The Silly Name Game
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Icebreakers! If the word makes you shudder as it brings flashbacks of scrambling for a fun fact about yourself to share in a room full of strangers, fear not. I have a tried and true icebreaker game that will help your troop loosen up while also helping to learn everyone’s names.
I’m not actually sure what the official name of this game is, because I pulled it from my memories of high school theater class warmups (Thank you, Mr. B.). I have only led this activity with Daisies and Brownies, but given that I was in high school when I learned it, and it apparently became a core memory for me, I’m sure it can be used for any level troop or group.
The Silly Name Game
The concept is simple, but it relies on your enthusiasm as a leader to really get it going.
Gather everyone into a circle. It helps to go around the circle in order, but feel free to skip around if you have some scouts that are reluctant to jump in when it’s their turn. It just adds a little bit of a challenge, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Starting with yourself, introduce yourself with an adjective that starts with the same letter or sound as your name + your name + a movement to act it out. For example, “I’m Silly Sarah!” while wiggling your arms. The more exaggerated the movement, the better, so don’t be afraid to get a little crazy!
Everyone else in the group then repeats what you just said together, ie: “She’s Silly Sarah” while acting out the movement.
The next person does the same, making up their own alliterative adjective/name combo and action.
Everyone then repeats back the name and action of the person who just took their turn, and then, in reverse order, repeats the name and action of everyone who went previously together. By the end of the game, you will have the entire troop acting out each other’s silly names together, and hopefully giggling!
Remember not to add too much pressure, and be ready with suggestions. Oftentimes, if someone is stuck, we will brainstorm a few words and the scout will choose their favorite. Don’t worry too much about whether the adjective is truly an adjective, either; we had a few scouts declare themselves “teapots” or “popcorn”, and it only added to their enjoyment of the game.
Happy Scouting!
