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Icebreakers, Energizers, and Team Building
HIPPY USA National Conference April 2014 Gweneth Welch HIPPY USA National Trainer Jeffco HIPPY Program Coordinator [email protected]
• Icebreakers can play an important role in helping people integrate and connect with one another in a group environment.
• Enhance your teaching/training by helping to stimulate cooperation and participation.
• Provide positive momentum for small group work through: • Helping a new group get to know one another. • � Helping new members to integrate into a group. • � Helping people feel comfortable together. • � Encouraging cooperation. • � Encouraging listening to others. • � Encouraging working together. • � Encouraging people to break out of their cliques. • � Developing social skills. • � Building a rapport with leaders. • � Creating a good atmosphere for learning and participation.
Why, What and How…..
Icebreakers and you A 10 SECOND CHECK LIST! • Be enthusiastic, whatever happens, be
enthusiastic! • Choose volunteers carefully and don't cause
embarrassment. • �If something is not working move quickly on to
the next activity. • �Timing is important. Don't flog them to death. • Finish each icebreaker while people are still
enjoying it. • �Choose icebreakers appropriate for your group.
No group is the same and your understanding of what will and will not work with your group is a core work skill.
Strategies for • When teambuilding, follow the “Challenge by Choice” rule.
• Every individual has the choice to participate at whatever level she/he feels comfortable.
• Set ground rules!
• These should be discussed and agreed upon by all participants. They will probably include things such as “Do not interrupt,” “Respect the values and beliefs of others,” “Listen when others are speaking,” etc. • Handle any potential safety issues.
• When using activities that require additional equipment and/ or involve lifting people off of the ground, please make sure equipment is in good condition, equipment is handled properly, and individuals have the proper training and supervision necessary to perform the activity safely.
• Use good judgment.
• It is important to provide the group with the proper balance of challenge and support so that they stretch themselves and learn, but also do not become overly frustrated and shut down. Also, when providing additional challenges for the group such as blindfolding one team member, etc., make sure that the individual is comfortable and willing to go this extra step. Nothing should be done at any time to intentionally place a person in a position they do not want to be in.
Follow Up • Process what has just occurred.
• This will allow the group to further identify “lessons learned” from the activity,
• To better understand group dynamics, • And, to assess its strengths, weaknesses, and areas
for improvement related to working as a team.
• Some possible processing questions might include: • Why do you think this was successful? • How did you feel during this activity? • What were some processes your group followed that
supported your team’s success? How can these be transferred to other processes?
• Avoid yes/no questions. • Remind participants to use “I” statements.
Let’s Play-Getting Acquainted Getting To Know You, With Fun! Find four people you don’t know, exchange pleasantries and have them sign your paper. ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ Find someone shorter than you are and play ‘Patty Cake, Patty Cake” have them sign their name. ____________________________________________ Find someone taller than you and ask them for the month and day of their birthday – then sing to them as loud as you can, happy birthday. Have them sign their name. ______________________________________________ Gather four people together – put your arms around each other’s waist and do the “Fight, Fight, Fight” yell. Lean to the left, lean to the right Stand Up straight and Fight, fight, fight Each person initial here: _________ __________ ________ _________ Find a partner and whistle: “I’ve been working on the railroad.” Sign their name ________________________ Find a partner and have them listen to you say “toy boat” ten times. Sign their name______________________________ Have someone watch you do five jumping jacks. Sign their name______________________________
STACKING CUPS
Provide each small
group with string,
rubber bands and
solo cups. The idea is
for the groups to
stack the cups
without touching
them with their hands.
TALLEST/
LONGEST
Teams race to
build the
highest tower
using spaghetti
and
marshmallows.
Team Building Activities- Let’s Try!
Closure Activities Pie a la Mode
Purpose: Introducing a topic, getting closure, team building
Number of People:
5-50 Time: 15 minutes
Materials: Pie Pictures Cut into fourths (I downloaded a variety of different pie pictures from the internet or cut colored construction paper into circles to represent a pie)
Description: 1. Have enough pie pieces, one for every participant.
2. Instruct participants to write down something significant they are taking away from the presentation.
3. Ask participants to find others in the room with the same kind of pie and group together.
4. Once they have formed a group, each person should take a minute to share what the significant learning point they received from the session.
Variations Collect pie pieces when the activity is done, this is a great way for the presenter to learn what was valuable for the group.
Your turn to share activities
If You Could Be
Purpose: Energizer, getting acquainted, grouping, introducing a topic
Number of People: Unlimited Time: 10-15 minutes
Materials: If you could be questions
Description: 1. Participants will compare themselves to everything from cookies to departments.
Rules:
• Explain that you will ask a question with four possible answers.
