ASLC LEADERS
Activity KIT
…2016
Icebreaker examples
A collection of basic activities to get your Project Group working together.
2 Truths and 1 Lie
Resources: nil
• The group is seated in a circle and each person shares their name, school and two
truths and one lie about themselves.
• It is up to the group to decide which one they believe of the three statements is the
lie.
• After everyone has selected, it is then revealed which one was the lie continuing
around the circle until everyone has had a turn.
Knots
Resources: nil
• To create a human knot the group stands in a circle and each person places their
hand in the middle to grab the hand of someone else but not the person beside them.
• The group must then unravel the knot by unthreading their hands and weaving
between each other. This is to be achieved by not letting go of anybody’s hands.
• The icebreaker is complete when the group is standing in a circle, completely
untangled.
Farm Animals
Resources: 16 small pieces of paper with 8 animals written twice (no.’s depend on group
size)
• Each person in the group is given a folded piece of paper with an animal written on
it. Ensure that they do not read them until each member of the group has received
one.
• The group must then close their eyes and on “Go” each member must then find their
partner animal by making the noise of their animal. For example, a person who
picked a ‘cat’ needs to find their partner by ‘meowing’.
• The winner is the person who finds their partner first, however, the game concludes
once everyone has found their other animal.
Lolly Game
Resources: bowl of lollies
• Group is seated in a circle with the lollies in the middle. The group is then told to
grab a handful, but they are not to eat them yet.
• Ask members to count how many lollies they grabbed. That is then number of facts
that they must share with the group.
• Go around the circle and ensure that every person has shared the correct number of
facts and their name.
Fun Ungame
Resources: collection of questions written on pieces of paper
• Before you start the activity write up some interesting or unusual questions such as
“What colour is your toothbrush?” or “If you could be any animal what would you be
and why?”
• Get each member of the group to select a piece of paper and answer the question.
© The ylead association Inc. the Australian student leadership conference 2015
2
Would You Rather
Resources: small blank pieces of paper, Textas
• Give each member of the group 2 pieces of paper and a Texta. Explain that on this
piece of paper they are to write a ‘would you rather…’ question. Ensure that you
explain it is to be appropriate and provide an example; “Would you rather have a
rewind or a pause button for your life? Would you rather a milkshake or a smoothie?”
• The leader collects the questions. The leader randomly selects questions from the
pile and each person in the group is then given a chance to answer one of the
questions.
• Questions continue around the circle until each person has shared.
Linking Words
Resources: nil
• Group is seated in a circle. Someone begins by naming an animal.
• The person next to them must then name another animal beginning with the last
letter of the word just said e.g. Cat -> Turtle -> Echidna.
• Continue around the circle until someone cannot name an animal. You could play this
activity with numerous topics e.g. food, countries. It can also be played with
elimination, timers, etc.
Sheep-y Teeth
Resources: nil
• Group is seated in a circle. One player starts the game by saying “sheep” and
specifies the direction they send the “sheep” around the circle. The person that
received the “sheep” then has the choice of continuing in the same direction or
instead saying, “baa” to send the noise in the opposite direction.
• What makes the game interesting is that players are not allowed to show their teeth
at any point throughout the game. Players who show their teeth are eliminated.
• Continue playing until there is a positive energy in the group.
Hot Shoe Shuffle
Resources: nil
• Get everyone to remove their shoes and place them in the middle of the circle. On
“go” everyone will have 10 seconds to grab two different shoes.
• Once completed each member needs to find the other matching shoe to the ones
they selected.
• The group should form a circle with each of the shoes placed beside their correct
pair. This is a great way to partner up members of a group.
Alliteration Actions
Resources: nil
• Group is seated in a circle. Each member of group is required to think of an adjective
starting with the same letter of their preferred name. E.g. Majestic Marina. Then they
will need to think of an action that represents their chosen word.
• In the circle the first person shares their adjective, name and action. The next person
must then repeat each of the names they have heard and then reveal their own.
• This continues until the last person must list off all of the people before them along
with their final adjective, name and action.
© The ylead association Inc. the Australian student leadership conference 2015
3
Objects Personified
Resources: collection of random objects e.g. hat, balloon, mug
• Place one random object inside the circle. Then go around the circle and each person
will grab the object and transform it into something it’s not. E.g. a shoe into
telephone
• It is up to the person in the middle as to how they transform the object, however
ideas cannot be repeated.
• Change the object after each round. You may also choose to add a theme to each
round.
Rhythm Changer
Resources: nil
• Group is seated in a circle. One person leaves the group and one person is chosen to
be the rhythm creator that everyone copies. The person then returns to the group.
• The person who is creating the rhythm has to keep changing at various times without
getting caught. Everyone else follows the rhythm creator.
• The person guessing has three attempts to pick the rhythm creator. If unsuccessful,
the correct person is revealed.
