Throwing The Smile

Icebreakers come in all shapes and sizes but here’s a good one that will generate some laughs.

Get children to sit in a circle.

Explain to everyone that there is only one smile between the whole class and so you are going to throw it to each other. You can tell children a story about a smile that got lost and you picked it up in the street.

You, as the teacher, have the smile first so make sure you are smiling! The class all have to look solemn and maintain a serious expression.

Now ‘wipe off’ the smile with your hand and ‘throw’ it to someone else – say their name too so there is no confusion.

When it your turn to smile, you have to project your best and biggest smile so make sure your whole face lights up!

Anyone who doesn’t look solemn when it isn’t their turn to smile has to stand up and is ‘out’.

You can only receive the smile once and no one must keep the smile for more than 10 seconds.

You can also pass a frown, a wink, a nod or some other facial expression.

In another version of ‘Throwing the Smile’, you can play it as a game whereby the winners are the ones who don’t smile.

So, children sit in their places and the teacher can be ‘it’.  Explain that you are the only one allowed to smile.

Now walk about the room, trying to get others to break their straight faces.

At a moment of your choosing, will wipe the smile off your face and throw it to someone else who then has to  attempt to make others laugh.  If anyone lets out a giggle, smirks or laughs, are out!

If you enjoy this game, then try the Laughing Game.

In this game one player begins by saying the word “ha, ho or hee” with a straight face.

The second player continues saying “ha ha,” followed by “ha ha ha” and so forth in a circle.

The object is to keeping going as long as possible without cracking up. If a player breaks so much as a smile, he’s out of the game.