Here are the icebreakers from the OBPCC training day,
plus a few more fun games!
Handiwork- identify what the cartoon hands are doing
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Connect the Dragons
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Group Draw
Materials: One piece of paper and a set of markers.
Version 1:
1) Group members sit in a circle around a desk or table.
2) The teacher or leader gives the group a “subject” for the picture.
It could be anything… a herd of cattle, a sports car, a city, whatever...
3) The teacher or leader tell the group they have “x” amount of time to draw the subject.
4) The group begins to draw the “subject.”
5) One person draws one line to begin and then passes the marker (or
chooses another color) to the next person to draw the next line and so
on.
6) There should be no talking (laughing is fine) while this process takes place.
7)After the time is up the group shared the drawing with the class.
Version 2:
1) Group members sit in a circle around a desk or table.
2) The teacher or leader gives the group “x” amount of time to make a group drawing.
3) The group begins to draw.
4) One person draws one line to begin and then passes the marker (or
chooses another color) to the next person to draw the next line and so
on.
5)There should be no talking (laughing is fine) while this process takes place.
6)After the time is up the group must NAME the drawing and then shared the drawing and the reasoning for the name with the class.
Then… teachers should post the pictures somewhere in the room! ☺
Human Tangle
Directions:
Ask a group of 10-16 individuals to face one another in a tight cluster. Ask each person to hold out their hands and to grasp the hand of someone on the other side of the cluster, so that each person is holding two different hands.
With arms intertwined and bodies nicely juxtaposed, challenge the group to try to unwind them from their “giant knot” arrangement so a hand-in-hand circle is formed.
Materials: None
Moonball
Directions: The object of this game is to keep a ball aloft for as many times as possible before it strikes the ground. A player cannot hit a ball twice in succession.
Depending on the group, set a goal of 30-100 hits to add incentive, or use more than one ball.
This game works well with people of all ages and can be utilized with groups of varying size. Larger groups may enjoy using more than one ball at a time.
Materials:
Beach Ball(s) Per Group
Warp Speed
Directions:
This game begins by asking group members to form a circle. A ball is tossed randomly, to each person. Throwing continues until each person in the group has caught and thrown the ball once. Emphasize that each person has to remember who they threw the ball to and who they received it from.
After establishing the sequence of throws from person-to-person, the group should pass the ball through the established sequence for time.
Using a stopwatch, determine an initial time for completing the sequence. The group should try to reduce the time by working together more closely as a team.
This game works best with small groups, but can be used with groups successfully up to 30.
Materials:
One Tennis Ball
One Stop Watch
Ah, Um, Like Game
Summary: Kick the “ah, um” habit and avoid these words in natural conversation.
Goal: Avoid saying the taboo words “Ah”, “Um”, “Like”, or “You Know”.
Preparation:
- List of topic ideas
- Timer/watch
How to play the game:
1. Separate everyone into groups of about three or four. A person must talk to their group about a certain topic for one full minute without saying the following taboo words: “Ah”, “Um”, “Like”, or “You Know”. If the person does not say the taboo words in the round, then the person can move to the second round. If they accidentally say a taboo word, then it'll be the next person's turn.
2. Have one person in each group volunteer to be first. Use the timer/watch to track a minute and announce one of the topics listed below.
3. Afterwards, have a different person from each team volunteer to go next and repeat the same exercise as above. The people who avoid saying the taboo words are the winners of the game.
List of Topic Ideas:
-Favorite Movie
-Favorite Animal
-Best Gift
-Favorite TV show
-What did you do last week?
-Summer Activities
-Birthday Party
-What would you do with $10,000?
-What do you want to be when you grow up?
-What is your favorite activity?
-What is your favorite dessert?
Materials: One piece of paper and a set of markers.
Version 1:
1) Group members sit in a circle around a desk or table.
2) The teacher or leader gives the group a “subject” for the picture.
It could be anything… a herd of cattle, a sports car, a city, whatever...
3) The teacher or leader tell the group they have “x” amount of time to draw the subject.
4) The group begins to draw the “subject.”
5) One person draws one line to begin and then passes the marker (or
chooses another color) to the next person to draw the next line and so
on.
6) There should be no talking (laughing is fine) while this process takes place.
7)After the time is up the group shared the drawing with the class.
Version 2:
1) Group members sit in a circle around a desk or table.
2) The teacher or leader gives the group “x” amount of time to make a group drawing.
3) The group begins to draw.
4) One person draws one line to begin and then passes the marker (or
chooses another color) to the next person to draw the next line and so
on.
5)There should be no talking (laughing is fine) while this process takes place.
6)After the time is up the group must NAME the drawing and then shared the drawing and the reasoning for the name with the class.
Then… teachers should post the pictures somewhere in the room! ☺
Human Tangle
Directions:
Ask a group of 10-16 individuals to face one another in a tight cluster. Ask each person to hold out their hands and to grasp the hand of someone on the other side of the cluster, so that each person is holding two different hands.
With arms intertwined and bodies nicely juxtaposed, challenge the group to try to unwind them from their “giant knot” arrangement so a hand-in-hand circle is formed.
Materials: None
Moonball
Directions: The object of this game is to keep a ball aloft for as many times as possible before it strikes the ground. A player cannot hit a ball twice in succession.
Depending on the group, set a goal of 30-100 hits to add incentive, or use more than one ball.
This game works well with people of all ages and can be utilized with groups of varying size. Larger groups may enjoy using more than one ball at a time.
Materials:
Beach Ball(s) Per Group
Warp Speed
Directions:
This game begins by asking group members to form a circle. A ball is tossed randomly, to each person. Throwing continues until each person in the group has caught and thrown the ball once. Emphasize that each person has to remember who they threw the ball to and who they received it from.
After establishing the sequence of throws from person-to-person, the group should pass the ball through the established sequence for time.
Using a stopwatch, determine an initial time for completing the sequence. The group should try to reduce the time by working together more closely as a team.
This game works best with small groups, but can be used with groups successfully up to 30.
Materials:
One Tennis Ball
One Stop Watch
Ah, Um, Like Game
Summary: Kick the “ah, um” habit and avoid these words in natural conversation.
Goal: Avoid saying the taboo words “Ah”, “Um”, “Like”, or “You Know”.
Preparation:
- List of topic ideas
- Timer/watch
How to play the game:
1. Separate everyone into groups of about three or four. A person must talk to their group about a certain topic for one full minute without saying the following taboo words: “Ah”, “Um”, “Like”, or “You Know”. If the person does not say the taboo words in the round, then the person can move to the second round. If they accidentally say a taboo word, then it'll be the next person's turn.
2. Have one person in each group volunteer to be first. Use the timer/watch to track a minute and announce one of the topics listed below.
3. Afterwards, have a different person from each team volunteer to go next and repeat the same exercise as above. The people who avoid saying the taboo words are the winners of the game.
List of Topic Ideas:
-Favorite Movie
-Favorite Animal
-Best Gift
-Favorite TV show
-What did you do last week?
-Summer Activities
-Birthday Party
-What would you do with $10,000?
-What do you want to be when you grow up?
-What is your favorite activity?
-What is your favorite dessert?