• When you have finished asking all four questions, participants will move to the corners of the room designated the four choices. (Choose one corner to represent the area for each choice.)
• Once in their groups, participants can share why they choose their choice.
Examples of Questions:
1. If you could be any kind of cookie, what would it be? Chocolate chip, peanutbutter, sugar, ginger snap
2. If you could be an animal, what would you be? Dog, cat, horse, bear
3. If you could be CEO of hersey foods, what candy would you make more of? M&Ms, kit kats, reeses peanut butter cups, dark chocolate
4. If you could be a character from a HIPPY storybook, who would you be? Maria, Reggie, Berry, Misty
5. If you could be a dancer, what kind would you be? Ballet, tap, country, modern
6. If you could be a drink, what would you be? Soda, tea, coffee, water
It’s Catching
Purpose: To get energized, relax and have fun
Number of People:
Unlimited, if a large group, divide into two groups
Time: 10 minutes
Materials: None
Description: 1. Have participants sit in a large circle facing each other. 2. In this game everyone will introduce themselves by giving their
name and demonstrating some type of imaginary aliment that they are going to pass on to everyone.
3. Have the first person say their name clearly and then describe their physical ailment, demonstrating it to the group.
4. Once the ailment is demonstrated, everyone should mimic the symptom.
5. Then the person to the left takes a turn using a different contagious introduction.
6. Continue around the group, each person making an introduction and succumbing to a new ailment, which is caught in turn by everyone else and added to all the other symptoms they are already experiencing.
Ailments could include sneezing, eye twitching, a limp, cough, etc.
Variations To tailor this exercise to your group, for stress management ask participants to develop ailments that are physical manifestations of stress (e.g. drumming fingers, tense shoulders, clenched fists, facial tics, etc.).
For listening skills, focus on bad listening habits (poor eye contact, fidgeting, looking bored, interrupting, etc.
Library Cards
Purpose: To get acquainted, get to know each other
Number of People: Unlimited Time: 5-10 minutes
Materials: Library card worksheet
Description: 1. Have participants spend a few minutes reflecting on any books that they have read that influenced their life as a child, as a teenager, and as an adult.
2. Pass out the ‘Library Card’ worksheet, per person. 3. Instruct participants to fill in the blanks with the titles of
the most influential book during each stage in their life. 4. Once complete, have participants pair and share their
books with a partner.
Variations: 1. Have participants find someone who has read the same book or a book by the same author.
2. Use songs, trips, tv shows, etc. as the data they complete. 3. Ask for responses from various stages: before becoming a
parent, while expecting, after delivery. 4. Children’s books they enjoy reading with their child. 5. Favorite HIPPY book.
HIPPY Library Card #ABC123
Name: Expires:
The most influential book I read as a:
Child:
Teenager:
Adult
Line Change
Purpose: Practice observation skills, group cohesion, introductions
Number of People: Unlimited Time: 10 minutes
Materials: None
Description: 1. Have the group form two lines facing each other. 2. Instruct individuals facing each other carefully look at their
appearance. 3. Both lines turn their backs to each other and change three
things about their appearance. 4. Have everyone turn back around and try to identify what is
different about each other. 5. Rotate the line and repeat.
Match Up
Purpose: To meet other participants, focus on meeting content, form small groups.
Number of People: Unlimited Time: 10-15 minutes
Materials: For each group of 4-6 people, one trainer created jigsaw puzzle prepared in advance and cut into four to six pieces. Could use puzzle examples of those used in the HIPPY curriculum.
Description: 1. As participants arrive, have them draw a puzzle piece from a box.
2. After welcoming the group, have the entire group stand up and walk around the room to find the others who have pieces of their puzzle.
3. When they find their group, they should introduce themselves. 4. When the puzzle is complete, find a place to sit down with
their group.l
Variations 1. Use HIPPY puzzle examples from the curriculum. 2. Use pictures related to the meeting subject.
Me, Myself and I
Purpose: Getting acquainted, self disclosure
Number of People: Unlimited Time: 15 minutes
Materials: Human shape, markers, yarn, magazines, etc.
Description: 1. Give each person a human cut out shape. 2. Distribute other materials. 3. Instruct participants to cut out pictures or words from
magazines, use yarn, markers, etc. to represent themselves on the human cut out shape.
4. After participants are done, pass them around the room and have participants guess whose each is or
5. Participants can share their creations.
A Pat on the Back
Purpose: Team Building
Number of People: Unlimited Time: 10 minutes
Materials: Paper, Scissors, Markers, Tape
Description: 1. Have participants trace their hands on a sheet of paper and cut them out.
