This Saturday me and about 25 kids will be hanging out at a campground for 7 hours to rehearse our music, eat, and bond. We have a great open room and parents who have volunteered to help with everything. (My choir parents rock!)
I've set aside about 90 minutes during that time for 'fun and games' but mostly it's a time for the choir to get to know one another and laugh a lot. Here's my request.
What are the most fun large group games you've played? I love games that require them to talk to each other or learn more about one another. I'm having trouble thinking of things that will take up all that time. The kids wanted to have a twister tournament but (ahem) I told them that's probably not going to happen.
posted
Well...there's the ever-popular scavenger hunt type meet-and-greet, where you give everyone a list of things and they have to find one person who fits each item on the list.
You could also have them play Apples to Apples in a couple different groups. Posts: 4077 | Registered: Jun 2003
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posted
I'll start by telling you about an activity that I didn't enjoy. We had a list of qualities/facts to match to people in the room. (Like find someone with your birthday, someone with 4 brothers and sisters, someone born in another country, etc.) I felt shy in the rowdiness that ensued. I asked people questions, and felt pretty stupid about it. People asked me questions, and I answered. But people didn't really care about WHO you were...they were just trying to finish the form. So, I suppose it could be fun for some...but I found it to be a pretty big waste of time.
I think I would have preferred being put into random groups, and being given tasks to do as a group. (Tasks for whatever game...not boring tasks.) That way, I would get to know the people in my group a little better...more quality interactions. Then maybe for the next game, have completely different groups. Random again. People might try to cheat and be in groups with their friends, though.
Sorry I don't have any specific game suggestions...but I'm sure lots of people will. Posts: 2880 | Registered: Jun 2004
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posted
I know you really were asking for things that would allow the people to get to know each other, but have you considered maybe doing a drum circle? Getting a rhythm going and having people do fun variations while someone keeps the main beat is a lot of fun, although non-verbal.
Posts: 22497 | Registered: Sep 2000
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posted
Put them all in an elevator and simulate it breaking down.
Oh, a campground activity? Hmm... I dunno. Like Katarain, I always disliked the "ask strangers stupid questions" type game, it didn't really seem to facilitate actually getting to know the other people. Breaking them into smaller (random!) groups and giving them some sort of task to do seems like a good idea... like, have them driven out there in groups of 5, and have each car break down along the way, forcing them to work together to fix it....
Okay, I'm not helping, am I. Posts: 1681 | Registered: Jun 2004
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For a "rowdy" activity: a game called "Mingle" Have students mill around, then yell out a number--they have to quickly get in groups with only that number of people. Leftovers are out of the game. It is legal to "steal" people from other groups, so it can get physical. By the time you are down to the last three, it can be hilarious.
For a "get to know you" activity: Ask a question (ie "what is the most important thing in your life? most important person?) then go around the circle and have everyone give a short answer. Questions that work well: Who do you know the best in this group? Who do you know the least? Who has influenced you the most? What person in history would you most like to meet?
Posts: 13 | Registered: Oct 2005
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Thanks for the ideas folks. I actually used the "What is the most important thing in your life" question on the first day of school which was kind of neat. I think I'll try "What person in history would you most like to meet?"
Good stuff, keep it coming!
Posts: 6415 | Registered: Jul 2000
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posted
Warning I've been a 4-H camp councelor for six years!
I have never: sit in a circle, someone says something they've never done, whoever has has to get up and get a different seat, the person in the center tries to get a seat, if they do, the person left over has to be it and say something they've never done.
Toilet paper game: have everyone in your group take a piece of toilet paper, at least one, but as many as they want, then reveal the plot, they have to say something about themselves for every piece they took, lots of kids will take a piece at least as long as they are tall.
Popcorn: stand in a circle, start throwing a ball, you have to memorize the order, it can only go to each person once, then repeat by saying the name of the person you are throwing it to, after several rounds of that, add something, by saying it about yourself, then the person who you throw to has to say it, this works even better if you have different colored balls and the order is different for each theme. You can make it Chiory by having one of those themes be favorite song to sing or something.
One i did once that I'm not sure if I like or not, but it really was good for bonding is Society. Tell everyone to stand in a straight line, next to their friends, with the people they like best. Now go through and assign them numbers, like 1, 2, 1, 2. Then give them an assignment like pick a president, have them develop rolls and play games as a team (examples would be charades, pictionary, apples to apples, twister, any sort of ball game, anything you can do with teams), they'll become closer if you use these groups the whole day.
