SNOWBALL FIGHT

Ideal Size
This game would work with any size.

Use For
Introductions, recapping learning, quiz prep, or any time you need to test retention.

Time Needed
As long as you can stand it. 20-30 minutes is ideal.

Materials Needed
Paper from your recycle bin would be perfect if one side is blank.

Instructions
If used for introductions, give each student a piece of paper and ask them to write their name and three fun things about themselves. Have them crumple the paper into a snowball. Divide the group into two teams on opposite sides of the room and let the snowball fight begin! When you call stop, each student is to pick up the nearest snowball and find the person whose name is inside. Once everyone has found their snowman or snowwoman, have them introduce him or her to the rest of the group. If used for recapping or test prep, ask students to write a question regarding the topic you want to review. Provide each student with several pieces of paper so there is abundant snow. If you want to make sure certain issues are covered, add some snowballs of your own. When the snowball fight is over, each student will pick up a snowball and answer the question in it. If your room accommodates this, it can be nice to keep students on their feet during this exercise since theyll be picking up snowballs throughout it. Moving around also helps people retain learning, and its a great way to energize a classroom.

PEOPLE BINGO Ideal Size

Use For
Introductions in the classroom or at a meeting.

Time Needed
30 minutes, depending on the size of the group.

Materials Needed
Bingo cards. See instructions below.

Instructions
If you know your participants, make a list of 25 interesting traits that describe different aspects of them, things like, plays the bongos, once lived in Sweden, has a karate trophy, has twins, collects childrens art, has a tattoo. If you dont know your participants, make a list of more general traits like drinks tea instead of coffee, loves the color orange, has two cats, drives a hybrid, went on a cruise in the last year. You can make these easy or difficult depending on how much time you want the game to take. There are lots of places online where you can type in your traits and print your own customized cards. Some are free; some are not.

Teachnology has a card maker that allows you to shuffle the phrases on each card. Print-Bingo.com allows you to customize with your own words or use their suggestions.

If youre making your own, bingo cards have five boxes across and five boxes down. B-I-N-GO! A simple table in Word does the trick. Fill in the boxes on a master and make copies. Leave room for signatures. When youre ready to play, give each participant a bingo card and a pen. Explain that the group has 30 minutes to mingle, introducing themselves, and finding people who match the traits on the card. They must put the persons name in the corresponding box or have the person sign the appropriate square. The first person to fill five boxes across or down yells BINGO! and the game is over. Ask participants to introduce themselves and share one of the interesting traits they learned about someone else.

DESCRIBING Ideal Size

Use For
Introductions or an energizer in the classroom or at a meeting.

Time Needed
20 minutes.

Materials Needed
None.

Instructions
Give your students a minute or two to choose three words they would use to describe themselves. Go around the room, ask participants to introduce themselves and share the three words that best describe them. Allow questions for fun.

Example
Hi, my name is Deb. I would describe myself as curious, kind, and annoying.

2 TRUTHS AND A LIE Group Size: Ideal for 10-15. Divide larger groups. Use for: Introductions at a meeting, in the classroom, around the pool, anywhere Time Needed: 15-20 minutes Materials Needed: None Instructions: Tell the group that each person will introduce him- or herself by stating two truths about their life and one lie. The rest of the participants will guess which statement is the lie. Example: Hi, I'm Mary. My hair was almost to my waist in high school, I talked to Cher in an airport coffee shop, and I speak four languages.

THE NAME GAME You may have people in your group who hate this ice breaker so much theyll still remember everyones name two years from now! Ha! You can make it harder by requiring everyone to add an adjective to their name that starts with the same letter (e.g. Cranky Carla, Blue-eyed Bob, Zesty Zelda). You get the gist.

Ideal Size
Up to 30. Larger groups have tackled this game, but it becomes increasingly harder, of course.

Use For
Introductions in the classroom or at a meeting. This is a fabulous game for classes involving memory.

Time Needed
Depends entirely on the size of the group and how much trouble people have remembering.

Materials Needed
None.

Instructions
The first person gives his or her name: Cranky Carla. The second person gives the first persons name and then his own name: Cranky Carla, Blue-eyed Bob. The third person starts at the beginning, reciting each person before her and adding her own: Cranky Carla, Blue-eyed Bob, Zesty Zelda.

2-MINUTE-MIXER You may have heard of 8-minute dating, where 100 people meet for an evening full of 8-minute dates. They talk to one person for 8 minutes and then move on to the next. Eight minutes is a long time in the classroom, so well call this ice breaker a 2-minute mixer. Ready? Go!

Ideal Size
This is a great mixer for large groups, especially if you don't require that everyone talks to everyone.

Use For
Introductions in the classroom or at a meeting, especially when you have space enough to move around.

Time Needed
30 minutes or more, depending on the size of the group.

Materials Needed
A clock or watch and a whistle or some other noise maker. You can also provide canned questions if you want, but its not necessary. Adults dont have any trouble making conversation on their own.

Instructions
Ask people to get up, pair up, and chat for 2 minutes with each other about whatever interests them. Youll be the timer. When 2 minutes are up, youll blow your whistle or make some other sound loud enough for everyone to hear. When they hear your signal, everyone is to find a new partner and chat for the next 2 minutes. If you have flexibility, allow enough time for everyone to have 2 minutes with every other person. If using this at the beginning of a course or meeting, combine it with introductions. After the mixer, ask each person to give his or her name, and share something interesting they learned from someone else during the mixer.

Have You Ever?

This an active, fun way to explore and celebrate the rich diversity of experiences that different people bring to any group. Works best with larger groups. The instructor explains that he/she will call out different things that may or may not apply to each person. If the item does apply to you, then run into the middle, jump in the air, and do a high 5 with anyone else who runs in. A list of about 20 items should be tailored to the particular group, setting, and program goals, but some suggestions are below. Usually the items are of a "Have You Ever....?" form, but also free to ad lib, e.g., "Does Anyone Have....?" Items should be carefully considered in order to prevent embarrassment, ridicule, etc. The motivation of participants to participate often needs some amping up. Try to do some other warm-ups first. The rest is down to the leader's skill in demonstrating and encouraging. List of Possible "Have Your Ever?" Items: 1. Have you ever climbed to the highest point in your country of birth? 2. Have you ever lived overseas for more than 1 year? 3. Have you ever sung karaoke? 4. Have you ever been without a shower for more than 2 weeks? 5. Do you have both a brother and a sister? 6. Have you ever ridden a horse? 7. Have you ever eaten frogs' legs? 8. Can you speak 3 or more languages? 9. Have you ever been in love with someone who was vegetarian? 10. Have you swum in 3 or more different oceans? 11. Have you ever flown an aeroplane? 12. Have you broken 3 or more bones in your body? 13. Have you done volunteer work sometime in the last month? 14. Have you ever free-climbed a tree or rockface more than 10 meters vertically? 15. Have you ever had a close relative who lived to over 100? 16. Have you ever cooked a meal by yourself for more than 20 people? 17. Have you ever kept a budgerigar as a pet? 18. Have you ever been parachuting or done a bungee jump? 19. Can you not click your fingers on your non-dominant hand? 20. Have you ever seen a polar bear?