no matter the subject area. Used most often in the early sessions of a multisession course, icebreakers can help participants get to know one another and the facilitator, and create a relaxed and trusting atmosphere. They help develop group cohesion and trust while lessening learner anxiety.1
Most often, icebreakers are content-free activities, meaning they are not tied to the specific session objectives. Besides being fun and interactive2, they can:
- Set the tone for the training—“This is going to be fun after all.”
- Indicate the responsibility for the learning—“It looks like I'm going to have to get involved.”
- Communicate what kind of training it will be—“This is going to be an engaging and participatory experience.”
The following guidelines can help you plan for using icebreakers in a training session:
- Use icebreakers that are positive and set people up to succeed; conversely, avoid icebreakers that might cause people to become embarrassed or fail at the task.
- Start with icebreakers that do not push people too much beyond what they are comfortable with in the beginning of training.
- Ensure the activities are unbiased from cultural, gender, age, and socioeconomic perspectives.
- Make sure the directions for the icebreakers are clear and concise.
- Use humor judiciously. Humor can be a great tool for helping participants relax; however, facilitators should remember that what is funny and in good fun to one person might be offensive and alienating to another. Jokes as icebreakers, therefore, should be avoided altogether.
- Even though icebreakers are content-free, there should still be transitions from these to the core of the training. Facilitators can ask participants to reflect on the icebreakers and share the reasons the training session began with such an activity.
Finally, while icebreakers can help get training off to an energetic start, it’s important that they do not take up too much time relative to the content that is planned. Icebreakers that drag on too long lose the energy they were intended to create. Also, many adult learners will view icebreakers as a waste of time regardless of the amount of fun they and others have. For these reasons, set some limits when selecting or developing icebreakers for a training session.
Many books and other resources contain training ideas that can be used as icebreakers. Here are a few that have been used in financial education classes:
General Description of the Activity and Instructions for Facilitating
And Now I’d Like To Introduce…3
Materials Needed: Pencils/pens and note card or paper for taking notes
About the Icebreaker: Each participant pairs up with another whom they do not know. The facilitator explains that instead of people introducing themselves, they will introduce their partners.
1. Instruct partners to interview each other. Explain that the notes from the interview will provide the foundation for the introduction of the partner.
2. The facilitator should provide a list of questions that people should be prompted to ask, such as:
- Where are you from?/Where do you live?
- IDA goal?
- What is interesting about you that not many people know?
- If all your living expenses were paid for, how would you spend your time?
3. The facilitator should give the group 5 minutes for the pairs partners to interview each other (the facilitator should instruct participants to switch interviewer/interviewee status after two and a half minutes).
4. Facilitators should ask partners to volunteer to do the introduction and instruct them to start by saying “And now I’d like to introduce…”
5. After everyone is finished, ask people to share what they learned about the other participants in the group.
And a Lie4
Materials Needed: Half a sheet of flip chart/newsprint paper and a marker for each participant.
About the Icebreaker: Participants introduce themselves by stating their names and then three truths about themselves and one lie. They do not share which statements are true or which is the lie. The other participants then guess which statement is the lie.
1. Instruct parti