Back to School Sunday is coming. This is always one of my favorite Sundays as students move up to their new grades. There is an energy in the room that isn’t like any other. It’s a great beginning to a new school year.
Every year there are two kinds of leaders. The newbies who are leading a group for the first time and the veterans who have led for multiple years. Wherever you stand as a leader the first Sunday with your girls at the beginning of the school year is always the best day to connect with them. Whether you are just getting to know them or wanting to learn even more about them I have some fun icebreakers for you to try and a student information sheet that will help you kick off the year not just getting to know them but having fun and laughing along the way.
Download the Student Info Sheet. Choose from PDF or an editable Word document.
Directions: Pair the girls up. Have them take the “Getting to Know You Sheet” and give them a time limit for guessing their partner’s answers. Then have the girls share their answers only with each other to see how many they got correct and total their score. Play as many rounds as you have time for giving the girls a different partner each time.
Name Duel
Supplies: Deck of Cards
Directions: Count how many pairs of girls you have in your group and have them sit in a circle. Then select that many pairs of cards from the deck (2s, 3s, 4s, etc.). Depending on the number of pairs you have you may need to pair cards by color too. Shuffle your pairs of cards. Then have everyone introduce themselves.
After everyone has introduced themselves, pass out the cards randomly. Tell them to look at their card but not to share it with anyone else. Call out the number or face card. The two with that card stand up and shout the name of the other person. The first one to say the other’s name wins. Give everyone a chance to duel before shuffling and playing again.
Variation: Instead of names, you can have students share their favorite food, color, sport, etc. Then when they duel, they are to call out the other person’s favorite thing.
NAME DROPPING
Supplies: 2 chairs 1 bed sheet
Directions: First, go around the circle and have everyone introduce themselves. Then take the two chairs and sit them facing one another. Split the girls into two groups. Have each group gather behind one of the chairs. Have 2 volunteers hold the sheet up in between the chairs. Make sure there is enough space that no one touches the sheet when they sit down. Then have each team pick someone to sit in the chair. Once each team has chosen a person, then count to 3 and drop the sheet. The first person to say the name of the other person in the seat across from them wins. Play until everyone gets a chance to sit in the chair.
Do you like your neighbor?
Supplies:
· Chairs
Directions:
Circle up a group of chairs (there will be one less chair than precipitants). Have all the students sit in a chair with one person standing in the middle of the circle.
The person in the middle walks up to someone and says…
Middle: Hi my name is _____.
Other person: Hi _____________, my name is ___________
Middle: Do you like your neighbor?
Other: Yes (always answers yes)
Middle: Why?
Other: Chooses a reason why they like their neighbor (ex. she is wearing jeans, has blue eyes, etc.)
Everyone to whom that applies (wearing jeans, blue eyes, etc.) has to move chairs while the person in the middle tries to sit in a chair. The last person standing without a chair is in the middle. Participants cannot sit in the chair directly next to them. They must move at least 2 chairs over.
