The Top 10 Icebreakers for Meetings and Training Seminars
Whether it is a small gathering at your home or a large training seminar, we all want to feel that we have established some commonality with our fellow attendees. By creating a warm, friendly, personal learning environment, the attendees will participate more and learn more!
1. Favorite T-shirt
Ask attendees to bring (not wear) their favorite T-shirt to the meeting. Once all participants have arrived, ask each person to show the shirt to the group and explain how the T-shirt best resembles their personality.
2. Personal Bingo
The host will need to do a little homework before the meeting to find out a few tidbits about each participant (favorite hobbies, books, vacation spots, number of children, favorite foods, etc). Prepare a bingo card (duplicate the card for all attendees to have the same one) with one tid-bit for each square, and instruct the participants to mingle with the group to identify the person for each square. As the information is uncovered, they ask the participant to sign their corresponding square. Keep moving among the guests until all squares are filled. Rules: only open-ended questions may be used. First person who fills card wins a prize.
3. Say cheese, please
As each participant arrives, take their picture with a Polaroid type camera and hang their photo on a piece of easel paper in the entrance area of the meeting room in groups of two or three photos (depending on size of meeting - you may have only 2 per group or more if the group is large). Use your creativity and decorate the easel paper to extend a Warm Welcome and set the tone of the meeting. Once all participants have arrived, ask them to find their partner(s) from the photo display on the easel and spend about 5 - 10 minutes getting to know the person(s). Then have them introduce their partner(s) to the rest of the group and share something they discovered they have in common.
4. Famous people/cities
As each participant arrives, tape a 3 x 5 index card on their back with the name of a famous person or city. They must circulate in the room and ask questions that can ONLY be answered with a YES or NO to identify clues that will help them find out the name of the person or city on their index card. EXAMPLES: Paris, Madonna, Santa Claus, John Wayne, Casablanca
5. Sensuous Sam & Inquiring Ida
Ask each participant to choose an adjective that begins with the first letter of their first name and one that really matches their personality. Have them introduce themselves just as they wrote it on the card and allow time for others to ask questions.
6. Dream Vacation
Ask participants to introduce themselves and describe details of the ideal, perfect dream vacation.
7. Favorite animal
As the guests arrive, and before you write their names on a name card, ask them to tell you their favorite animal and three adjectives to describe the animal. As they tell you, write the three adjectives on a name tag BEFORE their name (omit the name of the animal). Ask them to mingle with the crowd, sharing why these adjectives best describe their own personality. EXAMPLES: Loyal, cuddly, playful Dan
8. Birthday Partner -
Have participants mingle in the group and identify the person whose birthdate (not year - just month and date) is closest to their own. Find out two things they have in common.
9. Long lost relative
As a group, 1) ask each person to turn to the person on their right and greet him/her as if they really didn't want to be there. Yeah, you know what I mean - you can't wait to get out of there! Then everyone (simultaneously to create lots of fun and excitement) turn to the same person and greet him/her as if (s)he is a long lost, deeply loved relative who has just returned home and you're about to see the person for the first time in years! In fact, you thought you may never see this person again until this very moment. Okay, now ask everyone (again simultaneously) to turn to the same person and greet him/her as if this person just told you that you won the state lottery for 50 million dollars and you have the ONLY winning ticket!~~
10. Circle of Friends
This is a great greeting and departure for a large group who will be attending a seminar for more than one day together and the chances of meeting everyone in the room is almost impossible. Form two large circles (or simply form two lines side by side), one inside the other and have the people in the inside circle face the people in the outside circle. Ask the circles to take one step in the opposite directions, allowing them to meet each new person as the circle continues to move very slowly. If lines are formed, they simply keep the line moving very slowly, as they introduce themselves.
About the Submitter
This piece was originally submitted by Janice LaVore, Director of Customer Care for Fortune 100 Company, who can be reached at jelcoach@bellsouth.net. Janice LaVore wants you to know: I have over 15 years of experience in management, performance coaching, training, leadership developement, and customer care. I enjoy coaching individuals in these areas and also career transition and life mastery. My enthusiasm for life and learning is contagious and I coach from "the heart". If you would like a free introductory coaching session, please send an email and let's schedule 1/2 hour session. The original source is: Personal experiences as a trainer and speaker.
