Can you imitate the people in the photo and be the first to complete all the images?

Description
Participants will try to copy the poses of people as contained in photos.

Resources
You need a variety of magazines, shopping catalogs, newspaper clippings, photographs or other images that show groups of people in action. For some great photo opportunities have a few cameras available!

Preparation

1. Since participants will be posing in the same positions as those in the selected images, you will need images that the participants can imitate. You will also need to consider the size of the teams you will use (i.e. couples, groups of three, four, or more).
2. Cut out the images and mount them on colored pieces of construction paper or notecards.
3. The crazier the images, the better. To make it more fun, you can have images from specific sports (basketball, football, baseball, golf, swimming, acrobatics, etc), from various professions (chefs, lumberjacks, firemen, construction workers, etc), or from the arts (orchestra musicians, ballet dancers, circus acts, etc). The possibilities and variations are endless.

What to Do
Divide the group into teams. You can play with this in a variety of ways:

1. Randomly draw from the images. Have all groups imitate the same image. The first group to get in the same pose as the chosen image gets a point. To make it more difficult, allow only one participant from each group to see the image and then they must go back and form their group into the correct pose.
2. Randomly deal the images to the groups face down so they cannot see them. Provide a judge for each group that will decide if the group is close enough to the original image before moving on to the next. The first group to complete all the images first wins.
3. Make it a relay race, where group members must run to the other side of the room, grab an image and then emulate it before the next person from the group can go. The first group to have all persons go wins!
4. Give each group a camera and make it a photo scavenger hunt. Give each group a collection of photos involving props, positions, and even locations that they must duplicate with the group. The first group to complete the assignment and return with the most correct photos wins!

Variations
Choose images containing props and make those the props available (i.e. baseball bat, ballerina skirt, fireman hat, etc). Teams must also include the props.

Taking it to the Next Level
For good and for bad, we often imitate others in life. Sometimes this can be a positive thing when others have qualities or traits that we wish to develop in our own lives. At other times it can be stifling as we try to fit into roles and expectations instead of being the person we were created to be.

• • Are there people in your life you would like to imitate? Name some of your role models.
  • Who are the people you aspire to be like?
  • Is it important to have role models? Why or why not?
  • How do you draw a balance between being the unique person you were created to be and expectations that society expects us to conform to?
  • What are some of the qualities you would like to imitate from a role model? How can you develop these qualities?
  • If you don’t have a mentor or role model, who is someone that has the qualities, skills or experience to help you in your personal development?
  • Is there an area of your life where you have simply been conforming to what is expected rather then expressing your unique self? If you were not concerned about other people’s expectations and what other people think, what is something you would change about yourself?

Application

• Choose a trait or quality you want to develop and find a role model or mentor to help you develop that in your own life.
• Choose a trait or quality that you have stifled because of expectations that you can begin to develop and learn to express in a positive way.

Possible Scripture References
Psalm 139:14ff, Ephesians 2:10; Deuteronomy 18:9; 1 Corinthians 4:16-17; Hebrews 6:12; Hebrews 13:7; 3 John 1:11, 1 Corinthians 11:1-2; 2 Kings 14:3; John 13:15; Philippians 3:17; 2 Thessalonians 3:7; 1 Timothy 4:12; Titus 2:7; 1 Peter 2:22-24

Icebreakers Ahead: Take It To the Next Level

This 170 page resource not only provides 52 of the world’s most popular group icebreaker activities and games, but also includes lesson ideas and discussion questions to smoothly transition into conversations about the issues common to most groups.

Click here to find out how to get your hands on this incredible resource!