Name Aerobics is a simple icebreaker to help group members introduce themselves in a fun and energetic way! You can think of it was a name memorization activity with a touch of aerobics. It’s good for players ages 10+. This activity works best with medium or large sized groups of 6+ people each.
Materials required
There are no required materials to play this game. You can play it anywhere with just the members of the group! Indoors (such as in a classroom) may be the most ideal place to play.
How to set up the game
The ideal setup is to have all group members standing in a circle, but you can also have the individuals take turns coming in front to introduce themselves. Placing people in a circle may help those who are shy to feel easier about participating. This is the only setup needed for the game to be played.
How to play Name Aerobics
- Ask for someone to volunteer to go first, or you as the host can start off the activity. The first person can either go to the center of the circle or else stay where they are, depending on your preference as the host.
- Ask the person to introduce themselves by their first and last name, but instruct them to make some sort of movement or do an action for each syllable of their name. For example: The name “Jonathan Smith” (Jon-a-than Smith) would require that person to make four distinct movements of their choice.
- Have each person in the group repeat the person’s name while also mimicking the actions they performed. Have the person repeat their name and actions as many times as it takes for most of the group to get it right before moving on to the next participant.
- The person to the right of the one making the introduction should go next until all participants have introduced themselves with a name and simultaneous actions.
- (Optional): After everyone has introduced themselves, quickly go through the group members from the first person again to make sure everyone remembers the names of the others.
Winning the game
This is an icebreaker game meant to help people become more familiar with each other; therefore, there are no winners and losers. If you want to create a competitive element, you can have a contest at the end to see who remembers the most combinations of names and “aerobics” that were performed. The one who can recite the most names and perform the correct movements is the winner.
