1. String a Ring - Energizer
Instructions
You’ll notice I have arranged the chairs in one large circle in the room. Note the ring on the loop of string. I’ll ask one person to stand in the middle of the circle.
The others will hold the loop of string. The person in the middle must now close their eyes for a second. Now open your eyes and guess who is holding the ring by their facial gestures, body language, etc.
Our game progresses as the participants in the circle slide the ring between them covered by their hands so that the person in the middle can’t find it. If the person in the middle guesses correctly, then they change places with the person who had the ring. Any questions?
String a Ring
Duration:
20 minutes or more.
Objective:
This energizer is useful during training sessions on communication, body language or NLP techniques where there might be an element of aiding people to read faces and body language.
Tools:
A piece of string tied in a circle with a ring threaded through it.
Instructions:
Before the game begins a ring is threaded through the string and the string is tied together at the ends.
Participants sit on chairs in one large circle in the room. One person stands in the middle of the circle.
The participants hold the loop of string. The person in the middle must guess who is holding the ring by the facial gestures, body language etc.
As the game progresses, the participants in the circle slide the ring between them, covered by their hands so that the person in the middle can’t find it. If the person in the middle guesses correctly, then they change places with the person who had the ring.
In review, hold a discussion about the techniques each person used to identify who was holding the ring and whether or not they were effective.
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2. It’s My Life - Energizer
Instructions
Take turns selecting a point from the list below and discuss your experience/s surrounding the scenario; then choose the next person to go.
A difficult situation I managed to turn around.
A success I achieved with a creative solution.
A relationship that was broken and I fixed.
A situation I made turn out really well.
A moment when I came to a big realization.
A objection that I was able to overcome.
An ingenious solution I provided.
Something that changed my life.
A mistake I made and learned from.
A huge challenge I overcame.
It’s My Life
Duration:
minutes
Objective:
To enable participants to share experiences, develop rapport and discuss previous experiences and situations in a relaxed environment.
About the energizer:
This is one of our favorite energizer activities and it is really useful near the start of a training session or at a lull where you feel it is important that participants discuss their ideas and opinions. It is very versatile and can be added in with little preparation and a lot of impact.
We find that the activity works well in sales training sessions where you want participants to discuss past issues, share their experiences, opinions and thoughts and develop a sense of rapport.
The energizer activity works best for groups of at least three people and no more than twelve.
Instructions
Display the list below and advise groups that they should each take turns selecting a point from the list and discuss their experience/s surrounding the scenario. When they have had their turn, the next person should choose.
A difficult situation I managed to turn around
A success I achieved with a creative solution
A relationship that was broken and I fixed
A situation I made turn out really well
A moment when I came to a big realization
A objection that I able to overcome
An ingenious solution I provided
Something that changed my life
A mistake I made and learnt from
A huge challenge I overcame
Use the below list for sales training:
A difficult sale I managed to turn around
A sale I achieved with a creative solution
A sales relationship that was broken and I fixed
A sale I made really well
A sales objection that I resolved well
An ingenious solution to get a sale
A mistake I made and learned from
A challenge I overcame
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30 Seconds
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3. Memory Tester - Energizer
INSTRUCTIONS:
I am going to ask the class to remember a string of numbers.
I will read out the numbers clearly with a two second interval between each one to give you a chance to remember the string.
Any questions?
Memory Test
Duration:
5 minutes
Objective
To demonstrate to participants how difficult it is to remember a lot of information without the aid of notes.
Instructions
Explain that you are going to ask participants to remember a string of numbers. You will read out the numbers clearly with a two second interval between each one to give them a chance to remember the string.
Call out the following:
4 7
Now ask participants if they can remember those numbers.
Ask: How difficult was that:
Expect participants to tell you this was very easy.
Now call out the following:
Ask: How difficult was that?
Expect participants to tell you that this was a bit harder but still relatively easy.
Some participants will start to find this difficult and may struggle to remember all 7 numbers.
Make the point that most of us can just about cope with remembering 7 pieces of information (plus or minus two) so this is getting towards the limit of what we can handle.
Unless the participants have trained their memory, it is unlikely that they will remember this string of 14 numbers.
With memory training it would be possible to cope with this and even longer strings. However, most people would not be able to do this.
Make the point that if we are giving a lot of information or receiving a lot of information we need to think about how we deal with it. Making notes certainly helps. It also helps to make sure that the most important information is given greater emphasis and that it is structured in a way to make it memorable.
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4. Memo List - Energizer INSTRUCTIONS:
I am going to read a list out to you but you’re not allowed to write anything down. Just listen to the list carefully.
Now you’ll have one minute to write down as many of the words you can remember as possible.
Memo List - energizer
Duration:
Minutes
Objective:
This energizer is useful where you want to highlight the importance of communication skills and more specifically listening skills. The energizer demonstrates how people listen (or not) and provides you with the opportunity to discuss why this might happen.
Instructions:
Create a list of around 20 related words based on a specific topic. For instance; garden, grass, tree, bush, hedge etc. Leave one obvious word from the list i.e. flower and also repeat one of the words in the list three or four times.
Take this sheet out at the relevant time during your training session and tell the participants that you are going to read the list out to them and they are not allowed to write anything down. They should just listen to you.
Next, give them one minute to write down as many of the words they can remember.
In review, you should notice that about 60% remember the first word, 75% remember the last word, 80% will remember the word you repeated three times and some will even write down the obvious word that you didn’t say.
