--- title: "Stand Up Sit Down" description: "Participants respond to a sequence of prompt statements by standing up or using an equivalent seated hand signal. The room pauses to notice patterns of agreement and difference across the group without mandatory speaking." last_updated: "2026-09-07" canonical: "https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/stand-up-sit-down-icebreaker/" --- # Stand Up Sit Down Participants respond to a sequence of prompt statements by standing up or using an equivalent seated hand signal. The room pauses to notice patterns of agreement and difference across the group without mandatory speaking. **Time:** 10 minutes. UWT suggested 10-minute baseline; fits typical 5 to 15 minute icebreaker bands. **People:** 4 to 24. Whole group seated together, moving between seated and standing positions as prompted ## Choose this exercise **Purpose:** Visibly map shared characteristics, habits, or views across a group using quick posture changes or hand signals. **Use it when:** At the start of a meeting, workshop, or training session when people need a fast, low-stakes check-in to see who is in the room. **Skip it when:** Skip when the session topic involves sensitive disclosures, or when space is too cramped for safe and easy movement. ## Materials and tools - One chair per participant - Facilitator prompt list or projection slides with statements ## Before participants arrive 1. Arrange chairs with enough room for participants to stand up and sit down comfortably. 2. Prepare 5 to 8 prompt statements appropriate to the group topic, starting with simple everyday facts before moving to work habits or perspectives. ## Say this to open We will do a quick physical poll called Stand Up Sit Down. I will read a statement. If it applies to you or you agree, stand up. If it does not apply, stay seated. If you prefer to stay seated throughout, you can raise your hand or hold up a thumb instead of standing. You can also pass on any prompt without explaining why. ## How to run it ### 1. Introduce rules and signals (2 minutes) Deliver the opening script. Demonstrate the seated alternatives: a raised hand, a thumb up, or a clear nod. Emphasize that passing on any prompt is completely acceptable. ### 2. Run introductory prompts (3 minutes) Read 2 to 3 low-stakes everyday prompts, such as: 'Stand up if you drank tea or coffee this morning.' Pause for 5 seconds so participants can look around the room, then cue everyone to sit back down or lower hands. ### 3. Run topic-specific prompts (3 minutes) Read 3 to 4 prompts connected to the workshop theme, such as: 'Stand up if you have facilitated a remote session this month.' After each prompt, pause for 5 seconds to let participants observe the distribution, then cue everyone to reset. If a participant offers a brief ten-second comment, take at most one before moving to the next prompt. ### 4. Debrief and transition (2 minutes) Ask the room 1 or 2 reflection questions. Take 2 or 3 quick observations from volunteers, then transition into the main agenda. ## Debrief questions - What was one pattern or surprise you noticed across our responses? - Which prompt showed the clearest split in the room? **Finished output:** A visible visual baseline of group experience and opinion on 5 to 8 specific statements. ## Remote Run via video conference with cameras on. To indicate agreement or 'Stand', participants use the digital hand-raise icon or hold a physical hand up on screen. To indicate disagreement or 'Sit', participants lower their hands. The facilitator calls out the visible pattern after each statement before prompting everyone to lower hands. ## Hybrid In-person attendees stand or raise hands while remote participants use virtual hand-raise reactions or on-screen hand raises. Remote participants are displayed on the main room screen so in-person attendees can see their responses, and the room camera is angled to show in-person movement to remote attendees. ## Access and participation choices - Participants may raise a hand, raise a thumb, or nod instead of standing up. - Any participant may remain seated and neutral on any prompt without explanation. - Prompts avoid traumatic, medically private, or protected identity disclosures. ## If the session gets stuck **A prompt leads to awkward silence because only one person stands.** Acknowledge the lone response neutrally: 'Thank you for representing that perspective,' and cue the group to reset without putting that individual on the spot. **People hesitate or look at others before deciding whether to stand.** Remind the room that there are no right or wrong answers, count down '3, 2, 1, decide,' and keep the pace brisk. ## Terms used here - Voting with your feet: Using physical movement or posture rather than spoken words or paper ballots to register an opinion or choice. ## Participant material: Sample Prompt Set Warm-up Prompts: 1. Stand up if you traveled more than an hour to get here today. 2. Stand up if you prefer tea over coffee. 3. Stand up if you read a book or article this week outside your professional field. Work and Topic Prompts: 4. Stand up if your daily work involves direct contact with public audiences or clients. 5. Stand up if you have changed how you do your job in the past twelve months due to new technology. 6. Stand up if you find it easier to brainstorm alone before sharing with a group. 7. Stand up if you think public institutions should take stronger stances on emerging technologies. ## Sources and adaptation Observed in NISE Network materials (developed with The Franklin Institute and Kavli Foundation, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US) and community descriptions on Teampedia. Retained the core mechanic from the NISE Network and Teampedia traditions of standing or sitting to signal agreement. UWT explicitly added low-mobility body-signal alternatives (raised hand, thumbs up, nod), removed high-risk prompts seen in public collections (such as crime or trauma questions), and aligned remote delivery to use hand-raise signals with cameras on rather than toggling video feeds. [NISE Network](https://www.nisenet.org/catalog/stand-sit-down-icebreaker) [Teampedia](https://www.teampedia.net/wiki/Stand_Up_Sit_Down) Current run sheet: https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/stand-up-sit-down-icebreaker/