Opening Questions / Activities

Weather check-in
One of my favorites is to ask them to relate how they are to a weather metaphor. ie. "I'm right in the middle of a storm and wind is blowing everywhere" I might ask them how it feels to be there to clarify ("I'm wet but I'm handling it, it's exciting" or "I feel like everything's out of control"). Sometimes the symbols that come up in these metaphors come up in the meeting. And then at the end of the meeting we go around and check in again. Things have always changed in their landscape. There's something about weather metaphors is that is accessible to people and they are rich with symbolism.

Photo card Check-in

Individual: Each person picks a photo card. Relates how they are feeling to that card. Can do random draw or let them choose. Pick a card that is... what you need as a participant. 

Team story: "Once there was a team who..." build a story one person's share at a time. Each person adds a sentence to the shared story. 

Some card options - 
https://climercards.com/
https://metafox.eu/
https://weand.me/
https://app.icebreaker.online/choose

Draw a symbol
Draw a symbol that reflects your intention for the meeting. Or how you're feeling. Or you related to the topic. 

Lego tower 
Build a tower in 1 min. Now add person. Adjust sculpture to capture how you are feeling about X topic.

Share a single word

Share a song title / sing the refrain

Roller Coaster Check-In

Goal: Create a shared picture of the feelings in the group

Step 1: Draw a wavy line that resembles a rollercoaster, across an entire flipchart/whiteboard. Make sure to include loops, steep sections, and shallow sections.

Step 2: Ask each team member to draw themselves on the rollercoaster, depicting how they feel right now, then share that feeling with the group. Have everyone do this, one by one.

Step 3: When everyone has checked-in, look at the rollercoaster as a team and share/discuss any thoughts that emerge.

From Lee Ryan in AIN

1-2-3
with sound & motion for how you feel right now replacing 2 & 3

Online
rename yourself with current emotion + last thing you ate

Notes on Designing an opening activity

1. Presence the theme.
2. Give them a mechanism to reflect / relate that allows them to adjust how vulnerable

• Choose a photo that resonates with you
• Complete a drawing
• Pick an object in your space
• Choose a quote

3. Allow time to share why people chose what they did.