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Icebreakers and games
Icebreaker – Alphabet
                                              search
The game:
Divide yourselves into small groups.

Instructions:
Search your person for objects that you have on you or
with you ranging from A-Z. Make a list. First group to get
all 26 letters represented wins.

Tips:
You can play with finding things in the space you are in.
Icebreaker – Lined Up
                                              (verbal)
STEP 1

Instructions:
Get up out of your seats. I will ask you to line up in
different orders.

Example:
Street address numbers – chronologically, shoe
size, birthdays
Icebreaker – Lined Up
                                       (non-verbal)
STEP 2

Now we will do the exercise non-verbally. You are not
allowed to talk!

Example:
Age and Height and Shades of your shirts, blouse or top
of your dress; lightest to darkest colors.
Icebreaker – Ha!

Description:
This exercise is to pass the word 'ha' around a circle.

Instructions:
Form a circle. The objective of this activity is, without
laughing, to pass the word "ha" around the circle. I will
designate one participant to be the head of the circle.
That participant begins by saying "ha". The person sitting
to his or her right must repeat the "ha" and then say
another "ha." The third person must say ha ha and then
given an additional "ha."
Icebreaker – Ha! Yuck!

Variations:
Use another word in place of "ha." For example: "yuck,"
"har," or "tee hee."

Instructions:
Repeat the "ha's" stopping only to let the person whose
turn it is pipe in with his or her own. You can continue the
exercise for five minutes regardless of how many times
the "ha's" go around the circle.
Game - Listening

Description:
Three people sit in chairs facing the audience. They act as
if they have one mind between them (i.e. they cross their
legs at the same time and mirror each other’s
movements as close as possible).

They are The Caregiver Expert a being with three bodies
but only one mind. A being three times smarter than
anyone else in the room. As such an intellectual
powerhouse The Caregiver Expert can answer all
questions.
Game - Listening

The game begins by getting a question from the
audience. The three people answer the question by
speaking one word per person to form sentences. After
the third person speaks the third word the answer can
continue with the first person speaking another word and
so forth untill the question is answered.

The only goal is to listen to the person before and answer
quickly. Example of an audience question: Why is the sky
blue?
The Caregiver Expert :
The - sky - is - blue - because - it - is - not - green.
Game - Paper-Tearing

Description:
We are going to play a game that will show us some
important things about communication. Pick up your
sheet of paper and hold it in front of you. Now, close your
eyes and follow the directions I will give you—and no
peeking! Participants cannot ask questions.
Game - Paper-Tearing

Instruction:
1. “The first thing I want you to do is to fold your
   sheet of paper in half.
2. Now tear off the upper right-hand corner.
3. Fold it in half again and tear off the upper left
   hand corner of the sheet.
4. Fold it in half again. Now tear off the lower right-
   hand corner of the sheet.”
       Now open your eyes, and let’s see what you have. If I
       did a good job of communicating and you did a good
       job of listening, all of our sheets should look the same!
       Hold your sheet up for them to see.
Game - Ten-Dollar Auction

Instruction:
FIRST, I will be auctioning off a 20 Baht bill.
The bidding begins at 10 Baht, and yes, I really will be
giving out the money, no matter how low the highest
bid.
The game continues until I call out “Going, going, gone”.

SECOND, I am conducting the auction again.

This time, the two highest bidders (the winner AND the
runner-up) must BOTH pay out their bids, regardless of
the winner.
Game - Ten-Dollar Auction

The Point: Competition has a price. In our effort to beat out our
rivals (often co-workers), we can easily fall into behaviour that
disregards cost and time efficiency.

20 Baht has a clear monetary value of exactly 20 Baht in an even-
tempered, thoughtful business environment.

Once competition is added to the mix, however, the atmosphere
becomes more charged and the opportunity increases for hasty and
imprudent decision-making. A 20 Baht bill, in this short-
sighted, antagonistic environment, now gets purchased at 40, or
60, or even 100 Baht sometimes! P

People lose sight of what a $10 bill really is; namely, a $10 bill!

