Mixers & Icebreakers

What:
Quick games to get people into a program, introduce them to a group, refocus after sitting around for a long time, give a change of scenery.

When:
At every program, any time - beginning, middle or end of an event.

Why:
It's something different that will get people moving around and increase their attention during the actual program at chapter events, and a great way to meet new people and increase everyone's comfort level at regional programs.

How:
That's what this page is all about! Here are some icebreakers you can do with your region or chapter...

Commando!
Similar to "Simon Says". There are a few basic moves:

1. Commando... Up! - everyone puts their fists up along with a high pitched sound.
2. Commando... Down! - everyone puts their hands down along with a low pitched sound.
3. Commando... Mines! - everyone put one leg up and their hands over their ears.
4. Commando... Submarine! - everyone put one hand over their head as a periscope and add a "beep... beep" sound.
5. Commando... USY! - everyone "Bakacks" like a chicken.

Yam Yabasha! (Sea... Land!)
Divide the room into 2 parts: one is sea and the other is land. When each part of the room is called, that part must run to the other side of the room. The Leader calls either Sea, or Land, and the object is to confuse the participants by saying: sea... sea... sea... land ... sea... and so on.

Make a Mess!
Everyone form a circle with their hands together and start making a mess - walking underneath and all around the circle. What is created is a big "knot" of people! The object is to untie the knot with your hands still held! It's challenging!

1 to 10
Try this with a noisy group - tell them they must count from 1 to 10. But... You can only say 1 number at a time, and without an apparent order, the group has to count together to 10. If someone calls a number with another person - you start over... Any mistake that is made - you start over... Not that easy...

Haha
Everyone lies on the floor and places his/her head on someone else's stomach to form a big chain. The first in line says: ha! The second says Ha ha! The third Ha Ha HA! And so on. The object is not to laugh! Try to do those HaHA's with a lot of stomach movement...

Do you love me?
In a circle. One is in the middle - goes up to the someone from the opposite sex and says - "(Name), I love you! If you love me please smile!" The other person says: "I love you (name), but I just can't smile!" The objective is to make the recipient smile, and if he/she does - they go in the middle and try to make others laugh...

Bang!
Circle. One in the middle. The middle guy calls a name. The person called has to duck, and the 2 people on each side have a fast duel. Whoever shoots first (hand gesture and sound - boom!) wins! The loser stands in the middle and calls the next name. He is then out. If the person called doesn't duck, he is the one who is out. When there are only two people left, pick a "bang word" (e.g. toothpaste). At any time during the program, the group leader calls out the bang word and the first of the two people left to call bang wins.

Human Bingo
This one requires pencils and paper. Make sheets of paper that have certain spaces to fill on them, for example, "Someone who hates broccoli". Each person gets a sheet of paper and has to fill in each space with another person's name that is attending the program and fulfills that certain requirement. Be creative! First to fill the whole sheet has BINGO!

Clock Game
A variation on Human Bingo. Each person receives a piece of paper with a clock drawn on it. Next to each hour there is a line. Each person has to make a "meeting" at a different hour with each of the other participants. They have to fill each hour of the clock with a different person's name.

Hand Game
Everyone sits around a table. Everyone places their hands on the table, crossed over the hands of the people next to them. One person bangs one hand on the table. The hand next to them then has to bang, and it moves in a circle. If someone bangs twice on his or her turn, the direction of the banging changes. If someone bangs out of turn, they have to take one hand out of the circle. Keep going until there are only two or three people left. This game can also be played holding hands and squeezing instead of banging.

Egg Game
Each person begins as an egg. They have to find another person, and tell that person their favorite color. The two become partners, and change from eggs to chickens. The chickens then have to pair up with another set of chickens. The four people are called roosters. The roosters group with roosters to form a group of eight, which is a human. Two groups of eight attach to each other and become superhuman. The catch is that only eggs can attach to eggs, not eggs and roosters, and everyone in a group has to be connected. (You can use any terms for this game, not just eggs... try spitballs joining to form straws, etc.)

Power
This game has several other names. Participants sit in a circle, and one person has the invisible "power". This person sends it to the person next to them with a hand motion and the noise "Nyer". The "power" travels around the circle. Other motions can change direction or how the power travels. Putting one hand up like a stop sign and saying "Enh" makes the power travel in the opposite direction. Banging your knees and saying "Bounce" makes the power skip over the person beside you to the next person. "B-o-o-s-t" and a fist moving in the direction the power is moving makes the power skip two people. This game is a bit confusing at first, but can be hilarious.

Word Association
Sit in a circle. The first person says a word. The person next to the first says the first word that comes into his/her head. The next person does the same thing. Play all the way around the circle. It is hilarious to see how different the end word is from the first word. A variation on this game is to whisper the words and then repeat them aloud at the end.

Matching Game
Each person has a piece of paper with the name of an object or person written on it. Each person has to find his or her matching partner. For example, someone who has Mickey on his paper would find the person who has Minnie. A variation is to put the character names on USYers' backs, and they need to discover who they are by asking yes or no questions before finding their match.

Toilet Paper Game
Each person has to say how much toilet paper they use in a day, and then say as many things about themselves as the pieces of toilet paper they use.

Rock Paper Scissors' with a twist
Each USYer plays RPS with another USYer. The loser has to walk behind the winner chanting his/her name while the winner plays another winner. Then all the losers chant the name of the new winner. Continue as such until the whole group is chanting one of two names and there is a final showdown!