Small Group Icebreaker GamesFrom Kelli Mahoney,
Your Guide to Christian Teens.
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Having small groups or discipleship teams is a wonderful way for your leaders to connect with students. However, with new students coming in all the time, games are a great way for those teams to develop and get to know each other. The key to these icebreaker games, though, is to make them quick, friendly, and fun. Periodically, your youth group can play some of these games to make things fun and friendly.
Six DegreesBased on the book “Six Degrees of Separation,” it is said that any person is connected to another person via six people. Choose pairs of famous people, whether it is biblical figures, actors, musicians, leaders, or more, and have small groups compete against one another to see who can come up with the connections fastest.
Hey, You’re Like Me!This game demonstrates how people are alike and different. Have all the students stand along one wall. The leader stands in the middle of the room. The leader then asks the students which of them has a certain trait, like, dislike, etc. The students that fit the characteristic cross the room to the other side. If there is time, the students can then describe what it is like to be a part of that group. For instance, one of the traits could be “Plays on a Sports Team,” and a couple students can discuss what it is like to be a part of that team.
Scavenger HuntThis is an oldie, but definitely a goodie, because it can be twisted and turned into just about any fun scavenger hunt. Maybe you are doing a youth activity in the city, so your students can go on a scavenger hunt to find certain landmarks that fit cryptic clues. You can also go on a spiritual scavenger hunt or a personal scavenger hunt where people are trying to find other people that fit certain personality or spiritual traits.
Toilet Paper Get-to-Know YouHave each person tear off squares of toilet paper. They can take as many pieces as they want. After everyone has some of the toilet paper, each person has to tell one thing about themselves for each piece of toilet paper they have in front of them. This game can also be done with pretzels, M&M’s, and more.
Truth, Truth, LieEach person has to tell at least one lie and two truths about him or herself. Then the group has to guess which statement was a lie.
Would You Rather?Give your group cards that contain questions like “Would you rather eat flies or eat caterpillars?” All of the questions should be tough choices.
I Never!Give each student 10 M&Ms or pennies as ”tokens.” Each student tells the others something that he or she has never done. Whoever else has done it has to put one of their “tokens” in a bowl in the center. The last person holding tokens wins the game.
Do you have more icebreaker game ideas?
Share them with your Guide, and I’ll put them together in an online resource.
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