ICE BREAKERS suitable for dance sessions
1. Throwing ball2. Anyone who
3. Splat
4. Zip Zap Boing
5. Group Movement
6. Connection
7. Thumb on Palm game
8. Blindfold Trust
9. Memory Game
10. Wink Murder
11. I’m going Hunting
12. Link the Story.
13. Who am I?
14. Chat Show
15. My name means
16. Line Up / 17. If I were a
18. Ha ha ha
19. Clap Director
20. Lift and Let Go
21. Write your Name
22. Joining Up
23. 10,000/100,000
24. Get to an Object
25. Body Parts
26. Match Up
27. Pass the Sound
1. Throwing ball
Name game – in a circle, throw the ball and say your name at the same time.
2. Anyone Who…
In a circle a person in the middle says “ANYONE WEARING BLUE TROUSERS”. Then all people with blue trousers must cross the circle and find a new position in the circle. The person in the middle also finds a space. They must cross the middle before finding a new space and hopefully the same person is no longer standing in the middle and the game continues again finding different things people may be wearing. You can also say “ANYONE WHO ..”.
3. Splat
Point to 1 person, they have to squat, 2 people on either side have to splat each other, quicker one wins
In a circle you point to one of the young people. They have to squat as quickly as they can. The people either side of the squatee must splat each other. Whoever is the slower must sit down. This goes on till there are just two people left. They then must stand back to back and have to step every time you say a vegetable but if you say a word that is not a vegetable they must turn and splat each other. The quicker one wins.
You can add:
a) James Bond. When you point and say James Bond the person on either side must drape on each should and say: “Oooh James”.
b) NUKE. When you point and “NUKE” the person must make the shape of a missile and say “5,4,3,2,1”.
c) You say “ROLL-ROLL” and they say “ring-ring”.
d) You say “DJ” and they say “selector”.
4. Zip, Zap, Boing
In a circle pass around a clap. The idea is to keep a steady rhythm. They say, “ZIP” as they go. Then they can choose to say, “ZAP” and the clap is then reversed. Then you can add “BOING”. This will send the clap across to anyone else in the circle that is not next to you.
You can add:
When they get a boing they can take this into their bodies. It can move them out of the circle but they must come back into the circle when they come to pass the clap again.
5. Group Movement
Unison, take the lead when leader turns
a) Walking around the room tell the group to stop. Now they cannot move unless someone else moves and they are not allowed to stop until someone else stops. NB Don’t allow them to let someone take the lead. When they get this, add sit down and stand up.
b) You can now challenge them further. You now say a number (from one to number of group). When you say a number, that number of people in the group can move but if they get it wrong then they must all stop and keep trying until just the number stated is moving.
c) In a group they must all watch the front person. This person can move and all of those behind must follow. When that person decides to turn to face a different direction then the group will see another person at the front. This person then becomes the leader and so on.
6. Connection
Entering circle making a shape others connecting building the shape; develop by creating a shape and adding a body part moving mechanically repeating the movement also can add a sound.
7. Thumb on palm game
Count to 3 lift thumb and catch next persons thumb.
8. Blindfold Trust
Verbally lead person through an obstacle course.
9. Memory Game
Generation game: showing a number of items, remove them and get group to remember what they were.
10. Wink Murder
Look at each other and if someone winks at you, you are out.
11. I’m going hunting...
Or I’m going shopping… and I’m taking… list of items you can add to.
12. Link the story:
1. favourite food / 2. a sport / 3. a possession / 4. a country / 5. a celebrity / 6. siblings or family members name.
13. Who am I?
Famous person on sticky note on your forehead - You have to ask questions of other people to guess who you are.
14. Chat Show
Talk for 60 seconds; find out 3 interesting facts.
15. My name means
M – messy, A – arrogant, R – rude, I – irresistible, A – artistic
16. Line up
In order of height, age, birth months etc. without speaking.
17. If I were a…
a) historic figure, b) piece of fruit, c) household object, d) cartoon character, e) celebrity
18. Ha ha ha….
Lie on floor, hand on next persons stomach, first person says “ha” second person says “ha, ha” third person says “ha, ha, ha” and so on….
19. Clap Director
NB You will need a couple of props for this (lets say you have a chair and a hat). Find one person to leave the room. The rest of the group will decide what one person can do with the chair and the hat. The group must decide and make clear the position and tell the outside person to re-enter the space. Then person must then try things with the chair and hat and the rest of the group must either clap, or not to tell the person they are right or wrong. They can clap more vigorously if they are getting very close. Explain all of this before the person leaves, as this is a difficult exercise.
You can add: More people! Two people can leave the room and you can make positions with two people. This allows them to support each other. NB The rest of the group can’t talk to those who are trying to find the position. Only you are allowed to give clues.
20. Lift & Let Go
Group walking in the space, shout someone’s name and that person must rise up and fall, others rush to pick them up and place them gently down again.
21. Write your name
In the air with your hand, then with your whole arm, your whole body, behind you etc – to build up movement.
22. Joining up
Someone stands in the middle and makes a movement, a second person joins them and connects to them to make another movement and so on until the whole group is joined up, all moving in some way but remaining in touch with all members of the group.
23. 10,000 / 100,000
Stand the group in the middle of the space. Tell them that on the left side of the room they will be given £10,000 a year for the rest of their lives. On the right side of the room they will be given a one off payment of £100,000. Ask them to make a choice by walking to the left or right side of the room. You can sweeten either deal if you need to, to maintain a group on either side.
You then ask them to choose a representative from their group to come and explain to the other group why they have made this decision. You ask the representatives from each group to step forward into the centre of the space. They then have one minute to explain to the other group why their group is the better choice. Change over and finish. If anyone is swayed by the arguments they are allowed to change their minds and where they stand. Tell the representative to go back to their group and choose another person to represent the group. Go through the process again but for only 30 seconds and then allow the group to support their representative. You can have other types of questions and have YES – MAYBE – NO answers. MAYBE would be in the centre of the space. You would go and interview them and ask them why they made their choice. They can choose to move if they are swayed by anyone’s arguments.
24. Get to an object
(have a fairly small object, eg ball). All stand in a circle closely to it. Everyone looks at the object and then takes between 4-8 steps back to form a circle around the object. All stare at object and imagine how many steps it would take to walk in and pick object up. Visualize it. Then 1 by 1 close your eyes and without cheating walk into where you think the object is and take 1 attempt to pick it up. If you are successful do a dance of victory, if you missed it, run back into the circle.
25. Body parts
With the group in the centre you call out “in groups of four” and then add, “using two elbows, three feet and one head – GO”. They must get into fours and their group must have two elbows, three feet and one head touching the floor. You can change the group numbers and the body parts.
.
26. Match Up
Cut a picture into pieces. Ask participants to find the rest of their picture from attendees.
27. Pass the Sound
Passing an instrument without making any noise
Comments from other participants on the “Barnstorming” Day
Ice breakers that involve changing position e.g. lying on the floor, standing up etc, are very suitable as an introduction to dance sessions. The debating exercise can be used in all sorts of situations. Circle activities are excellent for engaging with physical content. Dance requires a high level of commitment from participants. Using the ‘write your name’ game gets them moving without them realising it and enhances confidence in moving and develops self esteem. The joining up game is good for relationship building and moving onto touching others and should also include support workers.
www.thamesvalleypartnership.org.uk