ice-breaking games

Description: Welcome! All of these games are thought for the European-wide non-profit
association AEGEE: discover how to experience great ice-breaking games with new
friends from all over the continent on www.aegee.org/su! And now, have a nice time
reading :)

Artifact Game
Each person is told ahead of time to bring ten papers with words on it with some
meaning to them to whatever event you are doing this at. When they arrive, give them
a bag with a number on it and get them to carefully place their papers into it. Then
make sure each person gets someone else's bag. They have ten minutes to write
down ideas about what the person who owns the expressions is like, and to try to
guess who they are. It is best if you don't do the guessing until after everyone has
had their say. This would also work as an end of camp game, to see what people
have learned about each other.
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Chairs
Everyone gets a chair and sits in a circle. The leader has a list of items he reads out.
If any of them apply to you, you move the appropriate number of seats clockwise.
Examples: 1. Anyone with one brother, move one seat clockwise. If you have two
brothers, move two seats. 2. Anyone with black hair, move one seat clockwise. 3.
Anyone over the age of 21, move one seat counter clockwise. 4. Everyone wearing
brown shoes, move one seat, etc.
The idea is to move all around the circle, and end up back where you started. It
becomes fun because if you move, but your neighbour doesn't, you sit on his lap!
Sometimes, you can have three people occupying the same chair!! Make sure you
have lots of categories so that everyone gets lots of chances to move, e.g. all hair
colours (at different times, of course), and so on.
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Cosmic Catch
Form a circle. Have 2-4 (or more if you're brave) items to throw (e.g. Koosh ball,
stuffed animal, knotted bandana, etc). Before you throw to someone you have to say
their name. Each person can only be the catcher 1 time. The last person would throw
it back to the starter. Once you have gone trough the circle once, the trick is to repeat
the sequence and *add* more items so there are several items being thrown at once!
Each person has to remember who to throw to and who threw to them. To make it
really interesting, *reverse* the direction of throwing, so each person would be
throwing to the person who had thrown to them in the previous round. (Be nice - let
people know *before* you start the reverse round!)
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Dr. Mix-Up
All the girls stand in a circle, holding hands. Select one or two girls to be "Dr. Mix-
Up"... they leave the room for a moment. When they're gone, everyone else does
their best to get tangled up, by climbing over arms, under legs etc., without letting go
of their neighbours' hands. When the circle is suitably tangled, everyone yells "Dr.
Mix-Up! Come and fix us!". The Dr. Mix-Ups then come in and try to untangle the
circle by directing individuals to go under arms, around bodies, etc. This game is also
an excellent 30-second game or Co-operative game.
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I Like People Who...
Everyone needs a place marker to stand on - tape, rubber spot or even a chalk mark.
Everyone forms a circle and stands on their spot. One girl is in the middle, her spot is
removed. She calls out "I like people who . . ." Suggestions: like camping, eat cereal
for breakfast, love Brownies. Anyone who falls into that category must change places
with another person in the circle to whom the statement applies. "It" tries to get a spot
also and the person who is left in the middle makes the next statement. You may not
take a space next to you!
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Quirks
Everyone is asked to tell the group three of their personal quirks, either past or
present. Two must be true and one is false. The rest of the group must decide which
quirk is false. This was a hoot! We played three rounds: personal quirks and
idiosyncrasies, pet peeves and dislikes, and the most bizarre situations you've ever
been in.
For example:
I once pulled all the muscles in my knee because I was running around in swimming
flippers.
I once knitted a scarf on a pair of "legs" from a flamingo lawn ornament.
I once was really late for school because I locked myself in a garage.
Which of these do you think is false? :-) (by the way, if you CAN guess this correctly,
there may be a prize in it for you! For example a kiss, a glass of beer…)

The Great Shoe Dive

This game works best with lots and lots of players, at least 30-40. Get everyone to
take off their left shoe. Put all the shoes in a pile. At "Go!", everyone dives for the pile
and grabs a shoe, any shoe. The object of the game is then for each player to find the
person who has their shoe and reclaim it!

The Name Game

Sit all the people in a circle. One of the persons (or a leader) starts off the game by
saying "Hi! My name is...". Then the person next to the beginner continues by saying
"Hi! My name is... and sitting next to me is...". This continues on around the circle,
until the last person to introduce himrself also has to introduce the entire circle! This
is a great way to learn names.

