The Encyclopedia of Icebreakers

Forbess-Greene, Sue (1983) The Encyclopedia of Icebreakers: Structured Activities that Warm-Up, Motivate, Challenge, Acquaint, and Energize.  San Francisco: Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer.

Below are some sample techniques from the book.

1) Press Release: Students pair off and write press releases for each other.  Each then acts as the other’s press secretary, reading the statement.

2) Life Map: have participants list significant events in their lives, then number them according to when they occurred (earlier = lower number).  Then give flip chart pages and markers and have them draw “maps” of their significant events.  Post their maps around the room and have everyone circulate to every map.

3) Baggy Faces: give everyone a marker and a paper bag large enough to fit over their heads.  Have them put it on, carefully mark eyeholes, then take it off and cut or tear out eyeholes in the bag.   Now they put the bags back on and use the marker to draw their face (as best they can) on the front of the bag.  The catch is that they are not allowed to take the bag off during this process—indeed, not allowed to take it off until you say so (unless claustrophobic or having trouble breathing). 

4) Balloon Race: everyone writes an exam question on a tiny slip of paper and inserts it into a non-inflated balloon, writes their initials on the balloon and inflates it—however, they don’t tie them but pinch the end shut.  The goal is to hit the chalkboard.  Everyone gets behind a line at the rear of the class and on a signal everyone releases their balloons at the same time.  Winners get their questions on a quiz and/or small prizes; if none touch the blackboard, whoever comes closest wins. [Alternate:  multi-stage—let players go to the spot their balloon lands initially, blow it up and release it from there, etc. until there is a winner.]

5) Think Fast: Students first study a vocabulary list, then stand in a circle and pass a tennis ball quickly to their right.   When you say “Stop!” you immediately give a letter—the person with the ball has to say a vocabulary word that begins with that letter.

6) The Look: participants use facial expressions and body postures to represent attitudes:

Everyone gets a card with all the attitudes listed but theirs circled.  They assume the attitude, then one by one have the class guess which attitude they’re portraying.  Then pass out another set of slips, all of which say “I love this class!”

7) Hear! Hear!:  Speakers prepare a two-minute presentation on a topic from class given on a slip of paper, then deliver the speeches.  The catch is that they control audience reaction!  Post a chart where everyone can see it---the chart contains gestures to be made by the speaker that signal the audience how to react—e.g.,  “applause”, saying “Hear! Hear!”, hissing, and the like.

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