Leadership Icebreakers: Word Scramble

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Description

Word Scramble is a great icebreaker for demonstrating the importance of team cooperation, and is useful for  observing group dynamics as your team works together to solve a problem.

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Team Size

10 or more

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Materials Required

  • Paper
  • Two pens
  • A large piece of paper (or chalkboard)
  • Marker
  • Dictionary (Optional)

Time Required

20-30 minutes

Instructions

  1. Divide the group into two or more teams (about 5 participants to a team).
  2. Distribute one piece of paper and one pen to each team.
  3. The task: The instructor will write down 7 random letters on the large piece of paper (or chalkboard).
  4. When the timer starts, the instructor will put the large piece of paper up for display. Each team will have 3 minutes to write down as many words that can be formed from the 7 random letters.
  5. Words must be at least 3-letters; 2-letter words do not receive points.
  6. Allow 3 minutes for the teams to come up with their words.
  7. At the end of the 3 minutes, go over the list of words that each team comes up with to see if the words are found in the English dictionary (use if necessary).
  8. Repeat for 2 more rounds with different sets of 7 letter words.
  9. At the end of the three rounds, tally the score. The team with the highest score wins.
  10. The scoring systems is as follows:
  • 7 letter word – 40 points
  • 6 letter word – 30 points
  • 5 letter word – 20 points
  • 4 letter word – 10 points
  • 3 letter word – 5 points

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Debriefing notes

  1. What kind of behaviors helped solve the problem?
  2. What kind of behaviors increased communication within the team?

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List of Leadership Icebreakers

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