Ice breaker games that you don't hate??

[pastypirate]

I'm doing a session at a team building event tomorrow. What do you not all loathe? I'm doing two truths and a lie so far. It's only for about half an hour and essentially as a team we get on great.

We once did favourite albums and your guilty pleasure album, that was okay, pretty inoffensive and you didn’t have to say much if you didn’t want to. Worst ever was stand in a line and massage the shoulders of the person in front, totally weird and unacceptable, I don’t think it would happen now.

A team quiz where teams are chosen at random would suit me. I hate having to come up with facts about myself.

Quite agree. Ice breakers happen on time wasting courses. If you want a happy team cut the crap, deliver what needs delivering and let people go early!

None.

I prefer the ice to stay unbroken!

I hate them with passion. The only one I didn't mind to much was building the highest tower out of clothes peg within five mins,

@ReachersAbs but do they? Are they really conversation starters? I've done many many training sessions over the years and gave never felt anything but pure cringe when an ice breaker is announced. Much rather introductions and either badges or place cards (facing the group) to know who everyone is and crack on with the training. I've never felt training has been better because of an ice breaker, just unnecessarily adds 20 minutes (at least) onto the day.

Awful. Please don't do an ice breaker.

I've refused to join in the past. Just said no thanks, I'm not interested in that activity so be prepared for some people to opt out if you go ahead.

Icebreakers are how I’ve picked my most hated colleague at most jobs. Fun fact about yourself tells you a lot about what colleagues think of themselves. Any time I’ve found something fascinating about someone it’s never come up during the icebreaker because for lots of people interesting means shameful or at a very different time in my life.
when I became a team leader I said I was doing them with new team members because it was ableist (didn’t quantify it but I could have) and it was dropped. Everyone was pleased including the most enthusiastic join -in people pleaser.

Favourite cheese. Favourite/most hated biscuit or crisp flavour.

I'm a sometime facilitator who hates ice breakers and occasionally use the above if I really need to warm a group up as it's not embarrassing to admit you don't like cheese & onion crisps.

Personally though, I prefer proper introductions and asking people what they want from the day. I also often ask if people are attending by choice or because they have been sent. Once people have been allowed to admit they don't want to be there I usually find them more engaged.

I agree. I really hate it.

Please don't, especially not two truths and a lie. I hate having to think of something quickly and am never listening to anyone before me as I'm panicking, and then don't listen to anyone after me because I'm wondering if I said something stupid.

I am a competent and perfectly normal, sociable person, but ice breakers make me want to hide under the table.

We had a universal pact to say incredibly short, uninteresting things if it was tell us an interesting thing about yourself/the person sitting next to you

Why not use what a previous poster suggested if you absolutely must inflict this crap on your colleagues- tell me about the worst ice breaker you’ve ever done.

They all sound awful, sorry.

Personally I hate playing what I regard as silly, childish games. Maybe if I'm a a party with friends or family. But otherwise, no.

And I dislike being made to disclose personal things about myself. Of my choosing, if it comes up organically in conversation, fine. Otherwise, myob.

Twister?

Ex trainer here and agree small teams with a trivia quiz can be fun if your questions are varied as everyone gets a chance to chip in.

If it's an event over a few days you can make it competitive. Once we agreed start back time after breaks all teams fully present could do another round which I found generally got stragglers back quickly.

Then last day after doing closing activities we'd have a double or nothing option.

Daft prize like chocolate bars all round for winners. People went mad for it!

just read it's a half hour session!

As you were!

Some (most) of these sound like extrapolating ideas from a five year old's party. Urgh.

How many sexual partners have you had?
What's the biggest lie you’ve ever told?
Which person here do you dislike the most?

that sort of thing ought to get people chatting :)

I’d rather go back into lockdown than be forced to play Twister with strangers.

come back Covid, all is forgiven…

Chuck a big bag of supermarket ice cubes in the middle of the table & give everyone a utensil to smash it up with. Ice breaking.

Best ice breaker we ever had, but a bit niche, we had a karate expert in group. He taught us all to break a bit of wood in half with out hand. It’s all technique and every single attendee of all ages and shapes and sizes managed
we all very proudly went home and bragged !
thats the best sort..nothing you have to tell people about yourself, no hailing to talk, just something no one knows how to do and then you all can.

Favourite cheese. Favourite/most hated biscuit or crisp flavour. I'm a sometime facilitator who hates ice breakers and occasionally use the above if I really need to warm a group up as it's not embarrassing to admit you don't like cheese & onion crisps.

This could be awkward for someone with allergies/food sensory issues/an eating disorder. Of course, I get that it would be easy to lie and say 'cheddar' or 'chocolate digestives' or whatever, but someone like me would then spend the rest of the session worrying that I'd be expected to eat said food if it turned up as a snack.

Absolutely no way I would be risking that with the neurological issues I have in my arms, sorry!

I cannot tell you how much 'ice breakers' are loathed - you will be much liked and connect everyone if you start with everyone saying their name and position/role and then provide tea/coffee for the 30 minutes wasted on this useless activity.

People connect more when not under pressure from stupid games.