Create Your Own Thumball® (6″) is a customizable team building ball that lets facilitators design unique icebreaker questions, coaching prompts, or review games. With 32 blank panels, this DIY icebreaker activity becomes a personalized conversation starter for training workshops, classrooms, or team meetings. Use the included permanent marker to create an interactive training tool tailored to your content and audience. This DIY Thumball® lets you tailor the game to any learning goal.
WHY FACILITATORS LOVE IT
- Unlimited flexibility: Build your own prompts for leadership training, icebreakers, coaching sessions, wellness checks, or just-for-fun games.
- Interactive engagement: Toss the ball, answer the question under your thumb, and keep the group energized and involved.
- Reusable and durable: Soft, stitched 6″ fabric ball designed to last through countless training sessions.
- Personalized learning: Helps trainers align activities directly to their content, participants, or organizational culture.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
- One 6″ Thumball® with 32 blank panels
- Permanent marker included for writing prompts
BEST USES
- Corporate training workshops
- Team building and icebreakers
- Leadership coaching and mentoring
- Classroom learning and student engagement
- Wellness, DEI, or custom content programs
FAQS
Q: Can I erase and reuse the panels?
A: No. While this is a customizable team building ball, the panels are not erasable. This design prevents smudging during play and ensures the prompts stay visible long-term.
Q: What kind of marker should I use?
A: To create your personalized conversation starter, be sure to use a fine-tip permanent marker works best. The ball ships with one marker included. Avoid washable or erasable markers as they will smear.
Q: Any tips for writing on the panels?
A: Yes! Use a fine-point permanent marker and take your time to write clearly. Practicing your prompts on paper first is a good way to ensure legibility and fit.
Q: What makes this different from other Thumballs®?
A: Unlike pre-printed Thumballs®, this DIY version gives facilitators total creative freedom to tailor questions and activities to their specific training content and audience.
Q: Who uses Create Your Own Thumball® most?
A: Trainers, teachers, facilitators, HR professionals, coaches, and team leaders who want a versatile tool for engagement and customized learning.
Image above shows suggested use only. You'll get a ball with 30 BLANK panels!
** TIPS **
How to customize your Thumball™
- Use a permanent, fine-tip marker so it's easy to write and doesn't smudge.
- Plan before your write! You have 30 panels to fill up (10 blue; 20 silver). The two pre-printed panels on the top and bottom say “You Choose,” allowing players to respond to any panel on the ball.
- Practice your writing! Be sure your handwriting is big, bold and legible.
- Fill all the spaces! Write in vocabulary words, questions, key words, and more. If you still have empty spaces, consider one or more of these ideas:
-
- Repeat a prompt twice. Repetition can be good (if you put the same words on two panels – simply let players know that they need to build upon a previous answer).
- “Pass to the right” – player passes the ball to the person directly to the right.
- “Stump the Leader” – player chooses which panel the facilitator must answer.
- “Toss Again” – player tosses ball up and re-catches it.
- “Share 5” or “Group Share”– player gets topic from facilitator and 5 or more players must all offer answers.
Facilitation Suggestions
- Depending on your group, roll, pass, toss, or kick Thumball™ among players.
- Circulate the ball clockwise, counterclockwise or random direction.
- Specify which thumb to look under for the prompt -- right thumb, left thumb or the finger of your choice.
- Ask players to respond to the prompt. Or, to kick it up a notch, invite them to ask another player to respond.
- Select time limits for responses and length of game.
- Add point values to each prompt/question and let players know that will earn and/or lose points for each response.
NOTE: This ball is part of our exclusive Silver Series Thumballs.
