Good for

starting training sessions,

getting energy into the room,

and also for team building activities or in team meetings.

It's also fun throughout the first few days of an induction, orientation or on boarding programme, helping people to get to know each other in the first few days of a new job.

A low risk icebreaker game or energiser that gets people moving

Length

You can run this for as long as you want to. It's a good way of getting people moving if they've been sitting down for a while.

It is a good idea to use this in short bursts over a longer course

You will need

A flipchart or card in one corner of the room which has a giant letter "A" on it. Another sheet of flipchart or laminated card which has a giant letter "B" on it - put that in another corner of the room.

Set of cards, pre-prepared flipcharts or PowerPoint packs, with words or pictures on:-

Instructions

This is a fun way to get people to share information about themselves, without them feeling too exposed which can happen at the beginning of a training course.

Ask people to stand in a clear space, ideally at the back of the room, and then give them a choice of two things ( a or b ) and ask them to stand in the a corner or the b corner. Here’s some ideas to get you started ( have pictures on a slide if you want, but this icebreaker doesn’t need it )

Traditional / Modern

You get the idea…… now get them moving

You can also use this spontaneously between sessions during the day, or when you need to get some energy in the room.

As a trainer this gives you a lot of information about your trainees.

Who moves quickly to their preference i.e. who knows their own mind, who waits to see where other people go?

Who looks to see where other people go to? This observation helps you to understand the bonds that are formed within the group, and may help you to choose pairs and groups wisely in the training session.

TIP - Look out for anyone who is always in the minority / opposite group. This may leave them feeling isolated and left out - this is rare if you choose your categories across a wide range of subjects.