ENERGIZER BIBLE. Creative Icebreakers for Trainers and Facilitators

Transcription

1 ENERGIZER BIBLE Creative Icebreakers for Trainers and Facilitators 1

2 Index: Index:... 2 Name games... 3 That s what I like... 3 Happy slapping news paper... 4 Sitting behind a blanket... 4 Get to know each other games... 5 ABC chair game... 5 Tattoo... 5 I Remember... 6 Thumbs up... 6 Two truths and a lie... 7 My name:... 7 Buy a friend... 7 Energizers... 8 IA Energizers in smaller groups (some can be played in fairly bigger groups)... 8 Cat and mouse... 8 Electric chock... 8 Spirals... 9 Untie the knot/ Kluddermor... 9 Statues... 9 The human machine Swusch A+B Catch the other ball Pulse IB Energizers in big groups COCONUT Monsters Caterpillar Zip-zap-spoink

3 Bille bille bob Penguins and flamingos Atomic game Giants, wizards, and trolls (Mosquito, fish, bear) Fruit salad Keeping my boy-/girlfriend Evolution I forgot Help!! Trust games Trust game Height in the dark Circle/Knees Games sitting down Crossed / uncrossed Salt and pepper Concentration games/team building Fingers on a stick Pen in a bottle Theatre Mirror theatre Don t know/ don t understand Crabs Name games General: These are mainly for the beginning where people do not know each other yet. There are a number of them, and if you fell like playing more, you can always change the right names with names you make up. Changing names can be fun after a couple of days where you just need a god laugh. That s what I like Players: 6-20 people Time: min How to do: The first person in line/circle must say his/her name and something they like that begins with the first letter of their name. My name is Andy and I like Adventures. The next player

4 repeats this and adds their own. This is Andy who likes Adventures, I am Fred and I like Football. Continue around the circle until the last person has to reel of everyone s name. Variation: Instead of saying something you like, a silly action can be done instead such as an animal impression. Each person introduces them self with and adjective or animal starting with the first letter of their name, and does a gesture to illustrate it: e.g. Adventurous Andy, Huge Hannah, Boozy Bob ; Turtle Tom Otherwise like above. Good when: This is one of the best name games, since it really helps you remember the names of everyone in the group. Happy slapping news paper Materials: a rolled news paper and chairs for everyone. Players: 6-15 people Time: min. How to play: Everyone is sitting in a circle except for one person, who is standing in the middle. Everyone including the person in the middle present themselves by their name. Now one starts saying a name of someone in the circle and the person in the middle has to hit that person with the news paper before that person says a new name. If you get hit before saying a new name/saying a wrong name/the name of the one in the middle you get the news paper and have to be in the middle. When changing from being in the middle you are the one who starts saying a new name. You have to say the new name just before you sit down. If you sit down first the new person in the middle can hit you. Good when: This game is a lot of fun with made up names too. Sitting behind a blanket Materials: a blanket Players: Time: min How to play: The participants are split into two groups. Both groups sit on the floor and a blanket is placed between them so they cannot see each other. One person from each group sits directly behind the blanket. Then the two people holding the blanket let the blanket fall, and the two persons directly behind it has to say the name of the other person as fast as possible. The first person to say the name of the other person wins. The loser joins the winning team. Repeat.

