This is an ice breaking exercise for when you want to pair up participants. It can also serve as an energizer. Just like the fairy tale, participants find their partners by fitting the right shoe.

You’ll need a large box, bag or sack, and about 15 minutes to do the exercise.

1. Split participants into two groups.

2. The first half of participants take off their right shoes and place them in the box.

3. The other half of the participants pick a shoe at random.

4. They then attempt to find their Cinderella by exchanging names with each of the participants without a shoe, and seeing if their shoe fits that person.

5. When participants have been paired up, they stay in those pairs for whatever is planned next.

You can also use other suitable personal items such as keys and business cards if shoes are felt inappropriate. For example, old photographs can be amusing, but this needs to be organized before the event.