[Ailist] Ice Breaker

[Jerome Petiprin]

Two ice breakers for large groups that I like are

1. Pasta, sauce, or meatballs...  The facilitator announces that everyone 
has 15 seconds to silently decide if she or he is pasta, sauce, or 
meatballs.  At the end of 15 seconds the facilitator instructs everyone, as 
quickly as they can, to get into groups of three with one pasta, one sauce, 
and one meatballs person.   Once most people are in groups of three, deal 
with any unmatched stragglers and have them match up with each other or 
switch identities so that they can form triads.  Once everyone is in a 
triad, have the each person explain to the other two in their group why the 
like being what they are and how they contribute to the meal.

2. Birthdays...  The facilitator announces that everyone needs to get into 
groups based on their birth month as quickly as possible.  Once everyone is 
sorted by month, the facilitator announces that each group needs to discuss 
what's great about their birth month and select a reported.  Then the 
facilitator announces that each group needs to line up in order of day of 
the month by birth date.   Once each group is ordered, facilitator announces 
that each the reporter needs to present to the whole group what is great 
about their birth month and describe the distribution of birth dates within 
their month (evenly distributed, clumped at the beginning or middle or end 
of the month, bell curve, and so on).  Then all listen while each reporter 
presents to the whole group.

For a small group, naming ball toss...
The facilitator has everyone stand in a circle and go around giving names. 
Then the facilitator says the name one of the people in the circle and 
tosses a soft foam ball or bean bag to that person. That person then needs 
to name someone else in the circle and toss the ball to that person.  Each 
person who gets a ball has to say the name of another person in the circle 
and toss the ball to that person.  And the ball cannot go back to where it 
just came from.  After the ball has been tossed half a dozen times, the 
facilitator introduces a second ball and the circle is going with two balls. 
The facilitator keeps introducing more balls into the circle until there is 
chaos.

thanks,

Jerome

--------------------------------------------------
From: "Richard Seel" <richard at new-paradigm.co.uk>
Sent: Friday, December 21, 2007 3:31 AM
To: <ailist at lists.business.utah.edu>
Subject: Re: [Ailist] Ice Breaker

> Dear Mark,
>
>>I like the "good thing in your life" question. Another possibility would 
>>be
>>simply to talk about something they're proudest of.
>
> There may be a cultural issue here. British people usually find it 
> difficult to talk about their own achievements. Your suggestion may work 
> well in the US but I suspect that it would evoke embarrassment here!
>
> It is true that in the 'one good thing' exercise people occasionally talk 
> of achievements ("I've just passed this exam...") but the majority of 
> things are about circumstances ("We're going on holiday on Saturday...") 
> or about other people ("I've just become a grandmother...")
>
>
> Best wishes,
>
>
>
> Richard.
>
> -- 
> Richard Seel
> New Paradigm Consulting
> http://www.new-paradigm.co.uk
>
> Seabrink, Beach Road
> Bacton Norfolk NR12 0EP UK
> +44 (0)1692 650 706
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