1. home and garden
2. home furnishings
3. sofas and chairs

Ice Breakers:
What Do We Have In Common?
Split the students into pairs. Each pair will have 30 seconds to find 5 things they have in
common. At the end of the 30 seconds, put two pairs together and give the foursome a minute to
find something all 4 students have in common. Finally, each group can present the list of things
they have in common. (You can use this activity to form student groups.)
M&Ms
Pass around a bag of M&M's. Tell the students to take as many as they want. Once all the
students have M&M's, tell them that for each M&M they took they have to say one thing about
themselves. For instance, if a student took 10 M&M's, they would have to say 10 things about
themselves. An option: Each color of candy represents a category students must speak about.
Example: orange = scary memories, red =great vacations, green = something about your family,
blue = favorite hobbies, etc. (You could use skittles, toilet paper, or other item as well)
Stringing Conversation Together
Cut string or yarn into pieces of different lengths. Each piece should have a matching piece of
the same length. There should be enough pieces so that each student will have one. Then give each
student one piece of string, and challenge each student to find the other student who has a
string of the same length. After students find their matches, they can take turns introducing
themselves to one another. You can provide a list of questions to help students "break the ice,"
or students can come up with their own. You might extend the activity by having each student
introduce his or her partner to the class.
Barnyard
Give each student a slip of paper with the name of an animal on it. Then give students
instructions for the activity: They must locate the other members of their animal group by
imitating that animal's sound only. No talking is allowed. The students might hesitate initially,
but that hesitation soon gives way to a cacophony of sound as the kids moo, snort, and giggle
their way into groups. The end result is that students have found their way into their groups,
and the initial barriers to good teamwork have already been broken. Variations: Use songs
instead of animal sounds (Mary Had a Little Lamb, Row your Boat, London Bridge, ABC
song,Twinkle star, Jingle Bells)
A Tangled Web
Gather students in a circle sitting around you on the floor. Hold a large ball of yarn. Start by
telling the students something about yourself. Then roll the ball of yarn to a student without
letting go of the end of the yarn. The student who gets the ball of yarn tells his or her name and
something good about himself or herself. Then the student rolls the yarn to somebody else,
holding on to the strand of yarn. Soon students have created a giant web. After everyone has
spoken, you and all the students stand up, continuing to hold the yarn. Start a discussion of how
this activity relates to the idea of teamwork -- for example, the students need to work together
and not let others down. To drive home your point about teamwork, have one student drop his or
Scavenger Hunt
Provide each student with two index cards. Ask each student to write a brief description of his
or her physical characteristics on one index card and his or her name on the other. Physical
characteristics usually do not include clothing, but if you teach the primary grades, you might
allow students to include clothing in their descriptions. Put all the physical characteristic index
cards in a shoe box, mix them up, and distribute one card to each student, making sure that no
student gets his or her own card. Give students ten minutes to search for the person who fits
the description on the card they hold. There is no talking during this activity, but students can
walk around the room. At the end of the activity, tell students to write on the card the name of
the student who best matches the description. Then have students share their results. How many
students guessed correctly?
Snowball
Students write on a piece of paper three things about themselves. Then they crumple the paper
up into a 'snowball' and have a one-minute snowball fight. At the end of the minute, everyone
grabs the closest snowball and has to try to find the person who wrote it. They then introduce
that person tothe rest of the group, sharing the three facts.
BINGO-Scavenger Hunt!
To get communication going between students who aren't necessarily friends, I start the year
off with a game of BINGO. I make up BINGO cards for the students. Each square on the card
includes a brief description. Examples: Visited Florida this summer, Is an avid water skier, Has
a big brother and little sister, Was born in another country, Lives nearest the school, Learned
how to skateboard this summer, Didn't see the movie Titanic, Likes anchovies on pizza, Was born
in the same month as you, Has a brother or sister in the same school, Favorite subject is
science, Has an ear pierced more than once, Father's name is Jim, Read more than one book this
summer, Speaks two languages, Has two pets. Students walk around the room and get the
signature of someone who fits the specific description in each box. The goal is to be the first to
student to fill the BINGO card with signatures. To make it harder, have students fill every
square with a different student's signature and set a time limit. When a student has a BINGO
(one name signed per square) give the person a small prize, such as being first in line that day.
This is a great way to learn special things about your students and help get them to know one
another.
Your Better Half
Take a bunch of pictures from a magazine and cut them in half. Pin one half to one student (on
their back) and the other half to another student (on their back). Then have all of the students
try to find the person who has the missing half of their picture. (They cannot look at their
picture before you pin on them.) Each person must ask other people questions about their picture
so they can guess what it looks like and find the missing half of their picture.
Birthday
Have participants mingle in the group and identify the person whose birthdate (not year - just
month and date) is closest to their own. Find out two things they have in common.
Circle of Friends
Form two large concentric circles, one inside the other and have the people in the inside circle
face the people in the outside circle. Give them a topic to talk about such as their favorite
music group or silliest thing they ever did. After one minute, ask the circles to move two places
to the right, allowing them to meet new people as the circle continues to move very slowly.
Intro Grapevine
The first person in the group says their name and one special thing they like. The next person
introduces him/herself, states what they like, and repeats what the first person said. This
continues around the group until the last person introduces themselves and repeats everyone
else's intro. Assistance can be given along the way. Variations: Use their favorite song or
animal instead of what they like, or their school name or a word that best describes them.
Alliteration Circle
One person begins by stating his name to the whole group, using a word beginning with the same
letter describe how you feel. Example: I am John and I feel jovial. The person seated to the left
will go next and will first repeat what that person said and then add their own. Continue around
the circle. The last person will have to say everyone’s.
Interesting Facts
Give each person a slip of paper. Have them write one interesting thing that they have done or
an interesting place they have been. The papers are collected and redistributed. Each person
must question the others to find the person who wrote the interesting event.
Kool Kids
The leader stands in the center of a group seated in chairs in a circle around him. The leader
makes a statement such as "Kool Kids wear braces". If this statement applies to any members of
the group, they must stand up and try to find a different seat among those others. The leader
tries to take one of their seats and force someone else to be in the center.
Getting to Know You
Have the participants match up with others as you call out similarities. Each time they move to
someone they are to introduce themselves.
Hair color
Wearing the same type of shoe
Wearing the same colors
Favorite color
Odd or even number of letters in first name
Sophomore, junior or senior
etc.
Individuality and Alike
Read the following characteristics, find someone who matches or someone who is the opposite (as
directed): When you match someone, introduce yourself.
Are you a hamburger or a hotdog?
Are you a mountain or are you the beach?
Are you Seinfeld or are you Kramer?
Are you leather or are you silk?
Are you winter or are you summer?
Are you a Mercedes or a VW rabbit?
Felt Hats
Each participant is given a pre-made red felt donut-shaped circle of approximately 18 inches in
diameter and given the instruction to form some type of hat out of the felt piece. Participants
are given enough time to make their hat, and each person explains the hat they created. This is a
quick, and fun, way to "break the ice."
Two Truths & a Lie
In groups of three to eight (depending on how much time you want to devote to this exercise)
have individuals take turns making three statements about themselves -- two which are true; one
that is a lie. After an individual makes their statements, the other folks in the group discuss
among themselves which seem most plausible and what is most likely to be the lie.
Once they come to some sort of consensus, the individual who made the statements not only tells
which is the "lie" but also provides a bit more background about the "truths" as well as what
made them think folks might have thought the "lie" was a "truth." A group of three can easily do
this in less than 10 minutes. A group of eight can take from 20 to 30 minutes.
All My Neighbors
You need an odd number of people for this game that is a distant cousin to musical chairs.
Everyone begins by sitting on chairs in a circle with the facilitator standing in the middle.
