Got any ideas?
 

Our fall recruitment is about to begin, and we're struggling with finding a semi-engaging ice breaker activity for the first recruitment day. It would obviously have to foster conversation between the actives and PNMs, as well as mixing/mingling, but dependable enough to turn to in moments of awkward silence.

The other sororities on our campus have field games and decorate cookies, but our recruitment board can't seem to come up with anything without ripping off those two ideas. Ideally, we'd also like to stay away from crafts (we save this for philanthropy day).

I know that's a long list of requirements, but if anyone has had experience with a successful recruitment activity, please pass it along!

We will need more information that that. Approximately how many people would be doing this activity? Will you be in one large room, or a couple small/medium sized rooms? Are you looking for a game (like recruitment versions of musical chairs or jenga or something) or more a straight up activity (like throwing ping pong balls in milk bottles or something)?

<hijack>
That's strangely fun and very addicting.
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We'll be outside in a fairly large area with about 30 PNMs and 60 active members. I was thinking less of a game, since they can tend to make it really easy to slink away from socializing and make girls focus more on the task at hand. I really like the ping pong ball idea, although it reminds me a bit of beer pong. But, definitely something along those lines!

What about carnival type games? Or is that too close to the other sororities? I'm thinking of the ping pong example I used previously, but also maybe throwing rings around coke bottles or bowling (like those lawn bowling or mini bowling sets)?

You could do something like an obstacle course. If you have 90 people participating, you split into 10 groups of 9 people. Try to have a proportional number of sisters and new girls on each team. Have everyone come up with team names. There could be different legs of a race in which each person on the team took a turn doing something. Or you could have lots of different, separate challenges that could earn points for your team.

Example:

3 legged race (2 girls)

Carrying an egg on a spoon (2 girls, alternate halfway through)

Water balloon toss (2 girls)

Musical chairs (including one girl from each team)

etc., etc.

each challenge earns points for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place
1st place = 10 points
2nd place = 5 points
3rd place = 3 points

the team with the most points at the end, wins!

I did this in a classroom as a review activity before a test but it can be adapted to any situation and works well with what you are trying to do...

It's called Find Someone Who Knows. Each person is given a sheet of paper with a list of questions (or in my classroom, questions from the unit). Example: What is McDreamy's real name on Grey's Anatomy? or What is the name of our college mascot? or " Who won American Idot?" There are blanks next to each question.
Then, the idea is to find someone who knows the answer. Girls roam around the room asking each other at random if they know the answers. Eventually you will hear things like, " Mary knows the answer to number three, she can help you."
When a person answers the question, fill in the name of the person who answered (along with the answer) in the blank. The rule - only one person can answer each question. This way, the girls will move around the room, help each other, etc. The questions help foster conversation and build relationships, etc.

This is a really fun way to get people to talk. Give out a prize, work in pairs (one pnm with an active) or vary it however you want. But it does work in the setting you are describing.

PS - Be sure someone makes an answer key!

OK, I'm just randomly throwing things out there...

Would You Rather : Over 200 Absolutely Absurd Dilemmas to Ponder (Paperback)
http://www.amazon.com/Would-You-Rath...ref=pd_sbs_t_5
If you're arranged in small groups, this could be a really fun ice breaking activity.

Here's a REALLY fun activity, but I don't really have a name for it. It's kind of like a Taboo race
-Have people write a list of 10 things, they could be any ten things, people, places, books, movies, etc. etc.
-Divide everyone into two groups
-Separate the groups into two different rooms, or far enough away where they can't really hear/see the other group well.
-Pick a list, the author of this list will stand about half-way between the two groups and serve as the moderator.
-Each group picks one person to go up to the moderator and view the first item. That person then rushes back to the group and uses actions and speech (without saying the item or any part of the item name) to get the group to guess the item.
-The member of the group who correctly answers then races up to the moderator to get the next clue, then races back to her group to repeat.
-The first group who gets through all the items wins.
(This may be WAY too hectic for a Recruitment activity, but it is SOO fun, I had to post it)

College-specific version of Taboo?
Make up your own cards with College/Greek/Regional words on them and a corresponding list of words NOT to use while trying to get your group to guess.

Categories
-Ask everyone to stand up and then to walk around; explain that you will announce a category (favorite color, home state, major, etc.) and that participants should then quickly organise themselves into smaller groups, based on the category to which they belong.
-Once everyone is organised into their groups, ask each group to identify itself.
-(Optional) Make a brief comment or ask each group a question.
-Allow participants time to say hello and mingle/chat with each other when the smaller groups are formed.

I Have Never/ I don't
-Everyone stands around and holds up both hands and all fingers
-Take turns going around the group. Each person will say something they have never done ("I've never been to Europe", "I've never had a dog as a pet", etc.)
-Every time someone says something that you HAVE done, put one of your fingers down.


Hope these help!

Johnny Depp or Richard Grieco?

Stop Peter, that's disgusting.

I'd probably pick Richard Grieco, because with Johnny it would be like he wouldn't even need you there. Just another notch on his belt. He'd probably sneak out the door after you fell asleep. But you have the financial security with Johnny.

Another version of this is to have a list of 'interesting facts' about your actives (e.g., "I was born on a sailboat in the South Pacific", or "I have been to 47 of the lower 48 states" or "I once spilled a diet coke all over Tim McGraw" - you get the idea, just random facts). Then the PNMs must try to figure out which Active goes with which fact. However, a few rules apply. The PNM cannot merely ask "What's your fact?" Oh no! Poor form! However they may ask "Have you ever been on a sailboat?" or "Have you travelled extensively?" or "Have you ever interacted with anyone famous?" Typically they have 3 questions per Active before having to move on. They may come back and ask the Active other questions later. The Actives may respond with 'hints' (e.g., "No, but I believe Sheryl or Lyla may have sailed). Anyway, this ends up being fun for PNMs and Actives - because everyone learns a bit about each other.

a fun thing that we did for one of the ice breakers was our own take on mad gab. basically you get some things that make your school unique (like annual events, mascots, etc), break the words up and make them different words, and put them onto large pieces of paper. its a great icebreaker because everyone ends up laughing and its funny to see what people come up with! i tried to explain that the best i could..haha.