Getting Delegates Into Groups/Pairs

[Lucy Sleigh]

Hello

I seem to have used up all of my easy and quick ways to split a group up into pairs/teams during a session.

(E.G Have delegates stand in a line in birthday order (1st Jan to 31st Dec) and use that to form teams or hand round sweets and get the delegates to work with the other people who chose the same colour etc.)

Does anyone have any new ones they would be willing to share?

Thanks very much.
Lucy

[Alun Barrett]

Hi Lucy
Years ago there was a bunch of facilitators sharing this sort of stuff (over beer). Trying to remember some? We were concentrating on randomly splitting a group in two.
1/ Get all to fold their arms - which hand can you see the fingers of. Right or Left?
2/ Similar one is to put your hands as if you are gonna twiddle your thumbs - which thumb is on top...
3/ The one that sticks in my mind for obvious reasons (I have actually used it with a large group of nurses). Explain to the group that there are only two sorts of people in this world. Scrunchers and Folders. Once I tell you the difference you will immediately know which you are. Some of you will be appauled. Some of you will be amazed that the other group exists and why.
You go to the loo to do a number two. You have done your business and reach for the loo paper. The question is "Do you scrunch or do you fold?" Scrunchers move left and folders move right. Then have a look at those in the other group.
Let me know if you dare!
Regards

Alun

[Simon Raybould]

Quickest is best for me. I just give numbers, sequentially up to three (if I want three groups) then tell all the number Ones to sit here, number Twos to sit ther and so on. As people tend to sit with friends when they come in at the start of the day it has the advantage of breaking up cliques like that too!

S