Explain that the person in the middle needs to find some "neighbors." To do so, they'll make a
true statement about themselves and hope that it will be true for others. Everyone that
"identifies" with the statement has to then stand up and find an empty chair. The person in the
center is also looking for a chair, so once again someone will be without a chair, and they get to
go to the middle and find some "neighbors."
The facilitator then begins with something like: "All my neighbors wearing blue jeans." At this,
everyone who is wearing jeans should jump out of their seats and look for an empty seat. The odd
person out goes to the middle. The facilitator then goes on through 10 to 15 other such
statements. Example can include my neighbors who: are wearing socks
have an older sibling
born in a month without an R in it
like Frosted Flakes
play the piano (even a little bit)
This game can easily last ten to fifteen minutes.
Person-to-Person
There has to be an odd number of people for this activity to work. The facilitator stands in the
midst of the group and asks everyone else to pick a partner. Explain that you'll give them from
new partner. The odd person out gets to go into the middle of the group and provide the next set
of commands.
The game begins with the person in the center (initially the facilitator) giving instructions such
as: "Elbow to elbow" and the pairs must put an elbow to elbow. The facilitator can then say: "Ear
to ear" and the pairs then have to put an ear to an ear, as well as keeping the elbow to elbow.
Then the facilitator says "Person-to-person," everyone finds a new partner, and you go on to the
next person calling out commands. Depending on the group, this can get pretty interesting! Stop
the game when you feel like it.
Data Processing
Have students organize themselves without talking by:
Alphabetical by best friend's first name
Alphabetical according to favorite food
Length of hair
Shoe size
Birthdays
Number of letters in last name
Length of thumb
For teachers, number of years taught
Name Tag Match Maker
Each group member will need a 5" x 7" card for a name tag. Then give the following directions:
1.Put your name in the center of your card.
2.In the upper left corner, write four things that you like to do.
3.In the upper right corner, write your four favorite singers or groups.
4.In the lower left corner, write your four favorite movies.
5.In the lower right corner, write four adjectives that describe you.
When everyone finishes, have them mingle with the group for a few minutes. Without talking,
they are to read the upper left corner of the other group members' cards. When time is up, they
are to find one or two people who are most like them and visit for a few minutes. When time is
up, they are to mingle again reading the upper right corner of the other group members' cards.
They then find the one or two people most like them and visit. Repeat with the lower left corner
and lower right corner information. To make sure everyone visits with several people, you could
implement a rule that no two people can be in the same group more than once.
Who Am I?
For this activity you will need one sticky note per person. On each note write the name of a
celebrity, political figure, cartoon character, book character, etc. You can choose one category
or mix them up. Use a different person for each note.
Place a sticky note on the back (or forehead) of each participant. The participants are to figure
out who they are, but can only do so in the following manner. Find a partner and read each
other's sticky notes. You may ask the other person three questions to which there are yes or no
answers.
Once your questions have been asked and answered, make a guess as to your identity. you are
correct, move the sticky note to your chest and you become a "consultant" who gives clues to
those still trying to figure out their identities. If you are not correct, find a new partner and
repeat the process.
Action Name
Have the group stand in a circle. The leader introduces themselves by saying their name and
performing an action simultaneously. For example, saying "Mike" while balancing on one foot. The
person to the leader's left must now say the leader's name and perform his action, then say
their own name and perform their own action. The third person repeats the first two, does their
own, and so on. This one is FUN.
My New Friend
For this one everyone must be in pairs, preferably with someone they don't know. Each person in
the pair must
interview the other, asking whatever questions they want. When all pairs are done, each person
must introduce their partner to the larger group by saying, "My new friend is..." They then
proceed to introduce their partner along with information they got from the interview. this
continues until everyone is done. Obviously this one takes some time.
Un-Common
Break the group into teams of 2-4 people. Each team must come up with three things that they
have in common. They may be as simple or complex as they want (such as - we all are alive!).
When they have completed that, they must write a short paragraph that introduces all members
of the group by name and what they all have in common. The kicker is that when they read the
paragraph to the whole group, they must alternate saying each word in the paragraph (one person
says the first word, the next says the second, and so on). Interesting things happen with this
one...
Breaking the Ice
Divide the group into Group A and Group B. Have the people in Group A look over the folks in
Group B and then go over and pair off with the person they feel they have the most in common
with. After chatting together for about five minutes, have them present the person they chose
to the group and explain why they selected the person and what they discovered about him or her.
Have the people in Group B look over the folks in Group A and then select the person they feel
is least like them. Go over and chat for about five minutes and then tell why they selected that
person and what they found out about him or her.
Koosh Ball Toss
The goal of this game is to get to know each others names and build an inclusive community.
Have players sit in a circle. The leader tosses the koosh ball (or other soft item such as a
beanie baby or nerf ball) to a person across the circle and greets them with “Hello, ______.” If
the name is not known, let kids know it’s OK to ask. The person who was greeted, returns the
greeting and then tosses and greets another person in the circle. Remind kids to toss across the
The next task is to see how good their memories are. The ball should go around in the exact
same order as the first time, but silently. Time kids on this and challenge them to beat their
own time. Remind them that first making eye contact before tossing the ball aids in this. Other
variations are to see if they can do it if you reverse the order or if extra koosh balls are added
in.
Scream
Everyone stands in a circle, looking down at their toes. The leader calls (in a voice of terror
and pending doom) “Look out!” Everyone looks up at someone. If no one is looking back, that
person puts their head back down and covers their ears. If two people are looking at each other,
they both let out a blood curdling scream and then quickly put their heads down until the leader
calls “Look out!” again.
For a quieter version, try these:
Teeter-totter: When two people are looking at each other, one sits and one stands.
Faces: Instead of screaming, make faces at each other and then look down.
Silent Name Game
Players pair up. Every player has 5 minutes to learn as much as they can about their partner,
while maintaining complete silence. Gestures and pantomime, writing in the dirt, and other
creative forms of communication are allowed but no talking or vocal sounds. When time is up,
the group forms a circle. Partners introduce each other to the rest of the group and briefly
relate some of what they have learned. Partners then have the chance to approve or correct the
information given.
Group Games and Initiatives
Shoe race
Everyone in the group needs to take off both of their shoes. The shoes are then placed in a large
pile and mixed together. The group then divides into two groups and form a line. When you say go
they take turns running out to find their shoes, put them all the way on, and then tying them
before they run back to touch the next person in their line. The first line to finish wins.
Hula Hoop Maze
Have people in the group get into a circle. All the persons in the group need to face each other
and
hold hands. Place a hula hoop over one set of hands with the couples holding hands between the
hoop. The group must now move the hula hoop around the circle by stepping through the hoop and
not letting go of hands.
Partner Race
Have everyone in the group get a chair and sit in a circle. You will need two people to stand in
right, to form a two person team. Now that everyone in the group has an arm partner, the couple
in the middle also needs to lock arms. Now to start the game the couple in the middle hollers out
three random numbers very rapidly. Like 4,22,16, then those people who have those numbers need
to get up and with their arms still locked together they need to run and find a chair that is
vacant. The couple in the middle also need to try to get to a chair, hoping your partnership isn't
the last ones left in the middle. The game continues until all people are exhausted. It can last
for hours if they enjoy it. The fun thing to do is sometimes during the game you have the couple
in the middle holler EVERYONE and everyone in the group needs to get up and run for a new
chair and hopefully not be left in the middle. Have fun.
Musical Body Parts
Somewhat related to musical chairs, this is a game best played with a really large group of
people. The group is instructed to dance, walk, mill around to the music being played. When the
music stops the MC calls out a number (e.g. seven) and a body part (e.g. elbows). The kids must
then form small groups of the required number with the required body parts touching. In the
example you would have small groups of seven kids touching elbows. WARNING: it is best to use
smaller numbers when dealing with parts of the head!:) The game continues until there are two or
three people left and they are declared the "winners." High school kids get a kick out of this
because it involves a little competition, music they know, and the chance to interact with other
people without having to talk or be in the spotlight. Another benefit - it also helps to wear them
out a little so that when you do the opening talks/discussions of a retreat or meeting, there is a
little less energy to deal with.
