Hobbies And Interests
What's Different?
Create small groups of two to three people. Give each group three minutes to observe members of the group, paying attention to their appearance. Once the three minutes are up, members of the group turn away from each other, and while not looking at the others in the group, change three things about themselves. Members can turn back to each other when finished and see if they can guess the changes within another three minutes.
Finish Phrases
Brainstorm phrases with group members, including intriguing questions or thoughts, such as, "my perfect day includes..." or "one of my bad habits is...." Write the phrases on small sheets of paper and place then in a bag. Each person in the group can select a phrase and take a turn sharing his response to the thought. Along with learning more about each other, sharing personal information helps build personal connections and encourages team-building.
Human Knot
Create a human knot with group members by forming a circle and having each participant hold a hand of someone else within the group who is not next to him. Members can challenge themselves by trying to unravel without letting go of the other person's hands. Working together to untie the knot brings the participants closer physically and builds team-working skills.
Heads Up
Engage participants in an interactive game of "Heads Up," which gives members a chance to be silly. Once the group forms a circle, the participants all look at the ground, and when an appointed player says, "heads up," everyone looks up at another player. If the two happen to be looking at each other, they scream, and then sit out for the rest of the game.
Toilet Talk
Pass a role of toilet paper around the room, encouraging participants to take as many squares as they feel they need. Once each person has had a chance to tear off sheets of toilet paper, each participant can take a turn standing and sharing one fact about herself for each square.
Puzzle Match-Up
Before working with participants, cut up pictures from an old calendar to create puzzles. Cut enough so each participant will have a piece. Pass out pieces of the puzzle(s) to participants and have them search for the other members who have pieces to complete their puzzle. Along with being an icebreaker, this is a helpful way to create groups for working on an activity or project.