RADAR Project: Regulating Anti-Discrimination and Anti-Racism

JUST/2013/FRAC/AG/6271

Icebreaking activities

Blindfold sort by numbers

This simple trust-building exercise works best with groups of 6-10 people. If you have more
than 10 people, you can either ask for 10 volunteers to participate while the rest observe
silently or divide everyone into small groups of 6-10 and conduct the exercise with one group
at a time. If there are multiple groups, have them wait outside the room until it is their turn to
participate, so they cant see what is happening ahead of time. Allow about 10 minutes to play
one round of the game.
Ask everyone to spread out around the room and put blindfolds on. Once the blindfolds
are in place, go around and whisper in each persons ear a different number between 1 and
10 (or however many participants there are). Make sure that that no one else hears what
number you have assigned, that everyone has their own number, and that the participants
are arranged in a random order. Tell participants that the object of the exercise is for them
to figure out a way to line up in numerical order without speaking or using any kind of verbal
communication. Theyll have to move around to find each other, and using non-verbal
communication is okay.
After theyve finished the exercise, have everyone count off to confirm the proper order. As a
follow-up, you can ask participants how they felt during the exercise, and/or how they think it
is relevant to the overall theme you are exploring together.
Introductions game
These two variations on group introductions help people get to know one another individually
and they take away some of the pressure people might feel introducing themselves to an
unfamiliar group, especially one that is diverse. You can replace any of the questions with your
own, but keep them simple and bonding.
SHORT VERSION (15-20 minutes depending on the size of the group):
Have people pair up or form small groups (ideally across racial/ethnic lines). Ask each group
discuss the following three questions: (a) whats one thing you have in common with each
other? (b) what is the most important thing in your life right now? and (c) if you could be any
kind of plant, animal or mineral, what would you be and why?
After several minutes, come back together and have everyone introduce their partner(s) to
the whole group.

www.whatsrace.org/pages/games.html

RADAR Project: Regulating Anti-Discrimination and Anti-Racism

JUST/2013/FRAC/AG/6271

LONG VERSION (5-10 minutes per participant):

If you have a small enough group and time for more detailed introductions, have each person
take a turn answering some of the following questions (allow the questions to be a guide
rather than a strict script):
Tell a funny story about something that happened to you.
What was going to college/university like for you?
What clique did you belong to in high school?
Describe a typical family interaction.
When was the first time you noticed race/ethnicity?
What is something crazy youve always dreamed of doing?
Sorting people race is not biological
This exercise can be used as both an icebreaker and a lesson on how we can be divided into
different biological groups depending on the criteria we use. NOTE: this exercise is not meant
to demonstrate that we are all the same or that races dont matter. The point is that racial
differences are not biologically based but socially constructed. This activity can help spark a
deeper discussion about the root causes of the disparities raised in the video. Allow 20-30
minutes for the activity and discussion.
Use the following list of inherited, biological traits to divide people into different groups (sort
everyone first using one trait, then resort them using another, and so on, to show how the
groups change depending on the criteria):
hair color
blood types (A, B, O, A/B)
whether or not your tongue curls
lactose tolerance or intolerance (ability to digest milk products)
left-handedness or right-handedness
fingerprint types (loop, whorl, arch or tented arch)
skin color (compare the inside of your upper arm)
Follow-up questions:
1. Does the composition of the groups remain consistent from one criterion to the next?
2. Is there a clear line of demarcation between groups or is the boundary more gradual or
blurred?
3. Are these criteria any less arbitrary than the physical characteristics we associate with race?
4. Does this exercise mean that race doesnt matter?

www.whatsrace.org/pages/games.html