3 group-exercises that really works with 6 or 600 participants

These 3 exercises will connect your participants emotionally. This is the best start of building relationships in a group. At the same time the group will be synchronised and will get to know each other. These exercises are not just icebreakers. They are used when there is a need for them - creating subgroups, practising excitement and cheering, connecting and relationships. 

The first exercise: Militant toilet paper

What's needed?: No props. 5 minutes. Create new random subgroups. 

This first exercise is about toilet paper. Explain that some of us are OVERS and some are UNDERS. OVERS as in you prefer when the toilet roll goes over and down - as in the picture above. Ask them to raise their hands. UNDERS as in you prefer when the toilet roll goes under and down. Ask them to raise their hands. And some of us are militant OVERS - we turn the roll to the OVER orientation. Ask them to raise their hands. And some of us are militant UNDERS. We turn the roll to the UNDER orientation. Ask them to raise their hands. And there is also the 'I don't care'. Ask them to raise their hands. 

So 5 different preferences. 

Now ask everybody to seek and find each other so the final group consists of 1 of each of the 5 orientations. They all have to walk around loudly in the room saying their preference until they find a group where they belong. You will end up with a number of complete groups and a number of incomplete groups. And that's OK. 

Now you have fresh groups where you can ask them to talk about a specific topic, agreeing something or trying out something. The groups can work with or without a flip over or try giving feedback to every single member of the group. Try out this exercise HERE. 

The second exercise: Rock, paper, scissors

What's needed?: No props. 5 minutes. Preparing everyone to react loudly for losers and winners. 

This is the well-known hand game that quickly finds a winner and a loser. When you move your hands up and down you count to three and on three you show either a rock, a piece of paper or a pair of scissors. Now rock beats scissors. Scissors beat paper. And paper beats rock. You can use rock, paper, scissors to settle minor decisions or to practise how to celebrate lots of losers and applaud the winners. But only one will win in the end. Make sure everybody celebrates and applauds the final winner and all the losers.

Ask what they saw during this game or exercise. What are we practising here? What are we also practising? 

The third exercise: Gotcha!

What's needed?: No props. 5 minutes. Connect and synchronise everyone.  

Ask your participants to find a partner with the same hair-colour, the same shoe-colour or something like this. When they all have found a partner, show them how to start by presenting your flat right hand with your favourite dish. Pretend that it's in your right hand. Explain why you like this dish so much.

When both have explained their dishes, take your left hands and point with index fingers vertically down on the partner's favourite dish as if he or she is going to taste it. Now both partners have their index fingers right above the dish. Now the 'leader' must say: Ready and counting: On three you try to grab your partner's index finger with your dish-hand. Ready: One - two - three. If you succeed in grabbing the finger of your partner you can say 'Gotcha!'

Follow this link directly to LEADERS WAREHOUSE website to find and choose fun and serious tools HERE and more methods and exercises.


Michael Meinhardt
LEADERSwarehouse.com
☎ +45 71 92 55 63 ✉ info@LEADERSwarehouse.com