Nicole Verret

10/28/2015

LEI 4724

Ice Breakers
Citation Source: Combs, M. M&Ms. (2016). Conversation Group. Creative Forecasting 28(1).
p. 39.
Equipment Needed: candy pieces such as m&ms.
Activity Description: This activity can work in a small or large group, with participants who do
not know each other well, or perhaps for a first meeting. This can be done with any age group or
demographic. Participants are able to take as many or as few m&ms (or any other candy). They
should be instructed to not eat them immediately, and once each participant has their candy, give
them instructions that each color represents a topic the need to share with the group about. I.e.
yellow can be about likes or dislikes, red about family, orange career, etc. The topics can be
adjusted based upon the topic of the group, age, or other demographic information that draws the
group together.
Leadership Considerations This activity is meant to encourage initial interactions between
group members to build rapport. It will be important for the facilitator to keep the topics of a
somewhat light nature so that the participants feel comfortable sharing without being asked to
share their deepest, darkest secrets. It is also good for the facilitator to be well versed to navigate
conversations if some participants have poor boundaries and perhaps share too much information
to start or if participants ask questions that make other participants uncomfortable.
Adaptations For participants with visual impairments, provide a ledger on either a white board,
or hand out of the colors and the corresponding questions. This could also be done on a projector
or through a computer system where communication aids can be used. For participants who may
have greater difficulty building relationships with others, or difficulty trusting (perhaps in a
mental health group) give the participants the categories so that they can choose what
information they are comfortable sharing with the group.