Time
15-20 minutes
Description
This fun icebreaker can be an energizing way to engage participants. It’s a “personality assessment,” but it’s just for fun; there is no scientific value to the results.
Materials
- Paper for each participant
- Pens, pencils and colored markers for each participant
- Printout of the “Pig Analysis” sheet (at the end of this lesson)
Preparation
None
Procedure
Use the following script (or modify to suit your needs):
- “Let’s start out our time together by getting to know each other.”
- “We’ll do it in a funny way.”
- “On the sheet of paper that each of you has, I would like you to each draw a pig.”
- “Make it as detailed as you like.” (Allow 5 minutes for drawing the pig.)
- “Now that you’ve drawn your pig, I’m going to help you do some analysis to see what your drawing tells us about you.” (Read each of the descriptions on the “Pig Analysis” sheet. Keep it light and fun.)
- “Take a few minutes, and share your Pig Analysis with your table.”
- “Tell them if you think it is accurate or not.”
- “So, what do you think? Does your Pig Analysis match your personality?”
- “Okay, this was not a scientific instrument, so any truth it contained was probably accidental….or was it?” (You might want to have participants put their names on their pictures and post them around the room.)
Pig Analysis
If the pig is drawn:
Toward the top of the paper – You have a tendancy to be positive and optimistic.
Toward the middle – You have a tendency to be a realist.
Toward the bottom – You have a tendency to be pessimistic and may be
prone to behaving negatively.
Facing left – You have a tendency to believe in tradition and be friendly; you may also be prone to remembering dates well.
Facing Right – You have a tendency to be innovative and active, but may be prone to forgetting dates easily and may not have a strong sense of family.
Facing front – You have a tendency to be direct, and may enjoy playing the role of devil’s advocate; you also are prone to neither fearing nor avoiding confrontational discussions.
With many details – You have a tendency to be analytical, but may also be prone to being cautious to the point that you struggle with trust.
With few details – You have a tendency to be emotional and to focus on the larger picture rather than focusing on details. You also have a tendency to be
a great risk taker and may sometimes be prone to reckless and impulsive decisions.
With less than 4 legs showing – May indicate that you are living through a major period of change and as a result you may be prone to struggling with insecurities.
With 4 legs showing – You have a tendency to be secure and to stick to your ideals; however, others may describe you as stubborn.
With large ears – Indicates how good of a listener you are (the bigger, the better).
With a long tail – Indicates how intelligent you are (the longer, the better)
Teach Them 
Love this game Michael!
Thanks, Jessica!
what about when drawing the pig, you draw it from behind?
If you draw it from behind, it means that you are your own person and don’t care what the world thinks of you. 🙂
Nice post, thanks, but
the tail is for the sexuality not the intelligence.
Hi, Dana…yes, but I edited this one so that it can be used with a younger audience. Thanks for the comment…Michael
This was fun. Not an exact 100% accuracy but what is. This “game” opened up a large topic for me and my friends and even encouraged us to discuss ourselves to each other. And considering all of us are in our 20s…this is a useful tool for all ages.
Glad you liked it, Zidourn…Yeah, it’s really just for fun to get people talking.
Michael
Cool test. I tried It out with my middle school students and they loved it.
Awesome! Glad they enjoyed it!
Michael
I’m a college professor and I use this as a first day icebreaker…it’s a big hit every-time…some even ask me for a copy after class. I wish there was another, I have to be careful when I have the same students in more than one class.
Hi, Ms. D. I’ve got quite a few icebreakers I can send you if you want. Email me at michaelkientz@gmail.com if you are interested.
Michael
Hi, Ms D. Thanks for the comment. Glad the icebreaker works well for you! You can search for more icebreakers on my site by typing “icebreaker” in the search field. I’ll try to add a few more over the next few days so you have a variety to choose from.
Michael
So, I had a lady today draw a pig facing away, what do you suppose this means?
Consulting my deep knowledge of pig orientation, I would say that a pig facing away means the person has significant regrets about their past. ;0)
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What a great icebreaker!! Thank you!! I am going to do with with a large group of birth professionals and I was thinking about changing it to having them draw a pregnant woman. It seems all of the descriptions but the tail would work. What do you think? Thank you!!!
Love it! Give it a go. That’s a great innovation.
It may not be accurate but it could provide an opening to help determine personality. For instance an overtly analytical person would call BS and annoyingly question the person giving the assessment. or state that the reason their Pig is facing left is because they are left handed… And you missed a leg because you opted for an isometric view rather then the usual face on.
The only thing that might be legit is the detail thing.
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What is the copyright on this? I’d like to use it in a lesson that I’m writing that will be used in schools across the country.
Hi Elke…I cannot claim copyright on this icebreaker. I found it on the web in multiple places years ago and just modified it to take out the racier personality descriptions. From my standpoint, you are welcome to use it without attribution to me or my blog, but I’m not sure if there is an original author out there who might want to claim credit.
I’m sorry not to be more help.
Michael
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I would like a copy of your other ice breakers please.
Hi Barry…I’ve just added a page on my site with other ice breakers. You can find it at: https://teachingthem.com/icebreakers-energizers/
Hope this is helpful!
Michael
we had our employee do this, I received a stick pig, middle of paper, long tail, 4 legs, nipples looking left no face. How would you figure that out?
Hmmm…this seems like someone who is minimalist but likes to be the center of attention. They are a lover, prone to wander and liberal in their choice of partners. This person tends not to show their emotions and is a bit of an enigma to most people in their life.
or it could be the opposite of all that. :0)
Michael
Any idea what two identical pigs facing the same direction means? Split personality?
I like it!
What does it mean if your response was to look up how to draw a pig when you were told to do so?
Hmmm…maybe that you are a perfectionist. :0)
Michael
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