5 Get to know each other games These games are great when everybody knows each other s names but not a lot more than that. Here is a chance to get to know about their lives, hobbies etc. ABC chair game Materials: chairs or newspapers Players: Time: depending on the group size but with ten people maybe 5-10 min How to play: Everybody stand on a chair/piece of news paper in a line or in a circle, and then they need to stand in order according to names, age, nationality, height etc. all in alphabetic or numbered order. Variation: the participants can not talk to each other, but only use nonverbal communication. Good when: This game is good when people do not know much about each other. In this way they can get to know more about each other and as a group. If you play it in silence it can also help the group to become better at hearing everyone even the once who normally does not speak up. The silence can also be really good if you had a lot of fun and you need to bring your group back to focus. Tattoo Materials: Paper, Tape, Markers Players: 6-15 people. It can be done with more people, but then in smaller debriefing groups Times: 30 min. or more How to play: You have just arrived at Tony s Tattoo Parlor for a tattoo. Tony is competing for Tattoo King of the Year, a contest sponsored by Needle Knows magazine. Every design is a potential entry, and Tony wants each of his tattoos to say something about the person wearing them. From you, he needs a little inspiration and a design before he can start his work. Tony is excellent at lettering, animals, characters, band logos, maps, etc. 1. On your piece of paper, you are to design a rough tattoo that reveals something about yourself, your work, your hobbies, or your family, in order to help get Tony s creative juices flowing. 2. You must also make a note about how big the tattoo should be and where you will have it applied. Allow five to ten minutes for setup, drawing, and posting designs on the wall. Make a debriefing in the group. One-two minute(s) per person. What is what on the drawing and why is it there. Depending on

6 the size of the group, you may want to debrief in smaller groups. If possible, leave the designs posted throughout your training. Variations: 1) Narrow the scope of the tattoo design: what you do at work, an animal most like you, favorite song, favorite band, adjective that best describes you, etc. 2) Divide your group in two. For round one, assign one group the role of Tony and the other group the role of the customer. Each customer must find a Tony and tell him about the design they would like and why. Tony is to draw a design, asking questions as he or she goes. After the first set of designs is complete, the groups reverse roles. To encourage additional interaction, ask the customers to shop around and find another partner to work with. To debrief, let each Tony describe what he or she drew and for whom. Good when: This is a good game when the group does not know each other yet. By playing this game they will come to know basic things about each other. This game takes some time, since the debriefing is important and that will take some time. I Remember Materials: a lot of coins made in different years Players: 6-50 Time: 20 min How to play: You and the others in your group are about to revisit the past and take a trip down Memory Lane. Everyone gets a coin. Look at the year on the coin. Take a minute to think about what you were doing when that coin was minted. Were you in school? Were you a child? Where did you work? Were you married? Where did you live? What was going on in your life at that time? What was the music of the day? Etc. (If you were not yet born or prefer not to discuss your life during the year selected, choose another coin). After you have had some time to remember where you were, you are ready to play the game. Your goal is to find someone with a coin that was minted at least two years before or after yours. Ultimately, your goal is to have the oldest coin in the room. Once you have found a partner, take three minutes to tell each other about your moments in time. When you are finished, each of you flip your coin. Reveal the results of your toss to your partner. If they are alike (both head or tail) exchange coins. If they differ, keep your original coin. Repeat the process up to three times as designated by the facilitator. Thumbs up Materials: None Players: 4-20 peoples Time: 5-15 min.

7 How to do: Everyone stands in a circle. One by one you tell something about yourself. For each sentence everybody puts out their right thumbs - up if they believe it and down if they don t believe it. The one who said the sentence is the last one to turn the thumb to show everyone if it was true or false. A sentence could be I love bananas or I climbed Kilimanjaro Two truths and a lie Materials: paper, markers and tape Players: As many as you like Time: during a dinner, a bar night or? How to play: Everyone write two things about themselves which are true and one which is a lie. The paper with the three sentences is taped on your belly and now everyone can read it. It is up to the person reading it to guess which one is the lie. Of cause the aim is to tell the story behind the truths. Variation: you can ask questions about the different sentences be a detective. Good when: people don t know each other and need a little help getting started talking. My name: Players: Time: min How to play: Most people know why they got the name they got. Most times there is a story behind that name. Everyone is teamed up with another person. First they get two min. to think of their story. They have to tell each other their name and the story behind. For example My is Jean since my parents was fans of Marilyn Monroe and her real name was Norma Jean. Had I been a boy I would have been Elvis or My name is Solvej, which means sun-road and that is because the sun was shining the day I was born. Or My father wanted me to be Muhammed and my mother Ali so now my name is Muhammed Ali After 5 min and both people has told each other the story, they team up with two/three other pairs and tell the story of the other person to the rest of the group. Good When: Everybody is new to each other and you need a least one you know a bit better than everyone else e.g. the theory form group dynamic. Buy a friend Materials: pens, small pieces of paper, a hat Players: Time: during a party