Word Story
Resources: nil
• Everyone stands in a circle and adds one word to make a sentence to create a story.
• Only one word per person unless someone wants to end a sentence with a full stop
in which they are allowed to choose the starting word of the sentence.
• Continue around the circle and build the story.
Wink Murder
Resources: nil
• Group is seated in a circle. Select one person to leave the group as they play the role
of the Detective. As the leader, select someone in the group to act as the Murderer.
Then get the Detective to re-join the group.
• The game begins when everyone starts to walk around the space. When someone
catches the eye of the murderer and gets the killer wink they are to die in any
manner they choose.
• The game will continue until the Detective correctly guesses who the Murderer is,
they will have three guesses.
Mr Hit
Resources: nil
• Group is standing in a circle. The leader will nominate one person in the group as
‘Mr Hit’; this person must then say someone else’s name and walk over to them
(with their arms extended at a 900 angle, like a zombie).
• That player then has to say the name of another person in the group and tap them on
the shoulder. If a player is unable to name someone else, and they are touched, they
are then eliminated. The game continues until there are two people left.
•
The trick is that players must be constantly walking at all points during the game,
and they must know each other’s names.
© The ylead association Inc. the Australian student leadership conference 2015
4
Space Jump
Resources: nil
• Group is standing in a circle. You select two people to start the game by standing in
the middle of the circle. As the leader you are to give them a situation that they will
need to act out E.g. Marina you are about to complain to the chef, Sam, regarding a
dodgy meal.
• The players then start to act out the scene until the leader says, “Freeze!” Both
players must then freeze in their position and one person in the group jumps in and
replaces one of the players.
• The new player then gets the opportunity to change the situation of the scene based
on how they are positioned. Continue until everyone has had a chance in the middle.
Bang
Resources: nil
• Group is standing in a circle. Elect one person to stand in the middle of the circle.
Each player will make an imaginary gun with his or her hands. The person in the
middle of the circle will spin around until they stop and point at someone in the circle
and yell ‘Bang’ (or, their name).
• The player that they have pointed at must immediately duck as the players on either
side of them turn and yell ‘bang!’ and attempt to ‘shoot’ each other. The player who
reacts first wins that duel and the other person sits down.
• The game continues until there are two players left; they move to the center of the
circle and stand back-to-back. The leader informs the players that they are to turn
around and ‘shoot’ when the leader mentions the key word ‘duel’. A good way to do
this is by telling a story and randomly mentioning the word ‘duel!’
Name Canon
Resources: nil
• Group is sitting in a circle. Starting with the leader, each person in the circle must
say something about themselves (favourite fruit, holiday destination, etc.) and their
name.
• The next person in the circle (sitting to their left) must repeat the unique statement of
the person before them and their name; then, adding their own on top. For example,
Grapes – Alex, Oranges – Ryan, and so on.
• Continue around the entire circle until everyone has had a turn. This is a great way to
introduce a new group to one another.
© The ylead association Inc. the Australian student leadership conference 2015
5
Energiser examples
A collection of energisers for leaders to use during breaks and free time.
Community Sit
Resources: nil
• Group forms a circle around the leader (in the middle). Each person must be
standing, shoulders touching with the person beside them. Get group to step in if not
touching.
• Each person turns to their left and sits on the person’s lap behind them. Keep
working with the group until everyone has sat down.
• For an extra challenge, try and walk while sitting.
Speed Clap
Resources: nil
• Group forms a circle around the leader (in the middle). The goal is for a clap to be
travel around the circle in the quickest time possible, reaching the first clapper again.
The only rule is you must clap after the person before you has clapped.
• Five rounds in total to get the fastest time. Get ideas from the group after each
attempt on how to improve.
POW!
Resources: nil
• Group forms a circle around the leader (in the middle). Players stand with hands on
their head, when the leader in the middle says ‘POW!’ they are to move their hands
from their head, to their hips and back to their head. It is an elimination game. You
are eliminated when you move your hands and the leader has not said ‘POW!’.
• The trick is for the leader to move their hands regardless of the word. Throw in
distractions like ‘NOW!’, ‘COW!’ etc.
• Continue until there is one person left; they are the winner!
A-roo-cha-cha
Resources: nil
• Group forms a circle around the leader (in the middle). A call and response game.
• See a senior leader / yLead Delivery Team member for explanation.
Bananas
Resources: nil
• Group forms a circle around the leader (in the middle). A call and response game.
• See a senior leader / yLead Delivery Team member for explanation.
Evolution
Resources: nil
• There are four stages to evolution; everyone starts at ‘Amoeba’ (lying on the ground).
The only way to progress is by winning ‘Rock, Paper, Scissors’ against someone at
your stage.
• Stages: Amoeba, Chimpanzee, Caveman, Human
© The ylead association Inc. the Australian student leadership conference 2015
6