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Group Size: 10 or more (depends on space available)
Time Needed: 10 to 15 minutes
Goal: To help group get to know each other (great for first day introductions!)
Audience: Couples, Singles, Parents, Teens, Children
Special Considerations: Consider the education levels of your group members before you pick this activity. This activity is very loud.
Resources Needed: Enough space to form a large circle

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Explain to the group that this will be a very loud activity. Demonstrate how you will regain their attention.
  2. Ask participants if they have an odd or even birthday. For example, someone born on October 31st has an odd birthday (31 is an odd number) and someone born on February 14th has an even birthday (14 is an even number).
  3. Request for everyone with an even birthday to form a circle in the designated space. They should stand in the circle shoulder to shoulder. The circle should have a big empty space in the middle. While maintaining their spaces, ask them to turn around 180 degrees. This should leave an intact circle but each participant facing outwards.
  4. Have participants with odd birthdays walk to the circle and stand in front of a person with an even birthday, face to face. This should leave you with two circles (your participants are pairing up). If your numbers don’t work out perfectly, move people around so that everyone has a partner.
  5. Tell participants that when you say, "Go!" they will have 3 to 4 minutes to introduce themselves to their partner and they will each answer 3 questions (List of Suggested Questions).
  6. After the time is up, get the group’s attention before going to the next instruction.
  7. Ask participants in the outer circle ONLY to move 3 people to their right, not counting the person they just talked to. This can be difficult. Help one person in the group find their "new partner." Everyone else should fall into place.
  8. Explain to group that now they have 3 to 4 minutes to each answer 3 different questions with their new partner. When time is up, ask the outer group to again move 3 people to their right.
  9. When they arrive at their last "partner," ask 3 new questions and allow another 3 to 4 minutes for both partners to answer.
  10. Ask everyone to return to their original seats.
  11. Once everyone has returned to their seats, discuss what was learned.

Tips for Discussion and Processing

Pick questions that pertain to the topic you will be teaching about. The best formula is one positive question, one challenging question, then another positive question. As an entire class you may discuss and brainstorm the best things about being married. This helps participants focus on the benefits of marriage and may encourage them to consider some benefits they have not thought about. You could then have similar discussions about the challenges of marriage and hopes for the class.

Note: These activities can be modified to reflect a variety of skills.