Tag Archives: introductions

April 17, 2012 · 5:50 am

I’ve Done Something (ICEBREAKER)


 

Time

10-15 minutes (depending upon group size)


Description

This icebreaker can be used as a meeting opener.  It works particularly well for groups that already know each other fairly well and will help them to understand something new about each person.

 

Materials

None

 

Preparation

None

Procedure

·       Explain to group that everyone is going to participate in an icebreaker.

·       Introduce yourself first using the criteria described below so that they can see how it’s done.

·       Have each person introduce himself/herself (basic info – name, time with company, time in leadership, functional area….) and then state something they have done that they think no one else in the class has done.

·       If someone else has also done it, the same participant must state something else until he/she finds something that no one else has done.

·       Proceed to the next person until everyone has had a chance to introduce himself/herself.

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December 9, 2011 · 3:35 pm

Random Responses (ICEBREAKER)


Time

10-15 minutes
Description

This icebreaker uses a single die as a randomizer to get people talking about different topics.  If they role a one, they respond to one question.  If they roll a two, they respond to another one, and so on for each number on the die.  You can use it for a variety of topics.  It’s fun, and it gets people talking.

 

Materials

o  Dice (one per group of people)

o  Flipchart and marker (one each)

 

Preparation

o  Pick a topic that you would like the participants to talk about.

o  Create a flipchart that lists a different aspect of that topic for each number on the die.

o  Here are some examples:

 

For “Culture”

“Describe the following about another culture:

1.     Something you like

2.     Something you don’t understand

3.     A funny thing that they do

4.     Something their culture taught you

5.     A mistake you made related to their culture

6.     Your choice”

 

For “Confession”

“Describe the following about yourself:

1.     A time you broke the law

2.     A personally embarrassing moment

3.     A bad decision you made

4.     A cultural mistake you made

5.     A story your family members still tell about you

6.     Your choice”

 

For “Introductions”

“Describe the following about yourself:

1.     Something you are known for

2.     What you enjoy doing most

3.     Where you go to relax

4.     Who you admire most

5.     Different jobs you have had

6.     Your choice”


Procedure

Use the following script (or modify to suit your needs):

  • “Let’s do an icebreaker to get to know each other better.”
  • “It’s called ‘Random Responses,’ and it gets you to share about yourself by having you tell about a particular topic.”
  • “To determine which topic you will talk about, you will take turns rolling a die at your table.”  (Show the flipchart you prepared.)
  • “If you roll a one, you should talk about the topic listed next to the one on this chart.”
  • “If you roll a two, you should talk about the topic listed next to the two.”  (Continue sharing each topic to make sure they understand the process.)
  • “If you roll a six, you get to choose which of the other five topics you will talk about.”
  • “What questions do you have about how this will work?”  (Answer any questions.  Then, let them begin.  Anyone at the table can start, and they can go in any order as long as everyone has a chance to share. Debrief by asking a few volunteers to share anything interesting that they heard or learned.)

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November 27, 2011 · 7:53 pm

Walks of Life (ICEBREAKER)


Time

10-15 minutes
Description

This icebreaker uses flip-flops, slippers or shoes to pair people up and have them describe a place they have been, want to go or where something significant happened.

 

Materials

o  Pairs of flip-flops, slippers or shoes (enough for each person in the group to get one shoe)  NOTE: You want shoes on which you can write or stick tape on the soles.  I’ve used the free slippers they give you in hotels and on airplanes, and they work well.

o  Permanent marker

o  Masking tape (optional – you only need it if you don’t want to or can’t write on the soles)

 

Preparation

o  Write a different location on the bottom of each pair of shoes.  (You will write each location twice, once on the left shoe sole and once on the right shoe sole.  This allows participants to find their match after selecting a shoe.)  Here are some examples:

o   Where your family lives

o   Where you spend most of your time

o   Your favorite place to eat

o   A place you miss

o   A place where you were truly blessed

o   Where you had your first kiss

o   Countries you’ve visited

o   Where you go to get away from it all

o   Where you have the most joy

o   Where you might retire

o   Where you were born

o   Cities in which you have lived

o   Where you were last Saturday

o   Where you fell in love

o   A place you prefer not to return to

o   A special spiritual place

o   Where you went to college

o   Where you hope to go

o   Where you grew up

o   Best vacation spot

o   Where you go to have fun

o   Where you’ve worked

o   Where you got your first job

Either mix the shoes up in a big pile somewhere in the room, or scatter them around making sure to keep the pairs separated.

