Icebreakers

1 Icebreakers I. Mail Call Set up: Participants are to sit in chairs placed in a large circle facing in. If you have too many to fit comfortably, make a smaller circle in the center of the room facing out. Directions: 1. The retreat leader begins by standing in the middle of the room (or near the middle if a center circle is made. He or she is the only person not to have a chair to sit in. 2. Tell the group that who ever is left standing in the middle of the room must begin by saying, “Mail call for all my SCC brothers and sisters who…” This introductions statement is to be followed by announcing a characteristic that may apply to some or all of those sitting in chairs. 3. The characteristics can be any of the following: (a) Something people are wearing… (b) Something people do to get ready in the morning… (c) Something people like to do…(play on a team, go on a date, listen to particular kind of music…) (d) Somewhere people live… (e) Something about our faith…(love God, went to church Sunday etc.) 4. If the characteristic applies, then the person it applies to must get up and cross the room before finding another seat. If you get caught cheating then you will automatically be put in the middle of the room without a seat. 5. The game is played until time is called. (Note: with very large groups it’s a good idea to take out a few chair as the game goes on so that more than one person is left standing in the middle, then randomly pick a person to announce the mail call (tallest, smallest, youngest, oldest, etc.). II. Monster Under the Chair The leader asks for two volunteers for opposite sides of the circle that the large group is sitting in. Leader says, “There are monsters under the chair. The way you get caught is if one of these volunteers sits in the empty chair, the person to their left must get into the circle. This means the people sitting must always scoot over into an empty chair when it appears to their right.” For added suspense someone is given a beach towel with a big knot tied on one end. If the people in the middle touch the person with the towel, they must trade places. If the person throws the towel to someone else, but the person in the middle catches it, they must trade places. 2 III. Ships and Sailors Tell all participants to stand in the middle of the room facing the leader who is in the front of the room. Explain that all participants are sailors and they are all on a ship. The Captain (designated leader) will give a series of orders. Any sailor who cannot complete the order correctly in a timely manner is out and must sit down on the side. The orders and their explanations are as follows: (Have a few retreat team members demonstrate.) 1. Go West: All must run to their right. 2. Go East: All must run to their left. 3. Hit the Deck: All must quickly lie on their stomach. 4. Captains Waiting: Sailors must not move for any reason until they hear the order “At Ease.” The captain may bark out several orders before saying “At Ease.” 5. Man Over Board: Sailors must fine a partner. One sailor is to get down on fours, hands and knees. The other sailor is to place one foot on the back of his or her partner and place his or her right hand over his or her brow to block the sun so that he or she can look for the man overboard. 6. Three Men Eating: Sailors are to form groups of three and sit down in a circle. Next they are to cup as if to hold a plate and scoop with the other hand quickly as if to feed themselves. 7. Four Men Rowing: Sailors are to form groups of four and sit in a row on the floor. They are to swing their arms as if they are rowing. 8. Shark Attack: Explain that all retreat team members are sharks and they have jumped onto the deck to attack the sailors. Sailors are to run away to a safe place. Designate all chairs or the wall as the safe place. If a shark touches a sailor before he or she reaches a safe place then the sailor is out. IV. Find Your Candy (Find group & sit in assigned place.) Tell participants to find their group by finding others who have the same candy on their name tags. Once the group is together they are to find a place to sit as a group in a circle, either on the floor or in chairs. 3 V. Scavenger Hunt Have groups form a circle. Give each group about 5 sheets of paper and a couple of pens. Appoint a retreat team member score keeper. If possible put score on a board or newsprint. Tell groups: - Everything needed for the scavenger hunt must be found within the group. - Your group must appoint a runner. Unless otherwise indicated, the runner must turn in items to me (or a designated person) or the points will not count. - 1000 points are awarded to the group when they are the first to turn in the item. Five shoes tied together. Each must be from a different person. Write down the sixth commandment. Lipstick on a boy’s lips. Boy wearing shirt backwards and inside out. Comb, brush and bobby pin connected together. Write down the name of our bishop. Belt, tied to sock, tied to a shirt Picture of boyfriend and girlfriend together Someone standing on their head in the center of the room. 50 cents. One quarter, one dime two nickels and five pennies. Two girls carrying a boy to me. Write down the first three words of the Bible. Four socks inside of one sock. Spell a word using the first letter of first or last names from all people in your group. Stand and lock arms in the order of the word. Longest or first word wins. The person who can carry the most people to me. Write down the age of the pope. (Answer: 83 as of May of 03) A person who can stick out their tongue and touch their nose. The first group to make a group pyramid using all the members of the group. VI. Back to Back Art Pre-activity prep: Have several simple pictures (smiley face, house, boat, dog, cat, geometric shapes, etc.). Each group will need several sheets of paper and a marker. Ask each group to stand in a single-file line facing the same direction then have them sit down. Explain that he person at the end of the line will be shown a picture. That person will then use his or her finger to draw that picture on the back of the person in front of him or her. The person whose back is drawn on will then draw his or her perception of the picture on the back of the next person. Explain that the goal is to draw as similar a picture to the original picture as possible. 4 The progression will continue until it reaches the last person in line. The last person will draw the picture on a piece of paper for everyone to see. The final picture will then be compared with the original. Designate judges to judge who is closest to the original. Give a candy prize to the winners. VII. Lean On Me Have your small group members pair up with each other and stand a little more than an arm’s length apart facing each other. Instruct participants to stretch their arms out in from of them with their palms facing forward. While keeping their bodies as straight as possible and their feet in place, they are to fall forward, catching each other by the palms of their hands. Have pairs hold that position for a whole and then push off so they return to the standing position. Next, have everyone take a step back and try it again. Keep moving partners back until they can’t successfully complete the activity. Give the prize to the group that has a pair that outlast everybody else. Next, have each small group make two lines facing each other, shoulder to shoulder. Have one side take a half step to the left so the two lines facing each other are staggered. Have small group members lean toward one another simultaneously, using one hand to support their partner and one hand to support the person next to their partner. In this configuration all but two of the participants are supported by two people. Assign one person to anchor each end by using both hands to support one hand of the person opposite. See how far apart the two lines can get while successfully leaning on each other and then returning to a vertical position. Give a prize to the group that can do this best. VIII. Lap Sit Have small groups stand in a circle shoulder to shoulder. Tell everyone to turn to their right and take a half step in so that they are facing each other’s back. Next, tell everyone to slowly sit down on the lap of the person in back. Groups should be able to sit and support each other. 5 Ice Breakers People Knot Have small groups stand in a circle shoulder to shoulder. Tell everyone to raise their right hand then slowly lower it to the center of the circle. Once in the center they are to grab another person’s hand. If the group has an odd person with no hand to grab, he or she is to leave their hand in the center. Next, tell everyone to raise their left hand and lower it into the center. They are grab someone else’s hand. Now everyone should now be holding two other people’s hands. Stress that they are not to let go. We know have a people knot. Tell the groups that they are untie the knot with out letting go so that their hands are at their sides. Some people may be facing in and some may face out. & Group Juggle Activity Directions: Groups are to stand in a circle facing the center. If groups are less than ten, combine two groups to make one. Ask all in the group to raise their right hand. The group leader explains that in this activity we will be tossing balls to one another, but the rule is that you must always throw your ball to the same group member and you may not throw your ball to someone if they have already received one. Tell group members to put their hand down once they have received a ball so that all will know who has received one. The group leader starts the activity by throwing the first ball across the circle to another member of the group. The last person to receive a ball must throw his or her ball to the group leader. Once the pattern for the ball tossing is set, the group should continue to toss the ball. The group leader can add in the additional balls as the tossing continues. The group wants to see how long they can continue without dropping a ball. 6 Retreat Team Intro – “Check-It-Out” I. II. All retreat team members costume. After Intro of theme, Retreat team does “Check-It-Out” intro. (The follow is done in rhythm:) - “My Name Is ________.” All participants say, “Check!” - Say 4 to 8 words about yourself, like, “I like to bowl.” All respond, “Check!” - Say 4 to 8 words on what you hope they get out of the retreat, “I hope you will get close to God!” All respond, “Check it out!!!” Ideas on what to say about yourself: 1. Things you do 2. Things you like 3. Places you like to go Ideas on what you hope participants will get out of the retreat: 1. About relationships with God 2. About relationships with others 3. About relationships with themselves