open · Icebreaker · 10–15 min · 3-20 people · low energy
Three Wishes
A reflective activity where participants share three personal or professional aspirations using visual aids. It moves beyond standard introductions to reveal deeper motivations and interests.
When to use Three Wishes
To build rapport and discover commonalities between team members through visual storytelling.
What it solves
Surface-level connections or 'introductory fatigue' where people give the same bio repeatedly.
How to run Three Wishes, step by step
- Ask participants to think of three 'wishes' (personal or work-related) (2 mins).
- Have them find one GIF or image for each wish and post it to a shared board (5 mins).
- Participants take turns briefly explaining their images or having others guess the wish (8 mins).
Materials needed
- Digital Whiteboard (Miro/Mural) or Google Slides
Facilitator tips
- Encourage the use of GIFs to add a layer of humor.
- Model the activity first with your own three wishes.
Common pitfalls
- Spending too much time on the 'guessing' phase; keep the sharing snappy.
Variations
- Work-themed: Wishes specifically for the project or the company's future.
Running it online or hybrid
Best performed using a digital whiteboard (Miro/Mural) where participants can search for images/GIFs.
What it produces
A visual board of the team's collective dreams and interests.
Origin
Synthesized from standard icebreaking techniques via SessionLab — source
Build a session around Three Wishes
METODIC places Three Wishes inside a complete, timed session plan — agenda, worksheets, facilitator guide and slides — matched to your group and goal.