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The Name Jive

Sit everyone in a circle. Leaders have a special role to play in this game, so make
sure they participate too! The goal of this game is to learn everyone's name by
making up a silly rhyme. Following around the circle, each person has a chance to
make up a silly rhyme about himself. Once he's said his rhyme, everyone repeats it.
Meanwhile the leaders must quickly think up a second line to their verse. Here is an
example: Person 1: "Bouncy Becky plays ball." Everyone: "Bouncy Becky plays ball."
Leader: (totally spontaneously) "She plays it in the spring and fall!" Everyone: "She
plays it in the spring and fall!" Person 2: "Kooky Carrie kicks the couch." Everyone:
"Kooky Carrie kicks the couch." Leader: "She holds her toe and then says OUCH!"
Everyone: "She holds her toe and then says OUCH!"

Proceed around the circle in this fashion. Once everyone has had a chance to make
up a rhyme for themselves, go around the circle again as fast as possible, trying to
remember both parts of everyone's rhyme along the way.
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Who Am I?
You will need paper, markers, and safety pins. This is another game that works best
with a theme. Again I will describe this using the "cartoon" theme. For each player,
write down the name of a cartoon character on a piece of paper and pin it to the
player's back. The goal of the game is for the people to figure out what cartoon
character they are by asking other persons questions. They can only ask each person
one question!

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CONFUSION: Great high energy game to help participants begin to feel more
comfortable in new group. Give each participant a sheet with various tasks and ask
them to complete it when you say, “GO!” Here is a sample:
Get a male to do five push-ups and sign here
Stand on one foot with your arms outstreched for 20 seconds.
Have someone time you and sign here
Leap frog over someone 5 times
Get someone to whisper the pledge of allegiance and sign here
Get a female to recite a nursery rhyme
Have someone teach you a dance step (even if they make it up)
  First person to complete the entire sheet, wins.
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HOG CALL: Break the group into pairs. Each pair must choose two things; a machine
and an animal. They then have to decide who is which. The pairs then divide up on
opposite sides of the room. Everyone must close their eyes (if they feel comfortable),
and by making only the noise that their character would make, they must find their
partner. When they find their partner, they can open their eyes and wait until
everyone else is done. Note: When conducting an activity with eyes closed, have the
group raise their hands in front of their chests as “bumpers,” and have at least one
person (facilitator) acting as a spotter.
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HUM THAT TUNE: Each person in the group is given a small piece of paper with the
name of a nursery rhyme or other song written on the paper. (i.e. a famous song from
your country) All of the people who are given the song must hum that tune and fine
everyone else singing the song. They then form a group.
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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.
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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!
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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.
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ARCH BALL: Players (10-30) are divided into two equal teams. Each team forms a
line, one in front of the other, about arms distance apart. The ball starts in the front
and must be passed over the head to the back of the line. When the last person
receives the ball, he/she must run with it to the front of the line and continue passing
the ball. The first team to return the ball to the original lineup wins.
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BALLOON TAG: Tie strings to balloons and then tie one balloon to each person’s
ankle. It is every man/woman for him/herself in this one! The object of the game is to
pop everyone else’s balloons while making sure that your’s does not get popped.
Once your balloon is popped, you are out of the game.
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BANANA RELAY: This activity is very similar to the “Neck Race.” However, in this
game, a banana is placed between the knees of the first person, and it must be
placed between the next person’s knees - without using any hands. If the banana
drops, it starts with the first person in line. First team to finish successfully, wins.    
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CAPTURE THE FLAG: The playing area is divided in half; at each right-hand rear
corner is a rectangle that is known as the jail or prison (you could also use a goal if on
a soccer field). The group is divided into two teams. Each team should decide where
to place their flag (a towel, shirt, or whatever) on their side of the field. The object of
the game is to get the other team’s flag. Once the game is started, anyone who steps
over the center line into the opponent’s half is eligible to be caught and taken to
 prison. A player must get through the enemy’s lines without getting tagged. Prisoners
may be rescued by teammates who get through enemy lines without being tagged
and can touch the prisoner’s hand. (The prisoners can line themselves up by holding
hands and stretching toward the center line as long as one person is still holding the
goal or in the jail area.) If rescued, both the prisoner(s) and the rescuer must walk
back to their own side with their arms up. To win the game, a player must get the flag
back across the mid-line of the playing area. If a player has the flag and gets tagged,
the flag can either go back to where it was, or be dropped where the person got
tagged. That player goes to jail. Teams may have only have one person protecting
the flag.    
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FREEZE TAG: This is played just like tag except that once you have been tagged,
you are frozen. The only way to get unfrozen is to have someone go under your legs.
To make the game harder, have more than one person be “it.”
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ICE CUBES: Divide the players into two equal teams. At a starting signal, each team
picks up an ice cube and tries to melt it as quickly as possible. Players can rub it
between their hands or against their clothes, but they may NOT put it in their mouths.
While they are trying to melt the ice cube, it should be passed around the team
frequently - no player should keep it for more than a few seconds at a time. Players
should keep it off the ground too. The first team to melt its ice cube, wins. On a really
hot day, you may want to play more than one round of this one!