8 How to play: This game is fun, when you have a big group of people, who does not know each other. Everyone put their phone number in a hat when they arrive. Later on you can buy a new friend for a very small amount. (50 øre/1 kr) When having bought a phone number you can sms your new friend. Maybe you can meet each other in the bar. It is important not to know if the number belongs to a boy or a girl since it is a lot of fun when two guys flirt with each other thinking the other one is a hot girl. It is a lot of fun! Energizers Energizers are for when you need energy and a good laugh. All these energizers requires some space so you can move, run or jump around. Some can be played instead and others only outside. This part is divided into two according to the group size. IA) energizers in smaller groups, and IB) energizers in big groups. Some games can, however be placed in both so this is just to make it easier to overview. IA Energizers in smaller groups (some can be played in fairly bigger groups) Cat and mouse Players: What to do: Chose a cat and a mouse. The rest of the group stands in 3 or 4 rows facing the same direction, arms held out. The cat has to catch the mouse by running in and out of the rows (they cannot go under the arms). The cat can clap whenever it likes to make the standers turn 90, still in rows all facing the same way, so it can get to the mouse. The mouse can say Piv, piv when it wants the standers to turn. Good when: you need some energy! Electric chock Materials: a scarf/a flower or something that can be picked up Players: 8-50 Time: 5-10 min How to play: The group is split up in two (or more) teams, and the two teams hold each other s hands. They should stand in two rows next to each other. 5 meters in front of them is an item. One person squishes the last person of each teams hand, and they the next persons hand and so on, so it starts an electric wave. When the first person in each row, who feels the wave he/she will run to get the item. The team who gets the item wins.

9 Good when: You need some energy and team spirit Spirals Players: Time: 5 min How to play: Everybody forms a straight line and hold hands. The person at one end starts rolling up the line without letting go of the next person s hand. Everyone follows along until a large spiral is formed. Now the person who started the spiral must clamber out. Everyone must follow without letting go of each other. This can be played in one big group or in smaller groups that competes. Good when: you need to move and get some energy Untie the knot/ Kluddermor Players: 6-20 Time: min How to play: One person is send outside the door, and remains there until the others are ready. The rest of the group, stand in a circle holding each other s hands. Without letting go of the other people s hands, everybody tries to move around to tie a knot. Once everybody is happy with the knot, the person outside the door is called in to untie the knot. Variation: - Everybody closes their eyes, moves around a bit, and grasps two random hands. Once everybody is holding on to two hands, the group tries to untie the knot. (This way no one needs to go outside) Good when: teambuilding Statues How to play: Everybody stands in a circle. Two people stand in the middle in a funny position, as statues. When a person, any person claps his/hers hands, another person changes places with one of the persons in the statue - now making another position. For every clap there is a new statue based of the former one. When everyone has been in the statue, you do it again backwards. A clap brings

10 back the person who was part of the statue before the person in the statue at the time. In the end you finish with the statue you started out with. (first statue and then ) The human machine Players: 5-12 people Time: 15 min How to play: One by one everyone in the group get into a statue. Each person has to find the best place to fit in. When your spot has been found you freeze and wait for the next person and the next. When everyone is in the statue the first one take a new position and so on. When everyone has been places twice the next step starts. Now the system is the same but you will not freeze but make the same movement. Think of it as a machine. Every part has to work together. This also continues until everyone has been placed in the machine twice. Last round; now you both have to make a movement and a sound any sound. The machine has to work and sound right. Good when: (This can be a really good laugh if you make some funny or sexy sound and movements, but also a bit boring if everyone is just playing safe) Swusch, however you need space so everyone can move around. Players: 5-12 people Time: 10 min. How to play: The participants stand in a circle without touching each other. The first person touches another person and says swusch when doing this. The swusched person then has to swusch someone else (touch the body of another person by a part of his body). If you can not maintain the swusch you have made you loose it gets more and more difficult to keep all your swusch the more each participant gets connected to the other participants. The game is over when a person can not keep all his/her swusches. Good when: trust game and a good laugh A+B Players: 6-50 Time: 5-10 min How to play: Everybody choose a person who is going to be their A and one who will be their B. You want to get as close to A as possible, and as far from B as possible. On the count of 3 everybody starts running