I've also been known to write up a quiz where they have to go around and have people answer questions, they only can go to each person once, and you have the same number of questions on the page as you do people. I've done one on dogs and one on cats, none on music, but it could be done and be good for your kids.
OOh with small (maybe 4 or 5 people) teams, give them a bag of stuff, like straws, tape, rubber bands, cups, marbles, a sock, that sort of thing and make up three or four things they should make, and draw one out of a hat, I remember having to make a hand washing device and a cat. Then have parents and teachers or whatever judge on the funniest, the most useful, that sort of thing.
Posts: 5362 | Registered: Apr 2004
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quote:I have never: sit in a circle, someone says something they've never done, whoever has has to get up and get a different seat, the person in the center tries to get a seat, if they do, the person left over has to be it and say something they've never done.
I thought about suggesting this one, but I know it only as a drinking game. Posts: 4077 | Registered: Jun 2003
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quote:I have never: sit in a circle, someone says something they've never done, whoever has has to get up and get a different seat, the person in the center tries to get a seat, if they do, the person left over has to be it and say something they've never done.
I thought about suggesting this one, but I know it only as a drinking game.
Me too!
And depending on the age group you're dealing with, it can get dirty. Narnia, hopefully your presence would curb the game from moving in that direction, but if you have a bunch of high schoolers, you never know.
I think I've had most of the icebreakers Breyerchic describes inflicted on me at some point. I hate icebreakers as a rule, but her list actually sounds fun. Posts: 952 | Registered: Jun 2005
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posted
I refer to the game as I have never when it's clean and supervised, and ten fingers when it gets dirty or involves anything that my christian 4-H leader may disaprove of with 9 year olds around. I've played both ways Posts: 5362 | Registered: Apr 2004
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quote:I'll start by telling you about an activity that I didn't enjoy. We had a list of qualities/facts to match to people in the room. (Like find someone with your birthday, someone with 4 brothers and sisters, someone born in another country, etc.) I felt shy in the rowdiness that ensued. I asked people questions, and felt pretty stupid about it. People asked me questions, and I answered. But people didn't really care about WHO you were...they were just trying to finish the form. So, I suppose it could be fun for some...but I found it to be a pretty big waste of time.
I agree. I'm in two choirs and each one did this. People introduce each other but they're really trying to fill out the form... it's a little better if the questions are more like "Who knows the plurals of moose and octopus?" and then the claimants have to back up their claim.
Posts: 8473 | Registered: Apr 2003
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posted
My choir went on a retreat a few weeks ago. While we brought frisbees and things, for the most part, we just ended up playing mafia the entire time. Posts: 7877 | Registered: Feb 2003
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eta: I could see doing the "ask a question" sort of activity IF each kid has different lists of questions. Maybe 4-5 sets of lists since you have 20 people total. Otherwise you get everyone knowing one single fact about each other person because they all have the same list.
Questions-in-a-bowl: Have everyone write down a question (what was your most embarassing moment, what are you most proud of, what food do you like the least, what's the saddest thing you've ever had to do) and then mix them up. The bowl gets passed around and each person takes a question out and answers it. Everybody gets one chance to pass the question to someone else that they want to answer it instead, which gets pretty hilarious if you know that person's answer. Questions alternate between fluffy and deep, and so do people's answers. Great game.
Paper-on-the-back: Get white sheets of printer paper, painter's tape (blue tape) and a bunch of markers. Everyone writes their name on the top of their sheet of paper and tapes it to their back. People then go around writing on other people's paper, signing their name or not as they choose. It makes you realize how many good things other people see in you.
Touch-someone-one-who: With 25 kids, I'd probably have them count off by 4, so you end up with five groups. Have everyone lie down on the floor (it's a good before-bedtime game) and close their eyes. Turn the lights down so that people can still see to get around but it's dim, and put on soothing music. Call up the groups one by one, in no particular order, while the other 20 kids lie down with their eyes closed. Say, "touch someone who makes you laugh", and give the group who are up time to touch a few people, then "touch someone whose smile you love to see everyday", then "touch someone who you know would help you if you needed them" etc. etc. Again, these can range from light to serious. We always did this toward the end of bonding excercises because it's pretty intense, but in a good way.
