Ice breakers and energizers are techniques used to encourage participants to interact with each other. Ice breakers allow participants to ‘warm up’ at the beginning of the workshop and get to know each other. Energizers are important to keep participants alert. Use energizers after lunch and/or after a boring presentation!
Tagging
Tagging allows participants to ‘tag’ themselves with three words that describe them professionally or personally. These are written on a sheet of paper and pinned to themselves. Everyone spends about ten minutes mingling and talking about each other’s ‘tags’ and forming clusters of groups with similar tags.
Human spectogram
Human spectogram is useful as an ice breaker, energizer and evaluation mechanism. Place coloured tape on the floor in an open area.
Mark one end as ‘Strongly agree’ and the opposite end as ‘Strongly disagree’. Then read out short statements and ask the participants to place themselves along the tape, or ‘spectogram’, according to how they feel about the statement. They should stand closer to the ends if they have strong opinions and closer to the middle if they
feel less strongly.
The facilitator questions people along the line, asking them why they are standing where they are. Enthusiasm is encouraged in describing positioning, and listeners are encouraged to shift their position on the spectrogram as points are made that alter their thinking on the question. The activity is more fun if the statements are controversial or extreme, yet rather vague and ambiguous, encouraging participants to interpret the statements in whatever way they wish. The results often produce conversation among the participants and a good ‘mapping’ of the topics and opinions that people want to explore and discuss.
Mark one end as ‘Strongly agree’ and the opposite end as ‘Strongly disagree’. Then read out short statements and ask the participants to place themselves along the tape, or ‘spectogram’, according to how they feel about the statement. They should stand closer to the ends if they have strong opinions and closer to the middle if they
feel less strongly.
The facilitator questions people along the line, asking them why they are standing where they are. Enthusiasm is encouraged in describing positioning, and listeners are encouraged to shift their position on the spectrogram as points are made that alter their thinking on the question. The activity is more fun if the statements are controversial or extreme, yet rather vague and ambiguous, encouraging participants to interpret the statements in whatever way they wish. The results often produce conversation among the participants and a good ‘mapping’ of the topics and opinions that people want to explore and discuss.
Who am I?
The “Who am I” ice breaker is good for getting people to talk to on another. Write down names
of 30 famous people on post-it notes and put one on each person’s forehead – without letting them see the name. Then people mingle and pose ‘yes or no’ questions to other participants to figure out who they are.
of 30 famous people on post-it notes and put one on each person’s forehead – without letting them see the name. Then people mingle and pose ‘yes or no’ questions to other participants to figure out who they are.
Share one fact about yourself
Each person stands up and shares one fact about themselves.
State of mind
This quick feedback/evaluation method is useful at the end of a learning event or workshop.
Ask the participants to express their state of mind by completing one or more of these phrases:
Ask the participants to express their state of mind by completing one or more of these phrases:
- I am shocked…
- I am amazed…
- I am mildly surprised…
- I am disappointed…
- I am depressed that…
- I am so bored hearing about…
- I am delighted that…