2. Have group members mingle and write things on everyone’s back that tells them something positive.
3. After the group has mingled and written on each other’s hand cut out, allow for a the group to read the comments written on their cut out.
ABC’s
Purpose: Energize a long presentation, Closure
Number of People: 12-26 Time: 5-10 minutes
Materials: None
Description: 1. Ask participants to stand and line up. 2. Have them count off alphabetically. 3. Each person should name a word related to the content of the
gathering that begins that letter of the alphabet. 4. Words cannot be repeated. 5. If a person is not able to say a word within 3 seconds they sit
down. 6. Continue with the group until only one person is left standing.
This can be followed with a small token or applause.
Examples of Analogies:
1. I.e. The presentation is parent meeting on nutrition, the person with letter A could say apple, B banana, C carrot, D diet, etc.
Variations Divide into small groups and teams list words on chart paper that begin with every word in the alphabet. First group to complete the alphabet wins.
This a great activity because it requires no props, materials or planning.
For really tough letters, ask for help from people sitting, if one of them can give a word, they get to stand up and play again.
Alliteration Affiliation
Purpose: Getting acquantied
Number of People: 5-25 Time: 10-15 minutes
Materials: Index Cards
Description: 1. Explain that it is easier to remember people if we attach significance to their names.
2. Give each person an index card. 3. As participants to create a business with an alliteration that
matches one or both of their first and last names. Instruct participants to design their business card with their name, the name of the business and a description.
4. Have them share their businesses with the group. If a large group you may have them share in smaller groups.
Examples of Analogies:
1. Use your own name as an example, such as Carol’s Christmas Candle Shop, or Monique’s Machinery Warehouse.
Analogies
Purpose: Get acquainted, introductions
Number of People: Unlimited Time: 5-10 minutes
Materials: None
Description: 1. Ask everyone to introduce themselves using an analogy.
Examples of Analogies:
1. What piece of fruit best describes your expectations for this meeting? You could have a bowl of fruit for them to choose from or they can self-select. Or use type of candy, vegetable, type of food, etc.
2. What song best describes your mood as we begin this session? 3. Thinking of some of the HIPPY storybook characters, which
one do you feel most connected to? 4. What type of animal do you most feel like today?
Variations Tailor your analogy to your meeting topic. If it is on nutrition, use a food analogy. For a training on time management what type of time telling device-wrist watch, grandfather clock, alarm clock, kitchen timer, etc. A meeting about early childhood concepts, as participants which domain do they feel is their strong suit.
Have them find something in their purse or on their body that best describes them. I.e. Chapstick-because they are soothing. A comb-they are feeling frazzled and tangled, the comb will tease out the tangles. Hand sanitizer because they like to keep it clean.
Art About Me
Purpose: Get acquainted, creativity, share personal information
Number of People: Unlimited Time: 10-15 minutes
Materials: 1. Construction Paper 2. Markers, crayons, pencils or other appropriate drawing
materials.
Description: 1. Pass out construction paper and drawing materials. 2. Using the list of questions (or one you have created) have
participants draw a symbol that represents their answer. 3. Once everyone is done with their drawing have them find
someone they don’t know and share their picture with them. 4. Encourage them to share why they choose their response.
Variations: 1. Tailor questions to match the audience. I.e. at the end of a presentation on a subject, have participants draw/create the topic that was the most impactful to them, or at the end of a training, what their favorite part was.
2. Have the group try to guess what they drew versus the person telling them.
3. Have them get into like groups, I.e. all those whose lucky number is 7 get into a group and share/compare why they choose the number 7.
Sample Questions
What is your lucky number? What is your favorite color?
What is your favorite HIPPY book? What is one of your hobbies?
Where is your favorite vacation destination?
If you could have one wish granted, what would it be?
What is your favorite food? What is your favorite car?
What kind of music do you like to listen to?
What was your favorite subject in school?
Art Portraits
Purpose: To build group cohesion in a fun way
Number of People: Groups of 4 Time: 10 minutes
Materials: Large piece of construction paper Markers
Description: 1. Fold the paper into fourths accordion style
2. Instruct the first person to draw the head and neck of the person to their right. Include details that make that person unique. They should hide the drawing so the other members cannot see it. When finish the will fold it over so that the other members of the group cannot see their drawing and then pass it to the person on their right.
3. The next person will draw the shoulders and upper body of the person to their right, once again including details and hiding it from the rest of the group. When done, fold it over and pass it to the right.
4. The third person will draw from the waist to the knees of the person on their right, following the same guidelines as the previous two. They will fold it over and pass it to the person on their right.
5. The last person will draw the calves and feet of the first artist.
The final result is a representation of the group. It doesn’t matter if any one can draw, that is the fun part.
If they want, they can name their picture and hang it in the room.
