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Ice Breaker Show

Preparation time:	1 hour, with videos, several days
Cost of materials:	minimal
Age group:	8 – 16
Group size:	any
Location:	indoors
Length:	1-2 hours
Season:	any
Activity level:	medium
Material Specifications:	1 Uno-Card Game
Educational Aims:	To diminish inhibitions, to relax, get to know one another.

Summary:

With the show the ‘ice’ should be broken (primarily on the first evening) i.e. the children should get to know one another and the leaders better. In doing so, above anything else, inhibitions should be reduced.

To achieve this, the leaders should try and loosen the atmosphere, e.g. by:

Playing games with the entire group
Telling jokes (only by the leader, and not about children as on the first day this could quickly lead to some feeling isolated)
Introducing the leaders (maybe through showing pre-recorded videos)
Making of the leader ( play "embarrassing" games)
Music and lighting (lighting system) can make a big difference
Especially during the ice breaker show the children should be included in the show (to prevent boredom and disruptive conversations). If required, you can play games in which the children learn the names of other children.

Example of a Show Schedule:

Setting the mood: Where are the girls?-> Cheering from girls; Where are the boys?-> The boys cheer even more loudly; How many people are wearing blue underpants? Etc.
Mexican Wave: in all variations: fast, slow, slow motion, anti-clockwise, from a lying down position etc.
Leader presentation: Round 1 (3 leaders are introduced either by video clip or from one of the leader teams, as laid back and amusing)
Uno Pile Game: Every child gets a Uno-Card; Thereafter, whenever e.g. a yellow card is drawn, all children with a yellow card must move a space to the left (and if the space is already occupied sit on the lap of that child). Entire piles of children can move one space if the lower card is yellow...
Rocket: After step 1, 2 and 3 (clapping, stamping and cheering) own camp-specific steps are created e.g., step 4 could be “Food is tasty”, step 5 is an animal noise etc. During one particular camp in the space of 2 weeks we succeeded in creating 17 steps!
Leader presentation: 2 (again 3 leaders)
Making fun of the ‘show off’: A child who is the obvious " show off” (there’s always one!), is put in the spotlight with a slightly embarrassing game (however only in such a way that he is not singled out – things should be kept friendly!)
Volume increasing “Zig Zag”: A leader with a loud voice chants the words “Zig Zag, Zig Zag” the group responds with " hay, hay, hay” In doing so the volume increases from a whisper to yelling until they can’t scream any louder (and they rip their shirts off!)
Leaders initiate a ’duck dance’ or similar such comical activities.