Blanket Game
Split into two teams, one on each side of the room. The leader and helper should hold up a
blanket as a sort of “wall” between the two. While the blanket is up, one person from each team
should approach, with out seeing each other. Then drop the blanket. The two team members have
to point and say each other’s names. The team who says it first gets a point. Repeat with
successive pairs.
Pulse
Have group stand in a circle, holding hands. The leader should start off by squeezing the hand of
the person to the left of him/her. The pulse should be passed around the circle until it arrived
back at the hand of the leader who is timing it. Challenge the group to get the time down as low
as possible.
Tumble Tots
Have participants pair off with someone of a similar height. The pair should stand about one
foot apart with feet close together. They should try to get each other to move their feet by
pushing each other’s hands. The first person to get his/her partner to move their feet three
times is the winner.
Group Sitdown
All participants should stand in a circle and face the back of the participant to their left. They
should simultaneously move inwards to make the circle as tight as possible. At this point, the
Handslap
All participants should kneel on the floor and put both their hands on the floor in front of them.
Everyone should then put their left hand under the arm of the person on their left. In this way,
everyone should have two other hands between their own hands.
One person starts a pulse by slapping one of their hands on the floor and then is passed around
the circle in one direction with each hand slapping in turn. If someone slaps his or her hand
twice in succession, the direction is reversed.
A hand is out if the person hesitates or slaps out of turn. A person is out when both hands are
out. The faster the game goes, the harder it is.
Ball Through Legs
Participants stand in a circle with their legs spread apart so that their feet are touching their
neighbors feet. A ball is thrown into the middle of the circle. The aim is to get people out by
hitting the ball through their legs. You defend yourself by hitting the ball away with your hands.
The first time a ball goes through your legs, you have to put one hand behind your back so you
can defend with only one hand. The next time you are out, the circle closes up.
Zip Zap Bop
Sit in a circle and each participant says either:
Zip—and throws a ball to the person to the right
Zap—and throws the ball to the person to the left
Bop—and throws the ball to anyone in the circle except the people on either side of them
If someone says the wrong word, or fails to catch the ball unless the throw was unreasonable),
then they are out.
Trust
Break up into groups of 7-9 people. One person from each group should volunteer to stand in the
middle of the circle made up of the remaining members of the group. The individuals forming the
circle should be standing shoulder to shoulder, but with enough room to move arms up and down
freely.
The person in the middle is blindfolded and stands with feet together. Their arms should be
crossed over their chest. When the person in the middle is ready to fall, they should say
“Ready”. Those in the circle should respond “trust” if they are ready to catch the person. When
the person in the middle is about to fall, they should say “falling”. The person in the middle
needs to keep their body rigid and bend only at the ankles as they are passed gently around the
circle (their feet remain grounded). Each person in the circle should have a turn to be the
person in the middle. Ask the participants what their reactions to this exercise were.
Giants, Elves, and Wizards
This game is based on the principal of “Rock, Paper, Scissors”, where Giants beat Wizards,
Wizards beat Elves, and Elves beat Giants. Divide the group into two teams and have them go to
The teams then come pack to an agreed center point and shout “Giants, Elves, Wizards” three
times with appropriate actions. The appropriate actions are as follows:
Giants: stand on their tip toes and raise their arms above their heads
Elves: crouch down on the floor wiggling their index fingers above their heads
Wizards: stretch their left hand out in front with fingers extended, keeping their right
hand raised, fingers extended, but close to the body.
After the third time, each team shouts out what they are and give chase as appropriate (the
winner chases the loser). Anyone who is caught before entering their den (home base) joins the
other team. If both teams say the same thing, hugs are exchanged before the game resumes.
Lines and Circles
Participants walk around the room until the leader shouts, “Stop!”, when they must freeze. When
the leader says either line or circles, the participants start walking again. If it is “lines”, the
participants must walk straight. If it is “circles”, they must walk in smooth circular
movements.
Stand Up
Pair off the group members. Ask each pair to sit back to back, link arms and try to stand up.
The game can be varied by increasing the group size to 3, 4, or 5 people.
Drip Drip Splash
Variation on Duck Duck Goose (or Grey Duck) in which instead of patting on the head, they
person who is “It” drips water on the heads of those in the circle. He/she selects a “goose” by
splashing water on the person’s head rather than dripping. This game can be played with cups of
water or sponges and a bucket.
Lung Capacity
Each team of 3-6 is given a feather. At signal, each team must blow the feather up into the air
and keep it there by continuously blowing on it. The team whose feather stays up the longest is
the winner.
Red Light, Green Light 1, 2, 3
One person is chosen to be the leader and stands at the end of the paying area. Everyone else
stands in a line, one next to the other at the opposite end of the playing area. The leader turns
their back and shouts, “Red light, Green light, 1, 2, 3!” While s/he says this, the other players
move toward him/her, but when s/he finishes and turns around, anyone s/he catches moving must
go back to the starting line. The first person to reach the leader and tag them becomes the new
leader.
Fizz Buzz
Go around the circle, each person counting in turn 1, 2, 3…If the number is either a multiple if
three or has a three in it (e.g. 3, 6, 9, 13, 34) then they must say “Buzz” instead of the number.
If the number is either a multiple of five or has a five in it (e.g. 5, 10, 25, 56), they must say
“Fizz” instead of the number. If the number is both (15, 35, 54) then they must say “Fizz Buzz”.
Anyone who says the wrong word or doesn’t say it at all when they should is out.
Telephone
The first person in the chain or circle decides on a phrase and whispers it to the next person
who whispers it to the next, etc…The player being whispered to may say “Operator” to have the
phrase repeated. The last person says what they heard out loud. Usually there is no connection
between what was originally said and the end product. A more challenging variation it
“Telegraph” in which, rather than a verbal message being passed, a series of hand squeeze pulses
are passed around.
Ring Game
One person is chosen out of the group and watches as a ring or stone is passed from hand to
hand. The person who was chosen has to guess where the ring is. The other players, meanwhile
are trying to fake out that person. The guesser has three chances to guess, then it’s someone
elses turn. A variation is to slip the ring onto a loop of string as large as your circle. Players
pass the ring along the string, around the circle while the chosen one guesses.
Zoom Screech
Have players stand in a circle. Explain that we are going to work together to create the sound
of a car zooming past. Start by saying “Zoom” as you turn your head from the right to the left.
Once you are facing the person to your left, they should repeat “Zoom” as they turn their head
from facing you to the person to their left. The zoom should travel around the circle. Have it
go around a few times to get the speed up and constant. Once you think the group has it down.
Stop and introduce the idea of “Screech”. A “screech” is the sound a car makes when it jams on
the brakes. If instead of passing the “zoom” on you say “screech” to the person who said “zoom”
to you, you reverse the direction of the zoom. Each player may screech only once during a game.
The game is over when all players have used up their screeches.
Pass the Clap
This game is similar to Zoom Screech, but instead of passing a “zoom”, you clap right and then
send the clap through clapping to your left. The clap is sent around the circle by each player
catching a clap by clapping right and sending a clap by clapping left. If you want to reverse the
direction of the clap, you double clap, or catch and send your clap the same place.
Silent Ball
Players stand spread throughout the room. One person acts as the “Judge”. A ball is tossed
across the room from person to person. Players are out if they miss a reasonable toss, make an
unreasonable toss, or talk (hence the name silent ball). When you get to just a few people left,
you can add in the throw and spin rule. You need to spin around after you throw the ball. Last
one standing is the winner.