Hodgy Podgy
Summary: Hodgy Podgy is a simple (and entertaining!) rhythm game that has each person go
around taking turns adding words to create a story.

Ages: 10 and up.  Recommend # of people: 6-15.  Messiness factor: No Sweat.  Materials
Required: None.  Recommended Setting: Indoors.

Instructions:  Hodgy Podgy (also known as Hodgey Podgey and the Hodgy Podgy Word
Game) is a simple yet very fun rhythm game.  A group of people stand in a circle, with
everyone facing the center.  Choose a person who will start the round.  He or she starts to
clap a relatively slow rhythm (slap both legs on the first beat, then clap hands on second beat,
thumbs-up on left hand for third beat, and thumbs-up on right hand on fourth beat, and repeat
the four beat cycle).  Everyone in the circle matches the rhythm set by the leader.  To start
each round, the leader says (while clapping to the rhythm, one beat per word), “Hodgy
podgy, hodgy podgy, hodgy podgy, hodgy podgy!”

The leader starts a sentence by saying any word on the one beat (for example, he or she could
say the word “Big” as he or she slaps their legs on beat one).  The next person in the circle
must continue the story by adding the next word in the sentence by the first beat of the next
rhythm cycle (for example, the 2nd person could say “dogs,” so the sentence is now “Big
dogs..”).  The third person in the circle must continue the story by adding the 3rd word in the
sentence at the right time (for example, the person could say the word “eat,” making the
current sentence “Big dogs eat..”).  The next person in line must continue the sentence.  Each
word must make logical and grammatical sense when added to the sentence.  If a person
wants to end the sentence, he or she says a punctuation word, such as “period” or
“exclamation point” or “question mark.”  At this point, the next person in the circle starts the
new sentence.

An example of a sample round of play would look like this (assuming there are 6 players in
the circle):
  Player 1 (while clapping a 4 beat rhythm): “Hodgy podgy, hodgy podgy, hodgy
podgy, hodgy podgy!”
 Player 1 starts sentence on beat one: “Big..”
 Player 2 continues sentence on beat one of next cycle: “..dogs..”
 Player 3 continues sentence on beat one of next cycle: “..eat..”
 Player 4 continues sentence on beat one of next cycle:
 “..yummy..”
 Player 5 continues sentence on beat one of next cycle: “..food..”
 Player 6 continues sentence on beat one of next cycle: “..when..”
 Player 1 continues sentence on beat one of next cycle: “..they..”
 Player 2 continues sentence on beat one of next cycle: “..are..”
 Player 3 continues sentence on beat one of next cycle: “..hungry..”
 Player 4 ends sentence on beat one of next cycle by saying: “..PERIOD..”
 Player 5 starts new sentence on beat one of next cycle: “They..”
 Player 6 continues sentence on beat one of next cycle: “..are..”
 Player 1 continues sentence on beat one of next cycle: “..very..”
 Player 2 continues sentence on beat one of next cycle: “..smelly..”
 Player 3 ends sentence on beat one of next cycle by saying: “..EXCLAMATION
POINT..”
 Player 4 starts new sentence on beat one of next cycle by saying: “Bob..”

And the game continues, as players create silly stories together, word by word.

When a player makes a mistake (is unable to continue the sentence in time, or says something
logically or gramatically correct) the round ends and he becomes the person who starts the
next round.  This game offers lots of entertainment and is a little educational too!

Giants, Wizards, and Elves

Summary: An icebreaker / action oriented game good for medium and large sized groups. 
Similar to a game of rock, paper, scissors, two teams face off and decide to become either
“giants,” “wizards,” or “elves.” Giants defeat elves, elves defeat wizards, and wizards defeat
giants.

Ages: 10 and up.  Recommended # of People: 20 and up (large groups work fine too!). 
Messiness factor: Might break a small sweat!  Materials Required: None.  Recommended
Setting: Indoors or Outdoors.

Giants, Wizards, & Elves

Giants, Wizards, and Elves is a fun, silly icebreaker game that is a good way to break the ice
at meetings or in classrooms.  It’s a simple game based on the classic game of rock, paper,
scissors.
Setup
Teach everyone how to become three characters: the giant, the wizard, and the elf.  Each
character features hand motions and a noise.

 For the giant, each person stands on their tippy toes, lifts up their arms, and makes an
angry growling noise: “Roooar!”
 For the wizard, each person crouches a little bit, flutters their fingers as though they
are casting a spell, and they make a magical noise: “Woooo!”
  For the elf, each person gets down very low on their knees, cups their hands around
their ears, and makes a high pitched elf noise: “Eeeeee!”

