Ice Breaker - Pipe Cleaner Structures!

In our TAG/Pre-AP Algebra 2 classes we will jump into curriculum activities on the very first day of school.  I've debated about how many and which "getting to know you" activities to do and how much time to spend on specific math content.

I haven't decided for sure what icebreaker to do, but I found this one online.  It looks interesting to me. I borrowed it from this website.

• Provide each student with three pipe cleaners.
• Give students about five minutes to use the pipe cleaners to create a structure or symbol that represents something about themselves. 
• At the end of the five minutes, set up a sequence of 60-second "speed dates" during which each student tells the other what their symbol is and why they made it. (Sound a bell to indicate when they should switch chairs.)

Alternately, students could create structures, then share them in groups, ask each group to select a "winner" - their favorite and give a reason.

Another alternate idea is for students to work in groups to create a structure ... that represents something that all the students in the group have in common.  Groups share out after 5 - 10 minutes of building.

I would love to hear if you have tried this and how it worked ... or if you have ideas for how to strengthen this idea!

Countin' down the days ... 18 days until our students arrive!