Archive for the ‘Ice Breaker Articles’ Category

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Here's a Really Brilliant Ice breaker Idea for Back to School

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Many years ago when I was starting out in my career I worked for an adventure centre for children and young adults. The first evening was always given over to a session of Ice Breaker Games.

This was the first time I had ever come across such a concept, but since then, I have used ice breaker games to great effect in a myriad of jobs, places, meetings, training sessions, conferences, parties and corporate and social gatherings.

Ice breaker games are brilliant for breaking down barriers quickly and for helping people feel at ease with each other. Used correctly they can rapidly create an atmosphere of fun and expectation.

At the adventure centre, kids would often turn up to programs not knowing many people and some not knowing any at all. They could be anxious and excited; but some were also reluctant and detached. Our job was to ease them into the programme, allowing a sense of fun, trust and anticipation to build. We did this through the use of ice breaker games.

We started the evening seated in a circle and the instructors would always join in as equals. First we would start with a simple name game: “Hello my name is Sharon and I like tennis” and on it would go around the circle with everyone trying their best to remember people’s names. The ice breaker was simple and non-threatening and even the most reluctant could join in.

The next game might involve working in pairs spending a few minutes getting to know each other and then introducing each other to the group.

Gradually the group began to feel more at ease with each other, and began to trust us, the leaders.  From this point on, and sensing the mood in the group, we could start to include more physical and ambitious games.

The key is to start with simple, non-threatening ice breaker games and gradually build up the complexity or outrageousness as the group allows. Once the ice is broken the group will look forward readily to the main topic of the day.

There are literally thousands of ice breaker games and ideas that can help you get your next event off to a flying start; whether you are looking for a quick ice breaker to inject a bit of fun into a meeting before the more serious business begins or you are looking for a party ice breaker to transform your event into the next sizzling sizzling show stopper!

Check-out the ice breaker ideas web-site for more fun than you can handle!

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New school? New term? New Students? The new school year is nearly upon us. How do you get those kids integrated and off to an enthusiastic flying start? By careful selection and use of back to school ice breaker games. Here's a selection:

Balloon Game

Depending on their age the classic game with the balloons is an absolute favourite with younger kids;  it’s fun, inexpensive and physical and helps reduce anxieties. Have enough balloons on strings for every child to have 2 balloons. Tie each balloon to children's ankles. Make sure the area is safe - lawn or grass is best in case they fall over their strings. Each child has to try and burst another child's ballooon whilst protecting their own. The last child with a balloon remaining is the winner!

Yarn Game

This game is suitable for adults as well as children - just change the questions.

You will need a large ball of yarn and have the class sitting in a circle. Hold onto the end of the yarn and throw the ball to a student. You then ask them a getting to know you question like; where do you live or what is your favourite color, animal, toy, movie etc.  They answer the question and then hold the yarn and then throw the ball to another student and asks them a question. Make sure everyone hold onto the yarn and does not let go. At the end you will have a giant web of yarn that connects the whole class. Explain that whilst we are all individuals we are still connected in some way to each other.

Niceties

This is a great ice breaker for groups who know each other.

Tape a  piece of flip chart paper onto each person’s back. Each person writes something they like about the person who’s paper they are writing on. Even if they don’t know each other very well, they can find something nice to write on the paper…ie, nice hair, great smile, warm and friendly etc. When they read the nice comments they will be ecstatic and it teaches the importance of small niceties and how good it feels to give and receive compliments.

Ice breaker games have been continually used by professional trainers, teachers and group leaders for many years. They are one of the best and most fun ways of "breaking the ice", opening up groups and preparing the group for the main part of any event. Sharon Naylor has been a proponent of ice breaker games for all her career; ever since she took part in an ice breaker! For more fantastic ice breaker ideas to speed up that getting to know you stage for back-to-school classes and any other groups check-out her ice breaker ideas web-site NOW

 

 

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Here's a couple more fantastic Back to School Ice Breaker Games. They are sure to set your new school term alight!

1.Make 2 circles - an inner and an outer circle where they are facing each other. Have students introduce themselves and say one thing they like to do. After these introductions rotate the inner circle by moving one seat to the left. The outer circle stays as it is. Repeat the process but this time have the outer circle move the opposite way .

2.Get each person to write down one thing that is true about themselves and 2 things that are false. Find a partner and swap facts. Each have to guess the true fact. After a few minutes swap partners.

Examples could be:

• I rode an ostrich
• I have a pet duck called Binky
• I have never been on an aeroplane

Make back to school days fun and exciting this year!  Don't be boring this new school year - get your pupils hyped, excited and firing on all cylinders!  More fantastic back to school ice breakers, games and ideas can be found in our Ice Breaker Youth Collection - ready to go NOW!

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Starting a new school year is probably the most important 

time of the school year. It's when you meet new classes

and establish a firm relationship for the rest of the

school year. Start as you mean to go on; establish new

relationships quickly and get kids looking forward to the

rest of what's on offer!

Here's a simple back to school ice breaker:

 It's a snowball fight! On the first day of school everyone writes three

facts about themselves on a piece of paper. Make sure they don't write their

names and make sure every one is wearing a name tag! Crumple the paper into

balls and throw them around. Everyone grabs one. Each person reads one out

and guesses who wrote it. It's fun and you get to know a bit more about each

other.

Find more fantastic Back to School Ice Breakers, games and ideas in our

Youth Ice Breakers Collection. With more than 30 years of working with youth groups

you're bound to find new and novel ways to get your kids inspired and

excited and eager to hear what you have to say next!

Take a look at our youth ice breaker collection and web-site Now!

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The Ripple Effect Ice Breaker

Here's a great fun ice breaker suitable for teenagers or youth groups. It's high energy and therefore suitable as a warm-up or wake-up exercise.

Get everyone to sit in a circle with one person standing in the middle. On command you will say to the group "move to the left" or "move to the right". Everyone will move seats in unison and the job of the person in the middle is to get a seat. When they finally get a seat, the ousted person goes in the middle and they then repeat the process to try and get a seat.

It can be quite rowdy so careful adjudiaction is needed!

Get a shed load of ice breakers for teenagers on the ice-breaker-ideas web-site

Sharon Naylor is passionate about ice breaker games for work, play, parties, meetings, groups and clubs. Ice breaker games and energisers inject a sense of fun into gatherings, speed up that getting to know you stage and get people ready to face the rest of the event with high energy and expectation. For more brilliant ice breaker ideas that you can use with your own groups and teams visit the ice breaker ideas web-site.



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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

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It never ceases to amaze me the numerous uses of ice breaker games.

Just lately, I have been corresponding with a lady who is part of a ministry team and she has been using our collection of ice breaker games for monthly church meetings and functions. The Christian ladies bring guests to their functions and "ice breakers are a great fun way to get acquainted and make everyone feel comfortable and welcomed."  They particularly like the quick and easy ice breakers and have gradually worked their way through the books.

As I am always on the look out for great ice breakers I pass them on when I hear of a good one - so send me your suggestions and I will pass them on to the good folks at the ministry!

In the meantime if you would like to make your groups feel comfortable and welcomed please visit our web-site ice-breaker-ideas.com for great ice breaking games and ideas to instantly download.

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Our kids have just gone back to school today. In some ways it's great but in other ways I love the lack of structure during the holidays. I wonder how they are getting on? New teachers, new school mates? I wonder if they will have an inspiring Induction Week  like some of the schools who are customers of our team building company?

Many schools hire us to go in and run a team building day or ice breaker sessions during their back to school induction weeks. I think these schools are very lucky that their teachers take the beginning of the school year seriously enough to want to set the right tone for the school year ahead.

Running a great ice breaker session at the start of Induction Week can help pupils settle in quickly and look forward to the school year ahead with purpose and commitment. It's also great to see teachers as well as students in a relaxed and fun-filled mood. Having fun together creates a great atmosphere and helps to prepare pupils for the tasks ahead.

We always start an ice breaker session with everyone sitting or standing  in a circle. Generally we don't use tables for most of our events and you might need to move the tables aside -it creates a more inclusive and relaxed atmosphere.

A Quick Ice Breaker:

Introduce yourself and say one thing you like and one thing you dislike. Then ago around the circle and ask everyone in turn to offer their likes and dislikes. You will learn quite a bit about your pupils from this simple ice breaker.

Next move on to something a bit more challenging. Tell them what your goals are for the school year (briefly - no more than 1 minute!) and then ask them to think about what they might like to achieve within the school year. Ask them to write it down and then go around and ask for contributions. You may have to tease it out of them as they may well have not really thought about this before. You might want to keep these goals and put them to together perhaps on display in the classroom. You might also want to re-vist these goals regularly to see if you and your students are on track to achieving them. Students should be able to change goals or set new goals and help each other with their goals.

 Imagine what a great celebration it would be to see all your students achieve their goals at the end of the school year. You could create your own mini class achievement ceremony.

Learn how to run a great ice breaker session at your induction week by visiting our ice breaker ideas web-site. We have lots of great youth group icebreakers to make your back to school induction weeks inspirational and fun-filled for all!