Opening Workshop Activities

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A great get-to-know activity that dives a bit deeper than regular name repeating games.

Rythm Instruments

teampedia icebreaker opening energiser team action

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

Hypeman

energizer support trust positivity name game introductions mixer improv game character relationship em opening

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

Here's an interesting icebreaker that uses the postcards written in the previous closer activity (Postcard to a Friend). It involves distributing postcards from previous participants with their highlights and advice for a new group of participants. Be sure that you receive informed consent from the writers before using their postcards in this activity.

Unique thing in common

connection trust active listening opening get-to-know teambuilding

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

Yes, and cards

opening goal setting letting go support trust connection em yes, and

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.

3 things in common

connection trust storytelling opening em

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

Wishes: an Opener

thiagi opening icebreaker

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.

What's in the Bag?

hyperisland energizer team opening icebreaker

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.

Weather Forecast

openness feedback opening check-in

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.

Spectrums & Clusters

opening system debrief debriefing trust listening and awareness closing activity reflection team alignment agreement

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

Walkabout

creative thinking hyperisland energizer opening creativity physical

The connection between walking and enhanced creativity has a long history. The philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche (1889) wrote, “All truly great thoughts are conceived by walking”. New research has backed up what many have thought for centuries with data, quantifying the effect of walking on human thought. Researchers at Stanford recently found that walking outside led to almost 3 times as many creative ideas as sitting indoors.