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
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
12. Create a group atmosphere of openness and trust
13. Use highly visual icebreakers 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"
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