Icebreakers · Connectors & Mixers

Find Your Match

Doubles as an energizer and a natural way to pair people up for the next activity.

IcebreakerMixerMingling

Duration: 15 min
Participants: 1–5, 5–10, 10–20, 20–50, 50+
Energy: Medium
Difficulty: Beginner
Materials: Minimal
Prep time: 5

2 min read · Delivery: Offline

Overview

Purpose. Doubles as an energizer and a natural way to pair people up for the next activity.

When to use. Early in a session, especially with a group that doesn't know each other well yet.

Best for. Any group size, in person.

Facilitator preparation

Decide which version you'll run, matching facts or matching animals, and prepare slips accordingly. See Trainer's Reference below.

Room setup. Enough open space for participants to mingle and compare slips.

Virtual setup. This works best in person. If you must run it virtually, assign matching pairs directly into breakout rooms instead.

Hybrid setup. Assign remote participants into pairs separately, then announce all pairs together.

Materials. Slips of paper with related information or animal names

How to Conduct

Decide which version you're running: matching facts, or matching animals (see Trainer's Reference below for both).
Matching facts version: Give each participant a slip with information related to the session topic. Two slips share the same information; those two people are a match.
Matching animals version: Give each participant a slip naming an animal. Two slips share the same animal; those two people are a match.
Have participants mingle to find their match, using questions (for the facts version) or acting out their animal silently (for the animal version).
Once matched, have each pair introduce themselves and discuss what the shared information or animal means to them.

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THE GROUP

A few participants may hang back at first; let them opt in when they're ready rather than forcing a turn.

Trainer's Reference: two different versions in one activity

This entry actually describes two different ways to run the match: participants either mingle and ask questions to find someone holding the same piece of session-related information, or they act out an assigned animal silently until they find their matching pair. Pick whichever fits your session better; the animal version is more physical and playful, the facts version ties more directly into your course content.