Nottingham Trent University Icebreakers Guide

8. Coat of arms
Time – 30 mins Suggested max. participants – up to 30
Equipment required – flipchart pens, flipchart paper, blue tac
Activity level – Participants will need space to draw and wall space to hang their
masterpieces on
Explanation
Each participant gets a sheet of flipchart paper and a flipchart pen. They are going
to create their own unique coat of arms. They need to write their name at the top of
the paper, draw a shield, divide it into quarters and leave space for a motto
underneath
In each quarter they will need to draw something that represents them:
1. Personal Achievement
2. Family
3. Interests/ hobbies
4. Personal ambition
They will also need to devise a personal motto, (use of Latin is optional)
Put all the flipchart sheets up on the wall and turn the room into an art gallery. Give
people a few minutes to look at what other people have drawn.
Variations & Your Notes
If coats of arms are a little militaristic, participants could devise pub signs, or simply
divide the page into 4.
This might be a good idea to use before starting to discuss progress files.
NTU Icebreakers Guide 13