Poor Little Kitty
Players sit in a circle and one player is chosen to be the kitty. The kitty approaches individual
players trying to make them smile before they can pat the kitty on the shoulder and say, “Poor
little kitty.” They kitty can do all sorts of outrageous things to make the person smile, but
they may not touch the person. If the person is able to pat the kitty on the shoulder with out
Do This, Do That
This game is similar to Simon Says. The leader faces the rest of the players and makes
movements saying, “Do this” for each movement they make. The audience needs to copy the
leader. If the leader says, “Do that,” with a motion, the players are not to do it. Any one
caught doing a “do that” motion is out.
Jamaquack
Players divide into two groups. One group are the Jamaquack (an elusive, near extinct bird) and
the other group members form a circle around the flock. Jamaquack squat down, holding their
ankles with their hands and hop around with their eyes closed. They are looking for an opening in
the pen the circle has created while the circle people gently nudge the jamaquack away from
them. The jamaquack communicate through quacks, so when one member finds the opening, they
quack wildly to signal to the others what direction to go in. Once all of the jamaquack are free
from the pen, the groups switch and the game starts over.
Celebrity
Celebrity is like charades, but there are no gestures or sounds like, just words. Have students
make up slips of paper with the names of celebrities, or people most everyone in the class would
know. Put the slips into a hat or other container. Divide into two teams. Team A chooses
someone to go first. They are to select a slip from the hat and using words only, get their team
mates to guess who the person is. Once the correct person is guessed, they pick another slip
out and try again. The goal is to get as many correct guesses in 2 minutes. There is no passing.
After two minutes are up, it is Team B’s turn. They choose a person to read the slips and give
clues as Team A did. Play 3-4 rounds. The team with the most number of correct guesses wins.
Build a Structure
Using newspaper and tape, marshmallows and toothpicks, or straws and pins, challenge groups of
2-4 to build the tallest free-standing structure in 5 minutes.
Find Your Prey
Each person gets a card with the name of a different animal on it, which is kept a secret. A list
of animals is then read aloud that tells what prey each animal must find. The list is circular:
for example, the elephant is looking for the lion, the lion is looking for the wolf, the wolf for
the dog, the dog for the cat, the cat for the mouse, the mouse for the elephant. With out making
any sound, each person then acts out the animal that is written on his or her card and attempts
to find the animal acting like its prey. If a player thinks she’s found her prey, she taps him on
the head and the prey must show his card. If it’s the right prey, the hunter holds onto him while
he tries to find his prey. In the end there should be a single circle with the animals holding onto
each other.
To add some challenge to the game, add decoy cards. A decoy can act like any animal. They try
to find one another and stay together.
Twisted Twister
In groups of 6-8, have players follow the caller’s directions:
All players use their left hand to touch something yellow.
Etc.
Come up with other directions until the groups fall into a laughing, crumpled mass.
Alibi
One person is chosen to be the detective and leaves the room. While the detective is out, the
culprit is selected. The groups sits in a circle and the detective is invited back in. The
detective asks each player, “Where were you at the time of the crime?” Each player makes
something up and tells the detective. After the detective has gone through the whole circle,
s/he begins again. Each player must repeat exactly what they said the first time, except for
the culprit. The culprit must change what they said. The detective’s job is to guess who has
changed their alibi and catch the culprit. The detective gets three guesses to figure out who
the culprit is. The culprit becomes the new detective.
How Many Are Standing?
Sit in a circle. Anyone stands up whenever they want to, but cannot remain standing longer that
five seconds. The aim of the game is to always have exactly four standing at the same time.
Squeak
Players sit in a circle. One person is selected to be the person in the middle. They are
blindfolded and extend their arm out in front of them pointing their index finger. They spin
round three times. Whom ever they are pointing at grasps their finger. The person in the
middle says “squeak” and the grasper replies “squeak” (disguising their voice). The person who is
in the middle tries to guess who it is. If they are wrong, they can squeak again, wait for a
reply, and guess again. They get one more chance. If they are still wrong, the grasper becomes
the person in the middle. If the person in the middle was right, they spin around again and
repeat the process.
Cooperative Musical Chairs
This activity is a takeoff on the familiar musical chairs game. Set up a circle of chairs with one
less chair than the number of students in the class. Play music as the students circle around the
chairs. When the music stops, the students must sit in a seat. Unlike the traditional game, the
person without a seat is not out. Instead, someone must make room for that person. Then remove
another seat and start the music again. The kids end up on one another's laps and sharing chairs!
You can play this game outside, and you can end it whenever you wish. Afterward, stress the
teamwork and cooperation the game took, and how students needed to accept one another to be
successful. Reinforce that idea by repeating this game throughout the year.
What’s Different?
Line up your students in two lines facing each other. If you have an odd number of students,
have the teacher play with the unmatched student. Give the students exactly 30 seconds to look
at the person with whom they're paired and to study everything about that person. Then the
students in one line turn around and close their eyes while the students in the other line change
something about themselves. For example, one person may take off an earring, switch shoes, or
put their hair behind an ear. Then the kids in the other line turn around and try to name what
Trust Fall
Pair up participants. Let them get to know each other. Announce trust fall. One person stands
up, one falls backwards so that the other person can catch the one falling. Make sure each
person does it!
Honey Do You Love Me?
One person starts and picks an opponent. The leader walks up to them, kneels and says "Honey do
you love me?" The opponent then has to reply "I love you honey, but I just can't smile"--without
smiling! If opponent smiles he/she is out. If he/she doesn't smile he/she gets to pick an
opponent and play continues until there is one survivor. (The person who doesn't smile.)
Broom Jump
Divide into two teams. Team members should stand two abreast. First couple must each grab one
end of a broom and run back through their team. Broom is held just above the floor. Everyone in
the line must jump over the broom. When the couple reaches the back of the line they must pass
the broom to the front of the line over their heads holding the broom horizontally. No throwing.
First team with the original couple back at the front of the team wins.
Tiptoe through the Tulips
Participants stand on their tiptoes and walk about while singing "Tiptoe through the Tulips."
Then sing "walking through the tulips" and add appropriate movements, then "running" then "
stomping.
Machine
One person goes to the center of the room and acts out the repetitive motion and sound of a
part of a machine. add parts to the machine, one by one, until the entire group is involved.
Rhythm Categories
Group members form a circle. The leader demonstrates the rhythm. Pat knees two times with
both hands, clap hands two times, and then snap fingers two times. Practice the beat until the
group is synchronized. One member randomly starts the game as the beat goes on, by stating a
category (like "Food"). The person to his/her right names an item like "broccoli" on the snap part
of the beat. On the next snap the next person to the right says a food can't think of one. If
the participant can't think of an item in that category they can say "Category" and the next
person to their right calls out a new category. All responses occur on the snap part of the beat.
Corners
Have the group count off in fours. Send all the ones to one corner, the twos to another, and so
on. The leader will give instructions on what the members are to do.
Skip to the opposite corner.
High five everyone you pass as you walk to the opposite corner.
Slide to the corner on your right.
Duck walk to the corner opposite.
Back to Back
Cards
Cards with questions are picked randomly from a box. Delegates must answer the question posed
to them in a one or two sentence response.
If you were:
- a vehicle what would you be and why?
- An M & M what color would you be and why?
- A business owner what type of business would you own and why?
- A pen, what would you write and why?
- A box, what would you contain and why?
The Napkin Game
Ask participants to form groups of equal size. Give each group a napkin and explain to them that
their task is to fold their napkin as small as possible, but still large enough for each small group
member to place a toe on the napkin.
