Crazy Handshakes

Choose this exercise

Purpose: Enable participants to introduce themselves and practice rapid collaborative co-creation through brief greeting sequences.

Use it when: Use at the start of an informal workshop or team session to get participants talking, moving, and interacting one-on-one.

Skip it when: Skip during formal proceedings, when participants prefer to avoid physical movement games, or when space constraints make active movement disruptive.

Group arrangement: Rotating pairs across three rounds, ending in a whole-room circle. If the total headcount is odd, one trio forms in each round.

Timing: UWT suggested duration based on three 3-minute partner rounds, setup, and short sharing.

Materials and tools

• Timer or bell for the facilitator

Before participants arrive

1. Clear enough open floor space for participants to stand or sit in pairs and move arms freely.
2. Remind the room before starting that handshakes do not require physical touch.

Say this to open

We are going to do a quick warm-up called Crazy Handshakes. In a moment, you will find a partner, introduce yourselves, and invent a unique three-to-four move greeting. It can involve claps, elbow bumps, waves, or air motions, with no physical touch required. After three minutes, you will switch partners, teach your old greeting, and create a new one together. You will do this one more time, sharing what you have learned and building a final combined routine, before we gather to share.

How to run it

1. Pair up and invent first handshake 3 minutes

   Say the opening script. Direct participants to pair up. If there is an odd number of participants, form exactly one trio. Partners introduce themselves by name and invent a 3-part or 4-part greeting sequence. A neutral example is: wave, clap, double snap. In a trio, all three perform the motions together. Both partners practice until they can perform it smoothly.

2. Switch partners and blend greetings 3 minutes

   Call time. Direct participants to split and pair with someone new. If an odd headcount is present, actively dissolve the round-one trio so three different individuals form the new trio. Partners introduce themselves, teach each other their round-one greeting, and combine moves or create a new routine.

3. Third rotation and cumulative sequence 3 minutes

   Call time. Direct participants to switch to a third new partner, again forming a new trio from different individuals if there is an odd headcount. Partners introduce themselves, demonstrate the greetings collected so far, and assemble one final combined routine.

4. Circle showcase 4 minutes

   Bring the entire room together into a circle. Ask for 2 or 3 volunteer pairs or trios to demonstrate their routines in the center or in place. Lead brief applause after each demonstration.

5. Debrief 2 minutes

   Pose the debrief questions to the full room. Take 2 or 3 brief reflections from volunteers to conclude the exercise.

Debrief questions

• What made it easy or challenging to teach your greeting to a new partner quickly?
• How did your pair decide on moves when you both had different ideas?

Finished output: Participating pairs introduce themselves to at least three colleagues and create up to three collaborative greeting routines, while any observer or timekeeper completes their timing role.

Remote

Run in video breakout rooms of two people. If an odd count occurs, assign one breakout room of three. Participants create synchronized on-camera gestures, such as screen edge taps, air high-fives, or head nods. Run three 3-minute breakout rounds, re-shuffling participants each round, then return to the main gallery for 2 volunteer pair demonstrations.

Hybrid

Pair in-person participants with in-person partners and remote participants with remote partners in breakout rooms. If an odd number occurs in either setting, create a trio within that setting. For the final showcase, have one in-person pair and one remote pair demonstrate their greetings.

Access and participation choices

• Physical touch is strictly optional; contactless gestures, air high-fives, head nods, or spoken call-and-response words are fully valid.
• Participants with limited mobility can perform all routines seated using upper-body gestures, desktop taps, or vocal cues.
• Anyone preferring not to perform can serve as official timekeeper or round caller without giving a reason.

If the session gets stuck

An odd number of participants leaves someone without a partner during rotations.

Ensure exactly one trio forms in each round. In rounds 2 and 3, dissolve the previous trio so three new people form the new trio, performing their greeting simultaneously in a triangular circle.

A participant is uncomfortable touching hands.

Reiterate at the start of every rotation that air gestures, claps, snaps, and bows count as complete greetings without any skin contact.