11 after their A and escaping their B. The game finishes after some time of running around, or you can do the opposite getting as close to B as possible and as far away from A as possible. Good when: You need some energy Catch the other ball Materials: Two small balls or haggy sacks How to play: Everyone sits in a circle; pass the two balls around starting as far away from each other as possible. The goal is to make one ball pass the other. Variation: make two teams. Every other person in the circle is on the same team. Now play the same game but only pass the ball to your own team. The winner is the team who catches the other team s ball with their own. Good when: you need a good laugh but yet to be focused and work together. Pulse Players: 6-20 Time: 15 min How to play: Everyone kneels down in a circle or sit around a table. Lay both hands flat on the floor crossing over with the people next to them. One hand claps the ground and the hand next to have to clap and so on; sending a pulse around in the circle. Two claps reverse the direction. If you fail to clap, you have to move your hand. The winners are the two persons left with one or both hands in the circle. IB Energizers in big groups COCONUT Players: as many as you like Time: 2 min How to play: The players say; my head feels like a coconut. Then they get up and spell COCONUT with their arms/body. Just like the YMCA, just not as gay!!! Good when: you need a fast energizer, and get people up and stretching. (You can introduce the game the first day, and the game can go on the whole seminar - every one can say my head feels like a coconut, when they need a fast break during workshops).

12 Monsters Players: Time: min How to play: Split the group into teams of 5 or 6 people in each. Place the teams about 5 meters away from a winning post. Every group has to create/form the Nastiest, Noisiest, Ugliest and Scariest Monster ever based on some rules for example only 4 feet, 3 hands, 3 elbows, 1 bum, 2 knees etc. are allowed to touch the ground. The winning team is the team which crosses the winning point first. If any other parts touch the floor, the judge can decide to make the team return. You can make up all sorts of rules, such as giving an extra foot or hand for the ugliest or nosiest monster. Variation: This time a gap must be bridged using a limited number of body parts. Once the gap is bridged then somebody must cross over it. Good when: For competition and energy Caterpillar, however a lot of space is needed Players: Time: 5 min How to play: Participants are split up in two teams. They stand in a row with their hands on the shoulders on the person in front of them. Now the two teams have to catch the other caterpillars tail, when they catch it the team who caught the other teams tail, will gain a person. The winning team is the team who end up with all the people. Good when: you need some new energy or if the participants have been sitting down for a while. Zip-zap-spoink Players: 8-20 Time: 15 min How to play: Everyone stands in a circle. One person bends down and pick up an invisible gun. The person can only shoot the gun to his/her left or right, right next to him/her. When shooting left you must make a gun with your fingers and point to the left saying zip. Shooting to the right,

13 you must point to the right and say zap. When being zipped or zapped you have the gun and you have to shoot someone new as fast as possible still pointing and saying zip or zap. If you say the zip and point to the right you start over. After some rounds and everybody understands the game spoink is added. Then you spoink someone you can shoot someone who is not next to you, but it is important to point so everybody knows who you spoink. Variation: when a mistake is made you die. The winners are the two left in the end. Bille bille bob Players: Time: 20 min How to play: This game is a lot of fun but quite hard to explain without showing. However here it goes: Everybody stands in a circle. One person is in the center. The person points at someone and says bille bille bob Before finishing the sentence the other person has to say bob If they do so the person in the center continues. When failing the person who fails become the one in the center. Now more things are added to the game. Now the person can point and say bille bille bob, elephant or giraffe. The person pointed out has to imitate an elephant or giraffe with the help of the two people standing next to him/her. After the person in the center has said a statue they have to count to ten. If one fails doing the statue before the count of 10 the person pointed out has to go to the center. The game continues added new figures all the time: Pop corn Marilyn Monroe James Bond Single mother Bear (you must do nothing when this is being said) Hammock Burger Double burger (the two on each side of the person pointed out has to join the burger Drier James Bond The game ends when you think it has lasted long enough. Single Mother