Icebreakers and games for training and workshops - My website moved now to Boxolog.com

  • 1.
    Or on socialmedia: Twitter @fredhaentjens linkedin.com/in/fhaentjens Facebook.com/fredhaentjens Icebreakers and games
  • 2.
    Icebreaker – Alphabet search The game: Divide yourselves into small groups. Instructions: Search your person for objects that you have on you or with you ranging from A-Z. Make a list. First group to get all 26 letters represented wins. Tips: You can play with finding things in the space you are in.
  • 3.
    Icebreaker – LinedUp (verbal) STEP 1 Instructions: Get up out of your seats. I will ask you to line up in different orders. Example: Street address numbers – chronologically, shoe size, birthdays
  • 4.
    Icebreaker – LinedUp (non-verbal) STEP 2 Now we will do the exercise non-verbally. You are not allowed to talk! Example: Age and Height and Shades of your shirts, blouse or top of your dress; lightest to darkest colors.
  • 5.
    Icebreaker – Ha! Description: Thisexercise is to pass the word 'ha' around a circle. Instructions: Form a circle. The objective of this activity is, without laughing, to pass the word "ha" around the circle. I will designate one participant to be the head of the circle. That participant begins by saying "ha". The person sitting to his or her right must repeat the "ha" and then say another "ha." The third person must say ha ha and then given an additional "ha."
  • 6.
    Icebreaker – Ha!Yuck! Variations: Use another word in place of "ha." For example: "yuck," "har," or "tee hee." Instructions: Repeat the "ha's" stopping only to let the person whose turn it is pipe in with his or her own. You can continue the exercise for five minutes regardless of how many times the "ha's" go around the circle.
  • 7.
    Game - Listening Description: Threepeople sit in chairs facing the audience. They act as if they have one mind between them (i.e. they cross their legs at the same time and mirror each other’s movements as close as possible). They are The Caregiver Expert a being with three bodies but only one mind. A being three times smarter than anyone else in the room. As such an intellectual powerhouse The Caregiver Expert can answer all questions.
  • 8.
    Game - Listening Thegame begins by getting a question from the audience. The three people answer the question by speaking one word per person to form sentences. After the third person speaks the third word the answer can continue with the first person speaking another word and so forth untill the question is answered. The only goal is to listen to the person before and answer quickly. Example of an audience question: Why is the sky blue? The Caregiver Expert : The - sky - is - blue - because - it - is - not - green.
  • 9.
    Game - Paper-Tearing Description: Weare going to play a game that will show us some important things about communication. Pick up your sheet of paper and hold it in front of you. Now, close your eyes and follow the directions I will give you—and no peeking! Participants cannot ask questions.
  • 10.
    Game - Paper-Tearing Instruction: 1.“The first thing I want you to do is to fold your sheet of paper in half. 2. Now tear off the upper right-hand corner. 3. Fold it in half again and tear off the upper left hand corner of the sheet. 4. Fold it in half again. Now tear off the lower right- hand corner of the sheet.” Now open your eyes, and let’s see what you have. If I did a good job of communicating and you did a good job of listening, all of our sheets should look the same! Hold your sheet up for them to see.
  • 11.
    Game - Ten-DollarAuction Instruction: FIRST, I will be auctioning off a 20 Baht bill. The bidding begins at 10 Baht, and yes, I really will be giving out the money, no matter how low the highest bid. The game continues until I call out “Going, going, gone”. SECOND, I am conducting the auction again. This time, the two highest bidders (the winner AND the runner-up) must BOTH pay out their bids, regardless of the winner.
  • 12.
    Game - Ten-DollarAuction The Point: Competition has a price. In our effort to beat out our rivals (often co-workers), we can easily fall into behaviour that disregards cost and time efficiency. 20 Baht has a clear monetary value of exactly 20 Baht in an even- tempered, thoughtful business environment. Once competition is added to the mix, however, the atmosphere becomes more charged and the opportunity increases for hasty and imprudent decision-making. A 20 Baht bill, in this short- sighted, antagonistic environment, now gets purchased at 40, or 60, or even 100 Baht sometimes! P People lose sight of what a $10 bill really is; namely, a $10 bill!

Editor's Notes

  • #4 If you have more than 25 then you may want to divide into 2 or more groups.
  • #5 Tip: They will ask you which end should be the highest and which end of the line the lowest ? Let them figure it out. 
  • #6 This activity is generally more effective when used during the later stage of the training program or session. It takes about 7 minutes and is best suited for a group of 20 or less participants.
  • #11 Observe the differences. There will probably be much laughter.Ask the group why no one’s paper matched yours. (You will Probably get responses like “You didn’t let us ask questions!” or“Your directions could be interpreted in different ways.”)Then, lead into a presentation on the need for two-way communication in the workplace.
  • #13 This fun little exercise is quite effective for demonstrating the benefits of internal competition (i.e. employee enthusiasm, energy, adrenaline) and the possible downsides of an adversarial environment (i.e. fiscal irresponsibility and short-sidedness).  It might also just make you a few easy bucks as well.Â