On top of being a ton of fun, group games are a great way to encourage groups to work together. If you’re looking to further foster relationships, you may want to try the popular icebreaker game, Perimeter.
Anyone who thinks exercise is boring will definitely change their mind after a round or two of this game.
Features of the Perimeter
| ★ Game Name | Perimeter |
| ★ Group size | small and medium |
| ★ Age | any (10+) |
| ★ Type | active |
| ★ Skill | balance / running |
| ★ Place | indoor |
| ★ Time | up to 10 – 20 min |
| ★ Preparation | no |
| ★ Materials | yes (a yoga ball) |
The aim of Perimeter
In Perimeter, your goal is to move a gym ball from one end of the room to another while lying down with your group. The challenge is that the gym ball will have to be balanced on your legs, forcing your group to coordinate how you’ll successfully move the gym ball.
Ideal Age and Group Sizes
Perimeter is ideally played when you have groups between 8 to 15 people. If you have larger groups, you may consider making smaller teams of even numbers.
You can play Perimeter with anyone aged 10 and up.
Preparation and Needed Materials
To play Perimeter, you will have to prepare a yoga (gym) ball and a wall to prop the ball against. If you’re playing with larger groups, it may be a good idea to play Perimeter in a big room so every team can have a wall of their own.
How to play Perimeter
What makes Perimeter a popular group game is the need to work together as a team. You won’t need to prepare anything ahead except to have inflated gym balls. Ideally, you should pick your teammates at random, making Perimeter extra fun as you’ll have to forge new friendships to succeed.
Step 1: Start by having all your players lie down near the wall. Their legs should be propped against the wall and up toward the ceiling. You can start the game from either side of the room, but the ball must always end up on the opposite side.
Step 2: Place the gym ball on the legs of your first player and ask that they move the ball with their foot to the player next to them. This can prove difficult as everyone is in on their backs.
Step 3: Once the ball moves from the first person to the second person, the first person will have to run toward the end of the line where the human chain ends. The first player will then assume the position as the last person and await their turn to move the ball again.
Step 4: Repeat step 3 by having the players move the ball from one person to another and then running down the end of the line to assume their next position. The game ends when the group successfully brings the ball from one end of the room to the other.
If you have larger groups, you can make Perimeter a competitive group game by splitting your players into smaller teams. The teams will start moving the ball together, each taking one side of the wall in a room. The first team to move the ball from one end of the wall to the other will be the winners.