The Name Game:
Perhaps the most useful of the ice-breakers,
name games are designed to help participants start
conversation as well as learn each other's names.
This is always a good one to start out with. A good
name game reinforces names with faces as well
as actions all while having fun. One of those is a
game called “Action Syllables,” in which the group
stands in a circle and the participants each choose
an action for every syllable of their name. (Example:
Elvis has two syllables, so he does a hip shake with
“El” and snaps his fingers for “vis.” Once Elvis has
done his action while saying his name, the whole
group repeats. After the second person does his
or her name, the whole group repeats, then does
Elvis’s again. And so on ‘til everyone’s done it, and
‘til everyone’s Elvis-ed out.)
Never Have I Ever:
Similar to Two Truths and a Lie, this ice-breaker can
get real personal, real fast, but it doesn’t always have
to. Use this ice-breaker to see if your guests, say, all
know how to drive, or maybe even to find out who’s the
most adventurous.
String a Story:
String a story is a fun one. Doubling as an
introduction and conversation ice-breaker, String a
Story gets people to tell each other about themselves
using a piece of string. Here’re the rules: First, grab
a big roll of yarn or string. Cut the string in various
lengths from 12 to 30 or more inches and then bunch
it all into one big clump. To play, ask a volunteer to
pull a piece of string from the clump and slowly wind
it around his or her index finger. While doing so, of
course, the lucky volunteer must talk. Specifically,
those stringing must introduce themselves and then
talk about anything they want (you can make this
more specific depending on just what kind of ice you
are breaking). That’s it. Easy, quick and fun.
Pick a Straw:
Another quick and easy one that requires very little prep, Pick
a Straw is an ice-breaker worth remembering that works for any
size group. The rules are simple: Before the group arrives, count
out straws or Popsicle sticks – at least one for each person. If
you’re short on time, Post-Its work just fine, too. Place them in
a cup, basket or bag – but not until you mark about 20 percent of
them (or, two for every 10) with a line or drawing of your choosing.
Then, simply have each member of the group draw one. If the one
they’ve chosen is marked, they’ve got to answer a question!
QNS.COM
SUMMER 2017 37