Top 10 Icebreakers
Paper-Tearing Exercise
Paper-Tearing Exercise
Time Allocation: 5 minutes
Materials: Blank 8 ½-by-11-inch sheets of paper for each participant
Instructions:
1. Tell the participants the following: “We are going to play a game that will show us some important things about communication. Pick up your sheet of paper and hold it in front of you. Now, close your eyes and follow the directions I will give you—and no peeking! Participants cannot ask questions.
2. Give the following directions, carrying them out yourself with your own sheet of paper and pausing after each instruction to give the group time to comply:“The first thing I want you to do is to fold your sheet of paper in half.Now tear off the upper right-hand corner. Fold it in half again and tear off the upper left hand corner of the sheet.Fold it in half again. Now tear off the lower right-hand corner of the sheet.”
3. After the tearing is complete, say something like “Now open your eyes, and let’s see what you have. If I did a good job of communicating and you did a good job of listening, all of our sheets should look the same!” Hold your sheet up for them to see. It is highly unlikely any sheet will match yours exactly.4. Observe the differences. There will probably be much laughter.5. Ask the group why no one’s paper matched yours. (You will Probably get responses like “You didn’t let us ask questions!” or“Your directions could be interpreted in different ways.”)
Then, lead into a presentation on the need for two-way communication in the workplace.
(Yhen's Note: thanks to the author of this exercise)
With Christ in my Vessel
With Christ in my vessel
I can smile at the storm
Smile at the storm
Smile at the storm
With Christ in my vessel
I can smile at the storm
Sailing, sailing home
Sailing, sailing home
Sailing, sailing home
It's Me Who Builds
D
It’s me, it’s me,
It’s me who builds the community (3x)
A7
It’s me who builds the community
G D
Roll over the ocean
Roll over the sea
A7
Roll over the ocean
D
In the deep blue sea (2x)
It’s us
It’s Christ
A Great Thing
D G
It’s a great thing to praise the Lord
A7 D
It’s a great thing to praise the Lord
Bm Em
It’s a great thing to praise the Lord
A7 D
Walkin’ in the light of love.
D(A7)(Bm) G(D)(Em)
Walk, walk, walk in the light. (3x)
A7 D
Walkin’ in the light of love.
Every Single Cell
EVERY SINGLE CELL
C
Every single cell in my body is happy
G C
Every single cell in my body is well (2x)
C
Thank You God, I feel so good
G C
Every single cell in my body is well. (2x)
Banana
Bananas unite!
Peel Banana
Peel, Peel Banana
Eat Banana
Eat, Eat Banana
Squash Banana
Squash, Squash Banana
Shake Banana
Shake Shake Banana
Run Banana
Run, Run Banana
Bye Banana
Bye, Bye Banana
The Walking Billboard
THE WALKING BILLBOARD
Group size: 10 to 30
Time: 30 minutes
Materials: Flip-chart paper, markers and masking tape
OBJECTIVE
To encourage participants to mingle and share personal information with one another.
WHEN TO USE
At the beginning of a group event.
STEPS
1. Explain to the group that they have the opportunity to design their own getacquainted
session. Ask them to propose questions that they would like to ask other
participants. Examples might include:
- Favourite foods
- Things you don't like
- Best books recently read
- Favourite movie actors/entertainers
2. Ask for a quick show of hands regarding the three most useful questions. Using a rough
tabulation, select the five or six items receiving the most votes.
3. Provide participants with a sheet of flip-chart paper and a marker. Ask them to place their
name at the top and to list the items down the left side and the answers on the right.
4. Attach the sheet to each participant's shoulders. Ask them to walk around the room
and discuss.
(Yhen's Note: Taken from UNICEF's Manual for Facilitators and Trainers)
Double Letter
Double Letter
Group size: Maximum 25
Time: 1O to 20 minutes
Materials: None
OBJECTIVE
To learn the names of the other participants.
WHEN TO USE
To facilitate introductions at the beginning of a group event.
STEPS
1. Ask participants to sit in a circle.
2. Ask participants to think of an adjective that begins with the first letter of their name, e.g.
"Devilish Deidre" or "Awesome Anthony". Use last names if the participants are familiar
with first names.
3. Ask them to keep the adjective a secret until it is their turn to share their name with the
group.
4. Introduce yourself with your double-letter name and then ask the person to your right
to introduce him/herself, using his/her doubleletter name. The person to your right then
introduces you, him or herself, and then asks the person to the right, etc.
5. This process continues until the last person in the circle re-introduces all the rest of the
participants to his/her left and him/herself.
6. The game is over when all participants have been introduced by their double-letter names.
(Yhen's Note: Taken from UNICEF's Manual for Facilitators and Trainers)
