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Getting to Know Each Other

Getting to Know Each Other

youth playing a game

Purpose

Get to know and appreciate the other members of your group. You will build friendships, learn social skills, and understand better how to serve and support each other.

Description

Invite participants to sit in a circle. Have them stand up one at a time and say three things about themselves. Two should be true, and one should not be true. For example, a person who speaks only one language might say, “I enjoy woodworking. I speak two languages. I have visited the Eiffel Tower.” Have group members guess which statements are true and which one is not. Go around the circle until everyone has had a turn.

More Ideas

  • Name art—Provide participants with paper and colored pens, crayons, or paints. Invite participants to create a poster or drawing using each letter of their name to share something about themselves.

  • Seek and find—Give each person a paper listing all participants’ names. Explain that each person has at least one thing in common with every other person. Participants have 30 seconds to talk to someone and find as many things as they can in common (commonalities should not be obvious or visible, such as eye color or type of shoe). Participants write what they have in common next to the person’s name. Every 30 seconds, the leader calls out “Switch!” and participants look for commonalities with another group member.

  • Group mix-up—Before the activity, prepare a list of prompts such as the following:

    • Gather by your favorite sport.

    • Gather by your favorite food.

    • Gather by your favorite subject in school.

    • Gather by your birth month.

    • Gather by your favorite scripture hero.

      Choose someone to call out the prompts one at a time. As each prompt is called, participants form themselves into groups based on their similarities.

  • Circle switch—Divide participants into two equal groups. Have the first group stand in a circle facing outward. Have the second group form a circle around the first group, but facing inward. A leader calls out a question like, “What is something that always makes your day better?” or “What is something you are really good at?” The individuals facing each other take turns answering the question. Then the outer circle shifts so that different people are opposite each other. The leader calls out another question for participants to answer. The game continues until all participants have been paired with each other or there are no more questions.

  • Three things about me—Before the activity, invite each participant to bring three items that represent them. They could also write or draw the items. When they arrive, ask them to put the items in bags that you provide (you may want to have paper and pencils handy in case participants need them). Gather the bags and mix them up. Randomly select a bag and reveal the contents inside. Encourage participants to guess who the items represent. When a participant is correctly identified, invite other group members to ask questions to get to know the person better. Continue until all bags have been selected.

Discussion

Encourage participants to talk about what they are learning. Discussions can take place before, during, or after the activity. You could ask questions like the following:

  • Why do you think it’s important to get to know others?

  • When have you experienced the blessings of getting to know someone else?

  • What feelings or impressions do you have about appreciating others and developing good relationships with them?

  • How can you apply what you are learning in your life?

Related Resources

Sabbath Day Lessons

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