Showing posts with label Getting Younger. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Getting Younger. Show all posts
Friday, 2 October 2009
Saturday, 5 September 2009
Ice Breaking Games
ICE BREAKING GAMES
Very popular in AEGEE (www.aegee.org) to “break the ice” at events and particularly during the Summer University programmes (www.aegee.org/su).
More cool games: www.group-games.com, www.icebreakers.ws
Artifact Game
Each person is told ahead of time to bring ten papers with words on it with some meaning to them to whatever event you are doing this at. When they arrive, give them a bag with a number on it and get them to carefully place their papers into it. Then make sure each person gets someone else's bag. They have ten minutes to write down ideas about what the person who owns the expressions is like, and to try to guess who they are. It is best if you don't do the guessing until after everyone has had their say. This would also work as an end of camp game, to see what people have learned about each other.
Chairs
Everyone gets a chair and sits in a circle. The leader has a list of items he reads out. If any of them apply to you, you move the appropriate number of seats clockwise.
Examples: 1. Anyone with one brother, move one seat clockwise. If you have two brothers, move two seats. 2. Anyone with black hair, move one seat clockwise. 3. Anyone over the age of 21, move one seat counter clockwise. 4. Everyone wearing brown shoes, move one seat, etc.
The idea is to move all around the circle, and end up back where you started. It becomes fun because if you move, but your neighbour doesn't, you sit on his lap! Sometimes, you can have three people occupying the same chair!! Make sure you have lots of categories so that everyone gets lots of chances to move, e.g. all hair colours (at different times, of course), and so on.
Cosmic Catch
Form a circle. Have 2-4 (or more if you're brave) items to throw (e.g. Koosh ball, stuffed animal, knotted bandana, etc). Before you throw to someone you have to say their name. Each person can only be the catcher 1 time. The last person would throw it back to the starter. Once you have gone trough the circle once, the trick is to repeat the sequence and *add* more items so there are several items being thrown at once! Each person has to remember who to throw to and who threw to them. To make it really interesting, *reverse* the direction of throwing, so each person would be throwing to the person who had thrown to them in the previous round. (Be nice - let people know *before* you start the reverse round!)
Dr. Mix-Up
All the girls stand in a circle, holding hands. Select one or two girls to be "Dr. Mix-Up"... they leave the room for a moment. When they're gone, everyone else does their best to get tangled up, by climbing over arms, under legs etc., without letting go of their neighbours' hands. When the circle is suitably tangled, everyone yells "Dr. Mix-Up! Come and fix us!". The Dr. Mix-Ups then come in and try to untangle the circle by directing individuals to go under arms, around bodies, etc. This game is also an excellent 30-second game or Co-operative game.
I Like People Who...
Everyone needs a place marker to stand on - tape, rubber spot or even a chalk mark.
Everyone forms a circle and stands on their spot. One girl is in the middle, her spot is removed. She calls out "I like people who . . ." Suggestions: like camping, eat cereal for breakfast, love Brownies. Anyone who falls into that category must change places with another person in the circle to whom the statement applies. "It" tries to get a spot also and the person who is left in the middle makes the next statement. You may not take a space next to you!
Quirks
Everyone is asked to tell the group three of their personal quirks, either past or present. Two must be true and one is false. The rest of the group must decide which quirk is false. This was a hoot! We played three rounds: personal quirks and idiosyncrasies, pet peeves and dislikes, and the most bizarre situations you've ever been in.
For example:
I once pulled all the muscles in my knee because I was running around in swimming flippers.
I once knitted a scarf on a pair of "legs" from a flamingo lawn ornament.
I once was really late for school because I locked myself in a garage.
Which of these do you think is false? :-) (by the way, if you CAN guess this correctly, there may be a prize in it for you! For example a kiss, a glass of beer…)
The Great Shoe Dive
This game works best with lots and lots of players, at least 30-40. Get everyone to take off their left shoe. Put all the shoes in a pile. At "Go!", everyone dives for the pile and grabs a shoe, any shoe. The object of the game is then for each player to find the person who has their shoe and reclaim it!
