Icebreakers and Energizers to Start Meetings

Name: Icebreakers and Energizers to Start Meetings
Rating: 4.4 (21 reviews)

Start Your Meeting with a Bang - and it will be more Successful!

Created byPaul Sloane

Last updated 3/2025

English

English [Auto],

What you'll learn

How to run much better meetings
Ways to start virtual meetings over Zoom or Teams
Ways to break the ice and help people get to know each other
Ten top tips on how to run successful meetings
How to add fun, smiles and laughter to any gathering
Become a better leader and facilitator
How to inject energy, enthusiasm and engagement into your meetings
How to get people to enjoy coming to your meetings

Course content

5 sections • 12 lectures • 55m total length

Introduction1:39
Introduce effective icebreakers to raise energy at meetings, help strangers from different departments connect, and encourage participation. The course offers concise lectures on when and how to use favorite icebreakers.

Gestures1:57
Use the gestures exercise to boost energy and openness: participants copy expansive gestures, express big, many, funny, and wild ideas, break the rules, and look around the room.
Ball Game1:11
Use a quick ball game icebreaker to help strangers learn names, passing a ball around a circle and saying each recipient’s name, with a second ball optional.
Howdy Partner1:28
participants engage in the icebreaker howdy partner, standing, moving around, and pretending to be western gunslingers, exchanging howdy partner and names, culminating in a playful standoff and draw.
Human Statues1:59
Lead large groups in a human statues icebreaker where a director choreographs frozen scenes that tell a short story. Capture and share the expressive poses to boost creativity and teamwork.

Memory Game3:06
Use a memory game to break the ice, with participants introducing themselves via an unusual fact and recalling names around the table, ideal for small groups.
Tell a Lie and Two Truths and a Lie3:17
Teach two quick icebreakers, tell a lie and two truths and a lie, to break inhibition and spark creativity in brainstorming meetings through humor and plausible deception.
Fortunately, Unfortunately3:05
Lead a group through a playful icebreaker called fortunately unfortunately, where stories unfold one line at a time as players alternately say fortunately or unfortunately, boosting creativity and energy.
Icebreakers for Virtual & Hybrid Meetings8:13
Learn practical icebreakers for virtual and hybrid meetings that boost energy and engagement, including chat check-ins, personal stories, show-and-tell with photos, and fun activities.

Requirements

No prerequisites

Description

Have you ever been in a meeting where energy levels are low, people are disengaged or bored? Or maybe people feel awkward because they have just been thrown together and do not know each other. In either case a good icebreaker can change the dynamics in the room and engage everyone. In this course we review ten proven methods to energise your meetings and fire people up. The icebreakers are short, practical and fun. You can use them in brainstorms, training sessions, committees, discussions and business meetings. They motivate and stimulate people. These techniques will help you to run much more effective meetings because people are more enthusiastic and engaged. Participants will be glad that you involved them early and broke the ice!

The course is now updated with a lecture on seven different icebreakers that you can use with virtual or hybrid meetings - such as those over Zoom or Teams.

This course is ideal for anyone who runs meetings. It includes eleven videos which you can download and use at your own pace. You will learn how to use:

Gestures Exercise

Ball Game

Howdy Partner!

Human Statues

Memory Game

Tell a Lie

Two Truths and a Lie

Fortunately / Unfortunately

Virtual Meetings Icebreakers

There is a summary which compares the methods and helps you choose the most appropriate for your event. There is also a extra video interview on icebreakers with author and workshop facilitator Jackie Barrie. This interview looks in depth at why and how to use icebreakers. It also covers two additional methods - Draw a Pig and Change Three Things.

Who this course is for:

Managers, Students, Business people, Meeting Facilitators, Trainers

Icebreakers and Energizers to Start Meetings

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

Introduction1 lecture • 2min

Physical Icebreakers4 lectures • 7min

Mental Icebreakers4 lectures • 18min

Interview on Icebreakers with Jackie Barrie1 lecture • 22min

Summary2 lectures • 8min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: