This icebreaker will help group members understand what it takes to lead a group. It will also give kids a chance to get to know each other better by seeing how each person takes charge. Everyone in the group takes a turn leading the group through, and participating in, a simple drill step. Instruct each person about what their leadership task is and determine when their task has been accomplished so you can move to the next person in the circle. Read one of the following instructions to the first leader. Repeat the process for each leader.
After the crowd breaker, use the following questions to help kids explore the nature of leadership. Ask: What was frustrating about this activity. How easy is it to lead others? Read 1 Corinthians 9:19-23. How important is it for a leader to adapt to the needs of the group?
Who me, embarrassed?
This is a fun ‘who is it?’ game. Pass out sheets of paper and have everyone write down one embarrassing thing that has happened to them. Crumple it up and then collect them in a bowl or paper plate. Then go around in a circle one-by-one and have each person take a crumpled paper and read the embarrassing situation aloud. They can then try to guess who the person is.
A game of two extremes! Instruct people to move to a point in the room where they stand on a particular issue. For example - move to the left hand side of the room if you like chocolate, the right hand side if you like strawberry.
The Toaster Game
Everyone sits in a circle. In the middle of the circle is a toaster.
Put a piece of bread in the toaster and pop it down. Once the toast is down, go round the circle and people have to quickly say one thing about themselves. When the toast pops up, the person talking has to eat the toast with whatever topping you (the leader) decides. Start off with simple ingredients such as jam, butter, etc. and slowly add more unusual ones (like potato, ice cream, mashed banana). Works best if you have the toaster on a short cycle!
Sit down if...
Get everyone to stand up, then read through the following list. The last person standing is the winner!
Print out a questionnaire and hand out one to each person. They only have a short amount of time to fill it out. Use questions that would lead everybody to talk to each other, and get to know one another.
The Animal Game
Each person begins by selecting an animal, and a noise/action associated with that animal.
Elephant: Hold nose and make a trunk with arms, and make elephant noise!
Once everyone has their animal (you may need to help some of the more shy group members come up with theirs), sit everyone in a circle. Pick one animal (suggest the Lion) to be the most "senior" or king of all the animals. The positions get more 'junior' as you go around the circle in a clockwise direction. The aim being to get to the Lion's seat.
The game starts with the Lion making his noise/action, then the noise/action of another animal. It then becomes that animal's turn to make their noise then that of another animal and so on. The turn ends when someone makes the wrong noise/action or doesn't respond within 3-5 seconds. That person moves to the most junior of the positions and everyone moves up one seat.
The more outrageous the animal noises/actions, the better this game works. It becomes a great game when some of the shyer group members come out of their shells!
Prepare beforehand slips on which are written the names of famous people. As each guest enters, pin a slip on his back without letting him know what it says. The guests observe each other’s slips and then converse with one another as though they were talking with the person named on the slip. Each person tries to guess who they are supposed too be. The remarks should not be so leading as to give away the identity too soon.
Have the names of familiar songs written out in duplicate. Give one slip to the one half of the group, and the duplicate to the rest. At the signal of the leader all start singing or whistling their song. They then try to find their partner who is whistling or singing the same song. This will create a lot of noise and fun. When the partners are found, they cease singing.
Odd or Even
Each person is given a dozen or so peanuts. The object is to get as many nuts from the others as possible. Will goes up to Sue with a number of nuts concealed in his hand and says, “Odd or Even?” Sue guesses, “Odd.” Since there are seven peanuts in Will’s hand, she collects the seven nuts from him. If the guess had been wrong Sue would have had to turn seven peanuts over to Will. A time limit is set and whoever has the most peanuts at the end wins a prize. When your peanuts are all gone, you’re out!
Type out Bible verses, print them and cut them in half. As the young people enter give each one a piece of paper. Each person has to find the person who has the other half of their verse.