This is an light-hearted exercise that I have used a number of times during training workshops to help participants reflect and share their feelings. Using play dough, participants shape it to represent what they learned during the workshop or how they are feeling. Express yourself can be used as an ice breaker activity, mid-activity review to deal with conflict and as reviewing and reflection exercise. Resources: Play-Doh (one lump per person) Group Size: 8-12 participants (For larger groups, split them into pairs or smaller groups) Time: 10 – 15 minutes Express Yourself Explained Give each person in the group a lump of play dough. Ask…
Author: David Priestley
This is a great way of looking back on an experience and helping participants connect the learning whilst playing a fun and familiar game. During the review, participants roll the dice and move their marker to the appropriate square, once they are on the square they will be asked a reflective question based on their experience during the session. The person who manages to navigate the board and reach the finish first, wins the game. Equipment Required: Snake and Ladders board game (or any other similar game) and question cards. Group Size: 6-8 (for groups with more than 8 people, split into…
Go round is an exercise that is used to give everyone in a group a chance to speak and share their opinion on a chosen subject. This exercise can be used to front-load a workshop and establish current understanding before the training or as a reflective tool at the end of the training workshop to identify learning and workplace transfer. Taking it in turns, group members are provided with an opportunity to speak on a subject without interruption or comments from others in the group. To prevent people from being put on the spot, allow them to ‘pass’ if they don’t wish…
If you’re a trainer or manager who’s been tasked with facilitating a workshop, it is a good idea to learn the basics of facilitation to help both you and your participants get the most from the experience. The aim of the article is to provide you with some guidelines and help you understand the fundamentals of facilitating a workshop. What is the difference between a trainer and a facilitator? Check out my previous facilitation article. Here are my top 10 tips for better facilitation: 1) Importance of Beginning Everything has a beginning, a middle and an end. Getting started is like setting…
A spectrum line can be used during workshops to help participants improve their understanding and affirm their own thinking or to gain knowledge on a subject. Participants are given a statement or question by the facilitator and then must decide whether they ‘agree’ or ‘disagree’. They are then given time to reflect on the statement and make a decision. Once they have made a decision they then position themselves appropriately on the spectrum line. The facilitator will then ask participants to share their opinions and feelings with the rest of the group. During the exercise, participants will be listen to…
I often get asked what the difference is between a trainer and a facilitator. Training providers have a tendency to use the two terms interchangeably on their websites, without an explanation of the difference. The aim of this post is to give you a better understanding of the two terms and how they should be used correctly. The difference between training and facilitation revolves around the relationship between content and process. Someone who trains, instructs, or teaches has specific content that needs to be learned by participants and this is done through presentation and practice. Trainer An effective trainer prepares…
Trying to teach a team building or activity session without planning is like heading cross country without a map. You can do it, but it is rarely an efficient way to travel and you will likely end up getting lost. Understanding session structure is essential because it gives you a clear sense of what you are trying to accomplish and how you are going to accomplish it. The aim of this article is to provide you with a few of the different models I use when I train new instructors and facilitators how to teach a team development workshop or…
The best time to negotiate a group agreement is at the beginning of a meeting or training workshop. The purpose of a group agreement is to create an open and respectful environment in which teams can work together creatively and individuals feel safe, sharing their ideas and opinions. Basically, a group agreement consists of statements agreed by the team and trainer that provide behavioural guidelines during the meeting or workshop. These might include: “to turn up on time”; “respecting each other’s opinions”; “providing an opportunity for all to speak”; “any discussion points or opinions remaining confidential”. The most important thing…
One at a time, blindfolded team members are guided by their team mates through an obstacle course to the finish line. They must rely heavily on trust and communication to complete the challenge. Time: 30 minutes 2 minutes for blindfold activity Introduction 3 minutes to discuss and plan 20 minutes for the course (1 point awarded for every team member that completes the course). 5 minutes to reviewing and debrief Space required: Medium. Either Indoors or Outdoors Resources: 1 roll of masking tape (or use cones) An assortment of items can be used as obstacles, such as chairs, buckets, desks or cones…
The team race against the clock to retrieve and move as many tennis balls from one bucket to another, without using their hands or arms. Time: 15 minutes 2 minutes for task Introduction 3 minutes to discuss and plan 5 minutes to move tennis balls 5 minutes to reviewing and debrief Space required: Medium. Either Indoors or Outdoors Resources: 1 roll of masking tape (or use cones) 1 metre stick 1 bucket of tennis balls 1 empty bucket Team Building Challenge Set Up Tape a start line on the floor. Tape and finish line on the floor about 3 metres (10ft)…
Teams are tasked with transporting as many balls as possible from the start line to the end line and over No-Man’s Land in ten minutes using just the resources provided. Time: 25 minutes 5 minutes to brief and setup 5 minutes to plan 10 minutes to complete the challenge 5 minutes to review and debrief Space required: Medium. Either Indoors or Outdoors. Resources: For setup: 1 roll of masking tape 1 yardstick 1 plastic carrier bag 1 bucket or container large enough to hold 10 tennis balls For construction: 2 un-inflated balloons 10 paper clips 1 sheet of sticky dots…
Questions are usually followed by answers. In this challenge, the tables are turned. Groups are provided with answers first and must come up with as many question as possible to suit the given answer. This can be used as a fun ice breaker or can be linked to a subject or theme and used at the start of a training workshop to test a groups current knowledge. Backwards questions encourage group members to think creatively. When responding to the challenge they cannot just shout the answer; they have to rearrange their thought process and phrase their answer as a question.…