Energizers

“Energizers are intended to be quick and fun activities that get people moving, laughing, and at ease. They are ideal for the very outset of a meeting or whenever things are beginning to drag. They are also useful to use when coming off a break to help folks re-focus their attention on the group and away from whatever it was they were occupying themselves with during the break.”
Cornell University.Internet. Available URL: http://www.cornell.edu/OHR/TNET/Icebreakers/Icebreakers.html

ALL MY NEIGHBOURS #1
ALL MY NEIGHBOURS #2 (for more sedate groups)
HONEY I LOVE YOU
PERSON-TO-PERSON
WHAT'S DIFFERENT PARTNER?
BEACH BALL BRAINSTORMING
MORE MOTIONS
ESP ICE-BREAKER
TRANSFORMERS
DOODLE DO
IN SYNC
OPINION POLL
PECULIARITIES
WHOZIT? WHATZIT?
SNOWBALL ACTIVITY
HIDING SPOT
HOT-AIR SPECIALIST
OBSERVATION
MY DEAR WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
WORD FOOTBALL
LIVE E-MAIL
THE HUMAN KNOT
RAFT GAME
SITTING CIRCLE

ALL MY NEIGHBOURS #1

You need an odd number of people for this game that is a distant cousin to musical chairs.

Everyone begins by sitting on chairs in a circle with the facilitator standing in the middle. Explain that the person in the middle needs to find some “neighbours”. To do so, they’ll make a true statement about themselves and hope that it will be true for others. Everyone that “identifies” with the statement has to then stand up and find an empty chair. The person in the centre is also looking for a chair, so once again someone will be without a chair, and they get to go to the middle and find some “neighbours”.

The facilitator then begins with something like: “All my neighbours wearing blue jeans.” At this, everyone who is wearing jeans should jump out of their seats and look for an empty seat. The odd person out goes to the middle.

This game can easily last ten to fifteen minutes.

SOURCE:
Cornell University.
Internet. Accessed on June 19/00
Available URL: http://www.cornell.edu/OHR/TNET/Icebreakers/Icebreakers.html

ALL MY NEIGHBOURS #2 (for more sedate groups)

The group is in a circle, standing up. The facilitator is standing in the middle of the circle. Explain that you are going to make a variety of statements and you’d like everyone who “identifies” with the statement to join you in the centre of the circle for “high fives”.

The facilitator then begins: “All my neighbours wearing white underwear.” At this, everyone who is wearing white underwear should join the facilitator in the middle of the circle for a high five. Folks then return to their seats.

The facilitator then goes on through 10 to 15 other such statements. Examples can include:

Are wearing socks.
Have an older sibling.
Were born in a month without an R in it.
Whose last digit of their social insurance number is odd.
Haven’t been caught speeding in the last year.
Like Frosted Flakes.
Don’t eat meat.
Were engaged to be married more than once.
Remember the name of Yogi Bear’s sidekick.
Have watched Gone With the Wind in one sitting.
Know how to tie a bow tie.
Play the piano (even a bit)
Have been to a Grateful Dead concert.

Figure on ten minutes tops for this activity.

SOURCE:
Cornell University.
Internet. Accessed on June 19/00
Available URL: http://www.cornell.edu/OHR/TNET/Icebreakers/Icebreakers.html

HONEY I LOVE YOU

In this game everyone is sitting in a circle. As the facilitator you will normally go first. The object is to identify someone in the circle, go up to them and say “Honey, I love you, but I just can’t make you laugh” with the express purpose of making them laugh. The person are saying this to has to look at you and work at keeping a straight face. If after three tries at getting them to laugh you haven’t succeeded, pick another target. If they laugh or even smile they move into the middle of the circle and select a target. You can do just about anything to get someone to laugh except touch them. Funny faces, strange voices, props, etc. are all fair game.

Once a person has been made to laugh, they can no longer be a target. The game goes on until the last person either breaks down and laughs or withstands the final three attempts at getting them to laugh. Note that depending on the size of the group and the ability of the folks to keep a poker face, this is often not a quick game. Nevertheless, its always fun.

SOURCE:
Cornell University.
Internet. Accessed on June 19/00
Available URL: http://www.cornell.edu/OHR/TNET/Icebreakers/Icebreakers.html

PERSON-TO-PERSON

There has to be an odd number of people for this activity to work. The facilitator stands in the midst of the group and asks everyone to pick a partner. Explain that you will give them from two to five commands that they must perform as a pair. The last command is always “Person-to-Person” and everyone, including the person giving commands, will have to scramble to find a new partner. The odd person out gets to go into the middle of the group and provide the next set of commands.

The game begins with the person in the centre (initially the facilitator) giving instructions such as : “Elbow to elbow” and the pairs must put an elbow to elbow. The facilitator can then say: “Ear to ear” and the pairs then have to put an ear to an ear, as well as keeping elbow to elbow. Then the facilitator says “Person-to-person”, everyone finds a new partner, and you go on to the next person calling out commands. Depending on the group, this can get pretty interesting!

Stop the game when you feel like it.

SOURCE:
Cornell University.
Internet. Accessed on June 19/00
Available URL: http://www.cornell.edu/OHR/TNET/Icebreakers/Icebreakers.html

WHAT’S DIFFERENT PARTNER?

This activity takes about five minutes.

Ask everyone to team up with a partner (someone they haven’t met or who has the same colour eyes). Ask them to turn back-to-back and change 5 things about their appearance, one which is very silly. Partners turn around when ready and try to guess the 5 things that have been changed.

This icebreaker gets people to interact with one new person and helps everyone feel comfortable and part of the session. It also shows how observant we really are.

SOURCE:
Susan Boyd Associates
Internet. Accessed August 5/00
Available URL: http://www.susan-boyd.com/tenways.htm

BEACH BALL BRAINSTORMING

Engages the entire group (5 to 10 minutes)

Announce a topic (things associated with a season, a holiday, the course content, the company, etc.). Then pass around an inflatable beach ball. Have everyone stand and pass the ball. When someone catches the ball, they shout out something related to the topic and then toss the ball to someone else.

This activity gets people up and moving, and is fun to do in the afternoon to break up a long session. It’s guaranteed to wake everyone up!

SOURCE:
Susan Boyd Associates
Internet. Accessed August 5/00
Available URL: http://www.susan-boyd.com/tenways.htm

MORE MOTIONS

Activity Summary:

This exercise asks the participants, standing in a circle, to repeat movements created by other group members and then to add motions of their own. This activity is generally more effective when used during the later stage of the training session or program.

Time Reference:

Approximately 15 to 20 minutes.

Group Size:

Best suited to a group of 10 to 20 participants.

Space Required:

An unobstructed area without tables or chairs. The room must be large enough to permit the unrestricted movement of learners.

Materials Needed:

none.

Instructions:

The trainer begins by asking the participants to stand and form a large circle, allowing a space of two or three feet between group members.
When the large circle has been formed, the group leader explains that in this activity the participants will be repeating the actions of other participants and then adding actions of their own.
A volunteer is solicited to start the activity he or she begins by creating some movement, such as waving an arm, touching toes, etc.
The participant standing to his or her right must repeat the volunteer's actions and then add another motion.
The exercise continues with each person repeating the motions of those who preceeded and then adding a new motion of their own.
If a person forgets to repeat one of the previous movements, the other group members may help them remember the motions and their order.
The game continues until all of the participants have repeated and added motions.

Variations

The trainer may instruct the group members to say any word or phrase that comes to mind as they create their particular movements. For example: A player may say "See you soon!" as he or she waves an arm, or he or she may jump up and down while saying "Where did they go?" The participants must then repeat both the actions and the words spoken bythe previous group members before they can add words and motions of their own.

The group leader may tell participants that the object of the game is to move up to the position of the volunteer who began the game. If a participant forgets a motion, he or she goes to the end of the circle, and the next player begins the exercise again with a new motion.

SOURCE:
Forbess - Greene, Sue (1983). The Encylopedia of Icebreakers. San Diego, CA: University Associates Inc. pp 45

ESP ICE-BREAKER

Objective:

To use a quick demonstration to attract and focus the group’s attention on you and the presentation to follow.

Procedure:

Ask for a volunteer to assist you. Explain that you are going to foretell the results of an arithmetic exercise by the virtue of ESP, Extra Sensory Perception. Position yourself anyplace where you CANNOT see what the person is going to write. Ask the volunteer to write on a flipchart, chalkboard, etc., any 3-digit number. (NOTE – The number must NOT be a mirror-image, e.g., 323). Then tell the person to reverse the number and subtract the lower number from the higher one; for example

                                                                          821
                                                                       -128
                                                                          693    Now reverse this number and
                                                                         396    and add it to the preceding product to obtain:
                                                                        1089

As the volunteer completes the calculation, hold up a prepared card on which you have previously written number 1089. (NOTE: this exercise will ALWAYS result in the number 1089.) On occasion, the initial subtraction will yield a 2-digit number. For example:

786
-687
99

In such a case, simply direct the volunteer to add a zero in front (99 changes to 099). Proceed as earlier indicated:

099
reverse it to 990
and the result again is 1089

Materials Required:

Chalkboard, or flipchart and large display card.

Approximate Time Required:

3 minutes

SOURCE:
Newstrom, John W. and Scannell, Edward E. (1980) Games Trainers Play
New York: McGraw Hill Book Company pp.65

TRANSFORMERS

This activity is often done as the precursor to another warm-up, Animal Name-Sound-Motion. Have the teams come together so that they can see you and each other and still maintain some space between each other. Ask each team to form the letter "H." After a minute or two of milling around, the team members will figure out how to arrange themselves in the shape of that letter. Lead the teams in applauding each other's success and introduce the next task for each team to do in turn.

Form a zipper, zipping and unzipping.
Arrange yourselves in the shape of a helicopter.
Become a cannon ball fired from a cannon.

The ingenuity and speed that teams display in this activity can be surprising.

SOURCE:
McGraw-Hill Trainer’s Toolchest. Date online not available
Internet. Accessed date: July 17, 2000
Available URL: http://www.pbg.mcgraw-hill.com/training/toolchest/games.html

DOODLE DO

Purpose:

Getting closure; Getting to know you better; Energizing a long, dry presentation

Group Size:

10-40

Level of Physical Activity:

Low

Estimated Time:

Ongoing

Props:

Paper tablecloths; colored pencils

This activity encourages creativity and keeps your group alert by providing paper tablecloths and colored pencils for them to draw or take notes during your presentation. Either introduce this in the beginning of the session for people to get to know others better; bring it out after lunch as an energizer; or end the session with people sharing their graffiti.

Doodling is therapeutic. Some people doodle because they have an artistic bent that cries to be unleashed; others doodle out of boredom or in a desperate attempt to remember thoughts, facts, or ideas.

Instructions

1. Cover the tables with paper tablecloths and put colored pencils on each table within everyone’s reach.
2. Explain to participants that people doodle for various reasons, and that doodling is not restricted by age or artistic talent. Explain that the paper and pencils on the table are provided for their doodling pleasure.
3. Invite participants to record their emotions, thoughts, ideas, artistic expressions, information, stories, and questions on their tablecloths throughout the session.
4. After a period of time, encourage participants to take five minutes to share their doodles with their tablemates and discuss any pertinent questions they’ve recorded.

Variations:

1. Recommend topics for participants to draw or write about.

2. Limit the doodling to pictures.

Tips:

1. It’s fun with crayons, too.

2. Encourage lavish design and use of color.

SOURCE:
McGraw-Hill Trainer’s Toolchest. Date online not available
Internet. Accessed date: July 17, 2000
Available URL: http://www.pbg.mcgraw-hill.com/training/toolchest/games.html

IN SYNC

Purpose:

Physical energizer; Team building; Outdoor activity; Energizing a long, dry presentation; Pure fun

Group Size:

18-200

Level of Physical Activity:

High

Estimated Time:

3-4 minutes in the beginning, 30 seconds at various times during the session

Props:

None

In this activity, participants will engage in synchronized movements like the wave, but better. Use this activity with groups who respond to a challenge and to movement.

Synchronous: a buzz word for the nineties, meaning "happening, existing, or arising at precisely the same time" (Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth Edition).

Instructions:

1. Organize participants into groups of eight to twenty. Ask them to choose a group name.
2. Give them one minute in their groups to decide upon a synchronous movement they could all do that would be relaxing and energizing. Give examples such as the wave, a dance step, and an exercise routine.
3. After one minute, ask the groups to demonstrate their movements for the other groups.
4. Explain that during the session you will give the name of a group and say, "In sync." At that time they should stand up and repeat their group movement. When you say "Out of sync," they should return to their seats.
5. Tell them they may change their movement anytime they like as long as the whole group changes, maintaining synchronicity.
6. Choose one group and say, "(Group name), in sync."
7. Do the activity whenever you feel they’re ready for a break/energizer.

Variations

1. Give each group a card with a movement on it for them to perform.

2. Forget movement; use the time for groups to get together and talk.

Tips:

1. The seating arrangement makes little difference with this activity. It works even if seating is theater style. Rows of seats become groups. Groups will just stand in place and perform their movement.

2. Groups do not have to be seated together for this one. Wherever they are, they stand and perform with the original group.

SOURCE:
McGraw-Hill Trainer’s Toolchest. Date online not available
Internet. Accessed date: July 17, 2000
Available URL: http://www.pbg.mcgraw-hill.com/training/toolchest/games.html

OPINION POLL

Purpose:

Getting to know you; Getting to know you better; Physical energizer; Energizer for a long, dry presentation

Group Size:

10-30

Level of Physical Activity:

High

Estimated Time:

2-5 minutes

Props:

Opinion Poll Activity Sheet for leader; flip chart and marker or overhead projector and screen

The group will enjoy giving and hearing opinions about a variety of topics, from the weather to a favorite color. This is a quick, fun way to get a group on their feet. Use it with any group, any time during a session for a quick stretch.

"What is your opinion?" can either be an innocent inquiry or a question laden with expectations–a truly leading question often asked of one party by a second party after discovering a disagreement with a third party. In that situation, the underlying, albeit presumed, message behind the question is, "I’m directing this question to you because I think that you will support my opinion. I’m right, aren’t I???"

Instructions:

1. Tell participants that you will be taking a quick poll of their honest opinions.
2. Explain the rules:
I will read a statement that contains two or three choices for completion. When I read the choices a second time, you should respond with your opinion by standing when your choice is stated. We will count the numbers of people who hold each opinion.
3. Give an example, such as "The season of the year that I prefer is summer, autumn, winter, or spring." Then call out each of the four choices in turn and count how many people stand for each choice.
4. Put responses to the poll on a flip chart or transparency for all to see.

Variations:

1. Tell participants at the beginning of the session that you will be conducting a poll later on and ask them to write a topic on a 3 x 5 card for you to use. Use these topics for your poll.

2. Use this as a quick, easy way to take a poll on organizational issues or ideas.

Tips:

1. Explain that this is a forced choice activity; they should give an opinion even when they don’t particularly prefer any of the choices.

2. Keep this light, fun, and quick with minimal discussion.

3. If people say "I change my mind," tell them it’s too late.

Opinion Poll Activity Sheet

1. Which season of the year do you prefer: winter, spring, summer, or fall?

2. Which type of music do you prefer: classical, country, jazz, or heavy metal rock?

3. Which type of food do you prefer: Italian, Mexican, Chinese, or French?

4. Which type of exercise do you prefer: swimming, aerobics, running, or bicycling?

5. Which type of ice cream do you prefer: vanilla, bubble gum, coffee, or mint chocolate chip?

6. Which type of vacation do you prefer: camping by a lake, biking across Canada, a chalet at a ski resort, or backpacking in
the wilderness?

7. Which color do you prefer: green, brown, orange, or purple?

8. Which activity would you prefer to do on a Friday night: rent a video, go to the opera, attend a Monster Truck show, or
participate in country line dancing?

9. Which is your favorite holiday: Fourth of July, St. Patrick’s Day, Thanksgiving, or Labor Day?

10. What is your best time of day: morning, afternoon, evening, or night?

SOURCE:
McGraw-Hill Trainer’s Toolchest. Date online not available
Internet. Accessed date: July 17, 2000
Available URL: http://www.pbg.mcgraw-hill.com/training/toolchest/games.html

PECULIARITIES

Purpose:

Getting to know you; Physical energizer; Pure fun; Energizing a long, dry presentation

Group Size:

12-60

Level of Physical Activity:

Low

Estimated Time:

2-5 minutes

Props:

Peculiarities Activity Sheet; simple prizes such as candy, stickers, or pens

Peculiarities is a quick, light, and easy way for individuals to find out about one another. It may be used at any time during a short or long session with participants who know one another well or are complete strangers, or to introduce the topic of diversity. For long sessions, I recommend using a few examples every hour or so to add interest and humor.

A peculiarity (according to Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth Edition), is "a distinguishing characteristic; oddity, quirk." While commonalities bring us together, peculiarities add interest–sometimes.

Instructions:

1. Ask participants to stand.
2. Explain that the object of the activity is to discover peculiarities in the group.
3. Tell participants that you will read items on a list–one at a time. Ask them to come forward if they respond affirmatively to the category to receive a prize.

Variation:

Pass out the list to participants and ask them to fill it out individually and then find others in the room who have marked the same categories. Include some that you know are owned by more than one person.

Tips:

1. Keep this quick, light, and fun.

2. Add peculiarities to the list, perhaps relating to organizational quirks or norms or to specific peculiarities that you know about people in the group.

Peculiarities Activity Sheet (For Leader):

1. Was born on February 29

2. Has/had a dog named Spot, Midnight, Lucky, or Shadow

3. Is wearing an article of clothing that was chosen and purchased by someone else

4. Is wearing a family heirloom

5. Drives a Harley

6. Competes in sporting events such as running, skiing, etc.

7. Likes pizza with anchovies

8. Volunteers for charity fund drives

9. Was born in another state

10. Was born in another country

11. Has won a prize

12. Has never been to Florida

13. Writes songs or poetry

14. Has an organized, clean desk

15. Has a twin brother/sister

16. Has a shoe size of 13 or greater

17. Has milked a cow

18. Has been to the top of the Washington Monument

19. Collects stamps or other collectible

20. Remembers sodas for five cents

21. Has been to a Billy Joel concert

22. Has eight or more siblings

23. Prefers winter to summer

24. Has been on a radio or TV show

25. Restores old cars or trucks

26. Has won a prize or money from a mail-in form

SOURCE:
McGraw-Hill Trainer’s Toolchest. Date online not available
Internet. Accessed date: July 17, 2000
Available URL: http://www.pbg.mcgraw-hill.com/training/toolchest/games.html

WHOZIT? WHATZIT?

These quick little puzzles can be great fun. When you have five minutes to fill, write a couple of the puzzles on the chalkboard and let students try to figure them out. Each puzzle contains several familiar words. When carefully read and sounded out, the words reveal the name of a well-known person, place, thing, or phrase. As students figure out the hidden names, they write their responses on a small sheet of scrap paper. The teacher can wander the room checking their guesses. Have a prize ready for the first person to guess both of the day's puzzles.

Follow-up fun:

After completing the puzzles below, students might like the challenge of creating Whozit? Whatzit? puzzles of their own.

Sample Puzzles

Tub Braid Heap Hunch (Clue: TV show) -- The Brady Bunch
Sand Tackle Laws (Clue: fictional character) -- Santa Claus
Tall Mischief Her Sun (Clue: person) -- Thomas Jefferson
Buck Spun He (Clue: cartoon character) -- Bugs Bunny
Shock Cussed Toe (Clue: person) -- Jacques Cousteau
These Hound Dove Moo Sick (Clue: movie) -- The Sound of Music
Docked Hearse Whose (Clue: person) -- Dr. Seuss
Tight An Hick (Clue: thing) -- Titanic
Aisle Oh View (Clue: phrase) -- I love you
Chick He Tub Ban An Us (Clue: things) -- Chiquita bananas
My Gulch Hoard Un (Clue: person) -- Michael Jordan
Thumb Ill Key Wake Owl Licks He (Clue: place) -- The Milky Way Galaxy

SOURCE:
Education World. Date online: Spring, 1996
Internet. Accessed date: July 25/00
Available URL: http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/lesson169.shtml

SNOWBALL ACTIVITY

If tossing action is part of your opening-day game plan, you might try another activity that I saw posted recently to the Middle-L listserv. The teacher who posted the idea says she's done this activity with all ages -- including adults. She calls the activity the "snowball activity." She wrote: "Students write on a piece of paper three things about themselves. Then they crumple the paper up into a 'snowball' and have a one-minute snowball fight. At the end of the minute, everyone grabs the closest snowball and has to try to find the person who wrote it. They then introduce that person to the rest of the group, sharing the three facts."

SOURCE:
Education World. Date online: Spring, 1996
Internet. Accessed date: July 25/00
Available URL: http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/lesson131.shtml

HIDING SPOT

Activity Summary:

This exercise tests the participants’ ability to observe their environment closely and carefully as they search for small objects the trainer has hidden in the room. This icebreaker is effective at any time during the learning program.

Time Reference:

Approximately 15 to 20 minutes.

Group Size:

Unlimited

Space Required:

A room that is large enough to permit the unrestricted movement of the learners.

Materials Needed:

For each participant, a pencil and a piece of paper; 20 different small objects (button, safety pin, penny straw, bottle cap, etc.) and a trainer-prepared list of the objects and where each has been hidden in the room.

Trainer Administration:

Before the participants arrive, the trainer places 20 different small objects around the room in settings where they do not ordinarily belong. For example: a button on a thermostat, a straw balanced on a light switch, etc. At this time the group leader compiles a list of the objects and their hidden places.
As the participants enter the room, the group leader gives each of them a pencil and a piece of paper and asks them to be seated.
When all of the group members are seated, the trainer explains that they will be participating in an activity that tests their powers of observation. They are going to locate small objects that have been placed in unusual locations around the room. (The trainer should give two or three hypothetical examples of objects and locations.)
Next the trainer tells the group members that they are to walk around the room and try to locate these small objects. When they observe an item, they are, without touching an object or signaling others as to its whereabouts, to write the name of the object and describe where they have found it.
After explaining the exercise, the group leader tells the participants to stand and begin their search.
After 15 minutes the trainer asks the group members to return to their seats. When the participants are seated, the group leader asks who found all the objects, who found 18, who found 17, etc., until the person who has found the most objects has been identified.
The group leader then reads the list of objects, and the participants reveal the location of each item on the list.

Variations:

The trainer may tell the group members the total number of objects that have been hidden in the room.

The group leader may ask the participants to work in pairs to find the hidden items.

SOURCE:
Forbess-Greene, Sue. (1983) The Encyclopedia of Icebreakers
San Diego, CA: University Associates Inc. pp. 163

HOT-AIR SPECIALIST

This exercise asks the participants, working in teams, to compete against one another in a relay involving facial tissue, straws, and their own hot air. This activity is generally more effective when used during the later stage of a training program or session.

Time Reference:

Approximately 10 to 15 minutes.

Group Size:

Unlimited, but best suited to a group of 20 or fewer participants.

Space Required:

An unobstructed area without tables or chairs. The room must be large enough to permit the unrestricted movement of the learners.

Materials Needed:

Facial tissue and, for each participant, a straw.

Trainer Administration:

The trainer holds up a straw and a piece of tissue and tells the participants that they are the materials they will use in a relay race.
The participants are then instructed to stand and divide into two teams, with an equal number of participants on each team. Next the teams are to form two parallel lines with the members of one team facing members of the other team. (If the group contains an uneven number, one person can serve as referee.)
When the lines have formed, the trainer gives each participant a straw and explains that the object of the game is to suck the tissue into the end of the straw and pass the tissue to the next person in line who is to suck the tissue into his or her straw. (No hands can be used.) If the tissue drops to the floor, the team member who is to receive it must, without using his or her hands suck the tissue off the floor.
The group leader then hands the tissue to the first person in each team’s line. At a signal from the trainer, the game begins.
The exercise continues until all of the team members in each line have had an opportunity to receive and pass the tissue.
The members of the team that finishes first are declared the “Hot Air Specialists.”

Variations:

The trainer may ask the teams to place their chairs in two rows and to complete the exercise while sitting down.

The group leader may have each team compete against the clock. The first team passes the tissue while the members of the second team try without touching the participants, to distract them. For example: One team plays while members of the other team jump up and down, make funny faces, and wave their hands in the players’ faces. When the members of the second team play, the members of the first team attempt to distract them. The team with the lower score is declared the winner.

SOURCE:
Forbess-Greene, Sue. (1983) The Encyclopedia of Icebreakers
San Diego, CA: University Associates Inc. pp.165

OBSERVATION

Activity Summary:

This activity tests the participants’ powers of observation when they are confronted by a strangely dressed visitor who comes into the room. This icebreaker is effective at any time during the learning program.

Time Reference:

Approximately 10 to 15 minutes.

Group Size:

Unlimited

Space Required:

A room that contains adequate writing space for all the participants. The area must be large enough to accommodate the comfortable seating of all the group members.

Materials Needed:

For each participant, a pencil and a piece of paper; a prearranged visit by an unusually dressed visitor and a trainer-prepared list of the clothing the visitor wears and the objects he or she carries.

Trainer Administration:

Before the session the trainer must arrange for a person to enter the room, ask the group a question, and then leave. The visitor should be dressed strangely, wearing as many pieces of clothing and jewelry as possible. The question the person asks may be “Excuse me, I’m looking for ______.”
As the trainer distributes paper and pencils to all of the group members, the visitor enters the room, poses the question, remains for several seconds, and then leaves.
After the visitor has left the room, the group leader tells the participants that this exercise is designed to test their powers of observation. The participants are to each list everything they can remember about the visitor: the clothing and jewelry he or she wore, any objects he or she carried, the question he or she asked, etc.
After 10 minutes the group members, one at a time read their lists out loud and check their observation skills by comparing their list to the trainer-prepared list describing the visitor and his or her attire.
The trainer may process the exercise through a discussion on the importance of observation and differing perceptions.

Variations:

The trainer and visitor may carry on a pre-determined conversation at the front of the room. When the visitor has left, two of the participants volunteer to re-create the scene they have just witnessed.

The group leader may arrange for two unusually dressed strangers to enter the room at the same time.

SOURCE:
Forbess-Greene, Sue. (1983) The Encyclopedia of Icebreakers
San Diego, CA: University Associates Inc. pp.179

MY DEAR WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

The group stands in a circle. One person mimes a thing and the person next to her asks: “My dear what are you doing?” The answer, for instance, is “fishing”. Now the next asking person has to mime fishing. Then the next person asks: “My dear etc.” and the answer comes: “I am swimming.” And the next person mimes swimming.