And so it begins.... Strike a Pose: Yearbook-Inspired Icebreakers to Start the Year Right

The first day back sets the tone for your yearbook staff. You want energy, laughter, and a sense of community from the very beginning—not a slow start with a syllabus lecture. That’s why I like to kick things off with “Strike a Pose,” a living yearbook icebreaker that gets everyone out of their chairs, moving, and creating together.

What is “Strike a Pose”?

Think of it as yearbook meets charades. Staff break into small groups, and each group is assigned a scene from student life or pop culture. Instead of acting it out with words, they freeze into a still image—a tableau—that captures the moment.

It’s like creating a living photograph.

On the count of three, each group “strikes their pose,” and the rest of the class either joins in or guesses the scene. The results are hilarious, creative, and surprisingly accurate snapshots of what makes school life memorable.

How It Works

1. Divide into groups of 3–6 students.

2. Choose your performance style:

   • Option 1: Same Prompt – Everyone receives the same prompt (for example: “pep rally hype”) and has to decide as a group how to create it. When each group performs, you’ll see all the different creative spins on the same idea.

   • Option 2: Mystery Prompt – Each group receives a different prompt (like “talent show” or “prom disaster”), and when they perform, the rest of the staff guesses what the scene is.

3. Project or hand out prompts using the Strike a Pose slides (grab them here).

4. Give groups 1–2 minutes to plan. Encourage dramatic facial expressions and exaggerated gestures—it’s all about the visual.

5. Groups perform their frozen scenes, and the fun begins!

Suggested Prompts

• Homecoming float

• Prom disaster

• Talent show

• Action movie poster

• Sports victory celebration

• Pep rally hype

• Cliché movie moment

• Running from an imaginary bird

Why It Works for Yearbook Staff

• It gets everyone mingling. No hiding in the back row—everyone’s part of the picture.

• It previews yearbook storytelling. Students are literally capturing a “moment in time,” just like they’ll do with cameras and writing all year.

• It builds instant community. Shared laughter and silly memories on day one make staff feel comfortable with each other.

• It sparks creativity. Students start thinking about expression, storytelling, and what makes a scene recognizable—the same skills they’ll use designing spreads and writing captions.

By the end of the activity, your staff won’t just know each other’s names. They’ll already feel like a team—and they’ll have a taste of the creative storytelling that makes yearbook such a special experience.

Be sure to check out my other icebreaker Salt and Pepper

My Staff Experience

When I introduced Strike a Pose to my own staff two weeks ago, the room lit up instantly. One group’s “sports victory celebration” turned into a frozen chest bump with a student pretending to be the dropped Gatorade cooler with two students holding him above the chest bump as if to pour the Gatorade over the athletes. Another group’s “prom disaster” had someone dramatically pretending to steal someone's date by cutting in on a dance with shocked faces watching from the side, and the action movie poster saw students presenting to be locked in battle or posing with hard faced nose-to-nose.

The "running from a giant imaginary bird" looked the same across most groups, but it was worth including just to see everyone's faces, although I may cut this next year since it was so similar in execution by the teams.

By the end, even the shyest new staff members were laughing. The ice was broken, and the energy carried over into every activity we did that week.