect to add to the beat.
After the beat has gone all the way around, take the sounds away one at a time.
Snowball Fight
Everyone writes his or her town of origin/high school attended, favorite food/song/pastime, etc. on a piece
of paper. They then crumple it up in to a small ball and throw it around the room (or at a particular
person/wall/area). Everyone then picks up a ball, uncrumples it and tries to guess whose it is by going
around to all the other participants. Once they find the right person they link arms and continue the
search. When everyone has found whose ‘snowball’ they have, they introduce that person to the group.
If These Shoes Could Talk
I've used "If these shoes could talk" as a low risk icebreaker. Have everyone look down at their shoes and
think about all the places they've been, where they would like to go, or something cool they experienced.
Then launch into the icebreaker. The first person says their name and then "If my shoes could talk, they
would say...." i.e. they would love to visit Europe and went on a wonderful boating trip across lake Erie...