Ice breakers / quick team building

[Cheekystar]

Has anyone any suggestions for some ice breakers for a team meeting of about 30-40 people, something fun but not too silly, something quite quick for the whole team.

Help!!

[pagey]

Ive just invented one based on one I did a while ago.

Get 5 or 6 packs of playing cards. Shuffle them all and hand out 5 to each person. Give them a set amount of time to shake hands and introduce themselves with each other and negotiate trading playing cards.

The player with the best 5-card poker hand at the end wins! You may need to post up a reminder of hand rankings.

Players can only talk to each other when they are shaking hands and can only negotiate card-swaps after introducing themselves and job/role/etc. Players must have 5 cards at all times.

[THECORBYLOON]

We had a meeting wi a similar number of folk and everyone was given an A4 "bingo card. Instead of numbers, there were 15 boxes wi statements like "is a cat owner," "been to the Millennium Dome," "has twins," "plays golf," "has a tatoo," "had a broken leg," that sort of thing. The idea was you had 10-15 minutes to mingle and find out if anyone can say "yes " to one of them and write their name in that box. The first one to complete their "card" wins!

[THECORBYLOON]

Or "can type tattoo properly"

[curiosity]

I was going to suggest "Autograph Bingo" as Corbyloon has, this was used for around the same size group, and was non threatening and quick. Another one I've experienced twice (although some people refused) was to empty your pockets, and empty your handbag contents and quickly say abit about yourself using the contents as prompts. Probably not advisable with a totally new group (might be fun with a familiar group)

[Harry Nuttal]

That kids' game which used to be on TV might work. Ask a series of questions. Those who think True go left; those who think False go left. Wrong uns drop out. It can get quite competitive. Questions such as: In the second world war D-Day was in 1944 (True), Tom Jones' first No 1 was It's not unusual (True), Nigeria used to be called the Gold Coast (False it was Ghana) and Green is the middle colour of the rainbow (True).

[dannydingbat]

When I am amongst a group of strangers, I always break the ice by getting the others to tell everyone their "Claim to Fame". I have been amongst:-

Larry Grayson's ex-chauffer

The Queen's toilet seat minder

Someone who was at Margaret Thatcher's funeral

Someone who once put sun oil on Betty Boothroyd's back

A girl who turned down a night out with Mark Owen from Take That because she did not recognised him'

etc.

Get everyone to write it down, read them out and see if anyone can guess who whote it.

[Cheekystar]

we all know each other roughly and we work for the same company.

Just need a quick team building exercise

[blueshada]

Supply some craft stuff and get everyone to make something that represents who they are what they do etc. Each person then has a short time to explain what their model is

[blueshada]

make a line in alphabetic order or age order if not to embarrising. Another good game is to all join hands to make a long chain. Without letting go of hands the two ends of the chain must come together to tie a reef knot in the chain. There will be a lot of shouting but I bet you won't do this seemingly easy task.

[blueshada]

Yet another one. Get into circles of ten facing inwards, close their eyes. Place left hand into the air towards the middle of the circle. Take hold of one persons hand.Now put right hand into the air and do likewise. Now open eyes and without breaking the link make one big circle of ten. They may not do this but it has been done and will get rid of all sorts of inhabitions

[thikasabrik]

Choose one question relevant to the meeting, such as "what do you hope to contribute to this meeting" or something silly if it suits. Then arrange your colleagues into two circles, one outer, one inner, so each person is facing someone else. Allow each person one minute to talk on the chosen question and then they move one space to talk to a new colleague. It's a bit like speed dating and can be as serious or as fun as you want to make it.

[tekgarad]

Fun and challenging training games for team development.
http://www.elitetraining.co.uk