Have You Ever…

Purpose. Lets quieter participants share only as much as they're comfortable with.

When to use. In the first 15 minutes of a session, once names are known and the group is settling in.

Best for. Groups of 5 or more, in person.

• Gather: paper, pens, and a simple tally worksheet for each participant.

Room setup. Arrange chairs (or ask people to stand) in a single circle so everyone can see each other.

Virtual setup. Works over video call; have participants track their own tally on paper or in a private chat note.

Hybrid setup. Give remote participants the same tally method while in-room participants use paper.

Materials. Paper, pens, worksheet

1. Ask everyone to sit in a circle.
2. Explain the format: anyone can ask the group a “Have you ever…?” question, as long as they themselves can honestly answer yes to it.
3. After each question, everyone silently, or on paper, marks whether their own answer is yes or no.
4. If someone's curious about another person's ‘yes,’ they can ask that person to share the story, but only if invited.
5. Continue with different people asking new questions, for as long as time allows.

Learning outcome. Participants leave having shared exactly as much as they chose to, with plenty learned along the way regardless.

• Paper, pens, tally worksheet
• Debrief questions ready
• Timer set for 15–20 min
• Circle formation ready