Great Wind Blows (also known as the Big Wind Blows) is a good icebreaker activity that involves a bit of movement, a bit similar to Musical Chairs. The game can help everyone break the ice and help students get to know each other a bit better. You’ll need several chairs (one fewer than the total number of players).
Setup for Great Wind Blows Game
In order to begin, first arrange all the chairs to form a circle (all chairs facing inward toward the middle). One player starts in the middle, standing up. He or she begins the round.
Playing Great Wind Blows
The game is simple to play; one person in the middle starts by saying “Great wind blows for everyone who…” and then says any characteristic that is true for that person. For example, if the person has been to Canada before, he or she can say, “Great wind blows for everyone who has been to Canada.” All players who have been to Canada before must stand and quickly find a new seat that is more than 2 chairs away from them. If the player is not able to find a vacant seat, he or she is the new person who is in the middle.
Some ideas include:
- Great wind blows for everyone who has been to more than 3 countries before.
- Great wind blows for everyone who hates chocolate.
- Great wind blows for everyone who loves to wear boxers.
- Great wind blows for everyone who has gone more than 2 days without showering.
- Great wind blows for everyone who is addicted to video games.
- Great wind blows for everyone who loves sushi.
Be creative and have fun! Teachers, youth group leaders and camp counselors love this game because it gets people moving, helping to break the ice at the beginning of class or youth group, or at the start of camp. It’s also a fun way to get to know interesting things about each other.
