This exercise is a good one to use early in the semester because it helps to build a sense of group rapport through the establishment of an environment for self-disclosure.

Divide the class into pairs. Instruct the students to carry on a normal conversation for five minutes, each person telling the other as much as possible about himself. Ask the students to pick those things about themselves that they think are important to share. After five minutes ask the class to come back together again as one large group (preferably in a circle). Then ask each student to introduce his partner by stating his partner’s name and the one special thing that impressed him as most important about that person.

If you like, you can end the discussion by asking the group to talk about what it was like to talk to the other person and what it was like to be talked about in the group.

Required: lipstick, small washable grease pencil or markers

Players: small to large groups

Depending on the number of participants, you may want to pick a few helpers for this icebreaker game.
The helpers will all have a small tube of lipstick in their pocket or hidden in their hands before the game starts. They can pretend at the last minute that they decide to join in the game; this helps them to find the person that they would like to stand next to.

Have all participants line up in a straight line, side by side, instruct them that they have to look forward and they can’t turn their heads. Tell them that you’re playing the “Cheeky-Cheeky game” and everyone has to repeat what you do, but must not move.

Give them an example by lightly pinching the persons cheek on the right of you and say “Cheeky-Cheeky”. You should be at the beginning of the line. Note to them that that person has to do the same and then the next person all the way down the line until it reaches the end.

Once demonstrated start out with “Cheeky-Cheeky” but this time behind your back you have lipstick that you put on your fingertips. After you’ve done Cheeky-Cheeky and the movement has gone down the line then do nosey-nosey. After that do chiny-chiny, eary-eary, heady-heady. Each time add more lipstick to your finger tips without them noticing.

In the process the person next to you should end up with lipstick all over his/her face. If you’ve planted helpers in the line, a few other people should end up with lipstick on their faces also.

This is a “Get to know you” game. Everyone breaks up into groups of around 10-15.

The person who starts needs to say his or her name along with a word that starts with the same letter.

The facilitator may want to choose a specific area. For example, favorite foods or adjectives to describe yourself. The second person must say their adjective/food along with their name and also what the person before them said. For example, if the second person in the circle is named Karen and the first is named Scott: Karen would have to say: “Kiwi Karen, Scallion Scott.” And so on until the last person has to say everyone’s name and adjective.

Large beads of M&Ms are passed out & people take as many as they want.
They are then told that they have to tell the entire group something about themselves for every M&M they took. (can be done with toilet paper squares also)

Break into groups of around 7.

Everyone should form a circle and reach out and grab the hands of someone in the group who is not standing directly next to him or her. The group must then “untie.” If you have more than one group, you can make it into a race.

Realize: this is possible no matter how hands are grabbed as long as no one grabs the hands of someone who is directly next to him or her.