14 Penguins and flamingos Materials: None Players: Time: 10 min How to play: Chose a penguin. The penguin shuffles round quickly and penguin like, arms by his side. Everyone else is a flamingo and can only move slowly, gracefully, swooping their wings. The penguin has to catch the flamingos. When a flamingo is caught it miraculously becomes a penguin and madly shuffles round catching flamingos until everyone is a penguin. Good when: you need some energy Atomic game Players: persons Time: 10 min. The facilitator of the games says atoms (groups of people) consisting of an x amount of people needs to be created. If there is 11 participants and the facilitator says that atoms of the size of four people then the three last persons to form an atom of four have lost the game and leaves it - 8 participants are then left. The facilitator then says that atoms of three people needs to be formed and again to people looses. The winner is the last two persons to stay in the game. Good when: you need some energy. Giants, wizards, and trolls (Mosquito, fish, bear) Players: Time: min How to play: This is a variation of paper, scissors, rock, a game most people know. Two teams are standing in two rows one meter apart for each other, facing each other. About five meters behind each team is home/free. Each team huddles up and decides whether to be 1) Trolls: Crouching and squeaking Beedleedlee 2) Wizards: Standing and lunging saying kazain 3) Giants: Stretching tall shouting Fee Fi Leo Fum. Who beats who? Giants beat trolls by stamping on them, Wizards beat giants by zapping them, Trolls beat wizards by running up their beards and biting their heads off. The two teams face each other and say Giants, Wizards, Trolls Then the teams show the one they selected. The winning team chases the loosing team back to their home.

15 Anyone caught on the way has to join the opposite team. Then start again and carry on until everyone is on one team. This game is better known in ILTS as mosquito, fish, and bear. Good when: you are a big group and everyone needs some energy Fruit salad Materials: chairs for everyone Players: people Time: 20 min How to play: The participants sit in a circle on chairs, except one person who stands in the center. Everybody is assigned the name of a fruit. (For example apple, pear, pineapple, and banana) It is important that there is more than one person with each fruit name. Once the name of your fruit is called by the person in the middle you have to stand up and find a new chair. The person in the middle calls out fruit names until he finds a chair of his own. The person left without a chair stays in the middle. If the person in the middle says fruit salad, everybody has to find a new chair. You can not return to the same chair you just left. Variation: 1) Everyone stands in a circle apart from the person who started the game. He/she stands in the center. Now the person in the center shouts out everyone with (blond hair, glasses, big feet etc.) Change places 2) Same procedure as above. The person in the center says I have been leading a workcamp or I have never been to Africa Ect. and the ones who agree in the statement have to move. Good when: you need some energy Keeping my boy-/girlfriend Players: (you must be an uneven number) Time: min. How to play: Half of the people stand in a circle. Behind each of them is another person. The person in the circle and the person behind him/her is a couple. The person behind has to keep his/her hands on their bag. One person is single and has no one in front of him/her. His/her job is to steel someone else s boyfriend/girlfriend by winking at them. When you get a wink, you must try to run to you new partner. However the person behind him/or her has to catch him/her before he/she

16 runs of. When you boyfriend/girlfriend has left you, you have to find a new by winking at another one. And so on. After some time the couple changes places to the other one is in front. Evolution I forgot Help!! Players: Time: 15 min How to play: Everyone walks around between each other pretending to be an egg with a small chicken inside waiting to get out. Everyone is saying duk duk and pretend to hit the egg shell in front of them. Once meeting another egg you play rocks, papers, scissors and the winner continue: Second level: The chicken same thing just saying like a chicken flapping her wins. Third level: The lamb saying meeaahh. Fourth level: The monkey jumping, scratching yourself, saying like a monkey. Fifth level: Superman flying around with one arm above your head. When having won and passed thru all levels you fly around and enjoy looking at everyone else who looks stupid. The games finishes when four people are left of the floor - The ones who did not win. Trust games Trust game Players: 6-10 Time: 10 min How to play: Make a circle, one person is standing in the middle, with the eyes closed or blindfolded. Then lean to one side, and trust the person to safely move you to the next person. Good when: you need the group to trust each other, teambuilding and care- NB: Be aware that this can be very uncomfortable for some people, so do not push anyone if they are not up for being the one in the middle!! Height in the dark Materials: blind folds Players: 6-15 Time: 5 min

17 How to play: Participants are blindfolded and then they have to turn around, and get in a row according to height. So the lowest are in the front and the highest in the back. Good when: For concentration, focus and trust Circle/Knees Players: Time: 10 min How to play: Everybody stands in a circle, shoulder to shoulder. Then you turn 90 so that everyone is looking at the back of somebody s head. Everyone takes on step in to the circle. On the count of three everyone sits down on the knees of the person behind them. Good when: you need trust in the group, a really team building exercise Games sitting down Crossed / uncrossed Materials: a knife and a fork Players: 6-15 Time: 15 min How to play: Everyone is in a circle. You start the game by passing on the knife and fork. You can cross them or not it is up to you. As you pass them you say I pass them crossed or I pass them uncrossed. What determine crossed or uncrossed is your legs not the knife and fork. The rest of the group has to guess when it is crossed and when it is not since they have to keep passing them on. The looser of this game is the one who guess when it is crossed/uncrossed as the very latest. Good when: people know each other quite well and needs a good laugh. Salt and pepper Materials: salt and pepper Players: 8-15 Time: 10 min How to play: The participants all stand in a circle. The leader has salt and pepper in her/his hands. The leader turns to the person on his right and says, This is the salt, showing them the salt. The person on the leader s right then says The what? and the leader answers the salt, and the leader gives the salt to this person. The receiver on the right then does the same thing with the person on his right, but when the second

18 person asks The what? the first turns back to the leader and says The what? The leader replies The salt and the first person says to the second person the salt and gives them the salt, etc. The leader then turns to the person on his left and says, This is the pepper, showing them the pepper. The person then responds The what? and the leader replies the pepper and passes them the pepper and so this continues like the salt around the circle with each time the The what? always going all the way back to the leader. See what happens when the salt and the pepper passes each other :O) Good when: you need an energizer while sitting down Concentration games/team building Fingers on a stick Materials: one rolled piece of A4 paper, broom stick or other long light items. Players: 4-10 peoples Time: 10 min How to play: Everybody put their pointing finger under the stick in a 40 degree angle, standing an equal number opposite of each other. Now the task is to get the stick from arm height down to the ground by moving the fingers down at the same time without dropping it. Good when: team building and concentration Pen in a bottle Materials: pen, a lot of string, bottle Players: 3-30 persons How to play: Tie the strings to the pen. Make a circle and place a bottle in the middle. Everyone the circle holds the end of a string. Cooperate in getting the pen inside the bottle. Variations: use only one hand, sit down, have the string in your mouth so you can not talk while trying to get the pen in the bottle. Good when: Team building, especially good to big groups. Leaves you with the feeling of we are a team, we can make it together Theatre Mirror theatre Materials: a chair Players: 10 people

19 Time: min How to play: A person is placed on a chair; the rest of the group is divided up in two teams. Both teams are going to create a small act, which they are going to perform behind the person on the chair. So the game starts with 10 min of thinking and practicing what to act. It can be anything which is takes about 2-4 min. to act. When both teams are ready they stand on each side of the person in the chair. One team is standing in front of the person in the chair and is going to copy the theatre the other team (behind the person in the chair) acts. After the act is finished, the chair person is going to tell the story as he/she saw it. Then the person in the chair turns around and the other team acts their act. Good when: you need a good laugh Don t know/ don t understand Crabs Materials: None (Variation a rope) Players: 2-10 Time: min. This game starts with the group splitting up in teams of two (roughly the same height), and then gradually increases until the whole group is involved in one circle. Two people of about the same height sit on the floor, backs against each other. They link arms with each other Now they must both stand up by pushing equally against each other (team effort) Now add a third person, then fourth and so on until the whole team is involved Variation: Two people sit facing each other both holding on to a circle of rope. Now using each other they must cooperate to stand up by placing weight on the rope. Add people as before. (The rope circle should not be too large)