Count to 20

Count to 20

Count to 20

Running Time: 5 minutes Group Size: 5-20 Materials: None

 

Frame

A great activity to start a Communication block.  Force a group to re-think how they communicate as a unit.

Setup

Organize the group into one big circle

Objectives

Count to twenty as a group.

Rules/Instructions

To Begin

  1. One person begins by saying the number “1” out loud.
  2. Someone else says, “2” and so on until the group reaches 20.

Restrictions

  • The next person to say a number can’t be sitting next to the person who just spoke.
  • Two people can’t speak at the same time.
  • The group can’t speak except to call out the next number.
  • If any of these rules are broken, the group has to start over.
  • [optional] Everyone must close their eyes.
  • [optional] …

Debrief

  • How did you end up communicating with each other?
  • Why was that activity difficult?

Notes

  • You can add more restrictions and try again depending on the group’s responsiveness.

Tags

energizer, communication, quick, no materials

Birdy on a Perch

Birdy on a Perch

Birdy on a Perch

Running Time: 10 minutes Group Size: 10 Minimum Materials: None

Frame

A great activity to get a group acting silly together. This is perfect for the beginning of a program.

Setup

  1. Organize the group into two concentric circles.
  2. Have participants partner with someone in the opposite circle.

Objectives

Work quickly with your partner to be the last pair left in the game.

Rules/Instructions

  • First describe the three moves:
    • Monkeys in the Jungle: the pair links arms and jumps around like monkeys while making monkey sounds.
    • Birdy on a Perch: one person gets on one knee, and their partner sits on it, flap their arms and “tweet! tweet!”s like a bird.
    • Lions in the Jungle: one partner gets on their knees  on the floor and holds their hands up as if they were ready to scratch, and the other stands behind their partner with their hands in the same position. Both partners roar like a lion.
  • To start the round, both circles start jogging in opposite directions, all singing, “Animals in the Jungle EH OH, EH OH!…”
  • When facilitator will call out a move, “BIRDY ON A PERCH!” the participants find their partner and act out the move as quickly as possible.
  • The last pair to do the move is eliminated. They can help the facilitator judge.
  • Continue until there is only one pair left.

 

Debrief

  • Was it hard to be silly in front of your friends? Why? Did it get easier?

Notes

Tags

icebreaker, silly, no materials,

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Samurai

Samurai

SAMURAI

Running Time: 10 minutes Group Size: 6-16 Materials: Non

Frame

“One day I was walking along when I met an old man. It turns out he wasn’t just some old man, but a real Samurai. He taught me how to control my energy, and pass it around a circle. I’m about to teach you this ancient Samurai secret…”

A quick energizer that works great in a smaller group. Spread enthusiasm (or at least silliness!) to some of the less engaged participants.

Setup

Organize participants into a standing circle

Objectives

  1. To pass the “Ball of Energy” around the circle, using the correct Samurai moves.
  2. Put more energy into the Ball with each move.

Rules/Instructions

  • “Whenever Samurai get together, they have a specific way of greeting eachother…”
    • demonstrate Samurai UNITE! (see below)
  • “Now I’ll show you the most basic way to pass energy around the circle. Remember to always pass it across your heart, and to add energy each time!”
    • demonstrate HA! (see below) and practice with the group for a minute.
  • “Believe it or not, there’s a way to reverse the flow of energy…”
    • demonstrate soooo and practice soooo and HA!
  • “Finally, there’s one more secret Samurai move to learn. If the energy is stuck on one side of the circle, you can send it across with a Hadouken!”
    • demonstrate Hadouken.
  • “When someone sends a Hadouken your way, you can choose to accept or reject it…”
    • demonstrate Yeahhh and No no no!
  • “Now we’re going to work together as a team to pass the energy around our circle, adding to it so that by the end, we’re all feeling excited and energized. Let’s go!”
  • Invite a student to do Samurai UNITE and start playing Samurai. Encourage the group to try all the moves and go as long as they can without messing up. If they do mess up, have someone UNITE the samurai and start over.