 

Procedure

Use the following script (or modify to suit your needs):

  • “Let’s do an icebreaker to get to know each other better.”
  • “It’s called ‘Walks of Life,’ and it’s about the many places you’ve been or want to go.”
  • “I’ve created a pile of shoes (or scattered them around the room).”
  • “On the bottom of each shoe is the description of a particular place.”
  • “When I say, ‘Go!’ I want each person to pick up one shoe and read what it says on the sole.”
  • “Then, find your mate – the person who has the matching shoe for yours.  They will both say the same thing on the sole.”
  • “When you pair up, tell a little about yourself and then describe the place from your life that matches what is written on the bottom of the shoe.”
  • “After you have both finished sharing, you can return the shoes to this place and return to your seats.” (You should designate a place.  You may also want to let them do more than one round of this so that they can meet different people.  If you do, have them pick up a different shoe from the one they originally chose.)

 

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July 6, 2011 · 1:56 am

Taco Sauce Pickup Lines (ICEBREAKER)


Time

10-15 minutes
Audience

Teens and adults

 

Description

This icebreaker can be a fun way to start group activities.  It uses Taco Bell ® hot sauce packets, which have quirky quotes on each packet (supposedly things that the hot sauce might say if it could talk).  Participants will take turns drawing out a packet and pretending that the quote is a pick-up line they would use when meeting someone of the opposite sex.  (Word of caution: some of the packets can be a bit racy (unintentionally)….you might want to hand-pick the packets you want to use.)

Materials

  • A handful of Taco Bell hot sauce packets for each small group (of about 4-8 people)
  • Alternately, you could print out the photos of the packets that are available on the Lesson and Material Downloads page at www.teachingthem.com.  The file name is “Taco Sauce Pickup Lines – Packet Photos (ICEBREAKER).”
  • Bowls (optional)

Preparation

·      Get the taco sauce packets or print the file, and cut out the different packets so that each one is on a separate slip of paper.

·      Put the packets or the slips of paper into bowls (one per group).

Procedure

Use the following script (or modify to suit your needs):

  • “Does everyone here know what a pickup line is?”  (If someone doesn’t, explain that pickup lines are things that a guy or a girl might say to someone of the opposite sex that they are interested in when they first meet them.)
  • “Has anyone here ever heard a really bad pickup line?”  (Let several people share their bad pickup lines with the rest of the group.)
  • “Let’s do an icebreaker where we can practice some really bad pickup lines with each other.”
  • “I’m going to divide you into small groups first.”  (Divide participants into groups of 4-8 each, and give each group a bowl of sauce packets or paper slips.  Try to get an even mix of guys and girls in each group.)
  • “Okay, pick someone in your group to go first.”  (Allow them to pick the person who goes first.)
  • “That person should reach into the bowl and draw out a packet.”
  • “Then, he or she has to turn to someone in the group of the opposite sex and pretend to meet them for the first time using the pickup line on the packet.”
  • “Ham it up, and have fun with it!”
  • “Then, the turn rotates clockwise to the next person.”
  • “Keep going until you are out of packets.”  (Let them begin.  When they are done, you can ask them what their favorite pickup lines were from the icebreaker.  If you would like to use this as a teachable moment, you can ask the following Debrief Questions.)

 

Debrief Questions

  1. How did you feel whenever you were given one of the pickup lines?  …whenever you were the ones delivering them?
  2. Why don’t you think pickup lines usually work?
  3. What do you think is a better way to get to know someone new?

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November 15, 2010 · 12:17 pm

Three’s Company (ICEBREAKER)


Audience

Children, Teens, Adults

Time

10 minutes
Description

This icebreaker helps people get to know each other a little better and increases the energy in the room.  The name is a borrowed from a popular American T.V. show by the same name from the 1970’s-80’s.  In the game, participants get a card with something on it that comes in threes.  They have to try to find their other two matches, introduce themselves to each other and figure out what the connection is between the three things.

 

This is also a great sorting activity if you need to put participants into groups of threes.

 

Materials

o  Note cards (one per participant)

o  Marker

Preparation

o  Create the note card sets by writing one of the three things or persons from the set of three on each card.  (For example, if you were doing “Father, Son and Holy Spirit,” write “Father” on one card, “Son” on another and “Holy Spirit” on a third card.  If you think that your group may not recognize a set of three, write the other two options at the bottom of each card to make it easier for them to find each other.

o   Some suggestions for groups of three are below.  Feel free to add your own or to not use any of these that would not be recognizable to your group.

§  Father, Son, Holy Spirit (3 Persons of the Trinity)

§  Friday, Saturday, Sunday (3 days Jesus was buried)

§  Shem, Ham, Japheth (Noah’s 3 sons)

§  Golden Jar of Manna, Aaron’s Staff, Stone Tablets with 10 Commandments (3 things in the Ark of the Covenant)

§  Casper, Melchior, Balthasar (3 Wise Men – traditionally)

§  Frankincense, Gold, Myrrh (3 gifts of the Wise Men – traditionally)

§  Abraham, Isaac, Jacob (3 Patriarchs)

§  Faith, Hope, Love (the “three that remain” according to Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:13)

§  Death, Burial, Resurrection (3 stages of Jesus’ atoning sacrifice)

§  Poverty, Chastity, Obedience (3 monastic vows)

§  The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, The Return of the King (3 books in the Lord of the Rings trilogy)

