Overview
In this activity, participants will greet each other displaying different levels of emotions.
Resources: None
Space Required: Can be indoors or outdoors.
Group Size: No maximum or minimum
Total Time: 12 minutes
- 1 minute to describe each level of the activity (3 total)
- Three or four 3-minute activity periods
Prerequisite: None
Set Up: None
Running the Activity
- Objective: To get participants moving – both physically and emotionally.
- Have everyone stand in an open area.
- Introduce the concept – participants are going to meet and greet five new people in each round.
- Round 1: Greet 5 people as you would at a networking event/business meeting. This would be a general handshake and introduction. Very professional.
- Round 2: Greet 5 people as if they are someone you know. This will be a little warmer. Perhaps more information and questions about family instead of work.
- Round 3: Greet 5 people as if they are a long-lost friend. This should have a lot of energy. People hugging, yelling, high fiving, etc.
Suggested Learning Outcomes
- Icebreaker
- Networking
Activity Guidance and Notes
This is a great icebreaker. You can make up any scenarios you like, but make sure to sequence them so the participants are ready for the level of interaction. If you used the “long-lost friend” scenario first…it would fall flat. Usually three to five greetings maximizes the energy. Any more than that can start to reduce their energy and become repetitive.
Review
Suggested questions to ask:
- How were the three scenarios different?
- What did you notice about your body language and energy in each?
- How different were your questions and responses in each scenario?
- Even in a professional environment, how would a greeting be changed by bringing a little more energy to the interaction?
- What keeps us from connecting with new people?
