Materials
One chair for each person in the group.
Icebreaker Description
Use this icebreaker to allow youth to quickly learn each others names.
Preparation
Arrange the chairs in a circle.
Icebreaker Activity
- Pick one person to be the leader-that person becomes “Bob.” Everyone else keeps their own name. Before you begin the game, have everyone tell the group thier name.
- Start a rhythm by slowly slapping your hands on your knees twice and then clapping twice. Keep repeating until everyone is in rhythm. Begin slowly. Later as the game is familiar you can speed up the rhythm.
- “Bob” then begins by saying “Bob” during the knee slaps, and anyone else’s name in the group during the handclaps.
- The person “Bob” names must respond immediately by saying their name during the next knee slaps, and anyone else’s during the hand claps (exception: you can never call the name of the person who just called you).
- The person called must do the same thing, calling out their own name and then someone else’s name. (Example: Bob, Sally. Sally, Fred. Fred, Sarah. Sarah, Steve. . .)
- This keeps going until somebody makes a mistake or fails to shout a name in time.
- At that point, the person who made a mistake moves to the spot to the right of Bob. Everybody moves one spot to the right to fill the hole left by the person who lost.
- Here’s the catch: Each person’s name remains with their chair! They become the name of the person who was ahead of them. Throughout the game, the name will always stay with the spot, and the person becomes that name as they move into that spot.
- The ultimate goal is to unseat “Bob” and take his place.
It’s hysterical to see kids’ brains freeze up as they forget who they are. Eventually each person will have been almost everybody else, so names are learned very quickly.
Debrief
- Have you ever wished you were someone else? Why or Why not?
- Have you ever been confused about your own identity?
- Have you ever tried to fit in by being like others in a group?
- Have you ever felt pressured to be a certain way that is really nothing like the way you really are?
Possible Applications / jump off points to spiritual discussions
- Use this as an introduction to our identity in Christ
- Use this as an introduction about peer pressure.
- Use this as an introduction to a discussion about making mistakes. We can start again and keep trying!
- Just use this is a fun way to learn names!
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Materials
During a visit to the mental asylum, a visitor asked the director what the criterion was which defined whether or not a patient should be institutionalized.
A Civil War chaplain approached a wounded soldier on the battlefield and asked if he’d like to hear a few verses from the Bible. The wounded man said, “No, I’m so thirsty, I’d rather have some water.” The chaplain gave him a drink, then repeated his question. “No sir, not now — but could you put something under my head?” The chaplain did so, and again repeated his question. “No,” said the soldier, “I’m cold. Could you cover me up?” The chaplain took off his inside coat and wrapped the soldier. Afraid to ask, he did not repeat his question. He made to go away, but the soldier called him back. “Look, Chaplain, if there’s anything in that book of yours that makes a person do for another what you’ve done for me, then I want to hear it.”