Ha
With the participants seated in a circle, explain that the object of this game is for the, without
laughing, to pass the word "ha" around the circle. The trainer then designates one participant to
be the head of the circle. That participant begins the game by saying "ha". The person sitting to
his or her right must repeat the "ha" and then say another "ha." The third person must say ha. ha
and then given an additional "ha." In this manner the "ha" continues around the circle. The game
ends when all of the participants. trying not to laugh (a virtual impossibility), have repeated the
"ha's" that preceded them and then added their own "ha.”
Blob Tag
It’s helpful to have a pretty large, open space for this energizer. The facilitator is it. When
she or he tags someone they lock arms and then jointly attempt to tag someone else. As each
person is tagged they lock arms with those who are already it. The game is over when the last
person is "captured." Some boundaries must be set up for this activity to keep folks from
roaming too far afield. This game typically takes less than 10 minutes to complete.
Hospital Tag
In this activity everyone is "it". The objective is to keep from being "tagged" by another player,
but to tag as many other people as possible. The first time you are tagged you have to put a hand
on where you were tagged – for instance, if you are tagged on the top of the head you then have
to play with one hand on top of your head. You could then resume attempting to tag others. The
next time you are tagged you have to put your other hand where you are tagged that time. The
third time you are tagged you're dead (sit down to signify this) and can no longer attempt to tag
other people. It helps to have a fairly large, open space for this activity, but it normally helps
to set up some boundaries to keep folks from roaming too far afield. Depending on people's
creative "tagging" abilities this can get pretty interesting. It shouldn't take more than ten
minutes for this energizer to run its course.
Secret Agent
In this game its best to have a pretty good sized, open area. Have folks begin by standing around
Then, quietly, without pointing, and without telling anyone, each individual identifies to
themselves who their "secret agent" is for this game. After everyone seems to have made a
selection, have them then select another individual -- quietly, without pointing, and without
telling anyone -- who will serve as their "bodyguard" for the activity.
After everyone has made their selections let them know that they are now free to move around,
but they must keep their "bodyguard" between themselves and their "secret agent" at all times.
This can get pretty funny and interesting as people move about. It often turns into utter chaos
because of the odd combinations of "bodyguards" and "secret agents."
Stop the game when you feel like its over.
Criminal Dealings
Design a system for secretly identifying the "criminal" and the "cop." We used a deck of cards.
You only need enough cards so each player may have one card. One card needs to be a jack--the
criminal, and one needs to be an ace--the cop. All of the other cards should be below ten in rank.
Let each person draw and keep a card, without showing it to anyone.
The criminal needs to recruit other criminals by winking at them, but without getting caught by
the cop. Any person who sees a wink is to wait a few seconds, so as not to be obvious, and then
say, "I committed a crime." That person then turns in his card and is out of the game. Play
continues until the criminal recruits all players without being caught by the cop, or the cop
identifies the criminal. If the cop misidentifies the criminal, he loses the game.
Knots of People
Divide the group into teams of 8 to 12 members. Have each person join right hands with another
person in the group, but it has to be someone who is NOT standing immediately to the left or
right. Then have each person join left hands with another person in the group, but it has to be
someone who is NOT standing immediately to the left or right and someone other than before.
Now the groups have to untangle themselves without letting go of hands. They may have to
loosen their grips a little to allow for twisting and turning. They may have to step over or under
other people. The first group to untangle their knot is the winner.
SPECIAL NOTE: There are four possible solutions to the knot.
1.One large circle with people facing either direction.
2.Two interlocking circles.
3.A figure eight.
4.A circle within a circle.
NEW, SPRING 2003
Coop Ball
Materials: one six sided die
Variety of items that can be used to hit a ball (tennis racket, baseball bat, broom,
etc.)
Variety of balls that can be hit (tennis ball, baseball, rubber ball, beanie baby, etc.)
Misc other items (blindfold, helmet, etc.)
As a group, decide on six wacky ways to hit, knock or kick a “ball”. Your list may look like this:
 Wear the blindfold and kick the purple ball.
 Hit the beanie baby with the tennis racket
 Sing a song and then hit the tennis ball with the broom
 Put the bicycle helmet on, spin around ten time with the baseball bat touching your head and
the floor at the same time, and then kick the ball.
 Hit the large rubber ball with the baseball bat.
 Hit the football with the bat.
Divide the group into two teams and play as you would kickball or soft ball, except the player
who is up at “bat” rolls the die and has to “hit” based on their roll. For example, if they rolled a
six, they would hit the football with a bat.
All Tied Up
Break into smaller groups (2-5 in each). Ask groups to each stand in a circle with their arms
held out in the middle. Tie the wrists of neighbors together. In other words, each person has
their left wrist tied to the person on their left and their right wrist is tied to the person on
the right.
Now that the group is all tied up, ask them to complete a wacky task together. They could have
to eat lunch together, pour a cup of water for each person in the group, or anything else that is
fun and crazy.
Discussion: Did everyone on the group help get the task done?
What happened when someone didn’t help?
Why were you successful (or not) in completing the task?
Do you ever feel “tied up” with someone when you are working with them and trying
to get the job done? If so, why, and how do you deal with this feeling?
Group Draw
Divide up into groups of four or more. Give each person a different colored marker and one
piece of paper for the whole group. Ask the first person to draw a squiggle or line on the paper
with their marker, then pass the paper onto the person next to them. That person may turn the
paper in whichever direction they wish and add another squiggle. The lines must NOT intersect.
The group should try to create a picture of something.
Once everyone has had a turn, ask the group to come up with a title for their picture. If you
Discussion: How did you work together as a group to complete the picture?
Is everyone in the group happy with the picture that was created? Why or why
not?
Was it harder to make the picture or come up with a title?
Is it easier to do things by yourself or with other?
Why is it important to be able to work with others?
Foothold
Break the large group into smaller teams of four to eight members. Each team must stand in a
circle and select one person to be in the middle. The person in the middle can keep both feet on
the ground, but everyone else may only keep one foot on the ground and the person in the middle
must somehow hold or carry each group member’s remaining foot (or leg). The challenge for the
group is to move as a unit in one direction without the person in the middle dropping anyone’s
foot or leg in the process.
Discussion:
 Did everyone in the group contribute equally?
 Is it OK for different people to work harder or less hard when working on a team? Why or
why not?
Cup Stack
Put together two to three sets of partners (consisting of 2-3 kids each) for a total of 4-5
groups of 6-9.
Materials for each group:
10 paper cups
One rubber band
# of pieces of string for each group member
(Note: the strings are tied to the rubber band to act as handles. The final result should look
like a sun.)
Work together as a group to stack the paper cups into a pyramid. Group members may not touch
the cups with their hands, or any other parts of their bodies, even if a cup falls on the floor.
Each person must be holding onto one of the strings that are attached to the rubber band. The
group may figure out a way to use this device to pick up the cups.
Discussion:
 Was anyone frustrated at all during this activity? If so, how was it handled?
 Why was teamwork so important for this activity?
 What does teamwork have to do with drumming (especially in a group)?
 What did you do today to contribute to the teamwork on your team?
Reversal
Materials: Masking tape
Line groups of 5-8 up and tape a rectangle on the floor that encloses their feet with little
Discussion:
 Did everyone in the group have to help out in order for the team to be successful at this
task?
 What happened if someone chose not to help?
 How did you feel about the close body contact that was needed for this activity? Did it make
you more or less comfortable with this group? Why or why not?
 Was trust involved in this activity? Why or why not?
Footbridge
Divide the whole group in half for this activity.
Materials for each group:
5- 1’ x 1’ cardboard squares
The challenge for this activity is to get your group from one end of the room to the other using only
the cardboard squares to stand on. Group members may not touch the floor at any time while they
are trying to cross, only the boards. Once a board has been placed on the floor it may not be moved
(unless the group decides to start over and picks up all the boards). Once someone steps on a board,
they may move forward but never back. (The two groups should eventually discover that they need to
work together to get all the way across the room. There will need to be some teamwork to get around
each other when teams are going in opposite directions.)
Discussion:
 What was needed from both groups in order for this activity to be successful?
 How did you feel when you had to cross paths with the other team in the middle of the bridge?
 What have been some other times in your life that you have had to rely on others in order to be
successful at something?
 How did it feel to have to ask others for help?
Flip
Materials: tarp large enough for the whole group to stand on, and then some
Once the whole group is standing on the tarp, issue the challenge. The challenge is to completely flip
the tarp over so that everyone is standing on the other side of the tarp. At no time my anyone get
off the tarp of tough the ground during this activity.
Discussion:
 Did any one get in your way during this activity? How did you handle it?
 How did you come up with a plan as such a large group?
 Did anyone emerge as a leader? Who was it and what did they do? Why do you think they became
the leader?
 Do all problem solving activities need a leader?
 Do you feel like more or less a part of the group after doing this activity?
Dave’s Game:
Have each student write five things about themselves on an index card, just not their name. Shuffle
Belonging Groups or Pick a Corner
Label one part of the classroom the “belonging corner” and another corner the “not belonging
corner”. All the students start by standing in the middle of the room and the teacher calls out
defining categories such as: If you like spaghetti go the belonging group….If you have dark skin
go the belonging group…..If you're good at sports go the belonging group...If you only have one
parent at home go the belonging group….Etc. Etc. Students have to keep moving …going to the
belonging part of the room if it describes them and going to the other part of the room if it
doesn’t describe them.
The teacher pauses after each one so students can look around at the kids they were not always
in the same groups. Ask kids what they learned or noticed from this activity?
Three Musketeers
For this activity, divide the class into groups of three. Ask each group to write three things
they all like and three things they all dislike. Then they should each wite down one way they a
different from the other group members.
Ask groups to share their results at the end. How did they go about deciding what they liked or
disliked? How did you solve disagreements (if you had any)? The Three Musketeers were know
for a saying, “All for one and one for all.” What do you thing this means?
Transformations
Divide the group into 2-6 groups. The object of the game is for player to form as quickly as
possible into human representations of whatever you describe. Call out the name of an object,
such as a piano, pizza or car. Team members must then work together to arrange themselves into
a representation of that shape. Repeat this a few times using different objects.
Shape the Space
Gather the group into a large circle. Explain that the game is a pantomime in which they are
able to transform an invisible piece of space through squishing, squeezing, and squashing it into
an object of their choice. To begin, you should pull a piece of invisible space out of your pocket,
ear, mouth, etc, and begin to transform it. The object you choose to create should represent and
aspect of your culture. Tell what it is and pass it onto the next person. (As the group leader you
should begin and model by sharing an object that represents your culture, it can be as concrete
as a ball or abstract as an expansive song)
After that person accepts the object and thanks the giver, they then need to transform your
object into one that represents his or her own culture. Each player should take about thirty
seconds to transform the space passed to them. When the invisible shape gets back to you,
gently squeeze is back into a small ball and put it into your pocket. You may wish to say that
through this game, we each are able to take home a little bit of each other.
Bippity Bippity Bop
The group begins in a circle, with one person in the center. That person's goal is to get out as
fails to say "bop" before the person in the center finishes their "bippity bippity bop," then that
person is now in the middle.
Alternatively, the person in the center can request that a person do any of the following
actions. They involve not only the person who the request is made of, but also the two people on
either side of him/her. If the three people do not perform the task by the time the person in the
center is through counting to ten, then the one person who most blatantly screwed up is in the
center. The actions include...
 Kamikaze- The person who the request is being made of (who from here on out will be referred
"the person in the middle," though he/she is not to be confused with the person in the middle
of the circle) must form a circle around each eye with his/her hands, simulating flight
goggles. The two people on the sides extend their arms like wings and make plane noises.
 3D- The person in the middle does nothing as the two people on either side of him/her step in
behind the center person.
 Opera Singer- The two people on either side kneel, while the center person extends his/her
arms downward towards them and belts out his/her best high note.
 Scuba Diver- The person in the center forms a diving mask around his/her eyes with his/her
hands, while the two people on the sides move their arms in wave like motions and repeatedly
say "glub glub."
 Viking- The center person gives him/herself viking horns with his/her fingers, while the two
people on the side pretend to be rowing a boat. All three chant "hut hut hut."
 Tank- The two people on the sides move their fists in a circular motion (the treads of the
tank), while the person in the center extends his/her arms outward and lets out a loud
"KABOOM!" (the turret).
 Elephant-The person pointed to sticks one arm out as the trunk and reaches around under it
with the other arm to hold their nose, while making an elephant noise. The two people on
either side of them bend their outside arms over their heads to make the ears of the
elephant.
 Milking the Cow: The person pointed to links their fingers in front of them with palms facing
out and thumbs pointed down, while making a mooing noise. The people on either side milk the
thumbs.
 Toaster: The person pointed to bounces up and down while saying boing, boing... those on
either side turn to face them and stretch their arms out on either side to make the toaster.
 Baby on a Motorway: The person pointed to puts their thumb in their mouth and makes sucking
noises. The people on either side drive around them while making car noises (vroom, vroom).
 Giraffe: The person pointed to stands on their tip toes and puts both hands to their head
with index fingers pointed up (as antlers). Those on either side hold their outside arms out
and down as the legs.
 Rabbit: The person pointed to holds both hands to their mouth with two fingers pointing down
(as teeth) while saying "Kani, Kani" (Finnish for Rabbit). The people on either side make the
rabbits ears on the sides of the central person's head with two fingers (of their inside hand)
wiggling.
You can introduce the actions in stages (I would begin with three), make up more of your own or
get the group to suggest actions. To play the game, the person in the middle simply turns around
to speed things up. If someone makes a mistake or hesitates they are in the middle (or you can
put them out).
Some like to play bippity bippity bop combined with these actions, some consider them to be two
separate games.
Outside the In-Group
Ask the group to form a tight circle and lock arms. Another student, outside the group, tries as hard
as s/he can to break into the group. When, and if, this student successfully breaks into the circle,
s/he becomes part of the group. Another person takes his/her place outside and tries to break in.
Each student takes turns outside the group. Each student should have a turn being outside the group.
Processing:
 Ask students to reflect on how they felt being outside of the group (isolation, left out, alone,
etc.).
 How did you feel/act after a few unsuccessful attempts to get in? (aggressive, clowning around,
with drawn, uninterested)
 How might this relate to real life experiences? Have you ever been left out or kept someone out
of a group?
 Are there justifiable reasons someone might be kept out of a group? What could these be?
 Are there unjustifiable reasons for keeping someone out of a group? What could some of these
be? Bring in issues or examples of differences in race, language, or culture that people use to
exclude others.
 Explain that today we are together as a group and that it is important to include and get to know
each other.
Cultural Lens
 Have students find a partner they don’t know or use a strategy to partner up such as born in
the same month, have a matching letter in their first name, etc.
 Share drawings 1-A and 2-A (see back of packet) with the group, giving one copy to each pair.
Solicit ideas as to what is happening in the pictures. Next give them pictures 1-B and 2-B.
Ask how their predictions matched with the completed drawing?
 Explain that we are going to do an exercise similar to the one this one, but created on our
own. Distribute an index card and pencil to each student and ask them to draw just part of a
picture.
 With out discussing their drawings, have the each partner switch cards and finish the other’s
drawing.
Processing:
 Ask how close to their intent the completion of the drawing was? Why is that?
 Facilitate a discussion about how we all see things through our own experiences or cultural
lenses. How I interpret an experience may be different from how you interpret it. Unless I
make an effort to understand your experiences, there will be misunderstandings. Can you
think of examples of this?
