Hobbies And Interests
Blanketed Names
Begin by having the students introduce themselves to the group. After everyone has said their names, divide the players into two teams. Separate the teams on either side of the room. Either hold up or suspend a blanket in the middle of the room so the teams cannot see each other. Have the teams sit facing each other on opposite sides of the blanket. Start the game by counting to 10. While you count, each team chooses a player to stand right behind the blanket. Once the count is complete, lift or let go of the blanket to reveal the two players to each other. The first player to correctly state the other&'s name wins a point for her team. Continue until everyone has had a turn. The team with the most points wins.
Message Under a Plate
Try out this quirky ice breaker game from the Divine Dinner Party website. Gather up enough paper plates for so you have one for every player. Under each plate write a strange sentence that cannot easily be inserted into a normal getting-to-know-you conversation. For instance, you could use "My mom never lets me eat ice cream on Fridays," or "Did you know giraffes like marshmallows?" Hand out the plates to the players, and have everyone sit down at a table. Once everyone has committed their phrases to memory, have them start off the conversation as they normally would. The players all have to try and insert their phrases into the chat without getting noticed. If a player believes another player has used the phrase on her plate, he can call her out. If he suspected incorrectly, he loses his chance of winning the game. If his suspicions were correct, she gets eliminated. Continue until about 15 minutes has elapsed. Award the players who most skillfully inserted their phrases into the conversation.
Word Chain
Start this ice breaker game by first gathering students in a sitting circle. Pick a category to start the game, such as "Animals" or "Movies." Select a random player to state a word that falls under that category. The person sitting to that student&'s left then has to re-state the first player&'s word and also add her own. The game continues in this fashion as players get eliminated from the circle for forgetting a word in the chain. The last player remaining wins the game.