Ice Breakers

I depend on ice breakers for my workshops and training sessions. When I first tried using these handy tools, there was inevitably someone in the audience who would groan, roll their eyes, or give an icy glare (pun intended). Initially this negative reaction made me question the wisdom of incorporating these gems into my workshops.

As I have continued to provide seminars on brain research and humor, it has became very clear from the cognitive research that games, fun and activities add incredible value to the entire learning process. Yep-you heard that right! Ice breakers are not just used at the beginning of the workshop, but can be woven through your program to accomplish your goals and objectives. If you have not tried using icebreakers, I highly recommend you consider incorporating them , as they can provide great benefits to learning (as noted in chapter one of my book, Using Humor to Maximize Learning. )

One benefit for icebreakers is that they give participants the opportunity to review their learning. Pair/share activities are one of my favorite techniques for this review. Another favorite technique is the ball toss assessment. I am sure that most of you have experienced successful icebreakers as a presenter or as a participant.

If you would like more information on ice breakers or would like to contribute your ideas, AATH (Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor) is in the process of inviting their members to share their favorite suggestions for publication on their updated web site. If you are a member of AATH, please contribute your ideas to President-elect, Chip Lutz at czar@funsquadinc.com or send your suggestions to the links found on the AATH web site

Of course feel free to contact me with your ideas as well. Let's break ice together!