Staff Icebreakers

[Dave]

Sure the campers usually do icebreakers on the first day of camp, but does your camp make the staff do icebreakers during the training sessions (or any time prior to camp)? Ours does. We have three training days. One in May, and two a couple days before camp. We do at least two icebreakers at the May one. The first is with all the counselors who attend. Then we break up by the age groups we chose. We do another one then. The second two sessions are at camp. In the end, we probably do about 5 icebreakers within the two days.

I'm not a social person at all, so I hate icebreakers. But for some reason I don't mind doing them with the campers.

So does your camp do icebreakers? What kinds of activities do you do?

[martha27]

we would have just over a week of orientation for all the counselors. the orientation would cover everything, from day to day procedure how everything will run. time in prep for departments and for your specific age division. what to expect from the summer and tips on how to handle certain situations. its a great bonding time for the staff, invaluable.

[~Imp]

What I really love about camp is the other staff (they're such crack-ups, the lot of them), so I really enjoy doing icebreakers with them. My fav one is "I love you baby" - everyone is in a circle, with someone in the middle going up to another person saying "I love you baby". The person has to reply "I love you too baby, but I just can't smile" with a straight face. If they start to smile then they have to swap places with the person in the middle.

People get really enthusiastic with it, with hysterical declarations of undying love while sliding on their knees, and the guys making eye contact with each other and getting really close as if they're about to kiss, smelling their hair, stroking hands etc.

Holiday Camp starts on a Sunday, so the staff are all supposed to come in the day before to get to know each other. I find it frustrating when new staff don't turn up for ice-breakers - at my last camp a group of volunteers (we call them leaders) didn't show, and I was the sole instructor for my kids, with only 1 leader whom I really didn't know who was just far too shy around me.

[Dave]

:laugh3: That's an awesome icebreaker, ~Imp! I'd hate to be the person in the middle. I don't even like saying hi to people I don't know, let alone saying I love them! :eek:

[camper]

we do icebreakers during counselor orientation but its way too complicated to explain them all here...one of my favorites is the one where the person leading says for example, "how many people have a sister?" and all the people with a sister have to cross the circle.

[Dave]

we do icebreakers during counselor orientation but its way too complicated to explain them all here...one of my favorites is the one where the person leading says for example, "how many people have a sister?" and all the people with a sister have to cross the circle.
One of our icebreakers was similar. They'd ask similar questions, but instead of crossing a circle everyone who that question applied to would run to the center of the circle (big circle) and high-five someone.

[~Imp]

one of my favorites is the one where the person leading says for example, "how many people have a sister?" and all the people with a sister have to cross the circle..

We do that one, as well as a similar one, where you have everyone in a circle, one person in the middle. The person in the middle asks a question (it must be something they've done) - "Have you ever...gone overseas". Everyone who has, including the middle person, has to swap places with someone else, and if you've never done it then you stay in the same place. The aim is to not be in the middle!

[camper]

hey imp, we did that one at my college's freshman orientation with the point not to be in the middle...only it was called "in your shoes" where you left your shoes on the floor and when it was something you did you had to find someone else's shoes. the last person without shoes was in the middle.

[~Imp]

"...the last person without shoes was in the middle"

Wow, I remember doing that one years ago at school! Thanks for reminding me about it :)

EDIT: Wait, it wasn't at school, it was at this christian program for kids I used to go to.

[rockinsmiles]

We do more freaking ice brakers at staff training...its amazing. i know all the games u guys are talking about. it depends on my mood if i like the ice brakers or not. they can be entertaining. i guess we have to do so many cuz when the campers arrive each week...we got a do em for like 2 hours! i dont enjoy that very much i have to admit.

[~Imp]

"...we got a do em for like 2 hours!"

We sometimes do them for most of the day!

[countrygal]

We have a meeting in may and we do ice breakers there, always the same ones. And then we have training 5 days b4 camp that is full of semianrs, games and icebreakesrs. My first yr i was really against them cause I was shy but its going to be my 3rd years back this yr and I luv them now since I know everyone and all the old staff have a blast doing them!!

[CAMPFRIEND]

I spent about 5 hours with my staff on ice breakers!! we have to have a lot when you have the same kids for 10 weeks and some for just one!!!
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