ice breakers

LOLLIPOP: Pass out dum-dum lollipops to the group. For every letter that appears in the flavor, the participant has to share something about him/her with the group

M & M's GAME: This activity is very similar to the Toilet Paper Game, but instead of using a roll of toilet paper, you may use a bag of M & M�s. Make sure the group members do not eat their M & M�s until their turn has passed.

MAKE A DATE: Give each participant a paper plate. Have them draw the face of a clock on their plate with a line next to each number (no digitals!). Then have participants walk around a find a �date� for each hour, writing their name by the hour. The catch is, no one can make a �date� with more than one person per hour. After everyone has made their dates, speed up time and allow 1-3 minutes for each hour. The facilitator then asks a question for discussion on each date. The pairs will have a chance to get to know one another.

MUMBLE JUMBLE: Before the activity begins, the leader will cut up a few pictures into puzzle pieces. Each group member will grab a piece of a puzzle from a bag. The group members will keep their puzzle piece to themselves until the leader says, �GO!� At this point, the group members will try to locate the other members of the group with the pieces to form the appropriate pictures. Whichever group does it first, wins. Good activity for breaking into retreat/activity groups.

SELF INTRODUCTION EXERCISE: The objective of this exercise is for members of the team to become acquainted with one another to work more effectively as a team. Each individual needs to complete the paragraph below and then, if they feel comfortable disclosing, may be asked to share answers with the rest of the group.

Hello, my name is __________. I am ____ years old and I am majoring in ________. My hometown is ______________ and I really ________ it there because ______________. I always dreamed that someday I would ________________, and that dream has ______ true. I feel __________ about it now! Some things I like to do include ______________. There are many things I am good at and one of them is ______________. I did a really interesting thing once and that was ____________. My family consists of ______________. If I could change one thing about myself it would be _____________. Still, I am really glad to be here right now because ______________. I would really like to get together with anyone who be interested in _________________. The one thing I want to be remembered for is _______________. As far as future plans are concerned, I hope to be ________________ someday.

SENTENCE STEMS: Form dyads (2) or triads (3) and have participants complete the rest of the sentence. The leader can read the sentence to all of the participants or all participants can have sheets of paper with these listed and take their own time in covering them. (Excellent for roommates!) Here are some examples:

Before I came to CSU, my main interests were...

The way I would describe my family is...

The thing I remember most about highschool...

My fondest memories of another person are...

My most unusual friend is...

The things I value most are...

My favorite pastimes are...

Some of the things that make me happy are...

Where I hope to be five years from now...

The thing I would most like to accomplish this year...

The thing that concerns me most about college is...

Good starters for roommates might be:

The first day we met, the things I noticed about you were...

Since then, some things that surprised me about you were...

Something I like about you is...

It appears to me that an important difference between us is...

I think we might have to compromise on...

What I think I will get out of having a roommate is...

I think the most important thing I have learned from this discussion is...

SHOE FACTORY: Have the group stand in a large circle shoulder to shoulder. Then have everyone remove their shoes and put them in the center. After the group has formed a pile with their shoes, the leader has everyone choose two different shoes other than their own. They should put them on their feet (halfway if they are too small). The group then needs to successfully match the shoes and put them in proper pairs by standing next to the individual wearing the other shoe. This will probably result in a tangled mess - and lots of giggles!

SHOE GAME: Have the group stand in a large circle shoulder to shoulder. Then have everyone remove their shoes, tie them together, and place in center. Have one volunteer choose a pair of shoes other than their own and make one statement about the owner of the shoes (i.e. �The owner of these shoes must be very thrifty and economical to wear shoes in this condition!�). The owner of the shoes then comes forward, introduces him/herself, and picks out another pair of shoes to introduce. Game continues until all participants have introduced themselves.

SOLEMN AND SILENT: The instructor explains that this exercise will take self control. Members pair back to back. On the count of three, everyone must face their partner, look each other in the eyes, and then try to remain solemn and serious. No speaking! The first to smile or laugh must sit down. All who remain standing then take a new partner and the activity continues until only one person has not smiled or laughed. (Second round of playing can involve two teams competing to outlast each other.) If you get a pair at the end who are both keeping a straight face, the rest of the group can act ask hecklers to disrupt them.

STINGER: Have the group form a circle and close their eyes. Facilitator circles the group and selects a �stinger� by squeezing an individual�s shoulder. The group then opens their eyes and spends time introducing themselves to others while shaking hands (and trying to spot the stinger). The stinger tries to eliminate everyone without getting caught. The stinger strikes by injecting poison with their index finger, while shaking hands. A person stung may not die until at least five seconds after they are stung. The more dramatic the death, the better! When someone thinks they have discovered who the stinger is, they may announce that they know. If they get a �second� from someone else in the group within 10 seconds, the two of them may make an accusation. If the person does not get a second, he/she must wait to challenge again, after another person dies. If another person does step forward to second the challenge, both point to who they think it is on a count to three. If they do not point to the same person, or they both point to the wrong person, they both are automatically dead. If they select the correct person, the stinger is dead and the game is over.

STRING GAME: Participants select pre-cut lengths of string from the group facilitator . Each member holds the string between his/her thumb and forefinger. For each �wrap� of the string around the finger, participants must share one thing about themselves.

SUPERLATIVES: Participants are asked to study the composition of the group quietly and to decide on a superlative adjective that describes themselves in reference to the others (youngest, tallest, most uptight, etc.). They then tell their adjectives, explain, and, if possible, test their accuracy.

TOILET PAPER GAME: Get a roll of toilet paper and explain to your group that they are going camping and need to take as much toilet paper as they think they may need for a three day trip. Once everyone has an ample supply, explain to the group that for every square in their possession, they must share something about themselves. NOTE: If anyone knows the activity, ask them not to give away the secret under any circumstances.

TRUTH, TRUTH, LIE: Give the group some time to write down two things about themselves that are true, and one thing that is a �lie.� Each group member will then share these facts about themselves and the rest of the group has to figure out which �fact� is actually a �lie.�

UNCLE JOE�S SUITCASE: The group forms a circle. The first person states their name and the reason they picked this college, group, etc. You continue going around the group, repeating the names of the people preceding their name and why they chose to come to . You also can substitute the �why you came here� with other things. Another version of the game is to begin with, �I packed Uncle Fred�s suitcase with........� and continue around like that. The real trick is the last person in the group who has to name all the people and why they came, what they like, etc.

WHERE ARE YOU?: Pick a year or a date before the meeting and then give each person a chance to tell what they were doing on that date (Jan �87, Summer �90).

WHO AM I...OR FAMOUS PAIRS: In this exercise, group members will be asked to identify the names of famous pairs or persons. The leader tapes the name of a famous person on the back of each participant. (i.e. Fred Flinstone, Mary Lou Retton, Bill Clinton, etc.) The group member is not to see who is taped to their back. Their task is to find out who they are. The participants mill around the room asking others yes/no questions. If the member receives a �yes� answer, they can continue to ask that individual questions until they receive a �no� answer. Then they must continue on to ask someone else. When a group member figures out who they are, they take off the tag, put it on the front of their shirt, and write their own name on it. The member then can help other members find out who they are. The exercise concludes when all members have discovered who they are.