Paper Balls

In this opening activity, the participants are required to discover the identity of a person based on a couple of little-known facts. This activity encourages the participants to interact with each other at the appropriate level of self-disclosure.

Synopsis

Each participant writes down two little-known facts about himself or herself. Later, the participants pick up the pair of anonymous statements from another person. Still later, they hold brief conversations in an attempt to discover the person who recorded the little-known facts they picked up.

Purpose

To converse at the right levels of self-disclosure.

Participants

  • Minimum: 4

  • Maximum: Any number

  • Best: 10 to 30

Time

15 to 20 minutes

Room Set Up

Leave plenty of free room to permit the participants to mingle and chat.

Flow

Brief the participants. Explain that this activity involves each participant disclosing two little-known fact about himself or herself. Share a few examples about yourself (such as, I scored at the 99th percentile of SAT test in math. I enjoy reading murder mysteries. I voted in all elections since I was 18.)

Write two little-known facts. Distribute a blank sheet of paper to each participant. Ask them to write two little-known facts about themselves, each in a single sentence. Caution the participants not to reveal any information they don’t the others to know. Announce a 2-minute time limit.

Make a paper ball and put it in a basket. Place a basket (or an empty box) on a table in front of the room. Ask the participants to crumple up their sheet of paper (with the two “secrets”) into a ball and drop it in the basket.
Pick a paper ball from the basket. After all participants have dropped their secrets in the basket, mix up the paper balls. Invite the participants to pick up a ball and secretly check it to make sure it is not the one with the two facts they wrote. (If it is, crumple the paper up, toss it back into basket, pick up another ball.)

Mingle and chat. Invite the participants to stand, move around, and chat with the others. Explain their goal is to find the person whose secrets are in your paper ball. Tell the participants that could talk about anything and ask any questions. However, they may not ask a question directly related to either one of the little-known facts.

Declare your success. Once you have discovered the author of the secrets inside your paper ball, report to the facilitator. Then help your friend to discover the person he is searching for.

Conclude the activity. After about 5 minutes, blow the whistle and announce the end of the activity. Congratulate those who have ferreted out the correct person. Encourage the others to continue their detection at their own time.