Handshakes and Laughs

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Handshakes and Laughs

This is an excellent fun game and can be administered to a normal group size of 20 to 25 participants as well as to an even larger group. It is a great icebreaker and energizer. You as a workshop or seminar leader/coordinator can use it at the beginning of your program. It is a highly participative game or exercise. It is one good way for mutual introductions and fellowship.

Ask each of your seminar participants to choose a number to themselves from 1 to 3 if the group size is 20 to 25 (if the group size is large, you can ask them to choose from number 1 to number 4). They should not reveal their chosen numbers to anyone; they must keep it in their minds.

Now ask them to mingle around the seminar hall. Without talking each person should shake hands with each other. Number of shakes (of hands) should be done equal to the number the participant chose. And as the participant is shaking hands he should laugh the same number of times that is equal to the number he chose by saying, "Ha, ha, ha (If he chose number 3)." The shaking partners should exchange their names with each other as a part of getting introduced to each other.

If the two participants shake hands and laugh (ha, ha) the same number of times, they will stay together and move around to try and find others of like shakes and like laughs.

If the number of shakes and laughs are different, the participants go their own way to find their type of shakes and laughs.

Finally, the entire participant group will end up in maximum of 3 or less distinct groups.

That indicates the end of the activity.

Ask entire group to laugh out loud.

Thank them and move on to your next session.

Get Hold of the Related Books

You can order the following books on "management games and icebreakers" as printed books and eBooks from Amazon online:

1. Classic Management Games, Exercises, Energizers and Icebreakers
2. Classic Management Games, Exercises, Energizers and Icebreakers (Volume 2)
3. Classic Team Building Games, Exercises, Energizers and Icebreakers
4. 101 Classic Management Games, Exercises, Energizers and Icebreakers

Related Reading: (Repository of a large number of articles in management and leadership): http://shyam.bhatawdekar.com and http://management-universe.blogspot.com