Ice Breakers/Teambuilders
BIG GROUPS
ANIMAL FARM: Give participants a card with the name of a farm animal, i.e. horse, chicken, rooster,
lamb, dog, cat, etc. They may not tell or show their card to anyone. Tell them in order to find their group
they must make the sound of the animal on the card and group themselves accordingly. Participants may
or may not have their eyes closed or be blindfolded at the discretion of the facilitator.
Another Variation:
Use other words/objects such as "boat" "lamb" "bells" or "ball". Participants must find their groups by
humming a tune of a song that corresponds with their card (i.e. boat = row, row, row your boat, lamb =
Mary had a Little Lamb, bells =jingle bells, ball =take me out to the ball game)
ICE BREAKERS
Duck! : Everyone stands in a circle, with one person in the middle. The person in the middle points at
someone in the circle and says their name (it is most helpful to go around and quickly say names first)
Then that person ducks down, or steps back, and the people to the right and the left of that person must
say the other’s name first. Ex: Karen, Joey, and Nicki are standing in that order in the circle. The person in
the middle points to Joey and says “Joey!” Joey steps back and Karen must say “Nicki!” before Nicki says
“Karen!” whoever is last to say the name is the next person in the middle. If it is a tie, the person who
ducked out of the circle gets to decide who goes in the middle.
Look up, Look down, Lock: Everybody stands in a circle, shoulder to shoulder. The instructions of the
game are for everyone to look up, then look down (pick someone that you are going to make eye contact
with by staring at their shoes) and then lock (look up and make eye contact with that person whose shoes
you were staring at) If, and only if, that person is staring back at you, you must say their name before they
say yours. The person to say the name second, or not at all, or says the wrong name is out. You want
someone who can be a caller to say “Look up, look down, lock” and to be the judge if there is a tie. So the
circle gets smaller and smaller, when it is down to 2 people, you can have an “Ultimate Showdown” where
the 2 people stand back to back, take five steps out, turn around to face each other, and then you say a
category and the first person to identify something from that category wins. (ex: fruit, colors, presidents,
states, Disney princesses)
QUESTIONS: Have candy of assorted colors (starburst, M&Ms, jelly beans) and have each group member
pick a piece. Have a question associated with each color. Then go around and have the group members
answer the question associated with the color of candy they picked.
Example;
Yellow=What is your favorite book?
Red=Where would you like to take a dream vacation?
Blue=What was the last movie you saw in theaters?
Green=Would you rather win an Oscar, Grammy, or Nobel Peace Prize?
DANCE: Stand in a circle and have everyone say his or her name and do a dance move. The next person
introduces themselves and names the previous people and does the dance move(s). Everyone must do
the dance move together after the person does their dance move. The final result is a whole dance of
random dance moves!
NAME TAG TAG: Organize participants into a circle and hand each person a name tag.
Tell each person to write their name on the name tag.
The facilitator then takes all the name tags and redistributes them at random to the participants. (You
may not have your own name tag or the person to your right in the circle).
The facilitator then instructs the participants to place the name tag they are holding on the back of the
person to their right. On the "go" signal everyone must move among the group members and try to locate
their own name tag while avoiding someone finding the name tag that is on her or his back.
You have to remain on all fours. Once a person finds their own name tag, they grab it off of the person's
back and place it on their chest for all to see. Each person stays in the game until they find their own
name and the person whose name was on their back finds her/his name.
HUMAN MEMORY: This is a version of the matching/memory game we played as kids. Two kids leave
the room. The rest of the kids pair up (in unlikely pairs) and choose a noise. An adult then has each pair
make their noise to make sure there are no duplicates. The kids then mix up and lay down on the ground
on their stomachs. The kids who let left the room come in and try to match up the pairs. They do this by
tapping a kid on the head, and then the kid gets up and makes their noise. This continues just like
memory until all the pairs are matched. Variations: Use movie quotes or farm noises or animal sounds.
RABBIT, ELEPHANT, RHINO: Everyone stands in a circle. One person stands in the middle and points at
someone and says rabbit, elephant, or rhino. Then that person must take the form of that animal, with
assistance from the person to their left, and the person to their right. Here is how the animals are formed:
Rabbit:
The middle person brings their hands up like paws, the person to the left makes a bunny ear with a flat
palm and places it straight up on the person’s head, and the person to the right makes a bunny ear with a
flat palm and places in straight up on the person’s head, forming two bunny ears
Elephant:
The person in the middle makes a trunk with their arm, the person to the left makes and ear by making a
circle with both of their arms in the side of the person’s head, same for the person on the right, making
two big floppy elephant ears.
Rhino:
The person in the middle makes a nose with a fist with one hand, and an index finger pointing with the
other to form the horn, like a rhino. The people to the left and the right make fists and place them on the
person’s head to make little rhino ears.
The last person on the three to make the correct animal form is the next one in the middle of the circle.
BLANKET GAME: Be sure that all the members of the group know each other’s names or at least have
had an opportunity to introduce themselves to each other. You will need a blanket, quilt, etc. that is not
see-through, two chairs, and an assistant to help. Divide the group into two smaller groups. Place the
chairs a few feet apart facing each other. Have each group stand behind one of the chairs. Hold the
blanket up between the two groups so each group cannot see the other. Each group will need to silently
choose one of its members to sit in the chair. Once the participants are in place, count to three and drop
the blanket. The object is for the participant to say the name of the person sitting in the chair from the
other team before that person can say his/her name. The participant who fails to say the other’s first
moves to the other team. Hold the blanket up again and have the teams choose a new person. Continue
until all the players are on one team or the game has run its course.
TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE: Have everyone write down two truths and one lie about themselves.
Then have everyone read their three things out loud. The rest of the group should guess which one is a
lie. Alternate version: 2 truths and a goal. Say 3 accomplishments in your life, 2 of which you have done,
and one which you would like to do.
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.
THINK FAST: Have group stand and form a circle. When the group is in position, the leader explains that
they will be playing a game that requires them to think quickly. A volunteer is asked to stand in the
middle of the circle. The volunteer is to close his/her eyes and keep them closed throughout their entire
time in the center. A person standing in the circle is then given a small object. When the center person
says, “Start!”, the object is to be passed around the circle counterclockwise from one participant to the
next. The center person can call out “Stop!” at any time. The center person then quickly says a letter of
the alphabet and the person holding the object must QUICKLY say three nouns that begin with the
specified letter. If the participant says three words within five seconds, the game continues with the
same leader. If the person cannot think of three nouns in that amount of time, he/she becomes the
leader. Game continues until peak fun is reached.
CONCENTRATION: The rhythm for the game is slap, slap (on the knees), snap, snap (one on each hand
(right, then left). Group sits in a circle. One person is designated as the leader, and he/she sets the
pace. The object of the game is to get to the leader’s spot. The leader begins the rhythm, and on one set
of snaps says his/her name on the first, and someone else’s on the second (the names MUST always be
said on the two snaps). The person who’s name is said must respond on the next set of slaps and snaps
by saying his/her own name and then someone else’s. If the player does it correctly, the game
continues. If the player does not do it quickly enough, that player must move to the seat to the right of
the leader, and the rest of the group moves up a seat (toward the leader’s spot) to fill in the seats. Game
continues until group has learned names well. The pace can be as fast as desired.
WHOMP ‘EM: One person is the “Whomp ‘Em Master.” That individual stands in the middle of circle with
the “Whomp ‘Em Sword.” (Could use Styrofoam tube or rolled up tube of newsprint, etc.) The rest of the
group sits in a circle with legs out toward center of circle (leaving enough room for person standing in
middle). The object of the game is for the “Whomp ‘Em Master” to get stuck in the middle of
circle. Someone starts off round by saying the name of a member of the group. The Master must
“Whomp” (hit) the legs of that member, before that member says the name of another member. The
game goes on until the Master hits an individual before that individual can say another person’s name
(can not repeat name that has been said in round already.) When the Master succeeds in “Whomping” an
individual, that individual becomes the new Master. Quite crazy...but loads of fun! Best if played
following another name game, so individuals have a sense of who each other is.
WHERE WERE 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 (January 2002, September 2008).
LINE UP: Have your group line up in order of things:
Birthdate: Jan-Dec
Hair Length: Long-short
T-shirt color in order of the rainbow
Alphabetical: By first name, last name, mom’s name, dad’s name
Number of letters in your name
Shoe size
Height (maybe not, can be harsh for the short people)
HIGH FIVE PARTNER: Have your group mingle in an open space, and call out instructions to have them
find a partner and greet that partner by shaking hands. Have them continue mingling and then find a
different partner to high five. Have them mingle and then find another partner to fist bump, then have
them mingle and go back and find the person they shook hands with. You can do lots of actions that they
have to remember who to go back to. Don’t warn them they have to remember, just give them a few and
then send them back to their handshake partner. They can also stop and answer and ice breaker question
with each partner.
Actions: handshake, high five, fist bump, hug, elbow touch, ankle shake (like a hand shake but with
ankles), pinky swear, hand hug (palms together, wrap your thumb around the other person’s palm)
THE WIND BLOWS:
Version 1: Everyone needs a chair, or a place marker, to show the space where they are standing. The
group should be in a circle, with one person in the middle. The object is for the person in the middle to
find a seat, or a place in the circle. The person in the middle says a phrase that is true about them starting
with “The wind blows if you…” and if it is true for people in the circle, they scramble and change spots in
the circle. Ex: “The wind blows if you…have an older sister” and everyone who has an older sister must
find a new place in the circle, and the person in the middle also tries to find a place in the circle, and
hopefully a new person will be in the middle and they say a different phrase “The wind blows if you…like
eating sushi!” and so on.
Version 2: Have everyone stand up, give the group 2 options of preference and say the wind blows to the
left side of the room (dramatic action of wind blowing to point to the side of the room you would like
them to go) for 1 option and the wind blows to the right side of the room for the other.
Examples: smooth/chunky peanut butter, pepsi/coke, tennis shoes/sandals, winter/summer,
lakes/oceans, dogs/cats, ferris wheel/roller coaster, hiking/biking, watching football/watching
basketball, popcorn/junior mints, canoeing/kayaking: Any 2 things! Can be holiday/season themed.
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.
DO YOU LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR?
Organize group members into a circle and have them put their place markers behind them at their feet.
The facilitator should be in the middle explaining the game and should not have a place marker.
Tell participants that in order to get out of the middle the people surrounding them in the circle need to
ask in unison, "Name of person in middle, Do you love your neighbor?"
The person in the middle will then respond by saying one of two things.
The first thing they can say is "No" in which case everyone needs to move from their spot and find a
different one. They may not take a spot directly next to the one they are already at. This gives the person
in the center time to take a spot and escape from the middle.
The second thing the person in the middle can say is, "Yes, especially those who are wearing blue jeans".
And then only those people wearing blue jeans must move and find a different spot.
