Icebreakers are training games that will build trust and provide a contextual learning opportunity in your trainings while generating lots of fun.

Icebreakers are training games

that trainers play to :

• Make introductions in trainings interesting.
• Help participants to remember each other well.
• Provide forgetful participants a variety of ways to remember the names of their colleagues
• Enhance the fun factor in learning the names of colleagues.
• Make diffident people - the endangered species in an organisation - comfortable and confident to interact with others. (Do you remember any such incident when the trainer made you feel comfortable? Share you story with us in the form at the end of this page).
• Provides opportunity to particpants to gain and hone their listening skills. A very important skill in an organisation. Effective listening makes for excellent interpersonal skills which inturn increases productivity.
• Provides participants the opportunity to learn to communicate effectively both verbally and non-verbally. Once again a very important set of skills to become an effective communicator.
• Creates an atmosphere for collaborative learning.

Refer to the Training Games page for some basic rules on facilitation

Refer to Introductions Icebreaker for a brand new Icebreaker

Let's now look at the first of the icebreakers on this page.

Icebreaker 1: Adjective game:

1. Everybody is going to take turns - go round robin - in saying their names preceded by adjectives for themselves. The condition is that the adjectives will begin with the same letter as their first names. For instance if I am a participant, when it is my turn to introduce myself, I would say 'lovely Leena'.

2. Add a twist to the game. From the second person onwards, the introduction will be preceded by the repeating the introduction of the first person. For instance if the person before me introduced herself as 'Pretty Pia', I will introduce myself as 'pretty Pia', 'lovely Leena'. Clarifying further, if there were four people ahead of me, I would introduce myself after I have repeated their introductions of themselves. This might look like 'beautiful Betty', 'gorgeous Gina', 'pretty Pia' 'lovely Leena'.

3. Complicate the game further. The introductions will take place while all participants are clapping. The clapping continues till all participants have introduced themselves. This forces participants to listen carefully while enjoying themselves.

Let's look at the second of the icebreakers

Icebreaker 2: Find a person who...:

This is played with a questionnaire.

When participants are not familiar with each other a questionnaire with a list of 10 questions is given to each participant. The participant is expected to find as many participants as possible who fit the descriptions in the list.

As they find people who fit the bill they have to write their names against the question. One name cannot be repeated across questions. Each participant has to go around asking these question from as many participants as possible. Participants cannot loudly volunteer information. Answers have to be furnished in one-to-one mode.

Sample questions for this training game.

Find a Person Who…another training game.

1. Has the same zodiac sign as yours.
2. Participated in a TV show.
3. Plays a musical instrument.
4. Has drawn water from a well.
5. Writes / has written articles for magazines
6. Loves to sing
7. Has an insect for a pet.
8. Has been to a foreign country.
9. Has reading as a hobby.
10. Has called up for participation in a game show.

Let's look at the third of the Icebreakers.

Icebreaker 3: Spider web

This game is played with a ball of wool. The first person keeps one end of the wool in her hand introduces herself and gives one piece of information about herself that she believes is unusual.She then throws the ball of wool to any other person in the circle. The second person in turn holds the string does a similatr self-introduction and throws the ball again. Finally a spider web is formed with the wool. After every one has finished, the web is unraveled by backtracking. The person who throws the ball of wool back recalls the name of the person to whom the ball of wool is thrown back.

Let's look at the fourth of the Icebreakers.

Icebreaker 4: 'Pop the question'

As participants walk in they are asked to deposit two-three personal but common knick-knacks like rings (not wedding rings), pens, watches etc. into a tray, with the assurance that they will get it back within an hour's time. When the session starts the participants are asked to go to the tray and pick up three knick-knacks that do not belong to them. Having done that they have to go around and find the three people to whom the knick-knacks belong. In the process they have to find the name of the person they are talking to before popping the question of whether the knick-knack belongs to the person or not. This way participants will get to know at least four or five people.

Have you had an unforgettable experience when a trainer made it easy for you to participate? Share your experience below

How were you made to feel comfortable?

Very often in workshops most people are uncomfortable and hesitate to speak up or speak out. They feel endangered. You have probably felt the same. Do you remember what the trainer or the facilitator did to make you feel comfortable? Share your experience here. This will help us design better activities to involve participants in trainings. Take this opportunity and give feedback to trainer.

Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...

If you want to explore another variety of games go to the games for kids page.

Also get a monthly e-zine 'Stories for EL' free for stories that you can use to emphasise experiential learning. Stories and their lessons are easily remembered.

They can also be used to communicate a concept effectively. They add the 'aha' or 'Eureka' or 'got it' factor to presentations and lectures. They are great tools to use in debriefs of training games and learning games, to drive home a crucial point.

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