I have never needed to lead an icebreaker – until #TMC13 when I facilitated the Middle School Math Morning Sessions. I teach at a small private school. Almost all of our kids have known each other since early elementary school. The class size goes from 16 to 32 from 5th to 6th grade. However, they have tons of bonding time and activities together before they go to math class so I don’t really need to do an icebreaker.
I was nervous about leading the MS Morning session, especially since we had almost 40 people signed up! Several participants had told me they were nervous too so I wanted an icebreaker that would be fun and get us moving. Since there were too many people in the room to do musical chairs, we had a snowball fight instead! This was my first time every doing a “Snowball Fight” but I think it turned out pretty well. I sure had fun and people were laughing, so I think it made us all loosen up a bit that first morning of TMC. I wish I had taken a picture!
SNOWBALL FIGHT! – How to Play:
- Don’t tell them you are having a snowball fight!
- Give everyone a half sheet of paper. You should play too!
- Have everyone write their name and three things about themselves on the paper. You can let them write whatever or chose things for them to write about. @pegcagle suggested two truths and a lie, which incorporates TWO icebreakers!
- After everyone is finished, tell them to crumple their paper up. You will get strange looks.
- Then, tell them to have a snowball fight! We kept picking up the paper and throwing it for a few minutes. I would suggest this as the first throw is someone curious/skeptical/reserved and people have more fun as they throw more. Don’t let them throw too much or it could get crazy. 😉
- Call cease snowball! Then have everyone grab a snowball.
- I start to model what to do. I called out the name on the paper and then read their three things. Then they read and so on.
** Warning – You may lose a snowball! We did! In that case, you will have to improvise. This ended up funny and then even more funny when we found their snowball later. I would tell the lost snowball that their snowball has magic hiding powers and then offer them a treat so they won’t feel bad.
- You could leave the name off and let students guess who it was after reading the things? I’m not sure I like this as much though bc I really liked looking at the people when they were being talked about. However, it may be less embarrassing for students if people aren’t looking at them when their items are read. Thoughts?
- It would be fun for everyone to get in a line according to whose snowball they have. Then they would all have to ask names and talk to each other (if they didn’t know each other) in order to line up.
- I think this could also work really well as an activity instead of an icebreaker using math questions. Students could make up a math question, have a snowball fight, and then solve the problem on a snowball they pick up. They could then get with the person to see if their answer’s matched.
I have only done this once and never in a class of students. I think that it would be fun as an activity in addition to an ice breaker. I would love to hear any variations that you have done – or can come up with – in the comments!