The Name Game
Sit all the people in a circle. One of the persons (or a leader) starts off the game by saying "Hi! My name is...". Then the person next to the beginner continues by saying "Hi! My name is... and sitting next to me is...". This continues on around the circle, until the last person to introduce himrself also has to introduce the entire circle! This is a great way to learn names.
The Name Jive
Sit everyone in a circle. Leaders have a special role to play in this game, so make sure they participate too! The goal of this game is to learn everyone's name by making up a silly rhyme. Following around the circle, each person has a chance to make up a silly rhyme about himself. Once he's said his rhyme, everyone repeats it. Meanwhile the leaders must quickly think up a second line to their verse. Here is an example: Person 1: "Bouncy Becky plays ball." Everyone: "Bouncy Becky plays ball." Leader: (totally spontaneously) "She plays it in the spring and fall!" Everyone: "She plays it in the spring and fall!" Person 2: "Kooky Carrie kicks the couch." Everyone: "Kooky Carrie kicks the couch." Leader: "She holds her toe and then says OUCH!" Everyone: "She holds her toe and then says OUCH!"
Proceed around the circle in this fashion. Once everyone has had a chance to make up a rhyme for themselves, go around the circle again as fast as possible, trying to remember both parts of everyone's rhyme along the way.
Who Am I?
You will need paper, markers, and safety pins. This is another game that works best with a theme. Again I will describe this using the "cartoon" theme. For each player, write down the name of a cartoon character on a piece of paper and pin it to the player's back. The goal of the game is for the people to figure out what cartoon character they are by asking other persons questions. They can only ask each person one question!
CONFUSION: Great high energy game to help participants begin to feel more comfortable in new group. Give each participant a sheet with various tasks and ask them to complete it when you say, “GO!” Here is a sample:
Get a male to do five push-ups and sign here
Stand on one foot with your arms outstreched for 20 seconds.
Have someone time you and sign here
Leap frog over someone 5 times
Get someone to whisper the pledge of allegiance and sign here
Get a female to recite a nursery rhyme
Have someone teach you a dance step (even if they make it up)
First person to complete the entire sheet, wins.
HOG CALL: Break the group into pairs. Each pair must choose two things; a machine and an animal. They then have to decide who is which. The pairs then divide up on opposite sides of the room. Everyone must close their eyes (if they feel comfortable), and by making only the noise that their character would make, they must find their partner. When they find their partner, they can open their eyes and wait until everyone else is done. Note: When conducting an activity with eyes closed, have the group raise their hands in front of their chests as “bumpers,” and have at least one person (facilitator) acting as a spotter.
HUM THAT TUNE: Each person in the group is given a small piece of paper with the name of a nursery rhyme or other song written on the paper. (i.e. a famous song from your country) All of the people who are given the song must hum that tune and fine everyone else singing the song. They then form a group.
MUMBLE JUMBLE: Before the activity begins, the leader will cut up a few pictures into puzzle pieces. Each group member will grab a piece of a puzzle from a bag. The group members will keep their puzzle piece to themselves until the leader says, “GO!” At this point, the group members will try to locate the other members of the group with the pieces to form the appropriate pictures. Whichever group does it first, wins. Good activity for breaking into retreat/activity groups.
SHOE FACTORY: Have the group stand in a large circle shoulder to shoulder. Then have everyone remove their shoes and put them in the center. After the group has formed a pile with their shoes, the leader has everyone choose two different shoes other than their own. They should put them on their feet (halfway if they are too small). The group then needs to successfully match the shoes and put them in proper pairs by standing next to the individual wearing the other shoe. This will probably result in a tangled mess - and lots of giggles!
TOILET PAPER GAME: Get a roll of toilet paper and explain to your group that they are going camping and need to take as much toilet paper as they think they may need for a three day trip. Once everyone has an ample supply, explain to the group that for every square in their possession, they must share something about themselves. NOTE: If anyone knows the activity, ask them not to give away the secret under any circumstances.
ARCH BALL: Players (10-30) are divided into two equal teams. Each team forms a line, one in front of the other, about arms distance apart. The ball starts in the front and must be passed over the head to the back of the line. When the last person receives the ball, he/she must run with it to the front of the line and continue passing the ball. The first team to return the ball to the original lineup wins.
