SET UP: Tape a small piece of paper on each person’s back.
THE GAME: Have players sit in two conocentric circles with those in the inner circle facing those in the outer circle and have them pair up. Give each person one minute to tell his or her partner as much about himself or herself as possible. Encourage participants to talk about something they’re proud of, what they love to do or learn about, or an obstacle they’ve overcome. Instruct the listener to write one positive word describing the speaker (or something wonderful they’ve noticed about the speaker) on the paper taped to the speaker’s back.
Direct players to swith roles and then ask those in the outer circle to shift two places to the left so everyone has a new partner. Rotate until everyone has partnered with 4-6 different people. Have the last set of partners remove their papers and read to themselves.
GOING DEEPER: How does it feel to talk about yourself? How often do you listen closely to others and really hear what they’re saying? How did it feel to read the positive words others wrote on your back? What did you learn about perceptions other people havea of you? How can you be more intentional about building friendships with people in the future?
ASSET CATEGORIES: Postive Values, Positive Identity, Social Competencies, Empowerment, Support
Source: Great Group Games: 175 Boredom-Busting, Zero-Prep Team Builders for All Ages
© 2007 Search Institute
