Icebreakers
Icebreakers are informal activities and exercises to help people get to know each other quickly, and start communicating and connecting early in a meeting or workshop.
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What are the icebreakers all about?
- Icebreakers are powerful tools to set the tone for participation, and encourage those at the event to play active, contributing roles. Icebreakers help establish connections quickly and informally.
- This sense of connectedness and free communication will help the group achieve the work-related or learning objectives of the event.
Examples of icebreakers
Learn more about some icebreakers in the pdf and start your next workshop or team meeting with an icebreaker activity.
A) Speed Dating (Speed Networking)
a. 20-30 participants b. 30-40 minutes
c. Best used in meetings or workshops where most people don’t know each other
B) Four Quadrants
a. 30 or more participants
b. 30 minutes
c. To mobilize the energy of a large group of participants who don’t know each other
C) Portrait of My Job
a. 10-30 participants
b. 45 minutes
c. Participants of the same organization, but of different departments or locations
D) River of Life
a. 10-30 participants
b. 45-60 minutes
c. Creating a bond with one another, laying a basis for improved group dynamics
E) Walking Billboard
a. 15-40 participants
b. 30 minutes
c. Best used at the beginning of a meeting or workshop
F) Mistaken Identity
a. 20-50 participants
b. 10-15 minutes
c. Quick icebreaker without much preparation
G) What Do They Like?
a. 20-30 participants
b. Easy and informal to use at the start of an event
Source: UNICEF KE Toolbox