Ice Breaker Ideas
These programs are best used at the beginning of the
semester or the beginning of section meetings.
- Collage Party
- Make a collage during a party or section meeting. This
could serve as an ice breaker at the beginning of the year.
- Get Acquainted
- Each individual is asked to tell the group something about
himself/herself. Then the individual is asked to pick out the
individuals in the room that he/she does not know. These
people should then introduce themselves to the stranger. Soon
everyone knows everybody.
- Getting to Know Each Other
- Choose a day at the beginning of the year that everyone
goes to each other's rooms and to learn at least one thing
about the other person.
- Is There Anyone Here
- A program given mainly to help improve communication
in a section. Remember if everyone just keeps to themselves,
it will be an empty hall where no one is home. So ask residents
to open their doors for a given time and take turns visiting
roommates.
- Midnight Encounter
- Looking for a new icebreaker for your section? Try this.
The first week students arrive, pick a night for a midnight
encounter. Choose an area that can be made totally dark.
Everyone enters this area and begins talking with someone
else. The point is to get to know an individual without
knowing what he/she looks like. This works best when the
group consists of 10-20 people. If your group is larger than
this, two sessions or groups would be best.
- Name Tag Day
- Given each resident a blank name tag to write their
name, home town, room number, humorous saying, etc., on.
They can decorate the name tag as they wish. This is a fun
way for everyone to get to know each other.
- One-on-one
- Have each resident draw a name. Give each pair a list
of questions and require each pair to get together on their
own and go through the questions in order to get to know each
other.
- Personal Bingo
- Have each member of your section write a clue that would
identify them on a sheet of paper. Make a bingo board using
these clues. Then invite another section over to find the
person that fits each clue in order to get a bingo.