BALLOON TAG: Tie strings to balloons and then tie one balloon to each person’s ankle. It is every man/woman for him/herself in this one! The object of the game is to pop everyone else’s balloons while making sure that your’s does not get popped. Once your balloon is popped, you are out of the game.
BANANA RELAY: This activity is very similar to the “Neck Race.” However, in this game, a banana is placed between the knees of the first person, and it must be placed between the next person’s knees - without using any hands. If the banana drops, it starts with the first person in line. First team to finish successfully, wins.
CAPTURE THE FLAG: The playing area is divided in half; at each right-hand rear corner is a rectangle that is known as the jail or prison (you could also use a goal if on a soccer field). The group is divided into two teams. Each team should decide where to place their flag (a towel, shirt, or whatever) on their side of the field. The object of the game is to get the other team’s flag. Once the game is started, anyone who steps over the center line into the opponent’s half is eligible to be caught and taken to prison. A player must get through the enemy’s lines without getting tagged. Prisoners may be rescued by teammates who get through enemy lines without being tagged and can touch the prisoner’s hand. (The prisoners can line themselves up by holding hands and stretching toward the center line as long as one person is still holding the goal or in the jail area.) If rescued, both the prisoner(s) and the rescuer must walk back to their own side with their arms up. To win the game, a player must get the flag back across the mid-line of the playing area. If a player has the flag and gets tagged, the flag can either go back to where it was, or be dropped where the person got tagged. That player goes to jail. Teams may have only have one person protecting the flag.
FREEZE TAG: This is played just like tag except that once you have been tagged, you are frozen. The only way to get unfrozen is to have someone go under your legs. To make the game harder, have more than one person be “it.”
ICE CUBES: Divide the players into two equal teams. At a starting signal, each team picks up an ice cube and tries to melt it as quickly as possible. Players can rub it between their hands or against their clothes, but they may NOT put it in their mouths. While they are trying to melt the ice cube, it should be passed around the team frequently - no player should keep it for more than a few seconds at a time. Players should keep it off the ground too. The first team to melt its ice cube, wins. On a really hot day, you may want to play more than one round of this one!
Very popular in AEGEE (www.aegee.org) to “break the ice” at events and particularly during the Summer University programmes (www.aegee.org/su).
More cool games: www.group-games.com, www.icebreakers.ws
Artifact Game
Each person is told ahead of time to bring ten papers with words on it with some meaning to them to whatever event you are doing this at. When they arrive, give them a bag with a number on it and get them to carefully place their papers into it. Then make sure each person gets someone else's bag. They have ten minutes to write down ideas about what the person who owns the expressions is like, and to try to guess who they are. It is best if you don't do the guessing until after everyone has had their say. This would also work as an end of camp game, to see what people have learned about each other.
Chairs
Everyone gets a chair and sits in a circle. The leader has a list of items he reads out. If any of them apply to you, you move the appropriate number of seats clockwise.
Examples: 1. Anyone with one brother, move one seat clockwise. If you have two brothers, move two seats. 2. Anyone with black hair, move one seat clockwise. 3. Anyone over the age of 21, move one seat counter clockwise. 4. Everyone wearing brown shoes, move one seat, etc.
The idea is to move all around the circle, and end up back where you started. It becomes fun because if you move, but your neighbour doesn't, you sit on his lap! Sometimes, you can have three people occupying the same chair!! Make sure you have lots of categories so that everyone gets lots of chances to move, e.g. all hair colours (at different times, of course), and so on.
Cosmic Catch
Form a circle. Have 2-4 (or more if you're brave) items to throw (e.g. Koosh ball, stuffed animal, knotted bandana, etc). Before you throw to someone you have to say their name. Each person can only be the catcher 1 time. The last person would throw it back to the starter. Once you have gone trough the circle once, the trick is to repeat the sequence and *add* more items so there are several items being thrown at once! Each person has to remember who to throw to and who threw to them. To make it really interesting, *reverse* the direction of throwing, so each person would be throwing to the person who had thrown to them in the previous round. (Be nice - let people know *before* you start the reverse round!)
