Icebreaker and teambuilding
European Bingo:
Prepare papers or write down all European countries, capitals, rivers on one piece of paper.
Ask each participant to draw a grid with nine boxes and to fill it with names of European countries, capitals, rivers, mountains as well. After finishing play the game "Bingo" by naming one thing a time and participants have to cross out if they have a match. You can finish the game either when someone has crossed out three statements in a row or all nine.
Note: maybe also prepare the 3x3 chart and hand it out to the students if you fear time limit.
I like it organised
Ask everyone to stand organised in line: in alphabetical order of their names, height, shoe size, hair colour (from bright to dark/ dark to bright)
Jamaquack
story: Jamaquacks are endangered birds, living in the south of Australia. They stand a bit bent-forward, hold their ankles with both hands and move backwards. As they are nocturnal, their eyes are always closed at day. They are constantly quacking/ croaking and and just quiet when they sleep. As they are endangered they can be found in Australian zoos, but they love their freedom and always try to break out.
Choose some students to be Jamaquacks. The rest is forming a circle and holding hands, so the Jamaquacks cannot break out. Two people open the circle and form the loop. Jamaquacks are inside the circle, their eyes closed and facing each other. Now they have to try to find the loop and get out of the circle. They have to make a quacking noise the whole time and especially when they have found the loop to signalise their friends the way. When one has found its way out, he is allowed to open his eyes, but not to stop making noise. The people forming the circle have to push the Jamaquacks carefully back to the circle if they have not found the right way out yet.
Goofie
story: Goofie is a little figure living hidden and far away from society. The one who has a chance to meet him will get very lucky, as Goofie is one of the most generous figures in the world. Unfortunately, he cannot talk, so it is a bit difficult to find him.
Students have to stand somewhere in the room and close their eyes. Now they have to start walking around and find Goofie. Whenever they meet someone (touching), they ask "Goofie?" If he "Goofie"s back, it is not the right one. The team leader secretely chooses a Goofie and tells him to be it. Goofie has to stand still, where he has been appointed. If someone now finds Goofie, he has to stand next to him, waiting for the others to find them. He has become part of Goofie and can open his eyes, BUT is not allowed to talk anymore
Human Knot
Form a circle and move as close together as you can (like a group hug). Now raise your hands and grap any free hand you can find. If everyone has found two hands to grap, try to untie the knot and move back to a circle. You are not allowed to leave a hand free or to open the chain until you have untied the knot. (note: not always possible)
Fruit salad
Everyone sits in a circle (best if sitting on chairs). The team leader now goes through the circle and names everyone with different fruits (apple, banana, cherry). As he is now in the middle and without a chair, he has to find a place to sit. He calls one of the fruits e.g. Apple, and all the students who have been named apple have to change seats. Now a new person is in the middle and has to find a place to sit by naming any fruits
variation: do not give fruit names, but find anything people have in common: everyone who wears a black sweater, everyone who wears glasses, everyone who is looking forward to holidays...
Virus Game
Choose one (or more) person to be the virus. Whenever he touches someone, this person becomes ill, meaning he talks nonsense the whole time, cannot walk any more but just make funny movements on the spot. Two other players can heal him, by taking each others hand (so the ill person stands in the middle of them) and say: "Healed" They cannot become ill, while they are healing the ill person.
Pizza massage
In pairs or in a line with everyone: Make an imaginery pizza on the back of your partner. Change after a while.
You- ah- Who?
Form a circle. Person A points at someone (Person B) and says: "YOU!" Person B raises his hand on his head and says "Ah!" and points with his fingers his left or right hand neighbour (Person C) who also has to raise his hand and ask "Who?" while his fingers are pointing at Person D. Person D can point at anyone and say "You!", etc. The one who is not reacting, reacting wrong or too late has to stand in the middle and is allowed to disturb the others as long as almost everyone is standing in the middle.
Note: try once with the whole group before playing
Penguin and crane
One person is the crane. He has to move like a crane (his legs stiff, his arms forming a huge beak that is constantly snapping, always saying "cra, cra" [ it looks a little bit like a robot walking]) The others are the penguins. They can just move like penguins (legs close together, small steps, arms close to the body). The crane tries to catch the penguins. Once a penguin is caught, it becomes a crane as well and helps to catch the other penguins.
Get up
Two people start by sitting backwards to each other and linking their arms with each other. Now they have to try getting up. With a little bit of practice it is not too difficult. Now start asking a third/ fourth/ fifth person to join and try together. Try to get up with as many people as possible
Lift Raft
equipment: paperHand out some pieces of paper (maybe one per person at the beginning) and ask them to stand on it without touching the ground. Now take away some pieces and ask the same. Take more and more and see if they manage to stand on one piece of paper (depending on the size of the group)
From Circle to Square
equipment: ropeStand in a circle and give everyone a rope to hold. Now ask them to close their eyes (maybe even use something to make sure their eyes are closed). If no one sees anything ask them to form a square instead of a circle.
Dragon Tail
All students stand in line, grabbing the shoulder of the person in front of them. Now the person on head of the line has to catch the end of the line. Goes as long as the first person to catch is head again.
Got your tail
equipment: clothepegs or anything that can be fasten at your clothes
Give every participant the same amount of clothespegs and tell them to fasten them on their clothes (not hidden!). Now everyone has to try to collect as many as possible by stealing from the others and fasten them on their clothes. The one with the most wins.
Variation: try the game a second time, but change rules after a minute: people have to try to get rid of their clothespegs and fasten them on the other people.
Singing games:
There are some energizers that are sung. As it is difficult to describe it, I advise you to have a look at youtube for the right rhythm. Nevertheless, here are the lyrics of three of them:
Joe from the button factory
Hello,my name is Joe.
And I work in a button factory
I have a house and a dog and family.
One day my boss came and asked:
Joe,
are you busy?
I say no.
Then push this button with your right hand
// left hand
// right foot
// left foot
//with your head
// are you busy?
I say yes
Be banana
Be banana, be be banana//Peel banana, peel peel banana//
eat banana, eat eat banana//
Go bananas, go go bananas//
This is the story of my pony
This is the story of my ponyStory of my big fat pony
this is the story of my pony
this is what they told me
Front, front, front, my baby
side, side, side my baby
back, back, back my baby
this is what they told me