Ice breaker--Team builder exercises

[bejustintime]

I really liked the group exercise we did at the path workshop when we broke up into groups of 6 or 7. We threaded our arms together and then untangled.

I would really like to use exercises like this in an organization I am involved in. We are having a summer bbq coming up and I would like to introduce something different than a soft ball game. Many of our members are older, disabled, or are not in physical condition to enjoy softball. I would like to have competition more ala "Survivor Island", or more team builder/ ice breaker exercises like the one I saw in the Path Portland. I want to build an atmosphere where our group can work single mindedly.

Does any one have any suggestions for what I have described?

[Coach Hurst]

I love the 'arm-tangle' exercise! We also did that at IOTA and it was a lot of fun. You can really 'get to know' the people you are working with! :eek: :D

You mentioned that some of the people that you will be with are not physically able to participate in physical activities.

Something that I sometimes do with groups over here when teaching English is have them say what they would be if there were a

*piece of fruit (I would be a pineapple because I am exotic, sweet and blah, blah.)
*a cartoon character
*a car

Or whatever.

Here is something that I found that. Might not be what you are looking for but...

Found them here (http://www.businessballs.com/teambuildinggames.htm)


toilet roll ice-breaker (for amusing warm-ups, group introductions, icebreakers)

This is a really quick and simple ice-breaker, especially for enabling people in a group to know each other in a fun way. For groups of four to around dozen people; split larger groups into smaller teams (the exercise works just as well), in which case apply these instructions for each of the teams. Pass or toss a toilet roll to one of the group members. Ask the person to tear off as many sheets as they want and then pass or toss the roll to another member of the group to do the same, and then on to another member to include the whole group. (Tossing the roll at random is more fun as it increases fun and expectation). Do not explain the purpose yet. Some will take two or three sheets, some will take more. This, and the interpretations made, will generate a lot of amusement and comment. Be sure to have a spare roll on hand, and obviously if splitting the group into teams ensure sufficient supplies for each team. You then reveal the purpose: each individual must give as many facts about themselves according to how many pieces of toilet roll they have. Those with the most modest requirements will therefore need to say least; those tearing off a couple of dozen sheets will be under a little more pressure...

This quick exercise can also be used for deciding sequence, for example the order in which people give presentations (in which case adjust the rule so that each person can tear off a number of sheets within a range equating to the number of people in the team, and not the same number as any other team member).

The activity can be used for any situation where people are required to perform a number of actions or focus on a number of subjects.

The activity can also be extended to create team building games, for example:

After each person has removed their chosen number of sheets, split the group into the "have's" and "have-less's", and give each side three minutes to prepare a 60 second statement justifying the merits of 'ambition' and 'modesty' respectively. Or for three teams (the "have's" the "have-somes and the "have-littles") to prepare and present respectively on 'adventure', 'pragmatism' and 'caution'.

(Ice-breaker idea courtesy Pam Cook, adapted from an original exercise featured in The Encyclopedia of Ice-Breakers by Sue Forbess Green)

And one more. Again, not sure if this is the kind of thing you are looking for.


birds, bees, lions and trees activity (the best of all ice-breakers and warm-ups for very large groups?..)

An exercise that is great fun, physical, and full of activity. The exercise for large groups - over 100 people - adults or children.

Ask everyone to think for a minute carefully and decide what animal (or extend to living creatures, plants, sea creatures, etc) that they each most associate themselves with (other than a human), but not to tell anyone. ("If you were an animal/living thing other than a human what would you be?...")

Then ask people to write their choice on a small piece of paper, and keep it in their pocket. (This is a way of ensuring people do not change their minds later when they see what creatures other people have chosen.)

Then ask everyone to think of a behaviour/action/sound they can perform that will represent their chosen creature/living thing (in other words, "Now, act like your chosen creature..."). Encourage people to move around the room, assuming their chosen creature is mobile of course. People choosing to be sea creatures will face extra challenge, as will anyone choosing to be a tree, or a mushroom, and this is all part of the fun. Encourage everyone to practise their action/noise (chaos and fun of course). Again encourage movement around the room (or swaying in the wind for all the beautiful trees and flowers...).

