Hobbies And Interests
Persuasion
Distribute card stock and markers. Have each person create a sign by writing her objective for the day in as few words as possible. Ask participants to circulate, silently holding up their signs for all to read. After a minute or so, blow a whistle signaling participants to pair up with the person closest to them. The pair is then given two minutes to discuss their objective and jointly decide which sign to keep. Drop the other sign on the floor. After two minutes, blow the whistle again. The pair finds another pair. Repeat the exercise, again dropping the discarded sign. Depending on the size of the group, you can do this one or two more times. Have the teams find a meeting corning. Give the teams 10 minutes to plan and videotape a one-minute commercial to convince the entire room to adopt their objective. Blow the whistle for show time!
Scavenger Hunt
Put an adult twist on a fun ice breaker from childhood. Divide the group into teams of up to five. Provide them with a list of items to find---for example, a company credit card, a digital photo of a bare foot, a pair of reading glasses, a baby picture, a lucky charm, a recording of a toilet flushing and the address of a motorcycle shop in Flushing, New York. Take advantage of the many types of technology that adults carry on a daily basis---cell phones, PDAs, laptops, Kindles. Award the winner with a booby prize.
Six Degrees of Separation
This is a good ice breaker for adults who come from different backgrounds or perspectives, for example, in diversity awareness training. Divide the group into pairs. Give the pairs a few minutes to find up to a dozen things they have in common. It can be anything at all, including where they went to school, favorite foods or books they have read. However, instruct the group that the more obscure their commonalities, the more difficult it will be to go to the next round. Alternatively, pick a theme that is related to the event. For example, for a business function, the theme could be cities traveled to for work. When time is called, each participant must find another person with at least one thing in common from his existing list and develop a new list. Repeat the pairings as time allows. At the end of the activity, ask a few of the pairs to share their lists with the group.
Who's on My Back?
This is a fun ice breaker for theme parties or even a problem-solving workshop for adults. Give each person a piece of paper and some fabric tape. Have each participant write the name of a famous adult on the paper, obscuring the paper so that no one else can see. Use a related theme if you prefer. For example, for a 1970s theme party, have the group use famous '70s icons. Once the names are written, allow the group to circulate for a few minutes, still hiding the writing on the paper, and then pair up with the person next to them when time is called. Each adult tapes the paper to the back of the other. Now participants circulate again, asking everyone they encounter "yes" or "no" questions to determine who is on their back. The first person to discover her identity wins this activity.