Practice each motion together a few times.  Divide everyone into two teams and have them
separate into opposite sides of the room. The game invovles several rounds.  For each round,
the following takes place:

1. Each team forms a huddle and decides to become a giant, wizard, or elf.
2. Both teams then line up and face each other, about 5 feet apart.
3. The facilitator says “3..2..1..Go!”
4. Each team acts out the giant, wizard, or elf (whatever they decided to become).
5. As soon as they act out their character, the winner tries to grab the loser and pulls as
many people over to their side as they can.  The loser tries to run away, back to their
side, in order to be safe.  The winner of each round is determined by the
following.The giant defeats the elf because giants “squash” elves.
Elves defeat wizards by outsmarting them, chewing at their legs.
The wizard defeats the giant by “zapping” them with a magic spell.
Identical characters are a draw (no one wins).This process keeps repeating for
multiple rounds until one team is entirely consumed (or when time runs out.)

Variations

Other variations of this game exist - or you can make up your own.  Be creative!

Human Knot Icebreaker

Summary: A good icebreaker or teambuilding activity for new people

to learn to work together - in close physical proximity! The goal is to figure out how to
untangle the human knot without letting go of hands.

Ages: 12 and up. Recommended number of people: 7-200 (group sizes of 10 are ideal).
Messiness factor: Might break a sweat - (close proximity - hope you’re not claustrophobic!).
Materials required: None. Recommended setting: Both indoors or outdoors.

Human Knot Game

Goals of the Human Knot Game:

 Team building and communication

 Problem solving
 Ice-breaker or get to know others better

Setup for the Human Knot Game:

This game is versatile in that multiple group sizes can play. Form groups of about 10 people
each. Have each group standing, facing towards each other, in a circle. Each person should be
standing shoulder to shoulder. First, instruct everyone to lift their left hand and reach across
to take the hand of someone standing across the circle. Next, have everyone lift their right
and reach across to take the hand of another person standing across the circle. Make sure that
no one is holding hands with someone standing directly beside the person.

How to Play the Human Knot Game

To play, the groups must communicate and figure out how to untangle the knot (forming a
circle of people) without ever letting go of any hands. If you wish, this icebreaker can be
played competitively, in which the facilitator says “Ready.. Set.. Go!” and has all the groups
race to become the first group to finish. If any group member lets go of a hand (breaks the
chain), then the group must start from the beginning, or you could impose a
penalty/punishment for that person (e.g. wear a blindfold).

This game typically takes 15-30 minutes to complete. You can impose a time limit if you
wish to make the game more challenging. When you are done with the Human Knot activity,
you can ask some debrief questions if you wish, such as “How well did you group work
together? What strategies did your group adopt? How did it feel to solve the game?” etc.

Variations

To increase the difficulty level, you can either (1) blindfold some of the players or (2) require
that the game be played silently (no talking).

M&M Game
Summary: The M&M Game is an icebreaker that allows people to get to know each other.
Each person grabs some M&Ms and shares facts about himself or herself.

Ages: All. Recommend number of people: Groups of 3-12. Messiness factor: No sweat.
Materials required: A large bag of M&Ms or any candy with multiple colors (e.g. Skittles).

M&M Game
This icebreaker is a simple way to help people introduce facts about themselves. It’s very
flexible and adaptable - and (if you have a sweet tooth) delicious too! The M&Ms Game goes
by other names: the Skittles Game, the Candy Game, the Color Game, among other names.

Setup

Pour M&Ms or any other multicolor candy into a bowl. Have everyone in the group grab as
much or as little as they like from the bowl.Make sure that no one eats their candy right away.

How to Play

For each piece of M&M candy they took, they will have to answer a question, depending on
its color. For example, you can designate:

 Red candy: favorite hobbies

 Green candy: favorite foods
 Yellow candy: favorite movies
  Orange candy: favorite places to travel
 Brown candy: most memorable or embarrassing moments
 Blue candy: wild cards (they can share anyone they choose)  

You can be creative and choose any questions you think would be fitting for your group. The
facilitator will then call out the color topic and everyone will go around the room sharing 1
answer per M&M. As an example: if you chose two red pieces of candy, you will have to
name two of your favorite hobbies. After the individual has shared that color with the group,
he/she may then eat their candy. Continue to go around the room until each color topic has
been shared. (This game was provided by LeeLee1433. Thanks LeeLee!)

First Impressions Game

Summary: An icebreaker (or party game) in which people write their first impressions of each
other on a large paper taped to their backs.

Ages: 13 and up. Recommended number of people: At least 10. Works with very large
groups and meetings. Mesiness factor: No mess, no stress! Materials required: A large piece
of paper or posterboard for each participant, pens/markers, sturdy tape. Recommended
Setting: Indoors or outdoors.