The person in the middle may say anything within reason to get people to move. For example: I especially
love my neighbors who have ever been to the beach, eaten spaghetti, been to a baseball game, watched
cartoons, etc
HIGH ENERGY
BIGGEST FAN: Have everyone find a partner and play one game of “Rock, Paper, Scissors” the loser has to
become the winner’s “biggest fan” and follow them around and cheer loudly for them. The winner goes to
find another winner (who also has a “biggest fan”) and they play “Rock, Paper, Scissors” the winner of
that game inherits the loser and their biggest fan to have 3 biggest fans, and this continues with every
winner inheriting the loser and the biggest fans until you have 2 people playing “Rock, Paper, Scissors”
and everyone in the room cheering loudly for one of the 2 competitors.
MUSICAL CHAIRS PART DEUX: Have everyone form a big circle of chairs with the chairs facing outward.
Remove one chair. Have music ready. When the music starts, everyone must walk around the chairs.
When the music starts, a caller yells out a body part. Then everyone races to touch that body part to a
chair, one person per chair only. If they touch a chair before the body part is called, they are out. The one
person who doesn’t get a chair is also out. To speed it up, you can remove more chairs. We usually start
out simple – nose, hair, left elbow, etc. but towards the end we get more complicated – your bare feet
(both of them), someone who’s out’s left hand, etc. The object is to be the last one left.
Q-TIPs: Divide your group into teams. Each team gets a roll of duct tape, they have to wrap 1 team
member in duct tape-STICKY SIDE OUT-so that q-tips will stick to them. The teams have 5 minutes to
wrap a teammate in duct tape. Then the teams line up 10 feet (or more) away and throw q-tips to stick to
their teammate covered in duct tape. The taped team member is blindfolded and cannot move to try and
“catch” the q-tips. Each team should have the same number of q-tips and must take turns throwing q-tips.
The team with the most q-tips stuck on the duct tape wins.
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.
SEWING UP THE GAP: The object of this game is to tag the chasee before he/she can “sew up the
gap.” (All of the gaps between players.) The group stands in circle leaving room in between each
other. The chasee sews up the gaps by weaving in and out among players. When the chasee (“it”) sews
up a gap, those two players join hands and “it” no longer can run through it. The chasee wants to sew up
all of the gaps, before getting tagged, with him/her on the inside of the circle, and the chaser on the
outside. If the chaser tags the chasee, the roles are reversed.
SPUD: Stand in a circle and count off so everybody has a number. Then choose one person to be "IT" first.
They will stand in the middle of the circle and throw the ball into the air and call a number (not their
own) The person whose number was just called must run and catch the ball, while the others scatter
because as soon as the person whose number was called retrieves the ball, he/she shouts, “Stop!”
Everyone must freeze in their places while the person with the ball is allowed to take three steps and
throw the ball at whomever they think they can hit. The person who is hit by the ball is then it, and gets a
letter (S-P-U-D). The whole cycle starts over again. If one person gets all four letters (S-P-U-D), that
person is eliminated from the game.
TUNNEL RELAY: Each team stands in a single line (players one yard behind each other with feet
apart). At the signal, the first player of each team rolls the ball between their legs so that it passes
through the legs of the other players on their team and is caught by the player at the end of the
line. Player then runs with the ball to the front of the line, and repeats the procedure. The game ends
when the first player of one team has again reached the top of the line. If the ball rolls out on one side of
the tunnel, it must be brought back to the same place, and rolled to the end. NOTE: You can vary the game
by having players run to front of line with ball between their legs, or by pushing the ball with their head,
on their hands and knees.
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.
PEOPLE TO PEOPLE: An odd number of people is necessary for the activity to work. To begin, everyone
grabs a partner. The partners should stand side by side forming a circle with the other partners. The
person without a partner stands in the middle and begins establishing rhythm by snapping their fingers,
and chanting, “People to People, People to People, etc.” The rest of the group follows the person in the
middle. Once a rhythm has been established, the leader will should out two body parts that must touch
between partners (i.e. knee to ear). The leader will go through the chant twice and then shout, “People to
People!” At this time, everyone runs into the middle of the circle, grabs a new partner, and runs to the
outside of the circle. The last person without a partner is the new leader. Note: Try to keep it clean.
JOLLY GREEN GIANT: This game is very similar to Sharks and Minnows. Two lines need to be
established about forty yards apart. Everyone starts from behind one of the lines. Two groups members
are chosen to be giants. The giants stand between the lines. When the giants say, “Jolly Green Giant,” the
rest of the group runs to the other line trying to avoid being tagged. If a group member gets tagged, they
become sprouts. Sprouts go down on their knees, and they can tag others with their hands, but they
cannot move from their permanent position. The giants continue repeating “Jolly Green Giant,” when the
remaining are at the appropriate end. The last two to avoid being tagged become the giants in the next
game.
KABADDI: Any playing area can be used with boundaries set and a center line created. Two teams are
created. Each team is on one half of the playing area. The game is started by one player from only one
team running across the mid-court line trying to tag as many players on the opposite team as possible
while yelling the word “kabaddi” (cubbedy) repeatedly in one breath. All those tagged now belong to the
other team. Once the player looses his/her breath though, he may be tagged. If this happens, the player
then is on the opposite team and all those tagged remain on the same team. Players take turns running to
the other side.
LIFE SAVOR RELAY: In this game, each team member receives a tooth pick to place between their
teeth. The first person in line is given a lifesaver by the leader. When the leader says, “GO!” the lifesaver
must be passed to the next person without using any hands. If the lifesaver drops, a new lifesaver will be
given to the first person in line.
