The Name and Action Circle Game

The Name and Action Circle Game is a quick icebreaker where each young person says their name and performs an action. The rest of the group repeats the name and action before the next person takes a turn.

It is particularly useful at the start of a new term, when new members join the group, or whenever you need a simple activity to get everyone involved.

What you’ll learn

Young people will practise:

• Remembering names and actions
• Listening carefully
• Speaking in front of a group
• Following instructions
• Building confidence

Equipment

None.

Prerequisites

No previous knowledge or skills are required.

Choose a clear area where everyone can stand in a circle and see each other.

Instructions

1. Ask everyone to stand in a circle.
2. The leader starts by saying their name and performing a simple action. For example, “I’m Sam” followed by a star jump.
3. Everyone in the circle repeats the name and copies the action.
4. Move around the circle, with each person saying their name and choosing their own action.
5. After each turn, the whole group repeats the person’s name and action.
6. Once everyone has had a turn, challenge the group to remember several names and actions in sequence.
7. For an extra challenge, the leader calls out a name and the rest of the group must remember and perform that person’s action.

For younger groups, keep the actions simple. Older groups can make the challenge harder by trying to remember the whole sequence without prompts.

Final tip

Let the young people choose their own actions rather than giving them a list. The sillier the actions become, the more memorable the names are likely to be.