First Impressions Game

This is a fun game that involves writing your first impression of someone you meet. If some
people already know each other, that’s fine too — people can simply write some nice,
encouraging words or adjectives to describe each other. This works well as an icebreaker for
meetings, when there are new people present, or when people don’t know each other well. It
can be entertaining as a party game, too.

To set up First Impressions, pass out the large sheets of paper and writing utensils. Have each
person write their name on the top of a sheet of paper. Tape each person’s sheet to their back
so that they can’t see it. Instruct everyone to mingle with each other and to converse. Tell
everyone to say hello and to introduce each other for a few moments. After a minute or so,
ask each person to write an adjective (their “first impression” of the person they just spoke
with) on each other’s papers. Then have each person continue mingling with new people,
repeating the process. After 10-20 minutes (depending on how large your group is and how
long you want this activity to run), each person should have several adjectives and descriptive
words listed on their backs. Go around the room and introduce each other, reading the words
writen on your neighbor’s paper. This should be pretty humorous, and if people did this
activity correctly, there should be lots of kind things said about each other.

Important note: instruct everyone to write nice (or encouraging) words ONLY! Do not allow
any mean, rude, or critical words to be written. For example, one can write words such as
“beautiful smile,” “great sense of humor,” “smart and witty personality,” “gifted listener,”
etc.

(Credits: This game was brought to you by osu_fan. Thanks, osu_fan!)

Two Truths and a Lie
Summary: A good get-to-know-you icebreaker in which each person says two truths and one
lie. The goal is to figure out which statement is the lie.

Ages: All. Recommended # of people: 6-10. Messiness factor: No Sweat. Materials Required:
None. Recommended Setting: Indoors.

Two Truths and a Lie

Two Truths and a Lie is the classic icebreaker game in which one attempts to identify which
of three statements is bogus.

Instructions: Have everyone sit in a circle. Each person prepares three statements, two of
which are true and one of which is a lie. In any order, the person shares the three statements
to the entire group. The object of the game is to figure out which statement a lie. The rest of
the group votes on each statement, and the person reveals which one is the lie.

Variation: Two Truths and a Dream Wish. As an interesting variation to the classic Two
Truths and a Lie icebreaker, people may also play a version called Two Truths and a Dream
Wish. Instead of stating a lie, a person says something that is not true — yet something that
they wish to be true. For example, someone that has never been to Hawaii might say: “I have
visited Hawaii when I was young.” This interesting spin often leads to unexpected,
fascinating results, as people often share touching wishes about their lives.

Simon Says
Summary: A classic kids’ icebreaker/stationary game in which the leader, Simon, instructs
people to do various actions. The goal is to only do something when Simon says so, and to do
nothing when he doesn’t.

Ages: All ages. Recommended number of people: Any size group, including large groups.
Messiness factor: No sweat. Materials required: Nothing. Recommended setting: Indoors.

Simon Says Game

Simon Says is a classic game that is traditionally played by kids and families, although it can
also work with college students and adults as a lighthearted icebreaker.

How to Play Simon Says

One person plays the role of “Simon”, and he or she stands facing the crowd. Simon explains
the rules: “I am Simon. I will give you instructions to do various actions, and you must
imitate my actions. I will instruct you to do various things by saying ‘Simon says, do
something’, where something is an action like touching your head, waving your hand, and so
on. If you do something without me saying ‘Simon says’, then you are eliminated for that
round.”

Simon (the game facilitator) then proceeds to say various commands (while demonstrating
the action), sometimes beginning them with ‘Simon says’, and other times not.

These commands can include the following (be creative!):

 Pat your head

 Smile
 Wave hello
 Flex your biceps
 Touch your toes
 Turn around

Strategies for Simon

A good way to get many people eliminated at the very beginning of the game is to explain the
rules, and then say: “Ready to play? Okay, everybody stand up.” Whenever many people
stand to their feet, they will all be eliminated for that round, because Simon did not say
“Simon says stand up to your feet.”

Another way is to give commands very quickly and to try to catch people off guard by not
saying “Simon says” on occasion.

Homemade Pictionary Game

Summary: A classic icebreaker game in which the goal is to get your team to correctly
identify something that is drawn within the time limit.

Ages: 8 and up. Recommended # of people: Teams of 3+ people. Messiness Factor: No

sweat. Materials required: Several sheets or two large pads of paper, notecards, pens, a
stopwatch/timer. Recommended setting: Indoors.

Homemade Pictionary

Pictionary is a classic game of drawing and guessing pictures. This game works great with
large groups as an icebreaker, as well as simply a fun game to play on a lazy Sunday
afternoon with friends.

