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Ice Breaker Ideas for Summer Camp Programs

How to Get Participants to Open Up in a Different Way

May 14, 2009 Ashley Anderson

The first day of summer camp or any summer program can be nerve-wracking for participants and counselors alike. Getting everyone to open up can be a challenge.

For some camp or summer program participants, this experience could be the first time away from home and families for an extended amount of time. The new environment can be intimidating, and some who are not as outgoing may have a hard time socializing. Utilizing ice breakers at the beginning of a program can help more introverted participants form connections with others in the group and create a more enjoyable experience.

Jump In, Jump Out

Have everyone stand in a circle. Pick one person to start with and something that everyone has in common, but with variations that can be shared, such as cell phone carriers, colors of socks, favorite color, etc. For the first part, everyone sings the following words:

Jump in, jump out

Turn yourself about

I said jump in, jump out,

Introduce yourself!

For the next part, the first person steps out and shares his or her name, the information decided upon earlier, and something he does every day. After each line, everyone else participating acknowledges with “yeah”:

My name is Casey! (Yeah!)

I have pink socks! (Yeah!)

And I eat my vegetables (Yeah!)

Everyday of my life (Everyday of his/her life!)

Keep repeating for each person in the circle until everyone has had a turn.

Never Have I Ever

For this icebreaker, create one slip of paper for each participant. Each slip should say something like “never have I ever traveled out of the country” or “never have I ever lived in Montana.” Try to vary the kinds of scenarios on each slip of paper.

Have everyone stand in a circle and pick one person to start. The person draws a slip of paper and reads it aloud. Then, everyone who has done whatever is on the slip has to find another place in the circle. The last one to find a spot has to tell her story to the group and pick the next slip. Keep playing until all of the slips have been drawn.

Getting to Know You Bingo

Create a bingo card with the same number of squares as participants in your group and put each participant's name in a square. Each person gets a card and has to talk to as many people as possible and find out something about them that corresponds with the letter of the column in which that person’s name is found. For example, if someone is talking to Jacob and Jacob’s square is in the “g” column, then the participant has to find something out about Jacob that begins with “g” and write it in that square.

The first participant to get a bingo shares all of the information that he or she has learned during the game. After all of the bingos have shared information, then those who had four in a row share information, then three squares, etc.

The first day of any kind of summer program can be nerve-wracking, but with a couple of activities to get participants to socialize and form connections, the experience can be all the more enjoyable for everyone.

The copyright of the article Ice Breaker Ideas for Summer Camp Programs in Teacher Tips/Training is owned by Ashley Anderson. Permission to republish Ice Breaker Ideas for Summer Camp Programs in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.