rhyl macfarlane's List: Icebreakers & Classroom games

• 1. People Bingo

  Deb Peterson

  People Bingo is one of the most popular ice breakers because it’s so easy to customize for your particular group and situation, and everyone knows how to play it. Make your own bingo cards, or use one of the fabulous online card makers.

  Be sure to check out the People Bingo characteristics in the Continuing Education forum. Almost 25,000 people have visited as of Jan. 1, 2010. While you're there, leave your own favorites!

• 2. Marooned

  Matthew Winterburn / Flickr

  This icebreaker is a great introduction when people don’t know each other, and it fosters team building in groups that already work together. I have always found people’s answers to be very revealing about who they are as a person. Who would you want with you on a deserted island?

  We just started a new Marooned thread in the Continuing Education forum to help you out. Join the game.

• 3. 2-Minute Mixer

  Stockbyte / Getty Images

  You may have heard of 8-minute dating, where 100 people meet for an evening full of 8-minute dates. They talk to one person for 8 minutes and then move on to the next. Eight minutes is a long time in the classroom, so we'll call this ice breaker a 2-minute mixer. Ready? Go!

• 4. The Power of Story

  Ableimages / Getty Images

  Adults bring to your class or meeting room an abundance of life experience and wisdom. Tapping into their stories can deepen the significance of whatever you've gathered to discuss. Let the power of story enhance your teaching of adults.

• 5. Table Topics

  Table Topics
  I picked up my first box of Table TopicsTM on a whim while shopping in one of those funky little shops you see in the artsy parts of any city. A four-inch clear acrylic cube holds 135 cards, each with a provocative question that is sure to inspire lively conversation.
  • Which piece of land would you wish to have preserved forever?
  • What’s your favorite quotation?
  • What song evokes the strongest memories for you?

• 6. Would You Rather...

  rubyyot / Flickr

  Would you rather find true love or win the lottery? Would you rather be bald or completely hairy? Would you rather tell your best friend a lie or your parents the truth?

  Find almost 400 Would you rather..." ideas in the Continuing Education forum. Add your own!

• 7. If You Had a Magic Wand...

  Mats Bergen / Getty Images

  If you had a magic wand, what would you choose to change? Pass a magic wand around your classroom and generate some energy!

• 8. Where in the World?

  Jim Amorin - Flickr

  The more technology brings us together, the smaller the world becomes. Where in the world are you from? Or, where in the world is your favorite place?

• 9. Photo Scavenger Hunt

  D. Peterson

  A picture is worth a thousand words. Almost everyone has a photo or two in their wallet, especially when you’ve got a room full of adults, or even better, baby boomers with grandchildren. The photo scavenger hunt is on!

• 10. The Name Game

  Deb Peterson

  You may have people in your group who hate the name game so much they’ll still remember everyone’s name two years from now! Ha! You can make it harder by requiring everyone to add an adjective to their name that starts with the same letter (e.g. Cranky Carla, Blue-eyed Bob, Zesty Zelda). You get the gist.

  That's Lucky Lorraine to the left.

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• Icebreakers by group size

   

• Icebreakers by category

   

• Getting everyone to contribute at the start of a successful event
• Ice Breakers can be an effective way   of starting a training session or team-building event. As   interactive and often fun sessions run before the main proceedings,   they help people get to know each other and buy into the   purpose of the event
• As a facilitator, the secret of a successful icebreaking session   is to keep it simple: Design the session with specific objectives   in mind and make sure the session is appropriate and comfortable   for everyone involved.

• When to Use Icebreakers

   

  As the name suggests, an ice breaker session is designed to   “break the ice” at an event or meeting. The technique is often   used when people who do not usually work together, or may not know   each other at all, meet for a specific, common purpose.
   
    Consider using an ice breaker when:

   
   
  • Participants come from different backgrounds.
   
  • People need to bond quickly so as to work towards a common goal.
   
  • Your team is newly formed.
   
  • The topics you are discussing are new or unfamiliar to many   people involved.
   
  • As facilitator you need to get to know participants and have   them know you better.

• So What’s the “Ice”?

   

  When designing your ice breaker, think about the “ice” that needs   to be broken.

   

  If you are bringing together like-minded people, the “ice” may   simply reflect the fact that people have not yet met.

   

  If you are bringing together people of different grades and levels   in your organization for an open discussion, the “ice” may come   from the difference in status between participants.

