Team Building Game – Phobias
The aim of this game is to try to match the phobias to their meaning in small teams and
can help develop communication and group skills. Often this game generates funny and
interesting discussions and it can become competitive within or between teams. Usually
participants learn new things and have a laugh.
Type: Icebreaker / Team Building
Time: 20 minutes
Resources: Each small team will need a set of cards with the phobias written or typed on
them individually and a list of the meanings of the phobias on A4 or A3 paper with a blank
space next to the meaning (so that the card can be placed on the blank space). The
game works best if the sheets and cards are laminated as then the cards can be attached
to the sheet with blutac. It is useful to have a checklist for the phobias and their
meanings already matched up to use during the group discussion and to be able to
respond to any challenges. A list of phobias can easily be found on the internet at e.g.
http://phobialist.com/ OR
http://www.phobia-fear-release.com/list-of-phobias-and-their-meanings.html
1. Divide the group into smaller teams of 3 or 4 participants.
2. Give each smaller team a set of phobia cards and a sheet with the meanings of the
phobias.
3. Explain that each team has to discuss the phobia cards and to match it up with its
meaning on the sheet. When the team has agreed on the meaning they fix the card
to the sheet with blutac.
4. Once every team has completed their phobias list, facilitate a discussion in the
whole group about the phobias and how they agreed what they meant. Use the
checklist to let the group know the correct matches of the phobias and their
meanings.