Wheel of common interests is a participatory activity designed to foster connections among participants by identifying shared hobbies, interests, or activities. Participants form a circle, share something they are passionate about, and find others with similar interests. Based on these commonalities, they engage in a group activity to deepen their connections.
Preparation
- Define the purpose:
- Do you want to break the ice, encourage teamwork, or strengthen group cohesion?
- Set up the space:
- If in person, organize a large area where participants can form a big circle.
- If virtual, use a gallery-view tool (such as Zoom) to facilitate interaction.
- Optional materials:
- Cards for participants to write down their interests.
- Whiteboards or panels to visualize groups with similar interests.
- Design a follow-up activity:
- Prepare additional activities for subgroups based on identified interests (e.g., a project, discussion, or creative task).
Step-by-step instructions
- Introduction to the purpose
- Explain that the activity will help identify shared interests and create connections among participants.
- Forming the circle and sharing interests
- Each participant briefly shares an interest or hobby (e.g., “I love photography,” or “I enjoy reading science fiction”).
- As they listen, others identify if they share that interest and mention it.
- Grouping by common interests
- Facilitate the formation of small groups (3-5 people) based on shared interests. If someone has a unique interest, they can join a group that interests them.
- Group activity related to common interests
- Each group engages in a short activity to explore their shared interest. Examples:
- Photography: Design an idea for a themed photoshoot.
- Reading: Share favorite books and create a mini-group recommendation list.
- Sports: Plan a simple game or physical activity they could do together.
- Music: Create a collaborative playlist based on their favorite genres or artists.
- Cooking: Discuss recipes or ideas for a themed menu.
- Each group engages in a short activity to explore their shared interest. Examples:
- Group presentations
- Each group briefly presents their activity results to the rest of the circle.
- Group reflection
- Facilitate a discussion about the experience:
- What surprised them about discovering shared interests?
- What did they learn from others’ interests?
- How could these connections enrich future group activities?
- Facilitate a discussion about the experience:
