Icebreakers · Get-to-Know-You

Life Collage

A deep, visual introduction well suited to multi-day or ongoing programs.

IcebreakerRapportPersonal Sharing

Duration: 55 min
Participants: 1–5, 5–10, 10–20, 20–50, 50+
Energy: Low
Difficulty: Beginner
Materials: Minimal
Prep time: 5

2 min read · Delivery: Offline

Overview

Purpose. A deep, visual introduction well suited to multi-day or ongoing programs.

When to use. Best suited to an ongoing group, or a multi-day program, where participants have some existing trust or will see each other again.

Best for. Any group size, ongoing groups work best, in person.

Facilitator preparation

Gather: magazines, scissors, glue, and one sheet of flipchart paper per participant.

Room setup. Table space for participants to cut, arrange, and glue their collage.

Virtual setup. This works best in person. If you must run it virtually, use a shared digital collage tool or slide instead of physical cutouts.

Hybrid setup. Give remote participants the same digital collage option while in-room participants use physical materials.

Materials. Magazines, scissors, glue, flipchart paper

How to Conduct

Gather magazines, scissors, glue, and one sheet of flipchart paper per participant.
Ask participants to divide their flipchart paper into six sections: Work Past, Work Present, Work Future, Outside-Work Past, Outside-Work Present, Outside-Work Future.
Give participants time to cut images and words from the magazines and glue them into the matching sections, representing that part of their life.
Once collages are complete, have each person present theirs to the group, or in smaller groups if time is tight.

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THE GROUP

Most groups laugh within the first minute; that's a good sign, not a distraction.

Trainer's Reference: managing time and depth

This is one of the longer, more personal activities in this handbook, and works best with a group that already has some trust built up, or an ongoing program where participants will see each other again. If you're short on time or the group is large, have people present in small groups instead of to the whole room, and consider running it over two sessions: making the collage in one, presenting in the next.