NFEMethods

Goal:: The goal of Mystery Mingle is to break the ice among participants by engaging them in a fun and interactive way that encourages curiosity and conversation. This activity helps participants to start learning about each other through a mystery-solving game.
Description:: Mystery Mingle involves participants receiving a small piece of information about another attendee without knowing who it belongs to. They must then mingle with others to ask questions and determine whose fact they hold, fostering initial interactions and breaking social barriers.

Instruction
Step 1:: Before the session, gather interesting facts from each participant. These could include unusual hobbies, past experiences, or hidden talents.
Step 2:: Write each fact on a separate piece of paper or card.
Step 3:: At the start of the session, distribute these cards randomly among the participants, ensuring no one receives their own fact.
Step 4:: Participants must mingle and ask each other open-ended questions to try and match the fact with the correct person. They cannot directly ask if the fact belongs to the person they are speaking with.
Step 5:: Once participants believe they have found the right person, they can verify it with the facilitator.
Step 6:: After everyone has matched their facts, gather the group and have each pair share their facts and the process of how they figured it out.

Additional tips:

• Encourage participants to ask only one question per person before moving on to ensure everyone interacts with multiple people.

• Consider setting a fun and lively atmosphere with music to make mingling more enjoyable.

• Have prizes ready for participants who first correctly match their fact to keep the activity competitive and engaging.

Debriefing question: What was the most surprising fact you learned about someone else?; How did you approach the challenge of finding the right person for your fact?; What did this activity teach you about making initial conversations with strangers?; How can you apply the skills used in this activity to your daily interactions?