Posts Tagged ‘Ice Breaker games’

Many team building programs start by asking people to introduce themselves. This helps people to relax and to get to know each other quickly and many more meetings, group sessions, training programs and social functions would be much more engaging and enjoyable for the participant if they too were able to experience the magic of a simple ice breaker at the beginning of an event.

• the place where they were born
• their favourite holiday destination
• if you had a $million what would you spend it on?
• favourite food
• hobby

And a bit more daring you could ask people to describe:

• their favourite joke
• if they were an animal what would it be?

These simple techniques bring a bit of fun to the group and allow people to get to know others in a non-threatening way. They give people some basic and interesting information about others in the group, making it easier to make connections and talk together.

It’s easy to make up your own ice breakers too! But for tons of ice breaker ideas for your next meeting, training program, social activity or party check-out our ice breaker ideas web-site for instantly downloadable ice breaker games.

One of the best games I know for youth groups is the “waiting game”! It’s not really a game but is a really powerful tool to use with young people.

When you want to start an activity – and it helps here if you are seated in the same positions for most of the time – and your group is busily chatting to their friends – sit patiently and wait until they are silent. This may take a while to start with, but soon the group will become bored and realise that they are wasting time, and that there are much more interesting and fun things to get on with. Tell the group the game is called the “Waiting Game” and that you will not fight to gain their attention. That is a responsibility that they must take on themselves.

It may be tempting to start with to jump in and tell groups that you are waiting to begin, but stay seated and quiet. Soon the group will realise that that they must take responsibility for their own behaviour, and that it is not up to the leader to control the group. At all times when you are waiting you must be neutral and ignore all questions, comments until they are ready.

You must persevere with this, and gradually the time will lessen every time you meet.

For more amazing youth group icebreakers and games check-out the ice breaker ideas web-site for tons of fun ice breaker games to use with youth groups

Everybody can use ice breaker games!

Games can become a way of life! Once you play ice breaker games with your groups and see them work their magic – they’ll be with you forever and will be an indispensible tool to call upon for all occasions. It’s so useful to be able to play these games, not just for work situations in meetings and for training programs, helping people relax and get to know each other quickly, but in social situations, for parties, youth groups, committee meetings etc.

Who learns how to use and gain the benefits from an ice breaker game? Everyone – business groups, spots clubs, business leaders, conference organisers,college groups, school teachers, guide and scout leaders, social and youth workers, party organisers, church group leaders, families, vouluntary groups etc. etc. The list is endless…

Planning your Christmas party for home, office or club? Then you should think about including an ice breaker game or two. Check-out our ice breaker ideas web-site for tons of fabulous ideas to make your Christmas festivities a time to remember

Why do I love ice breaker games?

• Because they can transform a rather average or dull meeting into something rather special.
• Carefully crafted, an ice breaker can be a brilliant lead in to the main topic of the day
• People learn better when they’re having fun, and an ice breaker should be FUN!
• Ice breakers introduce people to one another in a fun and informal way
• Ice breakers relax people and help them to get to know each other far more quickly than without
• An ice breaker at the beginning of a meeting or conference means people are participating and joining in, they become more engaged than if merely listening
• And once engaged, your participants will be more receptive to your main message of the day
• Once you start using ice breakers you’ll never look back – people will look forward to your next meeting or session with anticipation

Never run a boring meeting or training session again. Set your social functions ablaze and have your audience eating out of your hand. We show you how. Go to our ice breaker ideas web-site for tons of fantastic ice breaker ideas to really set your events on fire!

 ”Who would you do anything to meet?”
   

This interesting ice breaker idea was in the Daily East News, and written by a journalist called Doug Graham – I’m not advocating that you go ahead with the stalking bit but it would make an interesting ice breaker idea!

Inspired by a story about a young Rod Blagojevich, I believe I may have created an icebreaker that will reveal more about your friends than a rousing game of “never have I ever” ever could.

The story goes that the recently graduated Blagojevich, decades away from devastating the state of Illinois with his shady dealings, took a trip with a friend to New York City to see the sights.

Blago, ever the determined young man, decided that the trip would only be complete if he seized the opportunity and hassled one of his personal heroes for an autograph.

The personal hero who Blago sought to meet was none other than Richard M. Nixon.

No matter how deliciously ironic it is that a man destined to be an impeached governor would seek the autograph of an impeached President, that is not what interests me most-it is the method that Blagojevich used to procure the autograph.

He enlisted the help of a friend and at 4:30 a.m. he went to Nixon’s apartment and stood outside of it until the former President came out.

This behavior is creepy and borderline illegal, and while I am usually in favor of scumbags inconveniencing scumbags, Blago’s autograph stalking seemed at first to be too bizarre to ever consider doing.
After much reflection, I’ve begun to see Blagojevich’s logic.

After all, he got what he wanted-an autograph given to him by his hero with photo evidence to prove it. All he had to spend was a few hours of loitering and a few friendship points with his buddy he asked to take the picture.

With this story in mind, the game is this: “Who would you autograph stalk?”

Players of the game must choose a person who they like enough to want to meet, but whose privacy they don’t respect enough to leave alone.

I’ll go first.

I’d autograph stalk Zinadine Zedan – brilliantly ingeneous French footballer and international hero until he head-butted Marco Materazzi in the most talked about incident of the 2006  World Cup, ending in a red card which marred his glorious career. Having seen this incident on TV and incredulously gob-smacked for several minutes – I would want to know why!!

