Never Have I Ever is a playful and participatory activity where participants share personal experiences in a relaxed and safe environment. During the activity, each person states something they have never done, and those who have experienced it take a step forward, raise their hand, or perform another predetermined action. It’s ideal as an icebreaker to build stronger relationships and generate trust within groups.
Preparation
- Define the purpose:
- Encourage interaction and connection among participants.
- Create an inclusive and safe environment for sharing experiences.
- Promote empathy and recognition of the group’s similarities and differences.
- Prepare the space:
- A spacious area where participants can comfortably sit or form a circle.
- To conduct the activity virtually:
- Use virtual platforms with chat or hand-raising features, allowing participants to visibly respond to each statement.
Step-by-step instructions
- Form the group:
- Ask participants to sit or form a circle, ensuring everyone can easily see and hear each other.
- Set the rules:
- Explain that each person will take turns saying a phrase beginning with “Never have I ever…” followed by something they’ve never done.
- If other participants have done it, they should perform the agreed-upon action (e.g., raise their hand, step forward, mark next to their name, etc.).
- Rotate turns:
- Each participant takes a turn stating their phrase while others respond accordingly.
- Continue rotating turns until the agreed number of rounds is complete or the time limit is reached.
- Group reflection:
- Guide the group in a brief discussion about insights gained during the activity, highlighting shared experiences and differences.
Examples of “Never Have I Ever” statements:
- Education: Never have I ever turned in an assignment late. Never have I ever studied all night. Never have I ever fallen asleep in class.
- Work: Never have I ever missed an important deadline. Never have I ever sent an email by mistake. Never have I ever arrived late to a meeting.
- Personal interests: Never have I ever traveled alone. Never have I ever tried exotic food. Never have I ever read a book in one day.
- Health and well-being: Never have I ever run a marathon. Never have I ever tried yoga. Never have I ever eaten only salad for a whole day.
Variations to make “Never Have I Ever” more interesting:
- Team version: Divide participants into small teams. Each team guesses how many members of other teams have done the activities mentioned. At the end of each round, teams earn points for correct answers, fostering analysis and group interaction.
- Trying statements: Transform the activity into an experiential space. For example, if someone says “Never have I ever done a cartwheel,” participants may attempt it on the spot (if safe and appropriate), adding a fun and dynamic element.
- Future aspirations: Instead of past experiences, participants share something they’ve never done but would like to try, such as “Never have I ever ridden in a hot air balloon.” The group can reflect on common goals and aspirations.
- Exploring specific themes: Adapt the activity to a particular context, like “Never have I ever worked in a multidisciplinary team” in workplace workshops, or “Never have I ever composted my vegetables” in sustainability activities. This can serve as an introduction to deeper discussions.
- Limited-time responses: Each participant has 10 seconds to think and state their phrase. If they fail, the turn moves on. This variant adds urgency and energy to the activity.
- Group relevance: Participants focus their statements on experiences related to the event or workshop theme. For instance, in a leadership course: “Never have I ever received constructive feedback that helped me improve.”
- Observation strategies: Ask participants to predict how many people will respond before hearing answers. This promotes observation skills and group analysis.
- Reverse dynamic: Instead of “Never have I ever,” participants say “I always…” and share experiences they regularly do. This fosters positivity and quickly highlights commonalities.
- Interactive competition: After each round, the group with the most participants responding affirmatively earns a point, adding friendly competition.
- Post-activity reflection: After several rounds, participants discuss what they learned about each other and how shared experiences strengthen the sense of community.
Ideas for reflection after playing “Never Have I Ever”
- Similarities and differences: What did you discover about similarities and differences in the group’s experiences?
- Personal connections: How did the activity help you connect with other participants?
- Group insights: What did we learn as a group about our experiences, interests, and perspectives?
- Common patterns: Were there patterns or trends in the group’s responses? What do these patterns tell us about our shared stories?
- Diversity of experiences: How does this activity reflect the diversity of experiences within our group?
- Surprising moments: Which responses or statements surprised you the most, and why?
- Group strength: How can these similarities and differences strengthen our teamwork or relationships?
- Empathy and understanding: How did the activity influence your empathy or understanding toward others?
- Future challenges: Is there something you’ve never done that you’d like to try after hearing others’ responses?
- Connection to purpose: How does this activity relate to the purpose of the event or workshop we’re participating in?
- Collaborative dynamics: What strategies could we use to foster more collaboration and connection based on what we learned?
- Common goals: Did we identify shared objectives or interests that we could explore further as a group?
- Resilience and openness: How did this activity teach us to share openly and resiliently?
