Group Size: 1 to 50+
Time Needed: 5 to 20 minutes depending on size of group and discussion; this activity requires about 20 minutes of prep time
Goal: To help participants get to know each other; a fun way to break a large group into several small ones
Audience: Parents, Couples, Teens, Children, Singles
Special Considerations: With two facilitators, the activity gets more creative if both can spend time creating the posters.
Resources Needed:
- Poster board
- Glue or tape
- A large quantity of pictures cut from several different magazines
Step-by-Step Instructions
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Before class:
- Decide how many groups you want to break into. You will need one poster board for each group.
- Take each poster board and tape or glue several pictures onto each one to make a collage. Each board can be just one theme. For example, you can have one that represents nature and one that represents cars. Or you can have several different pictures on each board.
- Tape posters to the wall in various sections of the room.When you are ready to begin, ask participants to walk around the room and look at your collage posters.
- When you are ready to begin, ask participants to walk around the room and look at your collage posters.
- After a minute or two, ask participants to pick which poster they are most drawn to by standing next to it. Set limits on the number of participants that will be allowed in each group. Explain that if someone chooses a poster after it is already “full” they will need to pick another one quickly.
- At this point have groups discuss why they picked the picture they did (builds group cohesion) or you can have them complete other group tasks.
Tips for Discussion and Processing
If you need to break your large group up into smaller groups this can be a fun way to do it. It can also be a great way for participants to get to know each other better.
Note: These activities can be modified to reflect a variety of skills.