Dr. Mix-Up
All the girls stand in a circle, holding hands. Select one or two girls to be "Dr. Mix-Up"... they leave the room for a moment. When they're gone, everyone else does their best to get tangled up, by climbing over arms, under legs etc., without letting go of their neighbours' hands. When the circle is suitably tangled, everyone yells "Dr. Mix-Up! Come and fix us!". The Dr. Mix-Ups then come in and try to untangle the circle by directing individuals to go under arms, around bodies, etc. This game is also an excellent 30-second game or Co-operative game.
I Like People Who...
Everyone needs a place marker to stand on - tape, rubber spot or even a chalk mark.
Everyone forms a circle and stands on their spot. One girl is in the middle, her spot is removed. She calls out "I like people who . . ." Suggestions: like camping, eat cereal for breakfast, love Brownies. Anyone who falls into that category must change places with another person in the circle to whom the statement applies. "It" tries to get a spot also and the person who is left in the middle makes the next statement. You may not take a space next to you!
Quirks
Everyone is asked to tell the group three of their personal quirks, either past or present. Two must be true and one is false. The rest of the group must decide which quirk is false. This was a hoot! We played three rounds: personal quirks and idiosyncrasies, pet peeves and dislikes, and the most bizarre situations you've ever been in.
For example:
I once pulled all the muscles in my knee because I was running around in swimming flippers.
I once knitted a scarf on a pair of "legs" from a flamingo lawn ornament.
I once was really late for school because I locked myself in a garage.
Which of these do you think is false? :-) (by the way, if you CAN guess this correctly, there may be a prize in it for you! For example a kiss, a glass of beer…)
The Great Shoe Dive
This game works best with lots and lots of players, at least 30-40. Get everyone to take off their left shoe. Put all the shoes in a pile. At "Go!", everyone dives for the pile and grabs a shoe, any shoe. The object of the game is then for each player to find the person who has their shoe and reclaim it!
The Name Game
Sit all the people in a circle. One of the persons (or a leader) starts off the game by saying "Hi! My name is...". Then the person next to the beginner continues by saying "Hi! My name is... and sitting next to me is...". This continues on around the circle, until the last person to introduce himrself also has to introduce the entire circle! This is a great way to learn names.
The Name Jive
Sit everyone in a circle. Leaders have a special role to play in this game, so make sure they participate too! The goal of this game is to learn everyone's name by making up a silly rhyme. Following around the circle, each person has a chance to make up a silly rhyme about himself. Once he's said his rhyme, everyone repeats it. Meanwhile the leaders must quickly think up a second line to their verse. Here is an example: Person 1: "Bouncy Becky plays ball." Everyone: "Bouncy Becky plays ball." Leader: (totally spontaneously) "She plays it in the spring and fall!" Everyone: "She plays it in the spring and fall!" Person 2: "Kooky Carrie kicks the couch." Everyone: "Kooky Carrie kicks the couch." Leader: "She holds her toe and then says OUCH!" Everyone: "She holds her toe and then says OUCH!"
Proceed around the circle in this fashion. Once everyone has had a chance to make up a rhyme for themselves, go around the circle again as fast as possible, trying to remember both parts of everyone's rhyme along the way.
Who Am I?
You will need paper, markers, and safety pins. This is another game that works best with a theme. Again I will describe this using the "cartoon" theme. For each player, write down the name of a cartoon character on a piece of paper and pin it to the player's back. The goal of the game is for the people to figure out what cartoon character they are by asking other persons questions. They can only ask each person one question!
CONFUSION: Great high energy game to help participants begin to feel more comfortable in new group. Give each participant a sheet with various tasks and ask them to complete it when you say, “GO!” Here is a sample:
Get a male to do five push-ups and sign here
Stand on one foot with your arms outstreched for 20 seconds.
Have someone time you and sign here
Leap frog over someone 5 times
Get someone to whisper the pledge of allegiance and sign here
Get a female to recite a nursery rhyme
Have someone teach you a dance step (even if they make it up)
First person to complete the entire sheet, wins.