PARTNER TAG: The game is started by each group member getting a partner. Between the two partners
one will decide to be “IT.” The leaders should establish boundaries (small ones may be better). The
person who is “IT” will give his/her partner a five second head start before the chasing begins. The
chasing is done in the form of walking. Once the partner has been tagged, they become the new “IT”
among the pairs. Before the new “IT” can start chasing his/her partner, they must spin around three
times. This pattern will continue until “peak fun” is reached. Note: Remember, NO RUNNING.
ICE CUBES: Divide the players into two equal teams. At a starting signal, each team picks up an ice cube
and tries to melt it as quickly as possible. Players can rub it between their hands or against their clothes,
but they may NOT put it in their mouths. While they are trying to melt the ice cube, it should be passed
around the team frequently - no player should keep it for more than a few seconds at a time. Players
should keep it off the ground too. The first team to melt its ice cube, wins. On a really hot day, you may
want to play more than one round of this one!
GIANTS, WIZARDS, AND ELVES: The group is split up into two equal groups. Each of the two groups will
huddle up away from the other group. As a group, they will decide to be a giant, wizard, or elf. Once the
groups have decided on a group identity, the two groups will line up parallel to one another in the middle
of a squared off area. On the leader’s count of three, the two groups will show the other group their
chosen identity. A “giant” stands nice and tall with their arms over their heads and growls. A “wizard”
slightly bends at the knees with their arms out in front saying, “ZAP, ZAP, ZAP!” An elf bends totally at the
knees, and with their hands they make pointed ears and elf noises (your choice). A giant beats an elf; a
wizard beats a giant; and an elf beats a wizard (similar to Rock, Paper, Scissors). The team with the more
powerful identity will chase the other group. Anyone tagged before crossing the coned line will join the
other team. Anyone not tagged will remain on the same side. In the event of a tie, the groups will decide
on a new identity. Note: To save time in the event of a tie, it is a good idea to have the groups think of an
alternative identity.
CROWS AND CRANES: Players are divided into two teams. Mark two safety lines not more than 40 feet
from center. Midway between the safety lines, form players in two teams facing the leader. The lines of
players are about 5 feet apart. One line is “crows,” the other is “cranes.” When the leader calls “Crows,”
the crows run for their safety line, attempting to reach it before the cranes can tag them. If the leader calls
“crawfish,” no one runs. The leader should use deception and precede his call with a “crr” sound, so
players will not know what is going on. Each team receives a point for every member of the opposite
team tagged before that team reaches safety. Each team loses a point for every one of its people running
in the wrong direction or running on the call “crawfish.”
EVOLUTION: It is essential that every group member knows how to play “Rock, Paper,
Scissors.” Everyone starts out as an egg, and waddles around going “Whobble, Whobble!” When an egg
finds another egg, they play “Rock, Paper, Scissors.” The winner will evolve to a chicken, and hop around
making chicken noises until they find another chicken to play “Rock, Paper, Scissors.” The loser will
become an egg again; an egg is the lowest species one can be. The winner of the chickens will become a
dinosaur. The dinosaurs walk around like dinosaurs repeating, “Auh, Auh!” The winner of the dinosaur
match becomes a ultimate being. Ultimate beings walk around with their arms in the air repeating,
“Ultimate being, Ultimate being!” The loser of the dinosaur match becomes a chicken again. Once an
ultimate being has won his/her final match up, they are out of the game, or may continue to try their luck.
CATCHING THE SNAKE’S TAIL: A fish is formed with all of the students holding hands in a line. One end
is the head and the other is the tail. The head tries to catch the tail while the tail tries to escape. Let
participants know that they should not break their grip (if possible). Variations: Have more than one
group and have the heads of the groups chasing the tails of the other groups.
JEDI MIND TRICKS: Everyone stands in a circle, shoulder to shoulder, with one person in the middle. The
object is for the person in the middle to reclaim a spot standing in the circle. Everyone is silent, but
through eye contact and subtle body language, the participants standing in the circle switch spots
without the person in the middle noticing. A person standing in the circle must make eye contact with
another person in the circle (more than 2 people away) and decide to switch. While they are trading
spots, the person in the middle should try to claim one of the open spots, and the person who does not
make it to the open spot is now in the middle of the circle.
CLAM FREE: Start by defining the boundaries of the playing field. One person volunteers to be the
“nuclear reactor” and activates him/herself with a frisbee or nerf ball, preferably day-glo. The rest of the
participants are clams and signify that by being as happy as possible. The object of the game is for the
nuclear reactor to contaminate all of the clams by tagging them with the day-glo device. One
contaminated, the clams become frozen in place. As the reactor chases and tags the clams, it wood appear
that doomsday is just around the corner - at least for the no-longer-so-very-happy clams that are getting
zapped one after another. There is hope, however. A frozen clam can be defrosted if two mobile clams
manage to link hands around him/her in a clamshell alliance and shout “Clam free!” Even better yet, if
seven clams can manage to link up in a circle and count to ten, then the nuclear reactor is shut down
forever.
TARGET TAG: Start the game by asking for a volunteer. Blindfold this person and ask the rest of the
group members to hold hands in a circle surrounding him or her.
The person in the middle tries to tag (or touch) those in the circle.
The people in the circle must work together to avoid being touched by the person who is in the middle.
If anyone in the group lets go at any time, the person in the middle wins that round.
