Icebreaker Activities
West Wind Blows
Overview
5-10 minutes minimum
Group size: Minimum 6 participants
Familiarity/Dynamics: unfamiliar
Mobility/accessibility: walking/running required
Space: need open space in a room for a circle of chairs
Instructions
- Set up chairs in a circle with 1 less chair than there are participants
- Volunteer starter stands in the middle and says “West wind blows for anyone who… [example: anyone who is wearing running shoes]”
- Those who are wearing [running shoes] have to stand up and switch seats
- You cannot switch to a seat beside yours
- Person who is left without a seat now says “West wind blows for anyone who…”
Meet Your Neighbour
Overview
5-10 minutes minimum
Group size: Minimum 6 participants
Familiarity/Dynamics: unfamiliar
Mobility/accessibility: walking/running required
Space: need open space in a room for a circle of chairs
Instructions
- Choose one person to stand in the middle of the circle. (The facilitator may want to take the lead to provide an example of how this energizer works.)
- Have the person in the centre say their name, and ask to meet anyone with a certain trait or characteristic. For example; "My name is Joe, and I would like to meet anyone wearing black shoes." or "My name is Sue, and I would like to meet anyone who can drive a car with a standard transmission."
- Anyone who matches this description, or possesses this particular trait must get up and exchange chairs. No one is allowed to move to the chair directly on either side of them, nor are they able to get up and sit down in the same seat. The one left in the centre begins another round. 4. End the game
Knight, Horses and Cavaliers
Overview
10 minutes minimum
Group size: Minimum 10 participants
Familiarity/Dynamics: unfamiliar/medium
Mobility/accessibility: walking/running required
Space: need open space in a room
Instructions
- Have the group pair up, and identify a leader (facilitator)
- The partners split off to opposite sides of the room
- The leader yells out either "knight", "horse", or "cavalier"
- "Knight" means that one partner gets down on one knee and the other partner sits on his/her exposed knee.
- "Horse" means that one partner gets down on all fours and the other partner sits on his/her back.
- "Cavalier" means that one partner picks the other partner up in the style of a groom carrying the bride over the threshold, or they can just lift one leg
- When one of these positions is called out, the partners have to scramble to find their partners and assume said position
- The last pair to do so is out, and so it goes until there is a winning team
Evolution
Overview
10 minutes minimum
Group size: Minimum 10 participants
Familiarity/Dynamics: unfamiliar
Mobility/accessibility: walking required
Space: need open space in a room, can navigate around chairs/desks
Instructions
- Everyone starts as an amoeba, evolve to egg, chicken, crocodile, superhuman through rock paper scissors
- Introduce yourself, play rock paper scissors with someone the same animal as you, whoever wins evolves
Cheerleader rock, paper, scissors
Overview
5-10 minutes minimum
Group size: Minimum 10 participants
Familiarity/Dynamics: unfamiliar
Mobility/accessibility: walking required
Space: need open space in a room, can navigate around chairs/desks
Instructions
- Introduce, play rock paper scissors, whoever wins continues, whoever loses tags along behind the winner cheering them on
- By the end a couple people with have cheerleader trains behind them
Colours or Speedy Circle
Overview
5 minutes minimum
Group size: Minimum 6 participants
Familiarity/Dynamics: unfamiliar
Mobility/accessibility:
Space: need space enough to make a circle of chairs
Instructions
- Ask participants to form a circle
- Choose from the categories (colours, animals, movies, etc.…)
- Rules are: one person starts at the beginning of the alphabet
- For example, category is animals, first person starts with an animal that starts with the letter A (ant), going clockwise, next person says an animal that starts with the letter B (bear)
- They have to say the animal immediately, if they don’t they are eliminated from the circle
- Last one left wins!