 Explain that one of the purposes for today’s event is for you to get to know different people
Social Identity
 Brainstorm and list of groups that we may belong to, by choice or not. Some examples
include: oldest child, son, Jewish, Spanish speaker, Hmong, football player, etc.
 Give each student an index card. Instruct them to write four groups that they feel are most
significant to them on the card, one in each corner.
 Find someone who has none of the same groups as you. Get to know each other and find at
least three things you have in common. Write those things in the center of your cards.
 At the end of the time allotted, introduce each other to the large group and what you have in
common.
Processing:
 People often put themselves and others into groups, with or with out getting to know one
another. How did it feel to have to label yourself?
 Once you got to know the other people, were you surprised by what you had in common? Were
there groups you hadn’t thought of that you did have in common?
 Imagine if you had put someone in a group that was different from yours and assumed you had
nothing in common?
 One of the purposes of today’s event is to get beyond the labels and groups and get to know
and appreciate each other for our similarities and differences.
Social Identity 2
 Have students find a partner they don’t know or use a strategy to partner up such as born in
the same month, have a matching letter in their first name, etc.
 Brainstorm and list of groups that we may belong to, by choice or not. Some examples
include: oldest child, son, Jewish, Spanish speaker, Hmong, football player, etc.
 Give each student an index card and instruct them to choose and record the group they are a
member of that they feel is most significant to who they are. In other words, the group
membership they feel contributes most to their identity.
 Have students interview each other using the questions below.
Processing:
 Have students introduce their partner and share a little about what they learned about them
with the large group.
 People often put themselves and others into groups, with or with out getting to know one
another. How did it feel to have to label yourself?
 One of the purposes of today’s event is to get beyond the labels and groups and get to know
and appreciate each other for our similarities and differences.
Interview Questions:
 How and why did you become part of this group? (Were you born into it, chosen by the group,
started your own group)
 What are the rules for joining the group? What do you like/dislike about these rules?
 What do you like/dislike about being a member of this group?
 In what ways are group members similar/different?
 What do you do about individuals of the group whose views, ideas, or behavior you don’t like?

Are there things about the group you would like to change?
Similarities and Differences
Give students 10 minutes to circulate in the room talking with group members they don’t know.
The goal is to find out one non-physical thing that is similar and one non-physical thing that is
different from them about that person. As they meet people, they should write down the name of
each new friend and the similarity and difference they have between them. Students should try
to get to at least 10 people.
(See appendix at back of packet for recording sheet.)
Cultural Iceberg
 Put the word "CULTURE" up on the chalkboard and ask kids to brainstorm what the word
means. Record these ideas on the board. Next to these ideas, draw a large iceberg on the
board. Ask kids what they know about icebergs. Where should the waterline be on the iceberg?
(Only about 20% of an iceberg is above the surface of the water.) Explain that some people
have likened culture to an iceberg because there are some things you can tell about a
person's culture just by looking at them (the 20% above the water). But most of the aspects
about a person's culture are not so obvious and are hidden below the water's surface. Where
on the icebergs would you place the aspects of culture that we brainstormed? Write them up
on the board in the appropriate places on the iceberg.

Chances are that most of what they brainstormed will have been "tip" type things. Ask the
students to think of some of the aspects of culture that are not as readily apparent and
would lie under the surface of the water. Most of these will have to do with values and
perceptions of a situation. While music may lie above the water and be obvious, what the song
is about often tells about what lies under the surface. Think about a song you like to listen
to on the radio or your CD player. What kind of values does that song communicate about
your culture? It's probably something that lies below the surface.
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Discuss with students that many people get stuck at the tip of the iceberg. They assume they
know someone based on what they see. We need to look deeper than that to truly understand
someone. Explain that we are going to help each other do this by sharing some of the less
obvious aspects of our culture with each other.
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Distribute blank icebergs and pencils to the students. Explain that they will now have the
opportunity to reflect on their own culture and complete an iceberg that reflects them.
Show your example made during the planning session. Explain that some of the aspects about
yourself are written on the tip. They correlate to the categories you put on the tip on your
group iceberg. Some other things are below the water line and correlate with the categories
we put below the surface on our group iceberg. Let students know that they are not limited
to or required to use all of the categories from the group iceberg on their personal cultural
iceberg, but should use it as a guide. When students appear to be wrapping up, call them
together and ask that they share their icebergs with the large group.
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Ask students to look deeper, beyond the tip of the iceberg, during the course of the day to
this activity throughout the course of your day with students. It is through reinforcement
of key ideas and discussion around them that real learning takes place.
Yellow Crayon Activity
Materials: Yellow crayons (at least one for each student)
Index card and pencil for each student
Have each child select a yellow crayon from the collection of yellow crayons. Ask them to really “get
to know” their crayon. Draw a picture of it, write down any identifying characteristics about the
crayon. They may use their index card to do so. Give students about 5 minutes to do this.
Ask the students to put their crayon back into the container and have a seat in the circle. When all
the crayons have been returned, mix them around and spill them out onto the floor. Ask students in
small groups to come up and identify their crayon.
Discussion:
 Was it easy or difficult to identify your crayon from the group? Why or why not?
 How does this activity relate to your experience with people?
Pipe Cleaner Similarities
Materials: four pipe cleaners for each student
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Ask each student to choose four pipe cleaners in the colors of their choice.
Explain that each of them should use the pipe cleaners to create something that represents
something that is very important in their life or that is an important goal in their life.
Allow about five minutes for this.
Working with the person next to them, ask students to try to guess what each other’s
creations represent.
As a whole group, ask student to stand if their creation represents the concepts you name.
For example, say, “If your creation represents something to do with religion, please stand.”
Note the number of people standing. Once they are seated, call upon those to stand whose
creation represents another concept. Concepts may include religion, family, friends, money,
education, health, or others you notice.
Once most have had a chance to stand, ask those who have not stood to raise their hands.
Ask them to share what his or her creation represents. Then ask if anyone else made a
creation that represents the same concept of a similar one. If there are, ask them to stand
as well. Continue until everyone has had an opportunity to stand.
Discussion:
 Ask students what they discovered or learned through this activity.
 What did you notice about the concepts we chose to have our pipe cleaners represent.
 Think about the diversity of our group, while we don’t always hold the same things to be
important, the concepts are often very similar.
New, Spring 2004
Knights Around the Table
Equipment: A sturdy table big enough to crawl under without brushing table legs (5-6 feet long)
Two tape strips to mark start and finish line (2-3 ft. from each long side of table)
Challenge: All team members must cross over the top, climb under, and again cross over the top
of the table without touching the floor. All team members must finish behind the finish line.
Team members may not touch the floor at any point between the start and finish line. Those who
have crossed the finish line may not come back or touch the table again. (Note: you may wish to
help the kids figure out that one person needn’t go at a time and that you can have one or more
people on top of the table helping others cross.)
Conflict Continuum
Create a masking tape line on the floor about 20 feet long. Explain that the line is a continuum.
If you stand at one end, it means you agree with the statement read—label this end. If you
stand at the other end it means you disagree—label this end. Standing right in the middle means
that you are neutral, or don’t feel strongly one way or the other. The closer you stand to either
end, the stronger you feel to that respective end. Ask them to decide whether they agree or
disagree, and how strongly, with each of the following statements by standing at the appropriate
place on the tape. Note that there is no right or wrong answer:
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Conflicts are bad.
There always needs to be a winner and a loser in a conflict.
Conflict should be avoided at all costs.
It is important to stand up for what you believe in even if other people don’t agree with you.
If you are in a conflict, it helps to keep your feelings to yourself.
Conflicts can make your relationship with the other person stronger.
People have different styles of handling conflict.
Your culture plays a role in how you handle conflicts.
These statements were made up for a session on conflict resolution, you should change the
statements to fit your goals.