Set a time limit (about 20 seconds) and challenge he group to go for this amount of time without being
tagged. The group can try to get away from the person in the middle by getting them to go under their
arms and outside the circle without tagging them. After the 20 seconds put another person in the middle
and try again.
LOW ENERGY
ABC GAME: To start the game, choose a category. Then simply work from person to person having each
person list an item that fits in the category. For example, if the category is fruit:
a=apple, b=banana, c=cantaloupe, etc. You can decide what to do if someone misses (i.e. move to the next
person, stop there, etc.) This game can be simply for fun or you can designate a winner. You can use
whatever categories you would like. Here are a few suggestions: Bands or musicians, Movies, TV shows,
Books, Songs, Names, Beverages, Cartoon Characters, Cities, Landmarks, Sports Figures or Teams,
Celebrities, Candies, Cold/Hot Things, Hobbies
BINGO: Create a BINGO card for each group member with interesting facts in the squares. Have the group
mingle with one another to try and get signatures of others for whom those facts are true. 5 in a row
across, or down.
Examples of BINGO squares:
Traveled to Chicago
Takes French
Has an older sister
Knows how to change a car tire
Plays an instrument
Can recite the Preamble to the Constitution
Babysits
Has gone swimming in an ocean
Knows how to knit
MAP GAME: For this game, get several identical road maps of your state and ahead of time, draw a large
number, letter or symbol, such as number 8, on the map. Make a list of all the towns that your lines cross
or come near. Have the kids divide up into small groups and give each group a map and a list of towns. On
“Go!,” they must locate the towns and figure out (like dot-to-dot) what the towns form when connected
with a line – no guessing allowed (a wrong guess disqualifies them). The first group with the correct
answer wins.
PENNY SQUEEZE: Have teams sit at opposite sides of a rectangular table, or stand in two straight lines,
shoulder to shoulder facing the other team.
Instruct team members to hold the hands of the people next to them.
Place the water bottle at one end of the table.
Explain to participants that, at one end of the table a facilitator will be flipping a coin. When the coin
lands on tails, nothing happens. When the coin lands on heads, the team member at the end of the line
closest to the coin will squeeze their team member's hand setting off a chain reaction all the way down to
the end. If for whatever reason you start squeezing when you shouldn't be (accidentally squeezing the
person's hand next to yours, the coin lands on heads) and you grab the water bottle out of turn, your
team rotates backwards a person. Once the person on the other end, next to the water bottle feels their
hand squeezed, they need to grab the water bottle as fast as they can before the other team.
You cannot grab the water bottle unless you feel your hand squeezed.
If you're team is successful in grabbing the water bottle before the other team, your team members
rotate, so the person nearest the water bottle will move down to be nearest the coin.
DREAM JOB: Have everyone write their dream job on a note card along with their name. Pass the
note cards to the leader. The leader reads each job aloud and the rest of the group has to guess
whose dream job it is.
MODEL BEHAVIOR: Have participants stand in a circle. Start things off by pointing at anyone across from
you in the circle. Keep pointing. That person must now point to someone else across the circle, who must
then point at another person and so on. Tell them no one can point at anyone already pointing at
someone else. No two people can point at the same person. You may all stop pointing (and apologize to
each other for having been so rude to do it at all).
Now tell everyone to fix their eyes on the person they just pointed at. Tell them it is their job to keep
watching that person. That person is the Role Model.
Learners have one job: They are to watch their Role Models closely and copy their actions and behavior.
Ask your learners to stand perfectly still. The only time they move is if their Role Models move. In fact if
the Role Model does anything- coughs, twitches a finger, anything at all- the learners must repeat the
motion once, and then be still again (unless, of course the Role Model moves another time).
BANANA RELAY: This activity is very similar to the “Neck Race.” However, in this game, a banana is
placed between the knees of the first person, and it must be placed between the next person’s knees without using any hands. If the banana drops, it starts with the first person in line. First team to finish
successfully, wins.
STORYTIME: Divide your group into pairs, or small groups. Give them a scenario that they have to tell a
story about how they got into that situation and how they are going to get out. You can give each group
the same situation, or different.
Examples:
“You are in a prison in Omaha, Nebraska”
“You are on top of an elephant at a circus in New Jersey”
“You have a cheetah in your grandmother’s basement”
“You are floating down the Mississippi river with your English teacher”
Basically any ridiculous thing in an unusual place.
STACK: Have everyone sit in a chair in a circle. The object of the game is to move around the circle, chair
by chair, clockwise until you reach your original chair. Place a nametag or an identifiable object (a shoe, a
watch) under your chair so you know which chair is yours. The way you move around the circle is an
announcer calls out a statement and how many chairs you can move if that statement applies to you.
“If you are the oldest sibling, move 3 chairs forward”
“If you are an only child, move 4 chairs forward”
“If you have been to Mt. Rushmore move 5 chairs forward”
You can also have them move back:
“If you have a twitter account move 2 chairs back”
You can write your own set of statements, with enough so at least one person will make it all the way
around the circle.
12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS: Have the group write their own version of the 12 Days of Christmas, they can
make it themed for a different holiday, or about your city or town, or about your year.
TEAMBUILDING
CHICKEN, DOG, RICE: Chicken, Dog, Rice is a popular game used to encourage lateral thinking, planning
and creativity. One member of the team, the farmer, must take the rest of his team, the villagers, over a
river. He also has to take over his chicken, his rice and his dog. Unfortunately, his boat is only big enough
for himself and one other item, and only he can stop his dog from eating his chicken or the chicken from
eating his rice.
