Insight

10 more icebreakers for your youth group

Icebreakers, used wisely, can create a great atmosphere and provide momentum for further participation and learning. Icebreakers adapt and evolve through each generation of youth leaders. Most have come to me by word of mouth from friends, colleagues or just seeing them in action.

The icebreakers below include simple ‘getting-to-know-you’ activities, active and more physical games and some word games.


CROSSWORD NAMES

Give a pen and paper to each young person in your group. Ask them to write their first name in capitals, in the middle of the paper. Each person then moves around the room, inviting others (including leaders) to attach their name, where the first letter matches a letter on the paper. The names are then added like a branching crossword puzzle. The person who is able to attach the most names in the given time is the winner. This activity works well in larger groups or summer camps / holidays where people are meeting for the first time.

DRAW

Give everyone a piece of paper and a pencil. Allow 5 minutes to draw a picture that conveys who they are without writing any words or numbers. At the end of 5 minutes the leader collects the pictures. Show the pictures to the group, one at a time, and have them try to guess who drew it. Each artist can then explain how their work expresses who they are.


FREEZE FRAME

Based on the party game of musical statues. Invite the young people to quietly move around the room and await your instructions. As they are walking the leader calls out the name of a sport, for example, golf, soccer, rugby, swimming, parachuting, polo, basketball, horse racing etc. When they hear the name they must stop immediately and hold a still ‘freeze frame’ illustrating or acting out the sport.

Take a photo of the most life-like or descriptive ‘freeze frame’ in each round for future display :-) You can play variations to the game by shouting out emotions, job titles or even animals.

Servant leadership - more food for thought

'Leadership is an opportunity to serve. It is not a trumpet call to self-importance.' J. Donald Walters

'Do you wish to rise? Begin by descending. You plan a tower that will pierce the clouds? Lay first the foundation of humility.' St. Augustine

'You don't have to hold a position in order to be a leader.' Anthony J D'Angelo

'Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.' Winston Churchill

'But among you it should be quite different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must become your slave.' Jesus the Christ

Lost at sea - a team building game

Another ‘pen and paper’ group survival game and a team building activity to encourage interaction and teamwork among your young people. Their chances of ‘survival’ depend on their ability to rank the salvaged items in relative order of importance.

You have chartered a yacht with three friends, for the holiday trip of a lifetime across the Atlantic Ocean. Because none of you have any previous sailing experience, you have hired an experienced skipper and two-person crew.

Unfortunately in mid Atlantic a fierce fire breaks out in the ships galley and the skipper and crew have been lost whilst trying to fight the blaze. Much of the yacht is destroyed and is slowly sinking.

Your location is unclear because vital navigational and radio equipment have been damaged in the fire. Your best estimate is that you are many hundreds of miles from the nearest landfall.

You and your friends have managed to save 15 items, undamaged and intact after the fire. In addition, you have salvaged a four man rubber life craft and a box of matches. Rank the items correctly and you will survive until rescue comes. Make too many mistakes and...

Download (pdf) the complete 'Lost at Sea' team building game.

MORE TEAM BUILDING GAMES

For more, click on team building games in the category list on the sidebar.

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Moon landing - a team building game

Team building activities can be simple games, creative problem-solving tasks, or ‘pen and paper’ group survival situations. ‘Moon Landing’ falls into the third category. Apart from the ‘fun’ challenge of trying to stay alive, it can help encourage communication, cooperation and decision making skills among your young people.

You are a member of a space crew scheduled to rendezvous with a mother ship on the lighted surface of the moon. However, due to mechanical difficulties, your own ship was forced to land at a spot 200 miles from the rendezvous point.

During re-entry and landing, much of the equipment aboard was damaged and, since survival depends on reaching the mother ship, the most critical items available must be chosen for the 200-mile trip.

15 items are listed as being intact and undamaged after landing. Your task is to rank them in terms of their importance for your crew, to allow them to reach the rendezvous point. The 'expert' answers were compiled by a team of scientists and engineers at NASA.

As the young people work together in a team, sharing thoughts and ideas, this should produce an improved score over the individual results. But will this be enough to survive?

Download (pdf) the complete Moon Landing team building game.


MORE TEAM BUILDING GAMES

For more, click on team building games in the category list on the sidebar.

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Labyrinth - a team building game

Team building games help young people develop a range of skills. They can be great fun, and beyond the more general learning goals, they can also be a useful entry point to teaching themes i.e. working together (the church), making choices (guidance), and trusting others (faith).

The aim of Labyrinth is for your group to work together to all find their way through the maze. There is only one correct path through the maze (created by you on your answer grid.) The path can go left, right, forward, or diagonally.

Create a 10x10 grid on the floor using masking tape. Mark the starting square with an ‘S.’ Each square needs to be big enough for a person to stand within it. If you wish to use a smaller grid, 5x5 is good option for younger groups.

Only one young person may enter the labyrinth at a time, testing each square to discover the correct path. After each move the game leader (you) indicates if they are standing on the correct path or have made an incorrect move...

Download (pdf) the complete Labyrinth team building game.

MORE TEAM BUILDING GAMES

For more, click on team building games in the category list on the sidebar.

SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE

Every week I add more youth ministry ideas, resources and personal reflections on youth ministry and leadership. May I encourage you to subscribe to INSIGHT and you won't miss a thing.