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Learning & developmentTraining delivery

Training: the far side of ice-breakers

by Personnel Today 21 Apr 2006
by Personnel Today 21 Apr 2006


  1. If you could write something on a T-shirt, what would it say?
  2. Kill two birds with one stone: conduct assessment of prior knowledge by having each trainee talk to the group about their previous relevant experiences.
  3. Ask delegates to name a body of water, animal, favourite colour etc, and then relate it to people’s personalities. This gets attendees talking and comparing answers.
  4. People bingo.
  5. Get delegates to draw a large picture describing four things in their lives: what’s important to them, what’s their greatest achievement, what they do for a living, and what their ideal job might be.
  6. Wizards, goblins and dwarfs – it’s an energiser based on Harry Potter.
  7. Ask attendees what they would be if they were a car, an animal, and a drink.
  8. Ask: ‘What one thing, if it was in your diary for next week, would make you feel excited and energised?’
  9. Toilet roll disclosures: pass round a toilet roll and invite delegates to take what they would consider appropriate for normal use or after a spicy meal. This creates a bit of a laugh and barracking.
  10. Tell us one true thing and one untrue thing about yourself and ask the other delegates to guess which is which.
  11. Plate spinning and juggling
  12. Ask delegates to draw a personal shield with symbols that are indicative of their personalities.
  13. Get delegates to write a famous name on pieces of paper and pin them on each other’s backs. Each delegate tries to guess which name is pinned to their back by asking the others ‘yes’ and ‘no’ questions.
  14. Ask delegates to exchange clothing.
  15. Get delegates to state what they understand the title of the training
    session to mean.


Personnel Today

Personnel Today articles are written by an expert team of award-winning journalists who have been covering HR and L&D for many years. Some of our content is attributed to "Personnel Today" for a number of reasons, including: when numerous authors are associated with writing or editing a piece; or when the author is unknown (particularly for older articles).

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