Icebreaker and Team Building Guide

Transcription

1 Icebreaker and Team Building Guide Icebreakers Adjective Name Game: Have everyne in the grup think f an adjective that describes their persnality and starts with the first letter f their name (example: Terrific Tiffany). Everyne says the names and adjectives f thse befre them and then their wn. The last persn will have t repeat each name. Ball Tss: Have everyne get int a circle. Have everyne say their name befre the game begins. Then as smene thrws a ball t smene he/she says that persn s name. The receiver calls anther persn s name and thrws the ball t him/her and s n. Beach Ball: Get a large inflatable beach ball and use a permanent marker t write questins n it. This becmes the "icebreaker ball". Yu can use it in a large grup and thrw it arund. The persn wh catches it has t answer the questin tuching their left thumb. Have them say their name first then answer the questin and thrw it t smene else. Belw are sme example questins. 1. What is yur favrite mvie line? 2. If yu were t treat yurself t the "finer things" what wuld yu treat yurself t? 3. If yur life was being turned int a feature length mvie, wh wuld play yu? And why? 4. What is yur "15 minutes" f fame? 5. If yu were invisible where wuld yu g? 6. Fill in the blank: When I dance, I lk like. 7. What tw televisin channels d yu watch mst frequently? 8. What is yur greatest phbia? 9. What celebrity irritates yu the mst? 10. If yu wned a yacht, what wuld yu name it? Birthday Alignment: Have everyne stand up, then withut speaking they have t align themselves frm January t December by their birthday (mnth and day). They have 5 minutes t d s. After 5 minutes have them stp and g dwn the line t say their birthday. A discussin n cmmunicatin can fllw if time permits. Categries: Have a lead persn that calls ut different categries such as favrite clr, fd, sprts team, etc. The participants will grup themselves based n their answer t see wh has similar interests. Celebrities: Facilitatrs put nametags f celebrities n every persn s back. Players then mve arund the rm asking ther players questins t find ut wh they are. Finish the Sentence: G arund the rm and have each persn cmplete ne f these sentences (r smething similar): The best jb I ever had was... The wrst prject I ever wrked n was... The riskiest thing I ever did was... 1

2 This is a gd technique when starting up an rganizatin fr the semester and yu want everyne t intrduce themselves, yu can have them cmplete I jined this rganizatin because... Imprtant Item: Have each persn bring smething t the meeting that means smething special t them r that they wuld nt have left hme withut, and then ask them t take turns sharing. Interviews: Ask participants t get int pairs. Each persn then interviews his r her partner fr a set time while paired up. When the grup recnvenes, each persn intrduces their interviewee t the rest f the grup. Yu can prepare a list f questins r let them create their wn. M&M Game: Pass arund a bag f M&M s. Have everyne take ne (dn t eat them!). Then everyne tells smething abut himself r herself accrding t the clr they chse. Yu can have them take mre than 1 M&M if yu wish. Red: Smething stupid yu ve dne. Brwn: Smething abut yur hmetwn. Yellw: Smething abut yur family. Blue: A lng-term gal. Green: A special event in yur life. Orange: Why yu chse Virginia Cmmnwealth University. Name Sign: Have everyne get int a circle. Each player makes a mtin r physical sign t illustrate his name. As each player must demnstrate the signs and names f thse befre him and then his wn. The last persn demnstrates all the signs and names. Neighbrs: Everyne circles up with a sheet f paper (hme) under them. Facilitatr starts in the middle f the circle and asks smene what he likes abut his neighbr. The player picks a quality (hair clr, sneakers, gender, etc.) and everyne (including that persn) that has that quality must mve t a new hme. The new hme cannt be directly beside the ld ne. Peek-a-B: Grup int tw teams. Use a sheet, tarp, etc. t divide the grups. Facilitatrs hld the sheet up as ne t three peple cme up t the sheet n each side. As the sheet is drpped the players must say the name f the persn ppsite them. Then a new grup cmes up t the sheet and s n. Prblem Slvers: Ask participants t wrk in small grups. Create a simple prblem scenari fr them t wrk n in a shrt time. The tpic can be related t the rganizatin, University, r randm. Once the grup have analyzed the prblem and prepared their feedback, ask each grup in turn t present their analysis and slutins t the wider grup. Self-Intrductin Exercise: Befre the meeting, type up the fllwing paragraph and make enugh cpies fr everyne in the grup. Have each individual cmplete the paragraph and then, if they feel cmfrtable disclsing, have them share answers with the rest f the grup. 2

