Page Updated on March 12, 2023
Ice Breaker activities can be an invaluable way of creating a relaxed and happy atmosphere at the start of a training day.
It makes your life as a corporate trainer easier, because you are, in effect, creating a positive learning environment.
Ice breakers are known to aid faster social bonding and this holds true also in the classroom environment for teaching adults.
Duration and Cost
- 10 minutes
- Free
Ice Breaker Exercise
Participants Involvement
This is a great activity both if the delegates in the training session are completely new to each other and if the participants are known to each other (i.e. this is an in-house corporate training program you are providing).
This is a very easy game to play and yet it exponentially provides delegates which a great way to laugh and get acquainted in an easy and relaxed manner.
Purpose of the Ice-Breaker
In this activity, the task is quite simple. Delegates must mentally (they do not need to write it down) focus on one other person in the room whom they will follow and one person they will avoid, for the purpose of this game.
Once the game starts, they then have to try and get as close as they can (without touching them or being unfairly close) to the person they are following and as far as they can from the person they are avoiding, in the room.
Every participant will have chosen their own number 1 and 2 and then attempt to try and be as distant as possible from one person and as close as possible at the same time to the other person, whilst everyone simultaneously attempts the same thing. It can be hilarious.
This is a wonderful ice-breaker that gets people laughing and relaxed.
As a trainer, this activity also needs very little preparation and is very easy to organize and to explain to participants.
Activity Instructions
1. Ask each person to silently select one person that they will follow and one person that they will avoid.
Suggest that they do not choose their best
This selection should be done silently, in that this does not need to be written down and their selection should not be shared with anyone else.
2. Inform the participants that when the game starts, they will try to get as close to the person they are following and as far away from the person they
3. Start the game and inform participants that they have 5 minutes to complete the game.
4. Once the 5 minutes have ended, stop the game and ask participants to take their seats.
5. Ask participants for their thoughts on the game and leave a few minutes for discussion on the experience.
You will usually find that it has been a fun activity and one which leaves some participants keen to express and discuss the game and their experience.
Ice Breaker Activity Benefits
This is one of the simplest and easiest ice-breakers to organize and it works in just about any type of training session.
This can also be done as a
Dr Valeria (Lo Iacono) Symonds
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I love that this icebreaker doesn’t need any extra tools or props! And I feel like it would work really great not only for a corporate environment, but also for youth! I can only
Imagine how funny it would be to watch since the selection is so random! I also love that you get laughter and participation out of some who might be opposed to or frustrated by team-building because there’s and aspect of competition.
Hi Ainsley. Yes, it’s a fun free activity that is really easy to organize and really gets participants to relax and to get to know each other a little.