Hobbies And Interests
Pass the Parcel
Encourage the group members to introduce themselves at a social event with a simple activity to break the ice. Before the festivities, wrap an empty box with different colors of wrapping paper. Cover the box with enough layers of paper to ensure each guest will be able to unwrap one. At the beginning of the party, pass the box to one attendee and ask her to remove one layer of the present's wrapping paper while divulging how she knows the guest of honor, the reason she became involved with the organization or one little-known fact about herself. Ask her to pass the parcel to another guest and repeat the process until each attendee has had a turn to speak.
Hidden Identity
As each guest arrives, place a self-adhesive label on his or her back that bears the name of an athlete, celebrity, political figure or author. Instruct the guests to work their way around the room, asking each person a "yes or no" question to determine the name on their back. Because they have to mingle to play the game, the guests will feel more at ease starting a conversation with people that they don't know.
Team Introductions
Help group members get to know one another better with a simple "interview and introduction" exercise. Hand each guest a slip with a number as she enters the event and instruct her to find the other guest with the same number. Once the guests have broken off into groups of two, ask them to "interview" one another to determine the answers to a list of questions and then introduce each other to the entire group. Provide lists of simple questions such as, "What are your professional goals?" "Who is your favorite actor?" or "Where would you take your dream vacation?"
Cooperative Events
Encouraging the guests to work as a team will enable them to reveal their personalities. Set up a group activity such as a blindfolded team relay race that requires participants to rely on one another to solve a problem. Create a simple obstacle course outdoors featuring pylons to walk around or a series of ropes that players must step over or under. Divide the group into teams of four and ask them to stand single file and hold onto a single piece of rope to "bind" the team together. Blindfold the two team members in the middle so the teammates must communicate and help each other work through the obstacle course in the shortest time.