   

  If you are bringing together people of different backgrounds,   cultures and outlooks for work within your community, then the   “ice” may come from people’s perceptions of each other.

   

  You’ll need to handle these differences sensitively. Only focus on   what’s important to your event. (Remember, you want to break some   ice for your event, not uncover the whole iceberg, or bring about   world peace!)

   

  And as you move on to design and facilitate the event, it’s always   best to focus on similarities (rather than differences), such as a   shared interest in the event’s outcome.

• Example Ice Breakers

   

  There are many types of ice breakers, each suited to different   types of objectives. Here we look at a few of the more popular   types of ice breakers and how they can be used.
• Introductory Ice Breakers
    Introductory ice breakers are used to introduce participants to   each other and to facilitate conversation amongst the   participants.
• The Little Known Fact: Ask participants to share their name,   department or role in the organization, length of service, and one   little known fact about themselves.
• True or False: Ask your participants to introduce themselves and   make three or four statements about themselves, one of which is   false. Now get the rest of the group to vote on which fact is   false.
   
    As well as getting to know each other as individuals, this ice   breaker helps to start interaction within the group.
• Interviews: Ask participants to get into twos. Each person then   interviews his or her partner for a set time while paired up. When   the group reconvenes, each person introduces their interviewee to   the rest of the group.
• Problem Solvers: Ask participants to work in small groups. Create   a simple problem scenario for them to work on in a short time.   Once the group have analyzed the problem and prepared their   feedback, ask each group in turn to present their analysis and   solutions to the wider group.
• Team-Building Ice Breakers
   Team-building ice breakers are used to bring together individuals   who are in the early stages of team building. This can help the   people start working together more cohesively towards shared goals   or plans.

• The Human Web: This ice breaker focuses on how people in the group   inter-relate and depend on each other.

   

  The facilitator begins with a ball of yarn. Keeping one end, pass   the ball to one of the participants, and the person to introduce   him- or her-self and their role in the organization. Once this   person has made their introduction, ask him or her to pass the   ball of yarn on to another person in the group. The person handing   over the ball must describe how he/she relates (or expects to   relate) to the other person. The process continues until everyone   is introduced.

   

  To emphasis the interdependencies amongst the team, the   facilitator then pulls on the starting thread and everyone's hand   should move.
• Ball Challenge: This exercise creates a simple, timed challenge   for the team to help focus on shared goals, and also encourages   people to include other people.
   
   The facilitator arranges the group in a circle and asks each   person to throw the ball across the circle, first announcing his   or her own name, and then announcing the name of the person to   whom they are throwing the ball (the first few times, each person   throws the ball to someone whose name they already know.) When   every person in the group has thrown the ball at least once, it’s   time to set the challenge – to pass the ball around all group   members as quickly as possible. Time the process, then ask the   group to beat that timing. As the challenge progresses, the team   will improve their process, for example by standing closer   together. And so the group will learn to work as a team.
• Hope, Fears and Expectations: Best done when participants already   have a good understanding of their challenge as a team. Group   people into 2s or 3s, and ask people to discuss their expectations   for the event or work ahead, then what they fears and their hopes.   Gather the group’s response by collating 3-4 hopes, fears and   expectation from pairing or threesome.
• Topic exploration ice breakers
   Topic exploration ice breakers can be used to explore the topic at   the outset, or perhaps to change pace and re-energize people   during the even.
• Word association: This ice breaker helps people explore the   breadth of the area under discussion. Generate a list of words   related to the topic of your event or training. For example, in a   health and safety workshop, ask participants what words or phrases   come to mind relating to "hazardous materials". Participants may   suggest: 'danger,' 'corrosive,' 'flammable,' 'warning,' 'skull and   crossbones,' etc. Write all suggestions on the board, perhaps   clustering by theme. You can use this opportunity to introduce   essential terms and discuss the scope (what’s in and what’s out)   of your training or event.
• Burning questions: This ice breaker gives each person the   opportunity to ask key questions they hope to cover in the event   or training. Again you can use this opportunity to discuss key   terminology and scope. Be sure to keep the questions and refer   back to them as the event progresses and concludes.
• Brainstorm: Brainstorming can be used as an ice breaker or   re-energizer during an event. If people are getting bogged down in   the detail during problem solving, for example, you can change   pace easily by running a quick-fire brainstorming session. If you   are looking for answers to customer service problems, try   brainstorming how to create problems rather than solve them. This   can help people think creatively again and gives the group a boost   when energy levels are flagging.

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