A Cold Wind Blows

Talking to each other and learning new facts about each other is important in building our classroom community. If we get to know our classmates better, we will have stronger relationships and build a stronger classroom community for all of us.

1. Move chairs into the circle. The number of chairs should be one less than the number of players.
2. Begin the game by saying “A cold wind blows for anyone who ___,” and share one fact about yourself. Continue the sentence with an interesting fact that may apply to other participants (e.g., “The wind blows to those who have a brother or sister”).
3. All participants who agree with the statement should get of their chair and find a new seat as quickly as possible. The leader in the circle also tries to sit down as quickly as possible.
4. The participant who did not have time to sit in the chair becomes the leader and starts the game again. If no one moves, congratulate that student for being unique and have them try again with a different fact.
5. After 5-10 minutes, end the game by having students partner up and share 3 new facts they learned with their partner.

• Was it easy to remember facts about other classmates? What strategies did you use to remember?
• Did you learn anything new about your classmates while playing this game? What did you learn? When else is it helpful to know facts about your classmates?
• Was there a round that you wish you could have stood up for? Was there a round that you did not want to stand up for? Why?
• When do you like to feel similar to others, and when do you like to feel unique?

For primary school students:

• If students are struggling to come up with categories, brainstorm a list together before the game begins, and refer to it whenever a child gets stuck.
• Invite the students to form teams and become the leaders of the game.

For students in grades 5-6:

• Encourage students to incorporate their opinions on current class literature or current events (e.g., “A cold wind blows for anyone who liked the ending of Charlotte’s Web”).
• Use this game to build empathy by changing the prompt to, “A cold wind blows for anyone who feels ___ when ___” (e.g., frustrated when they make a mistake; excited when they see a puppy, etc.). Discuss how people might feel differently about the same situation.