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Five Handshakes In Five Minutes

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Three images of several hands involved in quick energetic icebreaker called Five Handshakes In Five Minutes

Five Handshakes In Five Minutes

Quick energetic icebreaker to boost interaction & group energy.

  • Simple, yet playful
  • Highly interactive
  • Generates lots of energy
  • Inspires creativity
  • No props

Step-by-Step Instructions

This quick energetic icebreaker creates immediate engagement through fun physical interactions. Five Handshakes in Five Minutes introduces a series of creative greetings that participants must exchange with as many people as possible. The interactive icebreaker game generates movement, laughter and connection while breaking down social barriers. Perfect for conferences, training sessions or classroom settings, this energetic icebreaker game builds comfort and familiarity among participants in just minutes.

Five Handshakes in Five Minutes – Quick Energetic Icebreaker
  1. Assemble your group.
  2. Introduce a series of fun handshake greetings, one at a time.
  3. For example, and by demonstration with a volunteer, engage in a typical ‘high-five’ greeting.
  4. Invite each person to engage in a ‘high-five’ greeting with as many people in the group as possible in less than 20 seconds.
  5. Demonstrate a second innovative handshake greeting, eg a fist-bump, inviting your group to try it out with as many people as possible in less than 20 seconds.
  6. Repeat this process with three more interesting greetings.

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Add your Comments...

Have you played this activity? What worked, what didn't work? What type of group? Do you have useful advice for other users? Do you know a fun variation?

Comments (5)

  1. samhui

    many kindergarten teachers like this game. thanks, Mark.

    Reply
  2. Michael Hoffman

    I learned this activity at a yearbook advisers’ conference and then brought it back to our university. It is great!

    Reply
    • Mark Collard

      And if you like this one Michael, be sure to check our Crosstown Connections. Thanks for sharing 🙂

  3. Chad Littlefield

    Great energizer. And if you let go of the “5 minutes” and add a simple question to each handshake, it can quickly because a great connection exercise.

    Reply
    • Mark Collard

      Absolutely Chad – like most of the experiences shared in playmeo’s database, it’s never about the game. In this case, it becomes the pre-cursor to lots of fantastic sharing. Which leads to connection, which leads to trust. Thanks for sharing.

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