Login
Index card with words and numbers on it as seen in ice-breaker ID Numbers

ID Numbers

Creative & numerical strategy to get to know people.

  • Fun
  • Promotes creativity
  • Highly interactive
  • Inspires curiosity
  • Virtual options

Step-by-Step Instructions

Resources Premium

How To Play Narrative Premium

Practical Leadership Tips Premium

Social-Emotional Learning Premium

Health & Wellness Programming Premium

Popular Variations Premium

Virtual Adaptation Premium

You Might Also Like... Premium

Useful Framing Ideas Premium

Reflection Tips & Strategies Premium

Source Premium

Contributor

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 (2)

  1. jeWElle de Mesa

    Thaaaaanks mucho for the learning pod today, Mark. I feel so honoured and energised! woohoooooh!

    Just to add to this activity and say I have used the same ID cards with people/groups I have regular interactions with. Each time we meet, there is an expansion, progress, some kind of ‘leveling up’ – first time with numbers, next time we used the same card and added letters, the third session we added symbols – or anything that is not a letter or a number. I am thinking of a fourth level – something that hopefully encourages them to further appreciate the ID card as art – have everyone put/paste/attach something to the card – cut-outs, glitter, photo, et al.

    If we want to include an opportunity for people to guess the meanings – in my experience it is best done in pairs. This ‘guessing game’ part proceeds by asking ‘any ideas what the numbers mean?’; the resulting guesses are ‘labeled’ as matching or not matching/connected or not as connected (other ways) rather than ‘wrong/right’. The guessing gamers are encouraged to think of a range of possible meanings and are thanked for trying (opportunity for processing later).

    Choosing the ‘theme’ gets discussed in the group – the foundational intention is for each person to feel safer and more secure in the group, and tell others something about their life ‘that they are comfortable to share’ – which I think is one of the key ingredients to building trust and group cohesion. I’ve done different ways of identifying themes – all anonymous suggestions in a box, posted on boards, sent as emails, et al. Any other ideas, colleagues? 😉

    The other way I use the cards is before we say ‘goodbye/see you again’, we go back to the IDs and ask – using one or a combination, choose a number/numbers that help describe our experience today – what we learned, insights, messages to people/the group, aha/light bulb moments – again, whatever they are comfortable sharing (stretch zone sharing may be explored for the 3rd or other succeeding sessions). If the number isn’t/numbers aren’t there then they are encouraged to mention a new one/combination. If the course has an endpoint – we can all look back at the ID cards and see the adventure, discovery…

    • Mark

      jOeL, thank you so much for your effort to share here. As discussed in our Learning Pod session, I love your idea of using symbols on the cards, too. Well played 🙂

No Props No Problem

Brand NEW book featuring 150+ outrageously fun group games & activities. Scan QR codes to connect to tons of digital content including video tutorials.

Add to Cart