Icebreakers Melita Vellian, D27S Executive Assistant Joyce Chua, D27S Task Coordinator

What are icebreakers? Icebreakers are activities that get members moving for the meetings. Energizes the atmosphere. Allows for team building, bonding, inclusiveness and overall interaction with others.

Pterodactyl Audience: Medium- Large Setting: Indoors or Outdoors Instructions: A circle is formed and everyone pulls their upper lip over their teeth. Next they pull their arms towards them to make “wings”. Going clockwise once person begins and says “pterodactyl” in a way to try to make the other person laugh. If someone wishes to change the direction of the circle the make a pterodactyl sound turning the rotation the other way. If anyone laugh, they are then out.

Evolve Audience: Large Setting: Indoors or outdoors Instructions: Everyone begins as an egg. Each time a game of rock-paper-scissors is won, the winner “evolves” into a chicken. They must then play against another chicken to see who evolves into a dinosaur. If a game is lost, the loser returns to an egg and must play against another egg. The stages of evolution are egg, chicken, dinosaur, and monster. The goal is to become a monster.

Simon Says Audience: Large Setting: Indoors or Outdoors Instructions: A game that everyone’s familiar with! A designated leader states commands and the audience obeys if “Simon Says” was said before it. If the leader does not say “Simon Says” and members follow the command, they’re out.

Hug Fest Audience: Large Setting: Outdoors Instructions: An individual shouts out a number at a time. Members must hug the number of people that was called out, and then sit down. A new number is called, and the process repeats. Members who can’t form a group of the number called are out.

Catch Me If You Can Audience: Large Setting: Outdoors Instructions: Players should be paired up. All players divide into two lines (facing in) shoulder to shoulder, with partners facing each other. Participants should be given approximately 30 seconds to look at their partners, taking in all details about the individual. The leader then instructs the two lines to turn and face away from the center. One or both lines has 15-20 seconds to change something about their appearance (i.e. change a watch to different wrist, unbutton a button, remove a belt, etc.). The change must be discrete, but visible to the partner. The players again turn in to face each other and have 30 seconds to discover the physical changes that have been made.

3 Minute Mixer Audience: Large Setting: Indoors or Outdoors Instructions: Everyone must go around the room and speak with at least 10 others The purpose of this exercise is to get people to open up with one another. Give everyone a few ideas as to which topics they might want to use to get their conversation started. If you have some shy members in your group, then this mini-mixer will give them the opportunity to come out of their shell a bit. At the end of the mixer, take this ice breaker game one step further, and gather everyone in a group to discuss the game. Have everyone mention something that they thought was interesting about one of the other members, or a fact about that person that surprised them.

Just a few tips! Stop the icebreaker when members are having the most fun! You want them to remember times of fun, not moments when interest is lost. Prizes are great sources of motivation. Encourage members to break out of their shells and meet new people!

My Name is Bob: exercise Hi my name is bob And I work in a button factory I have a wife, and 5 kids, and one day my boss said to me He said bob, are you busy I said no He said _________________ The purpose of that activity was to get yourself, and those around you mroe comfortable with themselves and each other. Ice breakers can be used as lessons or ways for you to link your ice breaker to the subject of the meaning.

Icebreakers should be focused on community building, subjects of the meeting, and FUN!

QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS?