Name
Golden Thread
Time required
10/20 minutes depending on group size
Materials
Rope or twine
When
Ice breaker
Objectives
- Allows everyone in the group to be heard by everyone else
- Creates connection points between participants
- Fosters a sense of connection in groups where there may a range of backgrounds or communities present
Instructions
- Ask participants to form a large circle (or multiple circles if there is a large group, or you are short on time;
- Each person introduces themselves and their role and another fact or experience (be creative);
- While keeping hold of a section of rope in one hand, they toss the ball to another in the circle, the recipient then needs to try and find a link to the person who passed them the rope; it might be a shared experience, workplace connection, coffee order;
- The process continues, linking the individuals in the circle with strands as everyone is introduced;
- The facilitator then explains that we all have connections, either known or unknown and that this is an important feature of the PYDA and connected communities
Facilitator notes
Consider what you want people to say when introducing themselves; you might want to think about how specific you want to be to make connections. Also, have your closing or wrap-up statements in your mind so that you can easily transition after the activity is completed. This activity can also be done in reverse if you want to really help people remember names and create a fun competition that might help people concentrate more.
