​

signs​

Energy Level: Low-Medium

Time Fit: 5-10 minutes

Materials & Prep: None

Setup: 

1. Have everyone stand in a circle where everyone can see each other.

2. Each person chooses a unique silent gesture to be their personal “sign” (examples: peace sign, thumbs up, touching your ear, etc.).

3. Go around the circle and have each person show their sign so everyone knows them.

4. Choose one person to be “It”.

5. Have “It” stand in the center of the circle with their eyes closed.

6. Quietly choose one player in the circle to be the sign leader.

How to Play (Standard Version):

1. While “It” has their eyes closed, the sign leader starts the game by passing the sign to another player.

2. To pass the sign:

   1. The sign leader makes the other person’s sign.

   2. The person receives the sign by making their own sign.

   3. The receiver is the new sign leader.

3. After the sign has been passed once, “It” opens their eyes and begins watching.

4. The sign continues to be passed silently around the circle while “It” tries to identify and tag who currently has control of the sign.

Switching Roles

1. If “It” successfully tags the current sign leader:

   1. That person becomes the new “It”.

   2. The previous “It” becomes the sign leader and starts the next round.

2. The game continues until “It” tags the correct person.

​

Optional Variation: Signs with Names

Purpose: This variation is ideal for groups who are just meeting and want to learn names. 

How it Works: Instead of a silent gesture, players say names out loud when passing control.

Gameplay Changes:

1. When passing the sign, the leader says: “My name sees the next person’s name” (example: Joe sees Sarah).

2. The person named becomes the new sign leader immediately and can pass the sign again.

3. All other rules remain the same as the standard version.

 

Psychiatrist​

Purpose: A fun group guessing game where one player asks questions to identify a shared pattern the rest of the group is acting out.

Group Size: 5 or more players

Energy Level: Medium

Time Fit: 7-15 minutes

Materials & Prep: None

Setup: 

1. Have everyone sit or stand in a circle so they can see each other.

2. Choose one person to be the Psychiatrist for round 1.

3. The Psychiatrist leaves the room or goes somewhere they cannot hear or see the rest of the group.

4. The remaining players are the Patients. While the Psychiatrist is away, the Patients collectively decide on a shared symptom or pattern that everyone will act out for that round.

   1. This could be a behavior (e.g., everyone pretends it’s their birthday), a rule (e.g., answer like the person to your left), or a condition (e.g., everyone has a stomach ache from eating bad food).

How to Play:

1. Once the Patients have decided on their “condition”, they invite the Psychiatrist back to play.

2. The Psychiatrist questions the Patients to try to figure out the “condition”.

   1. The Psychiatrist may ask any questions they think will help.

   2. Patients must answer truthfully according to the “condition” they agreed on.

3. The Psychiatrist continues asking questions and gathering clues.

4. If the Psychiatrist believes they know the “condition”, they state their guess.

5. The round ends when the Psychiatrist correctly identifies the “condition”.

Notes for Facilitators:

1. Patients’ Answers:

   1. Patients must always answer according to the "condition" the group agreed to, even if an answer seems awkward or funny.

2. Fair Play:

   1. If a Patient tries to mislead the Psychiatrist or answers in a way that breaks the agreed pattern, they should be corrected and reminded to follow the “condition”.

3. Time Limit (Optional):

   1. You can give the Psychiatrist a time limit for questioning (e.g., 5-7 minutes) before they must make a final guess.

4. The facilitator may pause the game to remind players of the agreed-upon condition if needed.

Ending the Game:

1. Once the Psychiatrist has either correctly guessed the “condition” or time has run out, the round is over. You can then choose a new Psychiatrist

2. Continue as long as time allows. 

Example “Conditions”:

1. Everyone is a different Disney Princess

2. The Patients all blink rapidly when asked a question

3. The Patients answer all questions with a question

4. Everyone acts like the person to their left

5. Everyone has a fear of food

 
Speed friending​

Purpose: A quick, structured conversation game designed to help participants get to know each other in a short amount of time.

Group Size: A group of 6 or more people

Energy Level: Medium

Time Fit: 8-15 minutes

Materials & Prep: A stopwatch and a list of questions (Here is a sample list, or come up with your own).

Setup:

1. Explain that this game is called speed friending. It consists of short, timed conversations where participants meet lots of different people. The goal is to learn names, share fun facts, and make connections quickly. 

2. Participants will pair up with somebody new and wait for the prompt. If there is an odd number of participants, there will be one group of three. 

3. Have a list of prompts ready to read aloud, one for each round.

How to Play:

1. Announce the first prompt and start the time for a set time (2-4 minutes).

2. Each person will share their name and answer the prompt. 

3. After the timer goes off, everyone will switch and find a new partner.

4. Continue playing until everyone has had the chance to be partners or time runs out. 

switch sides if...​

Purpose: An energetic icebreaker that gets people moving, laughing, and discovering fun things they have in common. It’s great for groups that are just meeting or want to break the ice.

Group Size: 6 or more people

Energy Level: Medium-High

Time Fit: 5-10 minutes

Materials & Prep: A list of “Switch sides if…” prompts. Here is an example list, or you can prepare your own.

Setup: 

1. Tell the group that you will read a series of statements starting with “Switch sides if…”. If the statement applies to them, they will move across the room to the other side. If it doesn’t, they will stay where they are. 

2. Divide the room into two sides

3. Begin with everyone standing together on one side of the room

How to Play:

1. Read the first “Switch sides if…” statement out loud.

2. Players Respond 

   1. Anyone who agrees moves to the opposite side of the room.

   2. Anyone who does not agree stays where they are. 

3. After some prompts, invite players who moved to share a quick comment or story. 

4. Continue reading statements one at a time until time runs out. 

mail call​

Purpose: A high-energy icebreaker that helps participants discover things they have in common while getting people moving and interacting.

Group Size: 8 or more people

Energy Level: High

Time Fit: 5-8 minutes

Materials & Prep: Chairs for everyone arranged in a circle

Setup:

1. Set up chairs in a circle with one fewer chair than the number of players.

2. Everyone sits in a chair except one person, who stands in the middle. 

3. Tell the group that the person in the middle will say their name, then call out a statement beginning with “Mail call for anyone who…”

4. If the statement applies to them, they must stand up and switch seats with someone else the statement applies to. 

How to Play: 

1. The person in the middle will start by saying their name and a statement starting with, “Mail call for anyone who…” (Example: “I’m John, and mail call for anyone who has a sibling.”)

2. Anyone the statement applies to must stand up and move quickly to find a different open seat. The only rules are you cannot go to the seat you just left or either of the seats directly next to it. 

3. While others are switching seats, the person in the middle also tries to sit in an open chair.

4. One person will be left without a seat, and they become the new caller in the middle. 

5. The new person in the middle calls the next “Mail call” prompt. 

6. Continue playing until time runs out or energy dips.

Examples:

1. Mail call for anyone who has a sibling.

2. Mail call for anyone who has a dog. 

3. Mail call for anyone who has traveled out of the country. 

4. Mail call for anyone who likes country music. 

5. Mail call for anyone wearing glasses. 

 

​

​

 

​