What is an icebreaker?
As states the name itself, an “icebreaker” is something which aim is to break the ice. The name, indeed, comes from the ships used in arctic regions to break the ice. In the same way in which those ships facilitate the navigation of other ships through ice blocks, an icebreaker activity aims to open the way to experiential learning. It does it by permitting team members to confront each other in a soother and more appealing atmosphere.
Therefore, an icebreaker is a game, an activity or event that is used to welcome participants. It also used to warm up the dialogue among them in a conference, a team building session, a training class or an alternative event. An icebreaker is also an exercise proposed to support members in beginning the process of forming themselves into a team. That’s the reason why it is frequently offered as a game to “warm up” the company teams. It helps members to get to know one another.
Why is it important for teams to do some Icebreaking activities before a Team Building event?
To explain why it is important to do Icebreaker activities before a team building event it is first of all necessary to talk about their importance.
These activities are worthwhile not only because they are a way to stimulate, energize and motivate the team members and make them cooperate with each other, but also because they support people in getting familiar with important topics such as:
- Communication
- Integration
- Listening
- Alignment
- Teamwork
- Team challenge
- Healthy competition
Obviously, something that we can’t forget to mention is that one of the Icebreaking goals is also having fun. Moreover, with these activities we can celebrate the reaching of goals, together with knowing the people that work with us.
Our icebreakers
Theatre
Theatre is a magical place where everyone can be anyone and anything they want. You can try to feel this sensation too by trying our Theatre Icebreaker activity here in Doha!
Theatrical activities have become very popular in corporate events because of their simplicity and their infinite possibilities of expression. Such activities help re-emerge imaginary characters and situations that can help resolve hidden tensions between team members. The Theatre Icebreaker uses methods derived from theatrical techniques that help express and understand emotions. Guided or semi-screen improvisation, cabaret, acting out a scene and performing a real mini show are just some examples. These are the entertaining activities that involve team members and promote stronger ties among them.
Theatrical Icebreaker activities are particularly involving from a personal point of view. This activity works at the group’s sensitive, physical and mental level, establishing a unique communication between team members. Participants observe each other performing situations and circumstances that reveal aspects of the personality of team members that usually remain hidden while working in the office.
The theatrical fiction evolves and reveals strong emotions in a short time. This kind of activity may eventually uncover the true identities of the team members. Given the flexibility and great potential of theater education, this format can be integrated into many other teambuilding activities. The duration of the activity may vary according to customer needs.
Besides of its role as an Icebreaker at the start of a Team Building activity, it can also be used as an energizer. We can insert it between speeches during a meeting or a convention.
Skyscraper
The Skyscraper Icebreaker is essentially a building challenge. The challenge consists in building the highest construction using only your hands and the materials we will provide, which can be different and infrequently perfectly fitting the goal. But that’s the challenging part! We will provide a very short time for the design and the construction part, then our staff will measure the highest skyscraper. Basing on the client’s choice, there can be or not a winning team.
This activity will involve the participants of every table to do teamwork. That’s the most important part of the Icebreaker. If the company requests it, we can think of giving different tools per area of the chosen location so that the participants have to go to other tables to exchange the materials for their constructions.
This Icebreaker involves different important topics such as leadership, communication, collaboration, implementation, strategy, planning, fun and, of course, as we’ve already mentioned, teamwork!
Yarn Spider Web
Yarn Spider Web Icebreaker, as says the name itself, implicates each group of participants in building a huge web. They have to build it between specific desks or areas of the chosen location. The participants will have to find the designated tables to link with through a big yarn ball. Of course, basing on the implementation of the activity and on the type of space we have. The rules are easy, and they are set so that the outcome will be a colorful, funny and interactive experience.
While building connections with the members of the other teams, employees have to work on their interaction and collaboration skills. This activity makes evident and definite some of the web of connection that unites the participants. Also, it makes them bring up all the usual problem solving issues they encounter while working in the office.