HOG CALL: Break the group into pairs. Each pair must choose two things; a machine and an animal. They then have to decide who is which. The pairs then divide up on opposite sides of the room. Everyone must close their eyes (if they feel comfortable), and by making only the noise that their character would make, they must find their partner. When they find their partner, they can open their eyes and wait until everyone else is done. Note: When conducting an activity with eyes closed, have the group raise their hands in front of their chests as “bumpers,” and have at least one person (facilitator) acting as a spotter.
HUM THAT TUNE: Each person in the group is given a small piece of paper with the name of a nursery rhyme or other song written on the paper. (i.e. a famous song from your country) All of the people who are given the song must hum that tune and fine everyone else singing the song. They then form a group.
MUMBLE JUMBLE: Before the activity begins, the leader will cut up a few pictures into puzzle pieces. Each group member will grab a piece of a puzzle from a bag. The group members will keep their puzzle piece to themselves until the leader says, “GO!” At this point, the group members will try to locate the other members of the group with the pieces to form the appropriate pictures. Whichever group does it first, wins. Good activity for breaking into retreat/activity groups.
SHOE FACTORY: Have the group stand in a large circle shoulder to shoulder. Then have everyone remove their shoes and put them in the center. After the group has formed a pile with their shoes, the leader has everyone choose two different shoes other than their own. They should put them on their feet (halfway if they are too small). The group then needs to successfully match the shoes and put them in proper pairs by standing next to the individual wearing the other shoe. This will probably result in a tangled mess - and lots of giggles!
TOILET PAPER GAME: Get a roll of toilet paper and explain to your group that they are going camping and need to take as much toilet paper as they think they may need for a three day trip. Once everyone has an ample supply, explain to the group that for every square in their possession, they must share something about themselves. NOTE: If anyone knows the activity, ask them not to give away the secret under any circumstances.
ARCH BALL: Players (10-30) are divided into two equal teams. Each team forms a line, one in front of the other, about arms distance apart. The ball starts in the front and must be passed over the head to the back of the line. When the last person receives the ball, he/she must run with it to the front of the line and continue passing the ball. The first team to return the ball to the original lineup wins.
BALLOON TAG: Tie strings to balloons and then tie one balloon to each person’s ankle. It is every man/woman for him/herself in this one! The object of the game is to pop everyone else’s balloons while making sure that your’s does not get popped. Once your balloon is popped, you are out of the game.
BANANA RELAY: This activity is very similar to the “Neck Race.” However, in this game, a banana is placed between the knees of the first person, and it must be placed between the next person’s knees - without using any hands. If the banana drops, it starts with the first person in line. First team to finish successfully, wins.
CAPTURE THE FLAG: The playing area is divided in half; at each right-hand rear corner is a rectangle that is known as the jail or prison (you could also use a goal if on a soccer field). The group is divided into two teams. Each team should decide where to place their flag (a towel, shirt, or whatever) on their side of the field. The object of the game is to get the other team’s flag. Once the game is started, anyone who steps over the center line into the opponent’s half is eligible to be caught and taken to prison. A player must get through the enemy’s lines without getting tagged. Prisoners may be rescued by teammates who get through enemy lines without being tagged and can touch the prisoner’s hand. (The prisoners can line themselves up by holding hands and stretching toward the center line as long as one person is still holding the goal or in the jail area.) If rescued, both the prisoner(s) and the rescuer must walk back to their own side with their arms up. To win the game, a player must get the flag back across the mid-line of the playing area. If a player has the flag and gets tagged, the flag can either go back to where it was, or be dropped where the person got tagged. That player goes to jail. Teams may have only have one person protecting the flag.
FREEZE TAG: This is played just like tag except that once you have been tagged, you are frozen. The only way to get unfrozen is to have someone go under your legs. To make the game harder, have more than one person be “it.”
ICE CUBES: Divide the players into two equal teams. At a starting signal, each team picks up an ice cube and tries to melt it as quickly as possible. Players can rub it between their hands or against their clothes, but they may NOT put it in their mouths. While they are trying to melt the ice cube, it should be passed around the team frequently - no player should keep it for more than a few seconds at a time. Players should keep it off the ground too. The first team to melt its ice cube, wins. On a really hot day, you may want to play more than one round of this one!
