Teambuilders, icebreakers, and educational activities are great ways to start meetings, retreats, and other similar activities, especially when participants don't know each other well. Even when participants do know each other, these activities are great ways to break the ice or to get people comfortable with each other so that they are ready to be active participants in the program you have planned. The following activities have been submitted by various members of the campus community. If you would like to submit an activity, please send a description of the activity in the same format as those listed below to tdavis@presby.edu.

If You Were a Car, What Car Would You Be?

Recommendations: I would recommend this exercise for small groups up to about 30.

Time: It takes about 15-20 minutes to complete the exercise.

Purpose: The exercise is a quick way to get to know a little about each person's personality.

Submitted By: Telesia Davis, Dean of Student Life

Take a few minutes to have each person think about this question: If you were a car, what car would you be? Make sure participants understand that the exercise is not about selecting their favorite cars. Rather, they should think critically about the type of car that best describes their personality. Example: I am a Honda Civic because it's economical on gas, and I'm a thrifty person. It's a popular car, but it's not too showy. I'm a pretty popular person but without a showy reputation. Civics are practical cars, and I'm a practical person. Another example: I am a Hummer. Hummers have luxurious interiors with tough-looking exteriors. I am a nice person on the inside, but many people are intimidated by my size. The Hummer can take on all kinds of tough terrain, and I can take on lots of tough assignments. The Hummer is an expensive vehicle, and I tend to like extravagant things.

Two Truths and a Lie

Recommendations: I would recommend this activity for small groups of up to 20. This exercise works well for groups that know each other well.

Time: It takes about 15-20 minutes.

Purpose: This exercise helps participants learn things about other participants that they may not have known, even if they know each other well.

Submitted By: Telesia Davis, Dean of Student Life

Have participants take a few minutes to think about two true facts about themselves and one lie. It usually works best if they choose two facts about themselves that may not seem to be in character or that no one in the room would know. Once participants have thought of the two truths and one lie, each person should be given an opportunity to share these with the rest of the group. Other participants must guess which is the lie. For example, one person may say that she/he (1) jumped off a cliff in the 12th grade, (2) was born in Oklahoma, and (3) got hit by a car twice in 3rd grade. Participants must then guess which one of those statements is a lie. After getting a few guesses from various people, the person should reveal which statement is the lie.

All Tied Up (Also Known as the Human Knot)

Recommendations: This works best in groups of 20 or less.

Time: It takes approximately 20 minutes, depending on the group.

Purpose: This exercise is a good way to break the ice, and it also teaches teamwork.

Submitted By: Vernon James, Area Coordinator/Coordinator of Multicultural Student Services

All participants should stand in a circle. Using your right hand grab the right hand of somone directly across from you. Repeat with left hand. Once the group is all twisted up, participants should attempt to untwist themselves without letting go of anyone's hand.

Balloon Bonanza

Recommondations: This activity works best in groups of 30 or less.

Time: It takes 5-10 minutes, depending on the number of repetitions.

Purpose: Teamwork

Submitted By: Teri Cugliari, Area Coordianator/Coordinator of Greek Life

Have participants spread out. Then distribute balloons to all participants. Have participants blow up balloon and hold it over their head. A leader should count to 3, at which point all participants should let go of their balloons and then attempt to catch balloons before they hit the ground. Repeat as needed. This is an upbeat activity that usually gets everybody laughing.

Boxed In

Recommendations: Can be done with any size group, but you would need to break into smaller groups of 10-15.

Time: It takes about 7-10 minutes.

Purpose: Teamwork

Submitted By: Teri Cugliari, Area Coordinator/Coordinator of Greek Life

Using masking tape, create a 3'x3' square on the floor. The object of the activity is to have all the members of the group get in the square so that no body parts are touching the floor outside the square. Participants should be creative about how to make that happen. This is an upbeat activity that usually gets everybody laughing.

Questions, Questions, Questions

Recommendations: This activity works best in groups of 20 or less.

Time: It just depends on when you decide to stop the game.

Purpose: This activity is designed to break the ice.

Submitted By: Vernon James, Area Coordinator/Coordinator of Multicultural Student Services

Participants sit in a circle. A designated person starts the game by looking at a person in the circle and asking a question. The person who is asked the question must resist the urge to answer the question and immediately look at another individual to ask a different question. That person should resist the urge to answer the question and turn to someone else to ask a different question, and so forth. The game works best if people ask outrageous questions that people are tempted to answer. If someone answers a question, the game starts over. Be prepared for lots of laughter with this activity.

Mapping

Recommendations: This activity works best with a group no larger than 30-40. With too many people, it's too difficult to share the locations.

Time: It depends on how many questions you ask.

Purpose: Icebreaker

Submitted By: Beau Seagraves, Director of Housing and Residence Life

Mark a point on the floor in the room with a piece of paper. That point indicates where you are in the world. The leader should show the group where North, South, East, and West are in relationship to that point. Then the leader asks questions that requires group members to answer the question by moving to different areas of the room based on where they are in relation to that point. For example, the group leader could say, "Where were you born?," and group members move to whatever point in the room represents where they were born. Those born in the same location as where the workshop is being held would stand close to the point on the floor. Those born very far away would move to the outer edges of the room in the direction that represents where they were born in relation to the location where the workshop is being held. Then, everyone in the group would go around and share where they were born. Other examples include, "Where would you most like to visit?" and "Where's your favorite vacation spot?."