Fireside: Light a campfire, have everyone lie down in their sleeping bags around it, and let people volunteer any information they want to. No pressure to say anything or to say anything terribly serious, just a chance to get something out there if they want to. You could also have them do this within sections, which should improve their sound.
posted
My husband and I both would have suggested Kissing Rugby, since it was the "unofficial official game" of both of our choirs when we were in highschool, but if a twister tournament is out, you wouldn't want kissing rugby!
So, for a real suggestion, one of my favorites is "Snort." Blindfold some and everyone else mixes up and stands in a circle around the blindfolded person. The blindfolded person approaches someone in the circle and snorts at them and that person replies with their own snort. The blindfolded person then snorts twice, with a reply from the other person, and then again with three snorts. The blindfolded person then has to guess who the snorter is. If they get it right, the person they were snorting at becomes the blindfolded person. If not they have to go until they guess someone. (We usually gave people mercy if they hadn't guessed three people.) Make sure everyone mixes up at the beginning of each round, so the blindfolded person can't guess based on cirlce postition.
You'll get lots of laughs out of this game, guaranteed!
Posts: 161 | Registered: Jul 2002
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posted
*giggle* That's a really cute one! I ran most of these by my student leaders and they seemed really excited. Keep suggesting, I'm adding all of these games to my aresenal.
Posts: 6415 | Registered: Jul 2000
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posted
(Stolen from my highschool peer counseling program)
Truth Circle: setup one chair per person involved in a circle facing inward with enough room to move around. Participants sit in chairs while facilitating adult stands in the center and says,
"The premise of this game is simple: I will say something, and if it's true for you, you stand up and walk into the circle. Shake hands with or hug at least one person also standing in the circle, and then sit back down in a different chair. I'll start: stand up and walk into the circle if you pee in the shower."
The facilitator should narrate a few more: ideal are ones that aren't completely trivial ("stand and walk into the circle if you like pizza") and ones that aren't completely controversial, at least not right away ("stand and walk into the circle if you've ever been raped.").
The idea is to demonstrate that everyone has something meaningful in common with someone else, whether that something is an experience, an embarassing character trait, a passion, or whatever.
One thing: the facilitator needs to make it very, very clear in the beginning that there will be no reprecussions for what is said during the game, and that it is expected that everyone there will be honest and confidential about it. The game is only fun and useful if people participate without being afraid of reprisal.
Other suggestions for opening examples, Stand up and walk in the circle if...
...you've ever copied someone's homework. ...you sing in the shower. ...you think someone sitting in this circle is cute.
After the first few facilitator narrated statements, participants should be allowed to do their own. Have them raise their hands, and the facilitator can call on one at a time.
Posts: 4313 | Registered: Sep 2004
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posted
Oooh ooh, we did that one only we did it with shoes! And it's very very funny. Everyone puts one shoe in a circle except for whoever is starting in the middle. That person says, "I love -choir name members- who are only children" and then all the only children have to run around crazily and try to get behind a shoe (like musical chairs). It's physical and goofy without actually resulting in violence. And you learn who's broken a bone and has a tatoo and doesn't like chocolate and stuff.
Other very physical game that results in rug burns etc. This was fine for my house because we also played Assassins in our house with the back halls blacked out, which generally resulted in concussions and black eyes, rarr.
Steal the bacon: Put two strips of masking tape down on the floor about 10 feet apart and have two teams of 5-7 people; have them count off to 6 or whatever and line up along the lines. If the two teams have different numbers then the one with more people has an alternate. Put an old towel in the middle. Commence to call out numbers (eg. 3s!) and watch the carnage ensue. Actually pretty often somebody is quicker on the uptake and gets back over their line before the other 3 can get to them. Socks are not helpful, as they make you easier to drag over lines. Mmhmm. Great game, great game.
Posts: 471 | Registered: Jul 2005
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posted
the name games is always a good ice breaker...
everyone sits around in a circle and you go around and everyone states there name once...then you start with one person and they have to go around and name everyones name...then when they mess up the next person has to go...etc etc...its good to get to know people...not all that exciting...but it always worked for the theatre group i was in as a kid
Posts: 82 | Registered: Oct 2005
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posted
The name game could easily be converted to the picnic game. Ex: My name is Amanda and I'm bringing apples; her name is Mary and she's bringing marbles, etc. Then there's more potential for creativity and silliness.
Posts: 952 | Registered: Jun 2005
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Narnia, hopefully your presence would curb the game from moving in that direction, but if you have a bunch of high schoolers, you never know.
