Purpose: Self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision making.

Materials: None

Setting: Open Space

Facilitator Information: This is a good game for new groups to learn names while Social Distancing.  Also, it is fun for the group to teach new youth who join the group. It can be more challenging by having everyone switches spots and can be played multiple times.

Say something like: “Zip Zap is a name game to help us learn and remember everyone’s name in our group.  One of the most important things about groups is making sure that everyone feels like they belong. One way to do that is to make sure that we know and are using people’s names when we talk to them.”

It points to a person in the circle repeating the word “zip” or “zap” and counting to five.
If “It” says “zip” the person must reply with the name of the person on his/her right.
if “It” says “zap” they must reply with the name on their left.
If the name is wrong, that person goes into the center of the circle.

Social Emotional Learning Focus: Reinforcing learning and use of names of group members.

Frame: When we get together in groups it is important that people feel like they “belong”. How do you feel when people use your name when they talk to you?  This game is called Zip Zap and it is made to learn the names of the people in our group.  Take a minute and ask the person to your right and left their names. Remember them because you will need to know them for this game.

Do activity

Reflections:

How many new names did you learn?  Why is it important to know people’s names?

When should we use names? Why are names important? How do you feel when people use your name?

How do you learn a person’s name you don’t know?