RePurposed Activity: Using existing props from one game or activity to play another.
My nieces introduced me to Spot It Classic (Called Dobble in the European marketplace – and the origin of the game) in early 2012. An ingenious little card game. There are 55 cards in the metal tin, each card is decorated with eight symbols. Any two cards pulled from the deck will have one "and only one" matching symbol.
My nieces introduced me to Spot It Classic (Called Dobble in the European marketplace – and the origin of the game) in early 2012. An ingenious little card game. There are 55 cards in the metal tin, each card is decorated with eight symbols. Any two cards pulled from the deck will have one "and only one" matching symbol.
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Since that first Spot It deck, many more 'themed' decks have been introduced. There's a Camping deck, a Fishing deck, a Marvel deck, a Star Wars deck (rare now), a Harry Potter deck and more! The favorite 'adventure education' deck comes from high 5 called Ubuntu. (You can pick up an activity guide for the Ubuntu deck with instructions for lots of teambuilding fun – HERES a post with a short list of activities using Spot It or Ubuntu cards, and a post with details on Spot It/Ubuntu Steal.) This deck and other Spot It versions can be used for the Icebreaker below – use decks that have images you can tell stories about. (My favorites: Ubuntu, Camping, and the Classic Spot It)
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Icebreaker Activity: For a group of 10 to 55 people, give each person a Spot It card (A good activity for those times when participants do not all arrive to a program or workshop at the same time - after the game begins and new players arrive, give them a card and ask them to go into the crowd and find someone to help them understand how the game is played). Back to it!
Players pair up after raising their hands and finding someone else doing the same thing. Once face-to-face, players exchange names (introductions) and then reveal the symbols on their cards. You can introduce a little bit of excitement by saying, "See who can find the matching symbol first." There is no particular reward for finding it first - just some motivational energy.
After finding the matching symbol one or both of the players try to find a "story" from their lives that is prompted by the symbol. After one or both share, players exchange cards, raise a hand and look for someone else to face up with, find the match and share a story (or two).
Be sure to jump in and play as well so you can get to know some of your participants and they can get to know you a little. Keep an eye on the energy of the group and conclude the activity before it runs out of fun.
Any other playful ideas for the Spot It or Ubuntu cards? Leave us a Comment below.
Players pair up after raising their hands and finding someone else doing the same thing. Once face-to-face, players exchange names (introductions) and then reveal the symbols on their cards. You can introduce a little bit of excitement by saying, "See who can find the matching symbol first." There is no particular reward for finding it first - just some motivational energy.
After finding the matching symbol one or both of the players try to find a "story" from their lives that is prompted by the symbol. After one or both share, players exchange cards, raise a hand and look for someone else to face up with, find the match and share a story (or two).
Be sure to jump in and play as well so you can get to know some of your participants and they can get to know you a little. Keep an eye on the energy of the group and conclude the activity before it runs out of fun.
Any other playful ideas for the Spot It or Ubuntu cards? Leave us a Comment below.
Have fun out there!
Chris Cavert, Ed.D.
(updated 3/26/25)
Chris Cavert, Ed.D.
(updated 3/26/25)
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