Setup

In advance, a judge (someone who is not playing) should prepare several words written on
individual notecards. These are the words that will be drawn, and that teammates will try to
guess. Each word(s) should be labeled as one of the following five categories (or be creative
and come up with other ones):

 Person, Place, Animal - A person, place, animal, or other creature that is/was living
(e.g. Tiger Woods, a bear).
 Action - Something that can be done or performed (e.g. ballet, shooting a basketball).
 Object - Something that can be seen or touched (e.g. a truck, a chocolate chip cookie).
  Challenge - Something difficult (e.g. The Grand Canyon).
 All play - A word from any of the above categories. Both teams draw simultaneously.

After the judge finishes preparing several cards, he or she shuffles the pile. You are now
ready to play!

How to Play

Divide the group into teams of at least three. Give each team a name. Distribute a large pad
(or sheets) of paper and a pen to each group. (Instead of paper, you can also draw on
chalkboards or whiteboards). Decide which team goes first.

On a team’s turn, they choose someone to draw. The judge prepares a one-minute timer (or
stopwatch) and gives the player a card. The judge says “Go!” and starts the timer. The player
begins to draw a picture of the word(s). The goal is for the team to correctly guess the word
(or basic idea of the word) within the allotted time limit. If the team correctly guesses the
word, they receive a point. Then it’s the next team’s turn.

Rules

 The artist may not make any hand gestures or audible noises.
 The pictures drawn cannot have any numbers or letters.
 After a team member successfully says part of the word(s) on the card,

Variations

 In the original Pictionary game, if the team correctly guesses the word, they go again.
 You can use a standard 6-sided die to determine which category a team must draw
from. For example, 1: Person, Place, or Animal 2: Action, 3: Object, 4: Challenge, 5:
All Play, 6: Wild (you choose).
 Instead of having a judge prepare the clues in advance, you can have each player write
a few clues in the beginning and then shuffle them all up.

Human Sculptures Game

Summary: Human Sculptures (also known as Human Clay) is an icebreaker group game that
involves posing people into large human sculptures based on predefined topics.  Two
versions exist: a competitive version based on a guessing game, and a version that is more
about coming up with a creative interpretation.

Ages: 12 and up. Recommended number of people: Groups of at least three.  Messiness
factor: Minimal - hold a pose for a few minutes. Materials required: Sheets of paper and
pens.  Recommended setting: Indoors or outdoors.

Human Sculptures Game

Human Sculptures is a fun game that be used as an icebreaker activity or as a general party
game.  There are two variations of this game — one version is a competitive guessing game,
while the other version is an based on creative interpreptations of various topics.  The
instructions for both versions are below.

How to Play Human Sculptures: Guessing Game Version The facilitator should announce a
category (e.g. famous movies or famous songs — the more specific the better).  All players
are then divided into smaller groups and one team leader is given a pen and paper.  Each
group brainstorms an idea that goes along with the topic and each team leader must write
down the idea on a sheet of paper and turn it in to the leader, who checks that the idea is
appropriate for use.  Each group then creates a sculpture using their bodies. Every member of
the group should comprise some part of the entire sculpture. After a predefined time limit (for
example, five minutes), each team looks at each other’s sculpture.  Each team is allowed two
guesses for what the other team has formed. Whatever group guesses the the other group’s
sculpture the closest is the winner.

How to Play Human Sculptures: Noncompetitive Version

The leader should announce that the group will now participate in a “human clay” activity.
Players would be asked to provide their own interpretation or illustration of some category of
events or other topics (prepared in advance by the leader). Some examples of categories that
could be used:

 A topic related to specific subject matter learned in the classroom

 An important event or experience
 An important event in history
 An famous scene from a movie
 A line from a famous song

The leader should demonstrate first (to help put the players at ease, especially those who
might be reluctant to act out).  This noncompetitive version can be a good way to see how
people illustrate content learned in class, or something personally meaningful to them.  Have
fun!

Big Wind Blows Game

Summary: Big Wind Blows is a good icebreaker that helps people get to know each other
better. Players sit in a circle, with one person in the center as “the big wind.”  This person
says identifies a characteristic that is true about themselves and then all players who share the
same characteristic must find a new seat.

Ages: All. Recommended # of people: At least 6 players. Messiness factor: Slight running.
Materials required: Chairs for each player, minus one. Recommended setting: Indoors or
Outdoors.