SHOE SHUCKING RACE: Divide into groups of 5-6. Each team member must lie on their back with their
feet in the air, meeting in the center of the circle. A container of water is placed on the elevated feet. The
object is for each team member to remove their shoes without spilling the water. The team to win is the
one with the most shoes off after three minutes.
SPACE BOOTS: Create 2 parallel lines approximately 15-20 feet apart using the tape/chalk/ropes.
All participants stand behind one of the lines.
The scenario is that a group of scientists and explorers are traveling on Mars. They have encountered this
river of lava (the space between the lines). The Martians left one pair of "space boots” (the group will
have to use their imagination for the boots, or use a large pair of galoshes)." The groups must get
everyone across the river to meet their departing space ship.
Rules:
Both boots must be worn one time, in one direction, by each participant.
Once a person has put them on they can walk one time across the river but cannot walk back. The boots
can only contain one foot at a time and you have to wear both boots (so no three legged races).
The group cannot "throw" the boots since there is no gravity and they would fly away.
They cannot walk around the river because they have to meet their ship and the river is too long.
They cannot jump across the river because it’s too far.
A penalty for starting over: there is "cosmic space dust" that can render a person blind or mute
(facilitator decides who this person is).
BLINDFOLD POLYGON: The group is blindfolded, and a rope is laid on the ground somewhere in their
midst. They are instructed to move slowly and find the rope. They then have to work together to make a
series of shapes in a given time limit, whilst being unable to see. This activity can be recorded on video
for later analysis of communicating under pressure.
MINEFIELD: Section off a square or rectangular area that can be filled with obstacles like tennis balls, or
blocks, chairs, or buckets. The object of the game is to get the team successfully through the minefield,
while blindfolded, with the guidance of a leader telling giving them instructions to safely get through. If
one person touches an obstacle the whole team must start over from the beginning. This can be done in
pairs, one person lead, while one person gives instructions from the sideline, or with one person giving
direction for the whole team, or divided into teams, each with a leader calling out directions, or with a
correct leader giving correct instructions and a “divergent” leader giving false instructions and the
blindfolded team member must choose who to listen to.
PATTERN: Lay out grid using paper, or carpet squares, or dots-something that can be stepped on-on the
floor that has a corresponding “code” to unlock. The grid can be 4x4 or larger, depending on the size of
the group. Only the leader knows the code, or the order the squares on the grid must be stepped on to
unlock. The group can go through the grid one at a time, guessing the order, but if they make a wrong
step, they must go to the back of the line and the next team member must try.
Example:
PENNY GAME: Draw a circle on a flip chart. Ask the group to work together and describe a penny to you.
(You can also draw 9 boxes and have them describe what is on the keys of a telephone.) Begin by getting
them started, such as, you know that Lincoln is on the coin, and begin asking questions until the group
takes over. Is it just his head, his head and shoulders and that is about as far as you should have to go.
From there they must describe the placement of each item. When all have agreed that they have the
finished product. You pass around pennies so everyone can see how well (or in almost all cases how
poorly they did).
Process by relating this to attention to detail, knowledge gained from working as a team, listening to
others, etc.
HELIUM STICK: The group must work together to lower a dowel or a hula hoop to the ground. Each team
member is only allowed to use each index finger, no gripping onto the stick, it must rest on top of each
finger. Everyone’s index fingers must be touching the stick at all times. The stick starts at waist level and
must be lowered to the ground.
SNAKE: This is a blind fold activity with a difference. Only one member of the team wears the blind fold.
The others stand still linked together by a rope. The blindfolded person must move a hoop along the rope
listening for instructions from his colleagues. The hoop is not allowed to touch either the participants or
the rope.
SHARED DRAWING: Each Participant will need a partner. Leader gives out blank pieces of paper; each
two-member team gets one piece. (Typing paper is okay, but larger art paper is better.) Each twomember team also gets one pen or pencil. There should only be one between the two of them. One
member of the team (doesn't matter who) should draw a line horizontally across the paper, about two
inches inch above the bottom edge of the paper. In the big space that's left, one of the team should draw a
large oval in the center of the paper. (It's good to have one of these pre-drawn to show the group as an
example.) Explain that each team will draw a face. The leader says: one team member will take the pen
and make ONLY ONE LINE OR MARK on the paper, and then pass the pen to the other team member. In
other words, one person might draw an eyebrow, but cannot draw both eyebrows. There must be NO
TALKING, no communicating of intent. Tell them, NO LAUGHING, since laughing is also a form of
communication. Make sure to reiterate, DRAW ONLY ONE LINE, and then the other person gets the pen.
When enough time has elapsed, and the teams have created some kind of face, the leader explains that
the team will now write a caption, or title for the drawing, using the space left below the face. Using ONLY
CAPITAL LETTERS, and NO TALKING, the team creates a caption by passing the pen back and forth, each
person writing ONLY ONE LETTER. When the captions are written, the leader calls a halt. With some
deliberate sense of ceremony, the leader should collect the drawings and lay them out (or put them on
the wall) to have an "art" show, so that everyone can look at all the drawings and have a good hearty
laugh, which will have been building up... The leader should explain that these drawings always turn out
rather insane-looking. The captions often make no sense at all. Let the group know that this was exactly
what was supposed to happen. A discussion should follow... ask them how it felt to create something
without controlling the process. Did you feel yourself "going" with your partner's ideas, or resisting
them? Why?
