Icebreakers
Below are Samples from “The Games Box”
When you pre-order this fantastic resource you you will automatically receive a 50% discount on that purchase, a free guide on how to organise a games session and these sample games from “The Games Box” in a form that you can print out and use as individual cards.
ALPHABET OBJECT RACE
Divide players into small groups. Hand each group a plastic bucket. On a given signal from the leader each group is to assemble in the bucket, from their own person or belongings, an object representing each letter of the alphabet (e.g. address book, bankcard, cuff-link, etc. through to Z). The first group to assemble all the objects wins.
Required: 1 bucket (eg. ice-cream container) per group
ANIMAL FAMILIES
On entering the room, each player is given a card with an animal on it (make sure there are four of every animal). At a signal from the leader everyone must make the noise their animal makes and try to find their partners.
Required: Enough sets of animal cards for the whole group.
BEACH BALL BRAINSTORM
Players form a circle. Announce a topic (things associated with a season, a holiday, the course content, the company, etc.). Then at random around the circle toss an inflatable beach ball. Each time a person catches the ball, they shout out something related to the topic and then toss the ball to someone else.
CHOCOLATE GAME
Place a large chocolate bar on a plate with the knife and fork in the centre of the circle. Each player in turn throws the dice. If they get a six, they must run into the middle of the circle, put on all of the clothes, and eat the chocolate one square at a time with the knife and fork. Meanwhile however, the dice continues round and if someone else gets a six then the person currently in the centre must take off all the clothes and return to the circle, and the person who just got the six takes over. Finish the game when all the chocolate has gone.
Required: A large bar of chocolate, knife and fork, plate, dice, hat, gloves, jumper (or other items of clothing).
COLOURFUL FACTS
Take a large bowl of “MnMs” or “Smarties” and ask each participant to take some and hold them in their hand. After the whole group has received them, tell them that for each “MnM” they have in their hand they must come up with a fact about themselves.
Red = something that makes them angry
Orange = something that makes them happy
Green = their favourite place in nature
Yellow = something that they are afraid of
Blue = something that makes them sad
Brown = something they want to change about themselves
Required: Sufficient packs of “MnMs”/ “Smarties” to supply the whole group with a handful.
FACT SHEETS
Ask each player to take a length of toilet tissue from a roll. After they have all taken some, tell them that for each panel of tissue they must find one positive thing about themselves. Get each person to share these facts about themselves with the rest of the group.
HUMAN KNOT
Players are divided into groups of 10-15. They must stand very close together. Tell them to reach out their arms and grab the hands of two other people in the group, but not the one of the person/s next to them. Now they are a human knot and must use teamwork to untangle themselves into one circle without letting go of their hands.
FLIPPER RELAY
Divide the group into teams. Each team is divided again in two and the two halves line up at opposite ends of the game space. Between the two parts of the team, chairs are randomly placed. Each team is given a pair of flippers and plastic binoculars. With the flippers on their feet and the binoculars turned back to front the players must weave between the chairs; looking through the binoculars the wrong way, and give their flippers and binoculars to their team-mate at the other end of the space. The first team to navigate through the chairs wins.
Required: chairs, 2 pairs of binoculars, 2 pairs of flippers
HAPPY FAMILIES
Card sets need to be made up prior to the exercise. Cards should be randomly handed to all players who are then told to mill around the room. At a signal from the leader they have to find the family group to which they belong. The Daddy needs to be seated first. Mummy sits on top of Daddy. Junior sits on top of Mummy and Baby, sits on top of Junior. The last group to get in a pile of four loses.
Required: Sets of four cards are created in family groups.
E.g.: Daddy Freud, Mummy Freud, Baby Freud, Freud Junior. (other names could include Disney, Bush, Gates, Schwarzenegger etc)
HUMAN ANAGRAMS
The players are divided into teams. Each team receives one set of alphabet cards. The cards are distributed to the players on each team. The leader asks a pre-written question of the teams. The first team to arrange their alphabet cards, to spell out the answer gets one point. The team with the most points after the last question wins.
Required: Several alphabet card sets.
1) Have between ten to twenty questions worked out.
2) If any answer uses a single letter two or more times, make sure you
have that same number of that letter on the alphabet card set.
3) Write the letters large enough for everyone to see.
ICEBREAKER BINGO
Prepare ‘Bingo’ type cards beforehand. Each player is given a card at the start of the session. At a signal from the leader the players circulate amongst each other and find people that match the statements in each square. They must get a signature from that person and write down one interesting fact about them. Only one person per square is allowed. The first person to fill all the squares cries “Bingo!”. S/he is the winner and receives a prize. There are prizes for second, third and fourth place. The game continues until everyone’s card is filled.
Required: Bingo cards for each member of the group (15 boxes per Bingo card is suitable) with statements like “green eyes” “a moustache or beard” “loves tennis” etc. in each box of the card.
IDEAL DINNER GUEST
Divide the participants into small groups. Players are told they are able to invite any 3 guests they wish to a special dinner. Each player presents their “Ideal Dinner Guests” to the others. After hearing from everyone, the group selects their “all-star” team of 3 guests from all those listed most by their team and presents it to the whole group.
For a comprehensive set of games cards for every age group, every occasion, in 11 different categories, look at “The Games Box” .
Harry Tawse | 
July 19, 2009 2:24 pm
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