The Big Wind Blows Game

Big Wind Blows is an icebreaker game that combines aspects of musical chairs with a get-to-
know-you task. It can be humorous and entertaining, especially when you discover interesting
facts that you might not expect about people.
How to Play Big Wind Blows

To set up the game, arrange several chairs facing inward into a medium sized circle. There
should be one chair for each player, minus one. One person starts as the “Big Wind” in the
center of the circle, with everyone else seated.  The Big Wind raises both arms and spins
around, while saying the following: “The Big Wind blows _____”.  The blank must be filled
with a true statement about himself or herself, such as “The Big Wind blows everyone who
has been to Canada” or any other true fact.  At this point, any of the players who share this
characteristic (including the person who is currently the Big Wind) must stand up and quickly
find a new seat. For each statement, no player is allowed to sit in the same seat or a seat
directly adjacent to his or her previous seat. One person will be left without a seat. This
person becomes the new “Big Wind” for the next round.

This game is especially interesting when players use unique, unexpected, or funny
statements.  For example, a player can say embarassing statements such as, “Big Wind blows
those who have gone without a shower for three days.” Have fun and remember the objective
of the group game: to get to know each other better.

Never Have I Ever

Summary: An icebreaker where players sit in a circle and take turns saying interesting things
they have never done. Each player starts with ten fingers. Each time someone says something
that you’ve done, you drop a finger. The goal is to be the last player remaining.

Ages: 8 and up. Recommended # of people: 10-20. Messiness Factor: No Sweat. Materials
Required: None. Recommended Setting: Indoors.

Never Have I Ever

How to Play

Tell everyone to sit in a circle. Each player holds out all ten of your fingers and places them
on the floor. One by one, each person announces something that they have never done; for
example, they say, “Never have I ever been to Canada.” For each statement, all the other
players remove a finger if they have done that statement. So, if three other people have been
to Canada before, those three people must put down a finger, leaving them with nine fingers.
The goal is to stay in the game the longest (to have fingers remaining). Thus, it is a good
strategy to say statements that most people have done, but you haven’t. This can be humorous
(e.g. “Never have I ever skipped a class in school” or “Never have I ever soiled my pants.”)
The game provides a good way to find out unique experiences and facts about people.

Shoe ID Game
Summary: An icebreaker where all players throw a shoe into a big pile. Grab a random shoe
and find out three new facts about the person.

Ages: All.  Recommended # of People: 10 and over.  Messiness Factor: Smelly. Materials
Required: None.  Recommended Setting: Indoors.
Shoe ID Game

The Shoe ID Game is a fun albeit smelly icebreaker game. 

Instructions : Everybody takes off a shoe and throws them in a large pile on the floor. On the
count of three, each person grabs a shoe from the pile, then find the person with the matching
shoe in their other foot and find out their name and three things about them they didn’t
already know. Works best with larger groups. After everyone has found their person and
asked them the questions, then go around the circle and have everyone introduce the person
they talked to and tell the three things about them. This game is a good large group game,
though it can be somewhat smelly.

Follow the Leader

Summary: A hilarious copycat game in which people try to imitate one leader’s actions, and
the person in the center attempts to identify who is the originator of the actions (the leader).

Ages: 8 and up. Recommended # of People: A group of 8 to 16 people. Messiness factor:

Might break a sweat. Materials: None. Setting: Indoors or outdoors.

Follow the Leader

Follow the Leader (also known as the Copycat Game) is an action game that serves as a good
energizer or warmup activity. It can be pretty hilarious watching people mimic the leader,
especially if the leader does some wacky movements. There is no preparation needed for the
Follow the Leader game. Find a large open space, either indoors or outdoors, and you’re
ready to go!

How to Play

Ask everyone to stand and arrange the group into a circle, facing inwards. Ask one person to
leave the room for a minute. This person will be the guesser for the round. While he or she is
gone, the group decides who should be the “leader.” The leader will be the one who sets the
movements for that round. When this person is chosen, invite the guesser to come back. The
guesser stands in the very center of the circle.

When the round begins, everyone starts swinging their arms up and down. The leader will
eventually begin to do other movements, and everyone else mimics the leader’s actions,
without being too obvious to reveal who the leader is. The leader can do just about anything
he or she wants, such as:

 clapping
 making a kicking motion with his or her leg
 jumping up and down
 singing a line from a song
 patting his or her own head
 a dance move

Everyone in the circle should be careful to avoid prolonged eye contact with the leader, so the
leader’s identity is not given away. The guesser must keep turning his or her head to try to
figure out which person is the leader (the person who is starting of all the group’s
movements). The guesser is allowed to make up to three guesses. If the guess is incorrect, the
round continues. If the guess is correct, the leader becomes the new guesser for the next
round. If all three guesses are exhausted and the leader is not correctly guessed, the round
ends and you can either keep the same guesser or switch it up.

This action game tends to be hilarious, as people try to copy the leader’s silly movements.
Enjoy.

