Opening Workshop Activities

People take turns sharing how they feel and stating what they do when they feel the way someone else is feeling. 

Rythm Instruments is a fun way to break the ice in groups, helping each participant to feel involved and create something from "scratch".

In small groups one person is introduced and their hypeman hypes them up

With a partner find the 3 most unlikely / weird / surprising things you have in common with each other
Each pair chooses one to share with the group

This is a fun icebreaker or energizer where participants are asked “What's in the bag?” It's a simple way to engage people and have fun getting to know each other, it gets participants to step into the space together. Each team gets points for any items that are called out that they have with them.

Pass out 2 colors of cards. Everyone answers "what does it look like when X topic is present (positive goal). One color puts down cards and builds out answers in paired yes, and conversations. Then switch roles. 

In pairs, partners find 3 unusual things they have in common. Then each pair chooses one to share with the group. 

What wishes do participants have for your training session? Which of these wishes do the most participants share?

Here's an opening activity that helps the participants to generate a list of wishes, discuss them, and identify the highest-priority wishes.

Various ways to have participants 'map' themselves in response to a facilitator's prompt. See also 'constellations'

On a board there is a Sun, a Sun with a cloud, and a cloud with a thunder. Participants write their name on a postit and put it in the area that matches their current mood.

We live and work in turbulent times, juggling never-ending to-do lists, back-to-back meetings, and constant context switching. When people enter a meeting, they often carry mental clutter – unfinished tasks, lingering thoughts, or stress from the previous discussion.

This simple yet effective exercise helps participants mentally transition into the meeting by externalizing their distractions, physically letting them go, and creating a fresh focus for the discussion ahead. I use this whenever I sense a group (whether virtual or in-person) is distracted, overwhelmed, or coming straight from another meeting. It works well when combined with a check-in question that gets everyone speaking.