Question:
does any know any good icebreakers/getting to know each other games? Tomorrow is our first day of play rehearsal (yep, right on my birthday!) for the 4th/5th graders and we all thought it'd be a good idea to have the kids get to know each other first. I know we used to do some stupid ones on Leadership retreats but now I'm blanking! Can anyone help?

Answer:
Here's a couple of icebreakers we did at camp when I was growing up.

1) Pick animals for half of the number of kids in the group and write each one down on two pieces of paper. Have each kid select a piece of paper, then spread out around the room. The kids make the sound of the animal on their piece of paper until they find their match, then introduce themselves and tell each other one thing about themselves. Put the papers back into a basket and let the kids select again, completing the game until all kids have met and know something about each other, or for as much time you have available.

2) Divide kids up into groups of 6-10 and have them stand in a circle and clasp each hand with anyone else in the circle not standing directly next to them. This forms a knot of arms which the kids must work together to untangle without unclasping hands. This one isn't really good for getting to know names and such, but it's great for laughs and teamwork.

There is another one, which I didn't really like because it had the unfortunate tendency to make some kids look less smart. The entire group sits in a circle and the first kid says their first name and a fruit or vegetable that begins with the same letter. The kid next to him/her says the previous kid's name and fruit/veggie, then their own name and fruit/veggie, and so on until the last kid in the circle has to name all of the kids in the circle and their fruit/veggies. It requires pretty good concentration and memory skills for kids farther down the line and some kids with shyness or low self esteem may not like it. But it is an option.

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