The Empty Chair
One empty chair. Whoever sits beside it invites someone across, as somebody else.
A circle of chairs with one spare, and whoever sits to its left invites somebody to come and sit in it — but they have to arrive doing something. The room reshuffles constantly and everybody gets called by name, which is worth more than it sounds on a first morning.
Circle of chairs, one empty. Whoever's sitting to the left of the empty chair says: the space on my right is free, and I'd like — a name — to come and join me. That person crosses over and sits down. Then there's a new empty chair.
A room needs names used out loud repeatedly, and everyone is seated in a circle already.
Props: One chair per person, plus one spare
Run this when…
If none of these is your room, pick another.A group learning each other's names on day one
A seated session with no floor space
Any room where a few people have not spoken
How to run it
Written to be glanced at mid-room, not memorised.
- Set out a circle of chairs with exactly one more than there are people.
- Whoever is to the left of the empty chair uses the invitation phrase and a name.
- That person crosses the circle and sits in the empty chair.
- A new gap appears somewhere else and it goes again.
- After a few rounds, add that the person crossing has to arrive doing something — hopping, waving, in slow motion.
- Run it until most people have been called at least once, then stop.
Running it well
Only the host sees these. Participants never do.
- Watch who has not been called and quietly prompt somebody to name them. Sitting through this uninvited is the one way it goes wrong.
- Adding the arrival style after a few plain rounds is what lifts it. Introducing it at the start gives people two things to remember and the phrase falls apart.
- If somebody cannot remember a name, let them ask. That is better than the room watching them fail and it is the reason you are running this.
Watch out for
Space, safety and the traps worth knowing before you start.
- People cross the middle of the circle while others are moving. Keep the circle wide and say walking pace.
- Chairs get knocked. Make sure nothing is behind them and that the circle is not against a wall.
- Not being invited is the risk. Track it yourself and make sure everyone gets called.
Already seated
Nobody has to stand for this one.
It is already entirely seated — the only movement is crossing the circle to a chair.
Run it yourself
Free for thirty days, no card. Put it on the projector and step through it — nobody in the room needs a phone.
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- Where
- Needs a room
- Props
- One chair per person, plus one spare
- Big screen
- Required
- Teams
- Individual only