Samurai Moves

  • Samurai UNITE!
    • One samurai shouts, “Samurai UNITE!”
    • Everyone claps their hands together in front of them (like you’re about to pray), bows, and says, “ahhhhhh”
  • HA!
    • “Chop” your hand down across your chest (always over your heart) towards a person next to you and shout, “HA!” (fourth tone).
    • Use this move to pass the energy to the person next to you.
    • You must pass the energy across your heart, continuing in the same direction it came from.
  • soooo!
    • Hold up your hand and say, “soooo!” (first tone)
    • The energy is reflected back to the person who just passed it to you with a HA!
    • You must let the energy cross your heart (i.e. if it came from your left, you have to raise your right hand)
    • You can’t “sooo” a “sooo”
  • Hadouken!
    • Make DIRECT eye contact with someone across from you in the circle.
    • Do the following motion and shout, “HADOUKEN! (hi-DOO-ken!):
  • Yeah…/no no no!
    • If someone does a Hadouken on you, you can either accept or reject it.
    • Yeahhh
      • reach out and take the energy while saying, “yeahhh”
      • keep the energy moving with a HA! to one of your neighbors
    • No no no!
      • wave your finger and say, “no no no!”
      • the person who sent the Hadouken has to pick a new target, or use a HA! instead

Debrief

  • PVC and being comfortable acting silly
  • How do our energy levels affect the group?

Notes

  • You can turn Samurai into a challenge by eliminating people as they mess up, but it can be better to encourage the group to work together a team. If you play elimination-style, you’ll probably notice the least enthusiastic students get out first and have to sit around watching the rest of the group. Keeping everyone involved helps raise the energy of the whole.
  • If you have a big group, split into multiple Samurai circles. Elimination works better here; when someone messes up, they move to another circle and keep playing.

Tags

energizer, icebreaker, no materials,

Big Booty

Big Booty

 

BIG BOOTY

Running Time: 10 minutes Group Size: 6-16 Materials: None

Frame

A silly group energizer that gets everyone moving and clapping. It’s a fun energizer for starting a program, and a good jumping off point to discuss PVC as some participants will definitely resist the Big Booty.

Setup

  1. Gather everyone in a circle
  2. Count off, one-by-one around the circle

Objectives

  • Follow the rhythm of the Big Booty
  • Remember each-other’s numbers
  • Remember who’s still in the game.

Rules/Instructions

  1. Raising both hands really high and yell, “OHHH!” Until everyone is doing it (Usually receives resistance in the first couple seconds)
  2. Introduce the knee-slap then clap then…
  3. Introduce the Song:
    1. Big Booty (3x)
    2. Big Booty (3x)
    3. Big Booty __ , Big Booty __ (
  4. As you can see there are two blanks, this activity is a high energy focus game, so the first blank you will say your number, the second blank is another number corresponding to someone else in the circle. You can’t pick the person right next to you.
  5. If your number is called, you have to continue the song, first with your number then someone else’s.
  6. If you mess up the beat or call a number that isn’t in the circle, then you have to step out and the game continues until there are only 4 people left

Debrief

  • Some students will have a hard time letting loose and getting really into Big Booty. This is a good transition into PVC!

Notes

  • Start with a few practice rounds
  • Instead of numbers you can use people’s names

Tags

rhythm, icebreaker, energizer, no materials,

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Handshake Partners

Handshake Partners

HANDSHAKE PARTNERS

Running Time: 15 minutes Group Size: 12-30 Materials: None

Frame

“What do you usually do when you first meet someone? Say hi? shake hands? At JUMP! we like to break the ice with a good handshake, but not just any handshake. Over the years we’ve created a whole bunch of fun handshakes and we’d like to introduce some of them to you so you can make meeting someone new a little more fun and goofy.”

Setup

  • Have the participants stand in 2 concentric circles. (They can start in a circle and after the first person steps in every other person steps in to form 2 circles).
  • Have the inside circle face the outside circle and shake hands with the person in front of them. (This way you can manage the pairs, is there one missing, etc..)

Objectives

  • To interact with new people and/or learn something new about them

Rules/Instructions

  • Introduce 1 handshake (some options below), have the pairs try out the handshake and then ask them to take a minute to have a conversation about 1 ice-breaking question (some options below).
  • Ask the inner or outer circle to rotate 1-4 people to the right or left, so that each person ends with a new partner, then repeat above (introduce a new handshake and ask them an ice-breaking question).
  • Do 2-3 rotations, and then give the final pairs a few minutes to create their own handshake (this will be their ‘Made-up Handshake Partner’). It should include a name, action, and sound. Once they’ve had a few minutes to create a handshake, give an opportunity to share their new handshake.

Handshakes:

  • Lumberjack
  • Fisherman
  • Cappucino
  • Jellyfish
  • Coca-Cola
  • Heartbeat
  • Motorcycle
  • Beat Box

Questions:

1. Who do you trust most in the world and why?

2. What is the most challenging thing you’ve done in the last year?

3. What is one new thing you’d like to try that you’ve never done?

4. What are you most looking forward to today?

Debrief

Debrief is built into the activity through ice-breaking questions.

Notes

  • Make sure that the participants remember their handshake partners, so you can use them to get into pairs later in the program
  • You can’t choose your partner
  • Watch Video on box to see the handshakes in action

Tags

Icebreaker, pairs, no materials, introduction