17 Good Reasons To Use Icebreakers In Your Next Workshop, Class or Meeting

Icebreakers can be defined as "tools that enable the group

leader to foster interaction, stimulate creative thinking, challenge
basic assumptions, illustrate new concepts, and introduce specific
material."
(The Encyclopedia of Icebreakers, University Association, 1983).

The primary objective of icebreakers and energizers, is to

help break down the social and psychological barriers between
participants in a workshop or classroom, by encouraging them
to interact with "other strangers" in the group and in the process
get them to learn a little bit about themselves and the others.

Of course, there are numerous other secondary objectives
that you can achieve with icebreakers.

Consider using icebreakers for these purposes:

1. Start off every training session with a bang

2. Use icebreakers before a training endeavor to rev up the
cooperative spirit among the trainees

3. Inject fun and entertainment into the learning process

4. Give you - the trainer or facilitator - a golden
opportunity to be involved with the participants and
build rapport with them

5. Set the desired tone of the each workshop, particularly
the notion that the session is going to be fun and not boring

6. Capture the attention of the attendees and get them to
follow you the seminar leader throughout the training program

7. Break the monotony of the usual information-loading
sessions with some variety of fun and games at http://www.wordjuxtapoz.com/wjbook100ppenergizers.html

8. Motivate the delegates and liven up otherwise sluggish
sessions

9. Energize the participants and increase their receptiveness

10. Raise the level of participation and enjoyment
throughout the sessions

11. Stimulate creativity and promote creative problem solving

12. Create a group atmosphere of openness and trust

13. Use highly visual icebreakers at http://www.wordjuxtapoz.com/wjanimatedicebreakers.html to serve as emotional

memory markers and get participants to talk about their
experiences for weeks to come

14. Revitalize the group of participants especially right
after lunch or the "graveyard shift"

15. Set the stage for productive sharing and meaningful
discussion

16. Use icebreakers as "Wake-Em Up" tactics at any point
during the class to keep sleepyheads awake

17. Select specific icebreakers and use them as a "topic
lead-in"

Patrick C. is a creativity trainer & bestselling author.

Make your audience come alive with our f.ree icebreakers for trainers, teachers & facilitators at http://www.wordjuxtapoz.com/freeicebreakers.html Inject loads of fun and mind boggling brain teasers into your workshops!