3 Hell, my name is. I am years ld and I am majring in. My hmetwn is and I really it there because. I always dreamed that smeday I wuld, and that dream has true. I feel abut it nw! Sme things I like t d include. There are many things I am gd at and ne f them is. I did a really interesting thing nce and that was. My family cnsists f. If I culd change ne thing abut myself it wuld be. Still, I am really glad t be here right nw because. I wuld really like t get tgether with anyne wh be interested in. The ne thing I want t be remembered fr is. As far as future plans are cncerned, I hpe t be smeday. The Little Knwn Fact: Ask participants t share their name, psitin r rle in the rganizatin, length f service in the rganizatin, and ne little knwn fact abut themselves. This "little knwn fact" becmes a humanizing element that can help break dwn differences. Three Truths and One Lie: Everyne writes 4 different things abut themselves dwn, 3 f which are true and 1 that is a lie. Students take turns presenting their 4 items while thers guess which ne is the lie. Leave enugh time fr everyne t explain their truths. They can be very interesting! Tilet Paper Game: Get a rll f tilet paper and explain t yur grup that they are ging camping and need t take as much tilet paper as they think they may need fr a tw day trip. Once everyne has an ample supply, explain t the grup that fr every square in their pssessin, they must share smething abut themselves. Where Were Yu: Pick a year r a date befre the meeting and then give each persn a chance t tell what they were ding n that date (NYE 2000, Summer 2005). Wh am I/Famus Pairs: In this exercise, grup members will be asked t identify the names f famus peple. The leader tapes the name f a famus persn n the back f each participant. (i.e. Fred Flintstne, Cher, Bill Clintn, etc.) The grup member is nt t see wh is taped t their back. Their task is t find ut wh they are. The participants walk arund the rm asking thers yes/n questins. If the member receives a yes answer, they can cntinue t ask that individual questins until they receive a n answer. When a grup member figures ut wh they are, they take ff the tag, put it n the frnt f their shirt, and write their wn name n it. Wh Dne That? Prir t the meeting, make a list f abut 25 items relating t wrk and hme life. Fr example, a list fr a grup f students might have sme f the fllwing: Started a student rganizatin Has been a cach Is a mther Enjys hiking Has started their wn business Served in the Armed Frces Is a Eurpean Histry majr 3