 So “Who would you autograph stalk and why?”

And if you want more ideas on how to excite and challenge your team members, meeting or conference delegates and get them firing on all cylinders, down load ice breaker ideas from our web-site NOW!

Can Serious Business Include Fun?

 Brian Chernett, Founder, The Academy for Chief Executives writes an interesting article:

 
Just the expression ‘serious business’ suggests that we need to have our faces set into a serious expression whilst we embrace the ‘work ethic’ and drive ourselves and our employees into the ground. What if it didn’t have to be that way? What if work was leavened with fun, indeed what if work was fun? How would that be? Would it impact your bottom line? Which way?

Everything starts with the culture of the business and business leaders can help to create a positive culture. In my book, The Entrepreneur Within, I describe it this way…

You may be asking – but does ‘fun’ add to the bottom line? My instinct and my experience is that it does. Creativity and performance are both best generated by a positive and enjoyable work environment. People are more productive when they enjoy what they are doing and/or they enjoy the environment in which they do it. Corporate culture and top management have a leading role in creating an enjoyable work environment.

Having a balanced workplace can help retain people and reduce recruitment costs. It can develop people and maximise return on training and development and make coming to work an enjoyable experience. Happy employees work better and communicate their enjoyment to customers and suppliers – and to anyone they come into contact with.

All of which DOES impact on the bottom line.

I have to say we whole heartedly agree with this view. Put yourself in your employees’ shoes – wouldn’t you prefer a fun environment in which to work – wouldn’t it make you that bit keener to come to work? A bit more loyal? A bit more enthusiastic? More likely to have a smile on your face?

  Create a bit of fun in the office with a few ice breaker games at your next team meeting or just for a bit of morale boosting fun!

Check-out our ice breaker games web-site.

I attended a very good training program last week. The program ended with a little closer that was so simple but so effective. Seated in a circle all participants were given a few post-it notes and asked to write down:

1.           1.Their most memorable moment
2.           2.The main learning point they will take away

In turn the participants were asked to come forward and place their 2 post-it notes on the 2 flipcharts which were headed with the above statements whilst explaining their choices.

Everyone listened intently for funny and meaningful moments on the program; some were moved to tears with some of the insights and thoughtfulness of others. It was a nice way to say thank you publicly to some people and above all it was a very simple exercise that worked very well.

At the end of the closer the tutors had a record of all that was said, ready to take away and record if necessary.

For tons more magical icebreakers, energizers and openers and closers for training and meetings  download our Incredible Ice Breaker Games & Ideas collection for corporate groups. Based on 20 years experience of running excellent team building, training and corporate events – you can’t be without it!

Incredible Ice Breaker Games & Ideas - Corporate Collection

Electrify your events and corporate meetings with our best ever collection of over 50 incredible icebreaker games and ideas. Used the world over for training, away days, team meetings, conferences, fun days and team building.

This time of year we have brilliant fun creating wicked Halloween treasure hunts and spooky night walks. We try to scare the pants off our clients.

And our icebreaker games are hot!hot!hot too!

Check out our fantastic halloween ideas and download for free our “5 Best Halloween games and icebreakers pdf” to include a couple of hot icebreakers, scarecrow competition and “Halloween Howler” treasure hunt. We use them for our clients but you can use them for Halloween parties, kids, youth groups, training, corporate events and team building.

Never be without icebreaker games to make your events sizzle!

Just got back from doing an experiential leadership program at the local university. I really enjoyed it and it was great to be on the other side of the fence – the receiving end for a change.

 To kick-start the program we did an icebreaker outside. It was a version of our “Ball Toss” icebreaker… Everyone stood in a circle and the leader holding a ball, introduced herself. As she threw the ball to someone she asked for their name and on catching it they replied “thanks …..(name) ” and then asked someone else for their name and on it went until everyone had been introduced.

After a full round of introductions we were asked to do it again exactly as we had done before – no prompts this time. As we were going around the circle the leader introduced ball after ball, cuddly toys etc. All you had to do was concentrate on the person who was throwing to you but soon it was chaos and nobody did anything about it. This was the first lesson ….to take responsibility!

The icebreaker worked – everyone had fun and suddenly the tension had disappeared.

For more instantly downloadable icebreaker games and ideas visit the ice-breaker-ideas web-site

Do you bring people together for a reason? Bringing people together and making the reason you bring people together a great success, cannot be left to chance. No matter what your event, whether it be for a party, reunion, corporate function, youth group, sports group or business meeting, using a well chosen ice breaker game can relax people and really get them on your side. So then making the rest of the meeting or event a much easier proposition to handle. When people are enjoying themselves and having fun they are much more amenable!

On Thursday, I am attending a programme for business leaders at my local university. It’s a first meeting for 30 people who don’t know each other and lo and behold we’ve been asked to bring something for an ice breaker we’re going to do – Show and Tell – one of my favourites. It’s so simple and easy;

Show and Tell

Bring an item that represents you and your business and then tell everyone else by way of introduction why the item is so significant

Be ready to be amazed! It’s so quick and easy and will introduce people to one another in a fun way whilst breaking down barriers quickly

There are more free ice breaker games and downloadable collections on our ice breaker ideas web-site.