Wednesday, 26 August 2009
Tuesday, 25 August 2009
Monday, 17 August 2009
No Cows Allowed and a Travel through Time
Last Saturday Dragan, Ivonne, Roger (Ivonne's cousin) Robin and I went to Antwerp. It was a beautiful sunny day, which means that the city was packed with people from all over Belgium and Netherlands, and an average age of 99. I really felt the AEGEE spirit, 24 (in my case) and getting younger!!! Really young in comparative terms!
Other than walking through and underwater tunnel and visiting an open air festival where cows were not allowed to enter, we had an amazing time-travel experience!!! We went 50 years in the future and met 2 very well known financial directors of AEGEE-Europe!! It seemed incredible, but we immediately recognized them and tried to ask about the future of our beautiful association, but they spoke a very strange and difficult language... It also sounded like they had a cold and they were trying to get something out of their throat... it must have been Dutch ;)
So, here you have the proof of this amazing time-travel experience!
Best regards,Vedran, the guest blogger.
PS Visit to Antwerp was of course the chance for the Fashion Police (the latest project of THE Agency, AEGEE Human Relationships Working Group) to capture some must-haves and no-dos for the summer festivals season.
Fashion Police Approves:
All yellow is the outfit of the season, THE Agency is very much into everything Scottish and the skater hat is the ultimate 'getting younger' accessory.
Fashion Police Disapproves:
Piercing overdose, guys with (oversized) jewelry and Dutch guys in kilts passing by while you are having dinner.
THE Agency and the Fashion Police will be monitoring Agora Kiev as well so if you have a sense of style or are in a desperate need to get some - hurry up and apply NOW for the Agora!
Tuesday, 4 August 2009
AEGEE Headoffice Getting Younger as Well
The Headoffice is getting crowded as the CD elect is arriving to the house for the month of knowledge transfer. The first one to arrive - of course Agata, the President gonnabe, followed by Agnes and Nico, future External Relations and Financial directors.
The first week of knowledge transfer has begun in style as we opened some champagne to celebrate the successful launching of the new aegee.org and myAEGEE. AEGEE is truly getting younger every day :-)
The King is fat - long live the Queen! :-)
Is this SuFu Panda? No, it is our new financial director :-)
Is Ivonne drunk? No, of course not :-)
Thursday, 30 July 2009
Almost 25 and Getting Younger!
Dear all,
We are happy to inform you that in a matter of days you will be able to browse our brand new webpage at aegee.org and fully experience all features in myAEGEE, our brand new Intranet.
This end of the months of hard work to bring innovation to AEGEE online services is a great new beginning for our organization – as we are sure that our smart and cool image on the web will attract many smart and cool young people to AEGEE :-)
The strength and beauty of AEGEE is not measured only by its impressive history, but by the greatness of its current generation. The best proof for our maturity is our ability to answer to the tastes and interests of the young ones of today. We are sure that our new websites will do exactly that. Twenty-five years old and getting younger every day – the Benjamin Button of the world of youth activism – that is what AEGEE should always be :-)
myAEGEE is a full new world to discover. With individual user’s profile equipped with a message wall, wikipages, documents storage space, events agenda and many more. Locals, working groups and project teams will easily manage and stay in touch with their members and each other, manage events and their participants, upload documents, present their work and keep an overview of their status within the Network. Plus there are Agora and EBM and Summer Universities and so much more.
All users that were present in the existing Address Book have been transferred to myAEGEE automatically and should have received an email with their new user name and password on July 22. Everybody else can already register at http://intranet.myaegee.net/. You can look for instructions at http://intranet.myaegee.net/app/webroot/vids/signup/
If you need any help with myAEGEE please write to us at myaegee@gmail.com.
Please keep in mind that during the changes some services might be temporary unavailable for up to 48 hours. The transfer did not start yet and any current problem you might be experiencing is not connected to this change. We will let you know once the change has started and will do our best to inform you about everything in advance. We are hoping for your understanding as after this – things will only get better.
Your Comit̩ Directeur РAEGEE Europe Board of Directors
www.myaegee.net/gettingyounger
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