Stranded on a Island
Summary: A teambuilding activity that asks people to identify what object they would bring
if they were to be stranded on a deserted island.  Each person discusses why they brought the
object. Within groups, people decide how to improve their chances of survival by combining
various objects.

Ages: 12 and up. Recommended number of people: Groups of 5 to 10.  Messiness factor: No

sweat. Materials required: Paper and pen, if desired. Recommended setting: Indoors.

Stranded on a Island

Stranded on a Island is a useful team building activity to help people get to know each other
better.  Form groups of about five to ten people and give the following instructions:
“Unfortunately, you will be relocated and stranded on a deserted island for an indefinite
amount of time.  You may only bring one item to the island, and you only have a few minutes
notice.  What will you bring? Share with your group your object, why you chose it, and what
you plan to do with it.”  Have each person briefly share their item, why it is important to
them, and what they plan to do with it. After everyone has shared, instruct the groups to
figure out how they can improve their chances of survival by combining the items in creative
ways.  Allow ten to fifteen minutes of brainstorming time, and then have each group present
their ideas.  Give a prize to the winner (most creative group) if desired. (Contributed by Jeff
T.)  Thanks Jeff!

Bigger and Better

Summary: A teambuilding activity in which teams are given a small object (e.g. paperclips)
and must keep trading and upgrading their objects to get the biggest, best objects possible
until the time limit expires.  The objects are judged for size, value, and creativity.

Ages: 14 and up.  Recommended # of People: Teams of 2-10 people.  Messiness Factor:
Light.  Materials: Paper clips or other small objects.  Recommended Setting: Outdoors.

Bigger and Better

Instructions: How is it possible to turn a paper clip into a guitar, laundry machine, bicycle, or
other huge objects like a yacht?  Through a team-building activity called Bigger and Better! 
Split the teams into groups of two to ten, depending on the size of your overall group. 
Distribute paper clips (or some other small object) to each group.  Clearly indicate the time
limit for this activity (e.g. 2-3 hours), and let them go off to trade.  The goal is to come back
with the biggest, best, most creative object after a series of trading and upgrading.  When the
time expires, everyone reconvenes at a predefined location for the show-and-tell and judging
process.

Judges choose the best items on various criteria: size, value, creativity, and overall best.  This
game has benefits of having team members work together and think creatively on how to
upgrade their items.  Camaraderie is gained through this fun process - enjoy!

Couch Game
Summary: A memory-based game in which males and females compete to get all members of
their team seated on the couch.

Ages: 10 and up.  Recommended # of People: 10-30.  Messiness Factor: No Sweat.  Materials
Required: Paper, a couch or four chairs, pens.  Recommended Setting: Indoors

The Couch Game

How to Play

The Couch Game (also known by the name Kings and Queens) is a memory-based game that
takes a moment to learn.  Form a circle with the couch (or four chairs) as part of the circle.
Place two males and two females on the couch, and have the rest of the people fill in the
circle, in alternating order (guy next to girl — no two guys next to each other, and no two
girls next to each other). One chair must be left open. Have everyone fill out their name on a
piece of paper. Place all the pieces of paper in a container. Go around the room and have
someone pick out a piece of paper with someone’s name on it (they cannot have their own
name). They must not let anyone know whose name they have. The person to the left of the
empty chair begins by calling out someone’s name. The person who is holding a paper with
that name must move from their seat to the empty seat. The object of the game is for the guys
to get four guys on the couch while the girls try to get four girls on the couch. This game is a
memory-based game which sometimes leads to humorous results due to its gender-based
competitive nature

Seven-Up (7Up)
Summary: A kids’ game in which seven people secretly select seven other kids by pushing
their thumbs down at “night”, followed by those kids guessing which of the seven chose
them.

Ages: 6-12.  People: 20+. Messiness Factor: No Sweat. Materials Required: None.

How to Play

Seven-up (7Up) is a popular elementary school game that has the benefit of getting kids to be
quiet.  In the game, seven students are chosen to be “It”, and so they stand at the front of the
classroom. When the lights are out, the remaining students are instructed to close their eyes,
put their heads down and make a fist with one hand, except for an upwards-pointing thumb.
The seven standing students roam around the room, each touching one person’s thumb. The
person that was touched then puts his or her thumb down, so that he or she isn’t picked twice.

When the seven students are done choosing, they return to the front of the room (”Heads up,
seven up!”) and the lights go back on. All students open their eyes and raise their heads.  The
seven students whose thumbs had been touched stand up and take turns trying to guess who
their toucher was. If they guess correctly, they replace the toucher at the front of the room.  If
a toucher managed to not get picked by the student he touched, the toucher stayed in the
game for another round.

This game is especially well-suited for kids.