DEATH BY HANDKERCHIEF: Everyone hangs a bandana out of his/her back pocket. It must be hung in a
way that allows it to be pulled out by the other players. Explain ONLY the following to the group: "The
bandana represents all you need to live in the world (food, shelter, love, etc.) If the bandana is taken
away, you die instantly and are out of the game." Without further explanation, the leader says, "On your
marks, get set, go." Inevitably, they all run around and take each other’s bandanas. When only one person
is left alive, ask what happened, repeat the rules, and start another round. Keep the rounds going.
Someone will pick up on the idea that they don't need to die and that they cannot use more than what
they already have. Soon the idea catches on. Some participants may even form alliances to protect one
another.
CARPET LAVA: Before beginning the activity mark off with lines of tape or rope where the lava bed will
be. The bed should be approximately 15-20 feet long depending on the number of participants you have.
Explain to participants that their goal is to get all of their team members across the lava bed safely.
The group gets half+1 as many stepping-stones as people in their group (i.e., group of 12 or 13 gets 7
stones, 14 gets 8, etc.).
The parameters are as follows:
Everyone must reach the other side safely, using only the stepping-stones.
The _______ colored stones can only move forward, the ________ colored stones can move both
forward and backward.
There can be no piggybacking on top of group members.
Once the squares cross the line where the lava bed begins, they must be touched by a body part at
all times or they will be lost FOREVER.
You have 20 minutes to complete this activity.
INDOOR SCAVENGER HUNT: While the group is outside the room, set up the room with chairs and
tables as obstacles. Scatter candy around the room and around the obstacles. Have the group pair up and
choose one to be the leader and one to be the gatherer. Once they decide, give the gatherers blindfolds
and tell the leaders they have lost the ability to speak. So only the blindfolded gatherers can speak, but
the sighted leaders cannot speak. The object of the game is to gather as much candy as you can, and the
candy can only be touched by the gatherer. Also, the pairs must remain in contact, or connected in some
way. soon as the teams have left, have the rest of your learners swing into action: Half of them place the
candies around the room in fairly hard to reach spots, while the other half quickly set up chairs and other
objects as obstacles. Note: Be careful to set up chairs and other objects as obstacles.
OUTDOOR SCAVENGER HUNT: Split your group into teams and send them on a scavenger hunt around
town. Have them take pictures along the way, you can conclude at a site visit of a grantee.
MAKE SOME NOISE: Divide the participants up into 3-4 groups depending on the number of people.
Ask each group to huddle together and create a noise and action to perform for other groups.
After each has demonstrated noise and action twice for other groups, the facilitator gives 10 seconds time
for each group to huddle. The goal is for all of the groups to be doing the same noise and action together,
without consulting one another. After the huddle, the facilitator counts to three and all of the groups at
the same time must perform one of the action/noise combinations. (It doesn't have to be their original
one). Keep re-huddling until all three groups are doing the same noise/action.
WAYS WE COMMUNICATE: Divide the group members into three groups. The first group represents the
face to face environment. These people do not have any controls on their communication. They should sit
in one area of the room and use pen and paper to write their findings during the activity. The second
group represents the telephone environment. These group members should be blindfolded with the
bandanas in order to replicate the telephone environment (in which they cannot see the person they're
talking to). They should sit together in one area of the room. One person will act as the scribe for the
group's findings and will not wear a blindfold. The third group represents the e-mail environment. These
employees should sit back to back and may not speak. They should have paper, pens, and clipboards. In
order to communicate, they must write notes and pass them to one another. Give them about 7 minutes
and then ask each group member to make its report. (Participants can now be free of the blindfolds,
clipboards, and other constraints).
MOVE THE WATER: Prior to the activity, fill ten paper cups with water about 3/4 full and place five at
one end of the room (or outside area) on the ground and five at the other end. The cups should be at least
20 feet apart from each other if possible. Gather the group together in the middle of the room with a
cafeteria- type tray placed on the ground and give them the following challenge. "You must retrieve all
ten cups of water and place them on the tray without spilling any water. You may only get one cup from
one end of the room a time. Before getting a second cup from that side of the room you must travel to the
other side of the room with the tray and retrieve a cup from that side. When all ten cups of water are on
the tray you must place it on the floor in the center of the room. By the way, each person can only use one
foot and one hand for the entire duration of this activity, and if any water spills you must start over.
GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION: Each group member is from a different geographic location, but together they
will form a map. No talking. 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.
ARTIST, CLAY, MODEL: Participants divide into groups of three (an artist, a model, and some clay). One
person is the model and “strikes” a pose. The artist must close his/her eyes or be blindfolded and turn the
person who is clay into the replica of the model. Note: You can have person be blindfolded BEFORE the
model strikes a pose, to make it more difficult.
HUMAN TWISTER: You will need two different colored slips of paper for each person in the group (the
size of a 3 X 5 notecard) and tape. As people arrive, give them each two different colored cards, and two
strips of masking tape. Ask players to tape the card to two places on their bodies. When everyone has
taped on the cards, challenge the group to line up, matching (and touching) their cards to someone else’s
of the same color.
BANG! BANG!: This game is similar to “Scissors.” One person starts by saying (in a rather dramatic way
and in any version of these words he/she would like), “Bang, click, click, click, bang, click, bang! Who’s
dead?” (The person can pretend to shoot an individual or individuals if they would like.) The group must
figure out who is dead. The person who is dead is the FIRST person who speaks following the “dramatic”
act. It may take the group some time to figure out how the game works....be patient and
encouraging. Game continues until everyone figures it out.