§  The Lion, The Witch, The Wardrobe (3 parts of the famous children’s book by C.S. Lewis)

§  Birth, Life, Death (3 phases of life)

§  Larry, Moe, Curly (3 Stooges)

§  Nina, Pinta, Santa Maria (3 ships Columbus sailed)

§  Athos, Porthos, Aramis (3 Musketeers)

§  Reading, wRiting, aRithmetic (3 R’s of basic education)

§  Huew, Dewey, Louie (3 cousins of Donald Duck)

§  Protons, Neutrons, Electrons (3 parts of an atom)

§  Red, Green, Blue (3 primary colors)

§  Igneous, Metamorphic, Sedimentary (3 types of rocks)

§  Pyramid of Khufu, Pyramid of Khafre, Pyramid of Menkaure (3 Great Pyramids of Giza)

§  Carreras, Domingo, Pavarotti (3 Tenors)

§  Medusa, Stheno, Euryale (3 Gorgons)

§  Clotho, Lachesis, Atropos (3 Greek Faiths)

§  Paper, Scissors, Rock (3 choices in the hand game, “Rock, Paper, Scissors”)

§  Snap, Crackle, Pop (3 mascots of Kellogg’s Rice Crispies cereal)

§  Veni, Vidi, Vici (Julius Caesar’s famous comment about his short war with Pharnaces II of Pontus.  It means, “I came, I saw, I conquered.”)

§  Small, Medium, Large (3 sizes)

§  Ready, Aim, Fire (3 commands for a firing squad)

§  On Your Mark, Get Set, Go (3 commands for track and field racers)

§  Blossom, Bubbles, Buttercup (3 Powerpuff Girls)

o  Shuffle the cards well, and put some at each place where a participant will be sitting.

o  If you have a number of participants that won’t divide by three, you could take a card for yourself (if you just need one more person), or you could make duplicates of some cards.  Be sure to let the participants know that because there are some duplicates, some groups might have four people in them.

 

Procedure

Use the following script (or modify to suit your needs):

  • “Time to get to know each other!”
  • “At your seat, you will find a notecard with something written on it.”
  • “In each case, what is written on your card is one part of something that comes in threes.”
  • “In just a moment, I want everyone to get up and go around the room looking for two other people who have cards that complete your set of three.”
  • “For example, if you had a card that said, ‘Knife,’ you would need to search for someone who has a card that says, ‘Fork,’ and another person who has a card that says, ‘Spoon.’”
  • “When you find that person, introduce yourself.” (Give them some direction about how they should introduce themselves.  Should they share their name, role within the company, number of brothers and sisters, where they are from, etc.?)
  • “Then, as a group, try to figure out what the connection is between the three thing mentioned on your cards.”  (Ask if anyone has any questions.  Then, let them find their matches.  After everyone is matched up, go around the room asking the groups to share their three cards and the connection between them.)

 

 

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November 15, 2010 · 12:06 pm

Hot Potato Name Game (ICEBREAKER)


Time

10-15 minutes
Description

This fun icebreaker can be an energizing way to help participants learn each other’s names.  It gets its name from the popular children’s game.

 

Materials

o  Something to represent the “hot potato” (You can use an actual potato, a ball, or anything else that can be passed easily.  You’ll need one per group.)

o  A bell or noisemaker that makes a significantly loud sound

Preparation

o  None

 

Procedure

Use the following script (or modify to suit your needs):

  • “We are going to play a game to help you get to know each other.”
  • “It’s called the Hot Potato Name Game, and it works like this.”  (Hold up one of the “hot potatoes.”)
  • “This is a ‘hot potato.’”
  • “Because it’s hot, you don’t want to hold onto it too long, or it will burn your fingers.”
  • “So, if the ‘hot potato’ is passed to you, you should pass it to someone else in your group.”
  • “But the tricky part is, you can’t pass it until you say the name of the person you are passing it to.”
  • “If you can’t remember anyone’s name, you have to keep holding the ‘hot potato’ until you do.”
  • “And if you have the ‘hot potato’ when I ring this bell (or make a noise with the noisemaker), you just got burned, and you are out of the game.”
  • “I will ring the bell at different times each round, so you better be fast at getting rid of your ‘hot potato.’”
  • “To get us started, I am going to put you into groups in small circles and have you go around your circle and introduce yourself.”  (Tell them what you want them to say when they introduce themselves.  Do you want them to just say their names, or would you like them to tell one or two things about themselves?  You might want them to each say their names several times so that everyone has a chance to memorize them.)
  • (Ask the group if they have any questions.  Then, put them in their small groups (about 8-10 people each), and let them do their introductions.)
  • (After about five minutes, give them their ‘hot potatoes’ and let them start passing.)
  • (After a few minutes, ring the bell, and have the person with the ‘potato’ step out of the circle.)
  • (Then, passing begins again.  This continues until you have only 2-3 people left in each group.)

 

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