In group activities, icebreakers are those fun, energizing activities, which allow the participants in the group to get to know each other. They can also be used to introduce a topic, to facilitate teamwork, to get people engaged in a program, to loosen them up to start sharing feelings and ideas, or simply just for fun!

As the name suggests, an icebreaker session is designed to “break the ice” at an event or meeting.

What is the ice that needs to be broken?

• They haven’t met each other before
• They have never worked with you before as a leader, teacher, or trainer
• They have never worked together on a project before
• They come from different levels or have a different status in an organization (i.e. management, employees, teacher, students)
• The group is not united and you need to break down inhibitions so they can bond together
• The participants come from different backgrounds, cultures, perspectives, or have different perceptions of others in the group

Keys to Success

• Simple
• Non-threatening
• Open ended
• Relevent
• Energizing

Simple
Your icebreaker needs to be simple enough for everyone to understand with a minimum of explanation. The simpler, the better. Many icebreakers fail because the instructions are too complicated and people have trouble understanding what they are supposed to do.
Is it easy for the participants to understand what they are supposed to do?

Non-threatening
Icebreakers should not make people feel uncomfortable. Most people aren’t willing to share their deepest feelings with strangers. That’s too personal. The best icebreakers, get the participants to engage each other at a simple level without revealing their life stories or things that are very personal.
Will the participants be comfortable with participating or contributing? How are the participants likely to react to the activity?

Open ended
There should be a variety of levels of response so that the uniqueness of individuals is allowed to be expressed. Through discovery they will often find that they are not so unique after all – that they do share something in common with others in the group.
Does it open up possibilities and establish a common playing field or does it stifle the group, close off the options, and reinforce the barriers?

Relevent
Choose an icebreaker that meets the needs of the group and contributes toward the purpose of the meeting. That purpose could be as simple as the introduction of strangers to each other or to get the participants to begin thinking about a specific topic.
Will participants feel that it is appropriate and worthwhile?

Energizing
Design your Icebreaker to energize. It should excite the group according to their level of activity. Highly physical activity might be appropriate for some groups while for other groups it may tire them out before you even start! Laughter, fun, creativity, and intellectual stimulation are almost always energizing!
Will they have fun and enjoy the activity?

With these keys, you can avoid the SNOREs of boredom in your next icebreaker!

Icebreakers Ahead: Take It To the Next Level

This 170 page resource not only provides 52 of the world’s most popular group icebreaker activities and games, but also includes lesson ideas and discussion questions to smoothly transition into conversations about the issues common to most groups.

Click here to find out how to get your hands on this incredible resource!