Ask students what they noticed about what happened in this activity. Which questions were
most difficult to answer? Were you surprised by anything?
Counting to 10
Break the class up into two smaller groups. Each group needs to count to ten aloud but only one
person can talk at one time. One person begins by saying "one" and then another student
continues the counting with "two," until the group reaches "ten". This game is harder than it
seems because often two members of the group will say the same number at the same time. Every time this happens, the group must start all over again from "one." They must successfully
work together, using eye contact and caution, to reach "ten."
through the games. What would have happened during the game if everyone had tried to do
his/her own thing?
Oompas vs. Loompas
Ask if students have ever been in a conflict that was a result of miscommunication or cultural
differences? Have kids share. Explain that we are going to participate in an activity to help
better understand what is happening during these situations and explore ways to address these
conflicts.
In this activity, students have to trade “red things” for “blue things.” The problem is that the
students with the red things and the students with the blue things each come from different
cultures, and they have different social rules they have to follow, or cultural values. The
students have to find a way to overcome their differences and communicate in order to reach
their goals.
Give half the students red things (Oompas) and half blue things (Loompas), and the corresponding
sheet reminding them which rules to follow. Explain to each group (so the other can’t hear) what
their rules of trading are. Oompas Cultural Norms/Trading Rules:
 Oompas prefer to interact with members of their own culture.
 Oompas do not start conversations. They speak only when spoken to.
 In Oompa culture, women have more status than men. Men are always chaperoned by Oompa
women.
 Oompa men do not make eye contact with women from other cultures.
 Oompa do not speak to women from other cultures. They speak only through their chaperones.
They can talk to men from other cultures.
 Oompas are interested in the Loompa’s blue things, but don’t find them as valuable as their
red things. They will only trade two blues for one red.
Loompas Cultural Norms/Trading Rules:
 Loompas are outgoing and friendly.
 Loompa men and women act the same—there are no gender roles.
 Loompas celebrate each successful trade by singing the Barney song at the top of their lungs.
 Loompas like to touch others on the arm as they speak.
 Loompas value cross gender contact (male-female) more than single gender.
 Loompas value red and blue items equally and desire to have an equal amount of each.
Suggested processing questions:  What did you notice during this experience?
 Were you frustrated by the other person’s culture? How did you overcome this frustration?
 Did you keep an open mind and attempt to respect the other culture to make the trade?
 How did you get around your cultural prejudices if you did trade?
 Did you learn about the other culture in the process or did you simply trade?
 How is this exercise related to real life?
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If you were to try the trading again, now that you have a better understanding of eachother,
how might the trading session be different?
Do you ever come into contact with people with different customs or cultural values than
your own?
Would you deal with these differences in the same way?
Stand Up/Sit Down
During the following game, you will read a series of statements out loud. Ask the students to
stand if they feel a particular statement applies to them. After reading each statement, give
the students a few minutes to reflect before taking their seats. Feel free to participate in the
activity yourself.
Statements to be read out loud:
Stand Up If You… Take the bus to school
Have more than three brothers or sisters
Are left-handed
Speak a language other than English
Like Rap Music
Were born outside of Minnesota
Regularly attend religious services
Have flown on a plane
Play a musical instrument
What did you notice during this activity? We’re all different, and yet have similarities amongst
us. How might what you noticed relate to conflict? Most of the items on the list were
concrete, that is they are fairly visible. Many things that guide our communication and conflict
styles are not as visible. These things are called “cultural values”. Ask kids if they can come up
with some examples of cultural values that may not be visible. Refer back to the Oompa-Loompa
activity for a common/concrete reference point.
Ancient Counting Sticks
Hold up three sticks in the air, and announce that they are the ancient counting sticks of
Zoogoobawgooland. “These three sticks will be conformed in such a way that will represent a
number.” Then lay the three sticks on the ground in a unique way. Answer: Show the number you
wish to represent with your fingers. Put your hand someplace not too obvious… Keep having the
participants guess, and keep changing the number and stick layout. Use both hands, making
numbers up to 10. As you progress, keep making gestures more obvious as you go along.
Discussion: Many times, what we observe to be happening isn’t what is really going on.
We make assumptions based on our expectations. These expectations have been formed
by prior experiences. It is important to broaden our view to be able to look at things
differently. How many of you, if we were to do a different, but similar activity, might
look for solutions in a different way? How does this relate to our interactions and
communications with others?
Common Ground
Group sits in a circle of chairs with one person standing in the middle (no empty chairs). The
across the circle to find a new seat. You can’t take the seat of the person next to you! There
will be one person left in the middle who must ask the next question. Possibilities include:
people who… wear glasses! Likes vanilla ice cream better than chocolate! You can also guide the
questions a little deeper… “I seek common ground with people who…speak more than one
language.” The facilitator may choose to ask the first few questions to get the game going and
set the tone. Discussion: Did you learn anything new about the other groups members?
What? Did anything surprise you? What? How can learning about each other and finding
“common ground” dispel stereotypes?
Up Chuck
 You will need one ball or soft object that can be thrown and caught per person.
 The objective is for everyone to throw their ball up in the air and catch a different ball
without a single one touching the ground.
 Have the group start with only one ball thrown and caught. Each time they successfully catch
a ball, another is added for the next round until finally they drop one and then the whole
thing starts over. The goal is to have as many balls as there are group members.
 If your group is up for a further challenge, give some of them or all of them two balls and
that is of course how many they have to catch.
Discussion: What role did observation or “ways of seeing” play in this game? How might
this translate to your interactions with others?
Raging River
The goal of this game is to get all team members across the “raging river” using
four platforms and two planks with no one falling in. If anyone steps into the
“river” everyone has to go back to the start. Both planks must be transported to
the opposite “river bank.” Students may not jump to or from the platforms or
planks.
Materials:
four platforms
two planks
Process piece may be:
How do you feel after this activity?
What was the hardest part of this activity for you and why?
How can you use this activity to help you work together
in your school/home life?
All Aboard
The object of this game is for all team members to stand on the 2’x2’ platform/cardboard square
with out touching the ground for the length of time it takes to sing “Happy birthday to You.”
Both feet must be off the ground. Team members may not stack themselves any higher than one
person piggybacked on another.
Process piece:
Did we solve this challenge in a safe manner? What facilitated that?
Was there a plan?
What other ways could we have addressed this challenge?
Alien Shoe Tie
Students assemble in a group and pretend that the teacher is an 'alien' from another world. The
alien needs to tie its shoe, and it needs your help. The alien is very attentive, and very unsure of
itself. Therefore, the alien will understand English, but it will do EXACTLY what it is told. The
alien can also listen to only one voice at a time: if it hears too many people talking, it will get
easily confused. For example, when told to pull the tongue, the alien will reach into its mouth and
pull its tongue. Students have to cooperate and work together to give the alien specific
instructions so that the alien (and the group) can reach their goals.
PB&J Orchestra
Divide the class into three groups. The students can stay in their seats for this activity. The
first group will say “Bread” over and over again (think: slow rhythmic bass/tuba/trombone
part). One group will chant "Peanut Butter” (think: moderate saxophones, trumpet part). The
other group will sing "Jelly" (think: melodic upper woodwinds part). You act as the conductor
and direct the "orchestra". Students must listen to each other to maintain the balance of the
PB&J orchestral piece. What did you learn about teamwork through this activity?
Resources:
The Incredible Indoor Games Book, Gregson
Connecting Kids: Exploring Diversity Together, Hill
Creative Conflict Resolution, Kreidler
Morning Meeting Book, Kriete
Team Building Activities, Jones
Everyone Wins, Luvmour
Win-Win Games for All Ages, Luvmour
Open Minds to Equality, Schneidewind
www.education-world.com
www.wujs.org.il