Then ask everyone (while still acting out their creature/living thing actions/noises) to look for other group members in the room who are the same as they are, and go and join them to form a group/flock/pride, etc.

Suggest to people that eventual group sizes should be no more than 10-12, although if as the facilitator you consider that other purposes will be served by allowing bigger groups sizes than this then feel free to do so.

If using the activity for very large groups, for example over 200 people, it is likely that some species groups will be quite large, for example, elephants, lions, bulls, dolphins, dogs, cats - in which case ensure you should ask people when choosing and writing down their species to think about not only their species, but also one or two other characteristics, eg, male/female, young/adult/old, sub-species (eg, Persian cat, farm cat, alley cat, or etc). The facilitator then has the option later if required (ie., if large groups appear to be forming) to ask people to use these detailed characteristics to subdivide large groups of say more than a dozen people, in which case these more detailed characteristics can only be discussed once the main species groups have been formed, and when the facilitator has given the instruction for a formed group to confer and to subdivide.

Then when everyone is formed into groups of the same/very similar species ask each group then to elect a spokesperson (who must not be the most senior person in the group, unless it is the CEO in a pride of male lions, in which case feel free to put him on the spot..). Each spokesperson must then explain (the consensus view of the species group) as to why their particular species members all chose to be that particular creature, what makes them special, and then relate/translate this to the special qualities that they as people bring to the organisation and to their work and colleagues.

For a bit of added interest you could refer to or ask the species groups if they know the collective noun for a group of their own particular species (if so it's as well that the facilitator has the answers to the more difficult ones). And if you wish and have time, and if it suits your purposes, you can extend the activity by running a team quiz competition between the species groups (you might need to join/split certain species groups to create teams with similar team numbers) - and obviously questions about species collective noun names are an appropriate source of material for a list of quiz questions
(collective nouns for living creatures:

string of ponies
ostentation of peacocks
smack of jellyfish
pitying of doves
crash of rhinosceroses
unkindness of ravens
murmuration of starlings
drove of cattle
pod of seals
murder of crows
knot of toads
colony of ants
grist of flies
brood of hens
shrewdness of apes
school of fish
siege of herons).

A final couple of points of note about this activity: Before any reorganising team numbers for possible subsequent team quiz contest, the facilitator should use the option to join together any single or very small groups of species if the people concerned might be feeling uncomfortable or isolated and worried about having to explain to the whole group why they chose to be a termite, or a lemming, or a Hoffman's two-toed sloth. But use your judgement, because on the other hand, people finding themselves the single species member of a group of one, will likely have a very interesting perspective, and might quite enjoy telling all the lions and dogs and cats etc., why it's good and special to be different to the crowd, or herd, so to speak. The facilitator of course retains the right to keep isolated in a team of one, the company practical joker who announces that he/she (it will be a he not a she..) is a common cold virus, for the duration of the quiz and for the remainder of the conference.

Hope this helps a bit.

[bejustintime]

Thankyou Coach Hurst! The people attending the bbq are a mixed bag.. from 10 years old to 80. We will have attendence of about 2-3 dozen. I am sure when I go to the planning meeting that these games will be received with enthusiasm!
We also have a blind person who usually attends and I was thinking of asking him about a sport that he mentioned he plays: I think he called it "globe ball." I think it would be really fun to challenge people with sight (using a blind fold) to play such a game.

[Coach Hurst]

Justin,

I remember a blind fellow telling me about playing catch with a ball that beeped. Not sure if it is 'globe ball' but I was pretty impressed that he could catch a ball by only 'hearing' it! :eek: :cool:

Let me know what games you end up doing at the BBQ. I am always interested in learning new games and it sounds like your BBQ will be a lot of fun!