As we transition to conducting business and connecting with each other more online, GUIDE is presenting a series of team building activities that can be done virtually. Stay ahead of the game with these fantastic activities sure to engage any group of youth or adults!
In this first round of three in our series, we want to introduce you to a fun, engaging way to help the group break the ice a bit when facilitating via Zoom. It can be difficult to get a group of strangers (and sometimes even people who are familiar with each other) to start talking and networking, especially online. Below is an activity to allow your group to loosen up, think outside the box and start to identify commonalities with each other!
Are You More Like
Time Needed: 5-10 minutes
Group Size: Any
Materials: Slides with word pairs on them (see example list below)
Directions: For this activity, you will present slides containing several word pairings to your group. Each slide should only contain one pair each. Ask them to individually decide on one of the two choices from each word pair you share.
Encourage your group to think about the characteristics of the choices. You may hear, “I don’t like either”…but (unless you specify otherwise) it’s not about what they LIKE, it’s about which ONE THEY ARE LIKE.
To use with Zoom Annotate, create a slide with the items from each pair at opposite ends a line. To use with Zoom Reactions, create a slide showing which emoji matches which item from the pair. For each pair, ask participants to indicate which one they are more like using your chosen tool. Leave a little time between each question to give your group a chance to see what their peers chose.
Options for word pairings:
- Chocolate or strawberries
- Carpet or wood floor
- Hardcover or paperback
- Pants or shorts
- Waterfall or lake
- Bath or shower
- Jeans or khakis
- Weekday or weekend
- Snail mail or email
- A dam or a bridge
- BMW or Ford
- Fork or spoon
- Math or art
- Soda or water
- Escalator or stairs
- Amusement park or water park
- Glasses or contacts
- Cursive or printing
Debrief Questions:
- When did you have trouble deciding? Why?
- When is it hard to make choices? Why?
- What if you go back and forth with these choices?
- What are some positive aspects of willing to be different?
- How might we deal with differences in our group?
As a reference to flag for a future option, we have a very similar activity that can be conducted in person, Ice Breaker: Bus Stop.