Group Size: 1 to 50+
Time Needed: 10 minutes
Goal: To help participants get to know each other
Audience: Parents, Couples, Teens, Children, Singles
Special Considerations: It is very important to keep participants focused on describing positive things about themselves. You will need a lot of table space. With two facilitators, one can walk around the room to ensure all things are positive. Also, facilitators should make name tags as examples for the class.
Resources Needed:
- 5 x 7 (or similar size) piece of cardboard, cardstock, or thick construction paper per person
- Assortment of craft materials of your choice: markers, crayons, colored pencils, stamps, stickers, glitter, glue, etc.
- Yarn or string cut into strips about 20 to 24 inches long
- Tape or stapler to attach yarn to name tag
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Before class, place craft materials out on large working spaces. Give participants plenty of room to spread out.
- As participants arrive, hand them each one piece of cardboard and a piece of string.
- Explain to them that rather than just having regular nametags, they will be asked to create their own special name tag.
- Name tags should be created so that they not only have the participant’s name on them but are also decorated to represent who the participant is.
- Ask participants to wear name tags.
Tips for Discussion and Processing
For smaller groups you can have participants share their name tags and talk about how their name was chosen or what their name or name tag means. Larger groups can walk around and share the same information with a certain number of people.
It is amazing how much people share in this activity. Just starting a group with a creative art activity really helps participants open up. A great deal of sharing will happen as participants are creating their name tags.
Note: These activities can be modified to reflect a variety of skills.