Talking games involve — you guessed it — talking! They often allow people to share their opinions or interesting things about themselves. Try them out and have fun!
The Frozen T-Shirt Race is an ideal game to be played outside on a hot summer day, and is a hit amongst younger players. It’s a true ice-breaker game, as the players will work together to literally break the ice on the t-shirt. The game’s objective is simple—you must thaw out, unfold, and wear a frozen t-shirt. Even though this game might sound easy, it’s a challenge to complete. The Frozen T-shirt Game can be played in groups or each player can receive their own shirt. Setting restrictions on how the t-shirt can be thawed will make the game more competitive, and you can really see players getting into it! Materials Water Freezer Gallon freezer bags Large t-shirts—the amount depending on the number of players Cooler and ice (optional) Set-Up Place…
Line Up! is a fun icebreaker that can be useful for camps, workplace bonding, or other large group events. Work together as a team to arrange yourselves in a line based on a quality you have that is not obviously apparent. Examples of qualities to arrange to are alphabetically by middle name, chronologically according to birth date, or house number. Younger children could try something easier, such as arranging by height, because they may not all be able to recite the months of the year. This icebreaker starts as chaos, and ends with order as all participants work together to discover the facts they need and arrange themselves accordingly. Line Up works best in a large open space where participants can move around freely. This is an icebreaker that is…
Sparkle is a group game that can be done as a warm up to get the brain thinking. Traditionally, it is played as a spelling game, but you can also do it with math problems, a memory verse, or focus on a specific subject instead. It's a fun way to study previously learned or new information. The game is fast paced -- with players constantly listening and ready to speak at any moment! Sparkle Set-Up This game is ideal for medium to extra large groups of people, and there is not a limit on the number of players. It can be played in both indoor and outdoor settings. The setup is fairly easy: Create a circle or line standing up. Assign one person to provide the words throughout the game.…
The Personal Artifact Game is the perfect icebreaker for those who want to stay away from the usual "who, what, where" questions that are typically asked. It requires participants to dig a little deeper than just their favorite color and bring something personal to the table! Players are more likely to remember each other’s names from the stories behind each artifact. It encourages players to get to know each other personally and also provides future topics to discuss. Whether it’s the first day of class, camp, or on the job, the personal artifact icebreaker is sure to get discussions flowing and give each player a memorable moment associated with them. Set-Up Note that this game requires people to plan a little bit in advance -- ask each player to bring…
Botticelli is a strategic question game similar to other guessing games like 20 Questions. One player takes on the role of a famous person whom all players know reasonably well (when this game was conceived Sandro Botticelli, the Italian renaissance painter of The Birth of Venus, must have satisfied this requirements, hence the name of the game). Questions are asked to work out who this celebrity is, but with some quick thinking and general knowledge the choosing player can avoid answering the questions directly. This makes the game a little more tactical and complex than other guessing games, and great for long car journeys. Botticelli can be played with only two players, or as many as you can fit in a minivan on a road trip. Set-Up One player, the chooser, privately chooses…
The Priest of the Parish is a call and response game, popular in youth groups across the world. The game warms up player’s vocal cords, legs, and memory muscles. It also goes by other names, including The Prince of Paris. This version of the game can be played with very large groups, even over one hundred (arranged into teams). It can also be played individually with groups of ten or so. In both games the players must remember the script. One of the goals is to speak in unison with your team-members, fostering a sense of team spirit. Set-up Arrange the players into teams. There should be an equal number of teams. Five to ten players is a good team size. For example, six teams of five would work for thirty players,…
The Energy Game is a drama class warm-up exercise. One player starts by making a sound and a motion, such as a raising fist and growling, or spreading out their arms and roaring. In turn, each player amplifies the energy of this action, as it gets louder and louder around the group. Play the Energy Game Everyone stands in a circle. The first player makes a sound and a motion. For example, they might put their hand up and say "Umm", or wrap their arms around themselves and shiver, or hide their head and whimper, or shake their finger and sigh. Everyone should be at ease doing whatever action and sound they feel like. This is an opportunity to be creative, but part of the beauty of the game is that…
If you're peanut butter, where is your jelly? Which fictional police detective is the partner of David Starsky? Which royal is married to Kate Middleton? In this introductions game, the guests at your get-together take on the role of famous figures. Through the power of conversation they will figure out each other's hidden identities, and try and find their match! This game will play everyone at the party. Ten to twenty people or so will make for a good game -- but it certainly works fine for larger groups. Set-Up As the host of the party, prepare a name-tag for each guest at your party by writing the names of famous figures from famous partnership on each name-tag. Both halves of the partnership should be represented on a name-tag. For example, you…
Thinking is all about making connections in the brain. Reveal something about how you and your friends think using this simple game of making connections between words. Play Work Association with two to eight players. It works nicely as a conversation starter, a car game, or as a drinking game. How to Play Word Association Everyone sits in a circle. The first player, chosen randomly, says one word out loud. The next player, in clockwise order, has to quickly say a word that has some connection with the previous word. What counts a connection is down to the parliament of players to determine: if somebody doesn’t like a connection, they can challenge it, and everyone votes on whether or not to allow it. In the event of a tie, the…
Test your ability to pull names of people and places, and other words, from your memory while under pressure in this simple quick-thinking game. Great for car journeys, and it can also be played as a drinking game. 4 to 10 is a good number of players for Categories. It can be played with more, though gaps between each player's turn will become longer. Split into two groups if needed. With pen and paper Each player is given a pen and a sheet of paper. A category is chosen. Just for example: names of counties, last names of celebrities, makes of car, or names of films. A letter of the alphabet is chosen. The letters Q, U, V, Z, Y or Z can make the game too challenging, and mental…
