Delegation Resource Manual: Month by Month Implementation Guide
Page 13
YMCA PA Youth & Government Program
Activities and Icebreakers
NOTICE: In addition to those provided below, lesson plans can be found on the “Club
Resources” page of the web site.
Warm-Up Activities and Icebreakers
Guess my story!
Ask for three volunteers to come to the front of the class. Have each participant face the group,
strike a pose and freeze. Now, ask the group to write a sentence about the first person, using the
pose and the person’s expression to create the sentence. Then do the same thing for the next two
students. Here’s an example: Henry, Tara and Elise come to the front. Henry is in a chair, hand by
chin and frowning. Tara is standing up, arms outstretched and laughing. Elise is slumped in a chair,
looking asleep. In the large group, the story is: Henry had an incredibly hard math problem for
homework. Tara jumped for joy when she solved the problem. Elise thought about it but it was so
hard she just fell asleep in her chair. Note: Facilitator can vary this activity by having more kids
pose, or chain groups of students together to make a longer “story.”
Pass the ball!
Facilitator has the participants form a large circle. Explain that the object of this activity is to share
something about yourself with the group while learning about other’s interests. Facilitator begins
with the ball, shares something about herself, and then tosses the ball to another person. That
person shares something and tosses the ball to another until everyone has had a turn. Last person
tosses the ball back to the facilitator.
Now the facilitator starts again, this time the person with the ball has to share information about the
last one who tossed the ball. Facilitator begins by repeating the last person’s information with the
group. Facilitator tosses the ball to another and that person has to share information about the
facilitator, and so on until all have had a turn.
Guess the letters to fill in the phrase
On a blackboard, whiteboard or large sheet of paper, draw out the blanks (as for a game of
hangman) for: T-O-G-E-T-H-E-R W-E C-A-N! Tell the learners that it is a phrase. In order to be
able to guess a letter, participants must share something about themselves that they wrote on the
“Not everyone knows that...” sheet. As the participants share more information about themselves,
they are able to guess more letters and complete the phrase: Together we can!
Famous Pairs
Tape names of famous pairs and couples on each person's back. They have to find the teen that
completes their pair by asking each other yes and no questions.
Human Lines:
Have the participants line up according to some criteria, but without talking. It could be according
to the alphabet, length of membership, or height. Allow two minutes for the participants to gather
information before starting the introductions.
Name Whip:
Have the group sit in a circle. (Not recommended for groups over twenty.) Each participant will
introduce themselves by saying their name and a word using the first initial of their first name. The