Furthermore, in this Icebreaker you won’t need to use many words. For this, it’s perfect to create the right environment for the inclusion of people with different cultures or languages. Also, it is necessary that this Icebreaking activity is performed as the last one. That’s because afterwards it will be required some time to cut all the yarns.
Let’s break the ice together!
Body Percussion
The Body Percussion Icebreaker is also part of the Music Team Building activities. It is a very special activity because it combines elements of many different cultures. It has prehistoric origins, going back to ancient times, when people used the sounds they produced with their own bodies to connect.
Today, people consider it as a tool to create and develop relationships, to improve individual and team performance and, most important thing of all, to understand the communication process. Through this activity, indeed, we are able to show that no musical instrument is needed to create music and communicate, because our hands and body are enough. Body Percussion, then, is an Icebreaker event carried out with the only use of participant’s hands and body: they do not need any music preparation or any skill in playing instruments.
Body Percussion Icebreaker: different uses
The Body Percussion activity involves and bonds people. The music itself, without doubt, is an extremely potent instrument that is able to create relations, exchanges and to bring people together. Within an hour, the participants, guided by our experts music trainers, are able to reach synchrony and produce music.
The thing that is able to make this Icebreaker suitable for every need is that it can suit every kind of group, big or small dimension, and can be used at different levels, for various purposes:
- Giving fun and entertainment with encouragement and stimulating aims.
- Energizing people and building connections between them, especially during a convention or a seminar.
- Working on the communication and coordination aspects of teamwork, as a team building training experience with instructive purposes.
It is an activity in which we use music, rhythm and our body as tools of aggregation and integration. This isn’t only a way to spend a nice time with friends and colleagues but also a great and powerful tool to boost creativity and improve individual and group communication skills.
Music speaks directly to the unconscious part of us and so there is no requirement of using words. It can help us understand each other perfectly even between different languages and cultures. With the Body Percussion Icebreaker and music in general, therefore, we can talk about important topics such as diversity and inclusion. Furthermore, while everyone is participating in this activity there is no hierarchy: everyone is equal.
Professional coaches will guide participants and they will teach them how to produce rhythm and follow it all together.
Chorus Challenge
Last but not least, another activity that contains music is the Chorus Challenge. It is an Icebreaker that involves also, but not only, vocal skills: it is much more about developing the sense of rhythm and the ability to listen to others in order to follow a melody. In fact, while creating music together, we need to cooperate just in the same way as an orchestra does.
Moreover, sometimes words aren’t enough. Whatsoever a client requests from the employees, it can be expressed by music, in a song. Music is a way of communication that has no limits nor boundaries. Thanks to it, any corporate team can free their ideas and values.
Of course, this Icebreaker involves vocal skills, but this does not mean team member need to be in tune or good singers. Participants will be led by an expert musician, a trainer, who will teach them the basics of music and who will keep the tempo. As a result, if each team is able to follow the rhythm, the result will be wonderful! A great melody made of all the teams’ performance!
Crosswords
Crosswords is another Icebreaker that can be custom-made basing on the company’s different business needs or goals. It can also be a stand-alone event that will last some hours of the day: with this activity you can make your colleagues face the facts concerning the company, reward the most loyal customers or the team of collaborators who first manage to solve the crossword.
If you don’t have much time but you still want to try this kind of activity, you can use it as an energizer, for example during a break at a business conference.
To solve crosswords may seem a boring board game, but we thought of a format in which we add a speed race and the first team who’s able to complete the grid wins. Furthermore, we thought of various puzzle games to solve. If your international team needs to align and share vision, mission or values, this is the perfect creative and action teambuilding, or Icebreaker, for you.
In addition, to make the format even more original and complicated, we thought of building for the team a truly huge crossword! If your team is able to solve a 3-meters-long crossword, then it will be surely returning to the office with a completely changed attitude.
Don’t miss the chance!