BLINDFOLD LINE-UP: Ask the group to close their eyes and keep them closed for the remainder of the
game (if they feel comfortable). You may also use blindfolds. In the bumpers position for protection, ask
the group to mill around without talking. After 10-15 seconds, ask them to put stop and put their hands
down. Assign each person a number by tapping them on the shoulder and saying the number at the same
time. Then tell them to line themselves up by number without talking or opening their eyes.
CHICKEN, CHICKEN: This game is very similar to “Bang! Bang!” One person starts by saying
(dramatically), “(Clear throat) Chicken, chicken, who’s got the chicken?” Players must guess who has
“got” the chicken. In order to have the chicken, player must say phrase STARTING WITH A CLEAR OF
THE THROAT. This can be done rather inconspicuously at first and much more dramatic as people begin
to get frustrated from not being able to figure out the game. Players can make whatever motions they
want and say the phrase how ever they want.
HOW’RE YA DOIN’? JUST FINE, THANKS: Ask the group to close their eyes and get into a circle
(shoulder to shoulder). Have them count off and remember their numbers. Ask each person to shake
hands with the person to their immediate left and ask them, “How’re ya doin’?” The person should
answer, “Just fine, thanks.” Continue to do this between each pair three or four times. Then ask the
group (eyes still closed) to mill around in the “bumpers up” position until they are thoroughly
scrambled. Ask them to stop and return to their sequential order - with their eyes still closed. The only
thing they can say is, “How’re ya doin’? Just fine, thanks.”
GROUP REFLECTION
RAINSTORM: This is a game of “follow the leader.” Closed eyes create the rainstorm effect. Participants
sit in a circle with eyes closed. The leader begins by very quickly rubbing his/her hands together. As the
person to the left hears this, he/she begins rubbing his/her hands together until this contagiously goes
around the circle (can also be done going side to side with large group). As soon as this sound reaches
the leader again, he/she begins to snap his/her fingers as does the person to the left, until eventually, the
entire circle gives the illusionary sound of a rainstorm. When this sound reaches the leader, he/she
begins clapping his/her thighs until the entire circle follows suit. The final circle of sound is created by
stomping feet. All of these sounds give the feeling of a thunderstorm rising to a climax. At this point, the
leader reverses the motions (foot stomping, thigh slapping, fingers snapping, and hands rubbing
together) until the sounds of the storm have fully subsided.
ONGOING TAG: This is an ongoing tag game that you can initiate at the first meeting of the group. You
tell the group that one of them is “it.” (Tell that person privately.) The object is not to be “it.” The “it” may
tag another person in any way they like (i.e. touch, telephone, sight, fax, email, mail, through a friend, etc.)
as long as the person being tagged can realize they are it. The game can last for as long as you wish and
makes for a lot of laughs and funny stories. The group need not know who it is so that the surprise factor
is increased and on-going. There are no rules and no limit to the number of times the “it” can change in
any given time period. A fun variation to the game includes agreeing that the person who comes to the
next meeting of the group as “it” brings refreshments or a teambuilder, etc.
PAT ON THE BACK
Use: discover self and projected perceptions, end a retreat on a positive note
Materials: loose leaf paper, pens, construction paper, glue, tape, markers
Activity Description:
Distribute loose leaf and pens. Participants will list words to describe themselves, how they see
themselves, or how they feel about themselves on a sheet of paper. These can be positive and negative
words. They do not share the list with the group. (If appropriate, the facilitator may want to collect these
lists for review, you must tell them it will happen).
After the first list is made, participants are to have another 1/2 sheet of paper glued to a 1/2 sheet of
construction paper. At the top of the paper write the person's name and the word "is". For example "Glen
is..." Tape the paper to the back of each participant. Everyone is then instructed to go around and write
something positive or nice about the person. No one is to take the paper off until time to stop the game.
Instructor will need to monitor the activity closely and remind participants to write something positive.
The object here is for the person to compare their list to the one provided by the group.
A variation is to use this to close a retreat. Have participants tape the paper on their back (or you can use
post it notes of various colors) and each participant can share the impact that the others had through out
their time together.
AFFIRMATIVE FOLD-UPS: Have group comfortably sit in a circle. Give each participant a sheet of paper
and ask them to write their name on the top of the paper. Place all of the papers in the center of the
circle. Have each participant draw a sheet from the center (not their own) and ask them to write one (or
a sentence) positive word about that person at the bottom of the sheet. They then fold the paper up to
cover up the word. Have them place the sheet back in the center and repeat on another
sheet. Participants will continue to select other’s sheets from the circle to write affirming words on, until
the name is the only thing showing on the paper. The leader can then distribute the papers to their
owners. This is a great game to do at the end of a retreat, the end of a year for an organization, at a staff
meeting, etc.
CLIPBOARDS: This activity can be done in two ways. The first is to do the activity at the beginning of a
groups’ “existence.” Participants are given a clipboard and asked to decorate it (using magazine cutouts,
stickers, markers, whatever!) in a way that best represents who they are. Facilitator can give each person
lamination paper to cover their clipboard and help it to last for a long time. Participants will have their
clipboard to use forever and they will always remember the experience whenever they do! Participants
are then asked to share their clipboards with the group. The other way to do this activity is to do it after
the group knows each other well. Have participants pick a name out of a hat (but, shh....it is a
secret!). The participant then decorates a clipboard for the participant they chose, to represent him/her
(based on what they know). Group is given some time to do this. Group then comes back together and
clipboards are “unveiled.”