4 Ensure there is plenty f space belw each item (3 r 4 lines) and then make enugh cpies fr each persn. Give each persn a cpy f the list and have them find smene wh can sign ne f the lines. Allw abut 30 minutes fr the activity. This activity helps them t learn abut each ther. Team Building Back-t-Back Drawing: Divide yur grup int pairs, and have each pair sit n the flr back t back. Give ne persn in each pair a picture f a shape, and give the ther persn a pencil and pad f paper. Ask the peple hlding the pictures t give verbal instructins t their partners n hw t draw the shape withut actually telling the partners what the shape is. After they've finished, ask each pair t cmpare their riginal shape with the actual drawing, and cnsider the fllwing questins: Hw well did the first persn describe the shape? Hw well did the secnd persn interpret the instructins? Were there prblems with bth the sending and receiving parts f the cmmunicatin prcess? Ball Challenge: The facilitatr arranges the grup in a circle and asks each persn t thrw the ball acrss the circle, first annuncing his r her wn name, and then annuncing the name f the persn t whm they are thrwing the ball (the first few times, each persn thrws the ball t smene whse name they already knw.) When every persn in the grup has thrwn the ball at least nce, it's time t set the challenge t pass the ball arund all grup members as quickly as pssible. Time the prcess, and then ask the grup t beat that timing. As the challenge prgresses, the team will imprve their prcess, fr example by standing clser tgether. Cmmercials: Divide int tw r three grups (depending n size). Give each grup a few minutes t prepare a cmmercial fr yur rganizatin. Perfrm the cmmercials fr each ther. Prps can be prvided. Helium Stick: Have the grup line up in tw rws that face each ther. Intrduce the Helium Stick- a lng, thin, lightweight rd. Ask participants t pint their index fingers and hld their arms ut. Lay the Helium Stick dwn n their fingers. Get the grup t adjust their finger heights until the Helium Stick is hrizntal and everyne's index fingers are tuching the stick. Explain that the challenge is t lwer the Helium Stick t the grund. The catch: Each persn's fingers must be in cntact with the Helium Stick at all times. Pinching r grabbing the ple in nt allwed - it must rest n tp f fingers. Reiterate t the grup that if anyne's finger is caught nt tuching the Helium Stick, the task will be restarted. Let the task begin...warning: Particularly in the early stages, the Helium Stick has a habit f mysteriusly 'flating' up rather than cming dwn, causing much laughter. Participants may be cnfused initially abut the paradxical behavir f the Helium Stick. The facilitatr can ffer direct suggestins r suggest the grup stps the task, discusses their strategy, and then has 4

5 anther g. Eventually the grup needs t calm dwn, cncentrate, and very slwly, patiently lwer the Helium Stick - easier said than dne. Prcessing Ideas What was the initial reactin f the grup? Hw well did the grup cpe with this challenge? What skills did it take t be successful as a grup? What creative slutins were suggested and hw were they received? What wuld an utside bserver have seen as the strengths and weaknesses f the grup? What rles did peple play? Hpe, Fears and Expectatins: Best dne when participants already have a gd understanding f their challenge as a team. Grup peple int 2s r 3s, and ask peple t discuss their expectatins fr the event r semester ahead, then what they fear and their hpes. Gather the grup's respnse by cllecting 3-4 hpes, fears and expectatin frm pairing r threesme. Human Web: The facilitatr begins with a ball f yarn. Keeping ne end, pass the ball t ne f the participants, and the persn t intrduce him- r her-self and their rle in the rganizatin. Once this persn has made their intrductin, ask him r her t pass the ball f yarn n t anther persn in the grup. The persn handing ver the ball must describe hw he/she relates (r expects t relate) t the ther persn. The prcess cntinues until everyne is intrduced. T emphasis the interdependencies amngst the team, the facilitatr then pulls n the starting thread and everyne's hand shuld mve. Impulse: Divide int tw facing lines (each hlding hands). The facilitatr hlds the hands f the first persn in each line. The facilitatr sends an impulse (squeezes the hands) at the same time. The impulse mves dwn the lines. At the end f the line a ball is between the tw teams. The first end persn wh grabs the ball wins a pint fr their team. Then the end persn mves t the frnt f the line. The winner is the first team t get 10 wins. Machine: Frm tw teams and have them g t ppsite sides f the rm. Each team creates a machine using nthing but each ther. Everyne must participate and n sunds! Give each grup a few minutes t get it tgether. Then each grup presents their machine while the ther guesses. Marned: Have everyne break up int small grups. Each grup is stuck n an island. What five items wuld yu have brught with yu if yu knew there was a chance that yu might be stranded? Nte that they are nly allwed five items per team, nt per persn. Yu can have them write their items n a flip chart and discuss and defend their chices with the whle grup. This activity helps them t learn abut ther's values and prblem slving styles and prmtes teamwrk. 5