Free Team Building Ice Breakers And Games!
What to use when?
Ice breakers are an instinctive part of human behavior. You already do it. You tell jokes, share personal stories, and celebrate big life moments. *They: - Add emotional value
- Encourage self-disclosure
- Bring out humor
- Cultivate respect
- Illicit opinion, thought and creativity
“A waste of time,” I can here you argue. “I don’t need this to create meaningful participation.” This may be so – but your staff certainly do need it. And building a team is not about you. It’s about the team. The right exercises cultivate connectedness, diffuse tense situations, and add lightness to serious situations or discussion. If you want something to grow – create laughter. At the height of laughter, the universe is flung into a kaleidoscope of new possibilities. ~Jean Houston I mean, why wouldn’t you want that? Games to break ice are just one experiential learning technique.
If you want to understand what is needed to catalyze change and growth, then you’ll take the time to understand experiential learning. Every great leader needs to teach. Every great teacher is a student.The right activity brings the whole human being into the room. This will integrate left/right brain thinking in no time. Think of all the money, time and energy you can save by the simple act of bringing the whole mind into high active mode. Added benefits: - This valuable time can be used to assess group dynamic and the emotional state of team members.
- You can determine knowledge, current trends, patterns and perceptions.
- You’ll tap into the openness and willingness of everyone to engage in the session.
- Underlying disturbers in the room likely to block progress are often highlighted in the few minutes it takes to play the game.
Anytime games...
...can be used to energize, relax, ease tension, create laughter or focus a group. A relaxed group makes for faster absorption of new ideas; a willingness to receive feedback and a greater ability to integrate change.
Team building...
...will specifically help the group to learn more about each other, explore roles, and dynamics and experiment with problem solving and communication methods.In any team building session, you want to asses the atmosphere of the group and the individuals in the first fifteen minutes. Introduction icebreaker games are useful for the check-in process.
Meeting ice breakers...
...need to be short and to the point. Building team work doesn’t happen at team building sessions. It’s what happens in between, everyday that counts. And meetings are one of the places that team work is unconsciously undone.Sales meeting ice breakers build energy, winning mind and achievement mindsets. Blair Singer says in sales ‘Highest energy wins’
Presentation and Training ice breakers...
...specifically assist the learning process. They can introduce new content and assist in developing experiential learning.Especially if you have a high information, content based delivery. Most people do not have long concentration spans. You need to create activities to draw the physical and emotional body in.
Strangers?
A networking introducer game can be used to interact with strangers in the course of daily interaction. Games for strangers can decrease the time it takes to take down defenses in a meeting or workshop. The less defenses the higher the creativity and productivity levels. Create openness and trust in the first 5 minutes.
Large group ice breakers vs. for small groups ...
...vs. for one person. The same games with slightly different rules or structures can be used equally well in different situations. For eg. in a large group a simple sign language symbol can help maintain control of a room when you play a game that excites the emotions in the room. In a small group, you'll face the opposite challenge. There will be some inhibition and they might need a little encouragement.
Ice breakers for teenagers and Ice breakers for kids...
Building teams in families, classrooms, sports teams or hobby based activities with teenagers or children requires a different strategy. Young children have different a different set of affective and cognitive set of needs to adolescents. And adolescents have a set of needs that are complex. You'll need to study teenage behaviors if you work with this group.
Free ice breakers activities...
...Energizers or fun ice breakers to create laughter or lift the energy in the room.Games to introduce topics and encourage openness and sharing. Games for all personality or learning types like conservative or stiff suity types or creative arty types. Indoor team building and outdoor team building
Fruit Salad - introducer game
Facilitator Tips
Question to ask yourself as a facilitator or team leader...What overall outcome would I like to achieve? What are the specific outcomes? Who are the participants? What are their needs? Comfort zones? Channel of learning? What is the most appropriate technique? Will the exercise I am choosing add value or distract from the end result? Is the energy created from the exercise the best energy for the exercise that follows? What does the space, group size and other conditions going to allow? How will know that the exercise is working or not working? What safety mechanisms need to be in place? Will I follow with any questions or discussion? What could go wrong?
Quick guide to team building games and activities
* According to The Big Book Of Ice Breakers page xi
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