Library of facilitation techniques

Energizers and Ice Breaker Games

Energizers, energizer games, and ice breaker activities to bring energy into the room. Get people moving, have fun, and ensure your group's energy level is up and everyone is ready to have a productive workshop or meeting with great energizer activities.

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78 results
Hyper Island

Go Bananas

This fast, physical and loud energizer, has a high level of silliness and quickly charges up a group. The group repeats a simple chant over and over again, getting louder and louder as they go. By the end, the group is shouting and jumping about.

Hyper Island

Sync Claps

This circle exercise is simple, but challenging and very effective for generating focus and alignment in a group. Participants stand in a circle and send a clap around the circle. Each clap involves two members of the group clapping their hands at the same time. The group tries to move the clap around the circle faster and faster with as much synchronization as possible. The exercise gets even more challenging when the “double clap” is introduced and the clap can change direction.

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Thiagi Group

Looking Around

Here's another jolt that explores one of our favorite themes: You have to unlearn something old in order to learn something new. A nice thing about this brief activity is that you don't need any supplies or equipment.

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Koos de Korte

Spy

A simple game that will have everyone running within minutes. Very effective to fight the "after-lunch" dip.

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Thiagi Group

Double Talk

Participants at a training session are often preoccupied with other important things in their life. Here's a simple jolt to wake them up.

Hyper Island

The Viking

In this group game, players stand in a circle and perform a series of loud physical moves, passing from one person to the next. When a player hesitates or makes a mistake, he or she is eliminated and the game continues. The game generates laughter and playfulness in the group.

Nick Heap

Spoons - A lateral thinking game

I use this brief exercise if the group's energy is a bit low or if we have been doing intense work and a bit of light relief would help. It may also help a group that is working mechanically to be more creative. It will work best in groups of six to twelve people.