Discuss the reasons behind these outcomes and what that means when we communicate.
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60 Seconds
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5. Make a Fist - Energizer INSTRUCTIONS:
I would like to ask for two volunteers to come out to the front of the group.
I want to ask one of the volunteers to make a fist.
Now I want the other volunteer to open it.
Make a Fist - energizer
Duration:
5 Minutes
Objective:
This energizer is useful for highlighting the fact that we all make assumptions and that when we communicate we must be careful with the message the person actually receives compared to the one we meant them to get.
Instructions:
Ask for two volunteers to come out to the front of the group.
Tell one of the volunteers to make a fist and then ask the other volunteer to open it.
You will find that the first volunteer instinctively tries to stop the other person opening their fist (in 99% of cases!)
Review the session by pointing out that you only asked one person to make a fist and the other person to open it, at no point did you ask them to resist. Discuss why this happened and identify the pitfalls of assumptions and inactive listening.
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6. Interpretation - Energizer
INSTRUCTIONS:
I am about to call out a series of well-known phrases.
I’ll ask each of you to write down your interpretation of what the phrase means to you.
Any questions?
Interpretation - Energizer
Duration:
Minutes
Objective:
This energizer is useful in highlighting the fact that we all interpret information in different ways and that how we interpret this information can mean very different results. Particularly useful during leadership training, communication and related topics.
Instructions:
Call out a series of well-known phrases and ask participants to write down their interpretation of what the phrase means to them. Examples are:
I’ll be back in a bit
In due time
Free from alterations
Updated to include
Outdated materials
Linked to strategy
Once participants have completed the task, hold a discussion around how we might perceive information differently from each other. Their answers to the phrases are likely different from each other and this raises some interesting debate. For instance; some might think that ‘a bit’ is 2 minutes, and others might think it is hours.
This energizer is most useful when you use examples from the participants’ workplace.
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7. Head Catch! - Energizer INSTRUCTIONS:
We’re about to play a game, so I’ll ask everyone to stand in a circle with one volunteer in the middle (the caller).
The caller will throw the ball to each person in the circle. If the caller shouts ‘catch’ the person receiving the ball has to head the ball back. If the caller shouts ‘head’ the person receiving the ball has to catch the ball.
If a person catches the ball when they should have headed or vice versa, they are out. Any questions?
Head Catch!
Time:
15 minutes
Tools:
A football
Instructions:
This activity is really just for fun and to energize a team, but can also be used to select people for tasks if required.
There is a link you can make in this game to how people receive a message and that often we can only react to what we hear, rather than what is meant.
Stand in a circle with one person in the middle (the caller). In turn, the caller throws the ball to each person in the circle. If the caller shouts ‘catch’ the person receiving the ball has to head the ball back. If the caller shouts ‘head’ the person receiving the ball has to catch the ball.
If a person catches the ball when they should have headed or vice versa, they are out. Continue until only one person is left.
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8. Good Instructions - Energizer
I want to ask for a two volunteers to come up to the front of the room.
Now I want to ask one of my volunteers to wait outside the room until I call you in.
Now, I want you, my second volunteer, to describe your favorite board game (i.e. Monopoly, Trivial Pursuit, etc. or alternatively, your favorite game show, i.e. Deal or No Deal, Who Wants to be a Millionaire etc.)
…to our waiting volunteer as well as exactly how the game is played. You can’t say the game name and PLEASE, no audience help.
Good Instructions? - energizer
Duration:
minutes
Objective
This energizer is useful to demonstrate how difficult it can be to give instructions to others and also highlight what you need to do to be clear in your message.
The energizer works particularly well in training where you want to highlight communication skills and allow people to practice getting their message across. It works well with the following training; Building Relationships, Communicating Difficult Messages, Coaching at Work, Conflict Handling, Facilitation Skills and Mentor Training.
Instructions
Ask for a volunteer participant and when you have one, tell them they must wait outside the room until you call them in.
Ask a second volunteer participant to tell you what their favorite board game is, i.e. Monopoly, Trivial Pursuit, etc. or alternatively, what their favorite game show is, i.e. Deal or No Deal, Who Wants to be a Millionaire, etc. If you can get someone with an obscure example then this works better.
The person that has the example game must now describe how the game should be played to the other participant that was previously asked to stay outside the room. The person should explain the game at the front of the room to the other participant, while everyone else watches. However, the ‘audience’ are not allowed to provide input and help the explanation. They of course are also not allowed to tell them the name of the game or give away any other obvious clues. It must only be a description of the instructions.
The demonstration only ends when the first volunteer guesses what game is being described to them.
In Review
Discuss how the communication of the instructions went. Use the following questions as prompts…
What worked?
What didn’t work?
How could you improve?
Was there any frustration?
What caused this?
What could be done better?
What should not be done in future?
How does this relate to other communication scenarios?
What lessons have we learned?
Adapt questions to suit your audience and the relevant training topic and challenge the participants thinking.
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9. Fold Up - Energizer INSTRUCTIONS:
In front of you you’ll find a piece of paper. I want to ask each of you to pick up the piece of paper, and follow my instructions.
But before I begin with my instructions, I want to ask each of you to close your eyes, and don’t open them until I say to.
Fold Up - Energizer
Duration:
Minutes
Objective:
This energizer is useful for highlighting the fact that we all interpret information in different ways and that how we interpret this information can mean very different results. Particularly useful during leadership training, communication and related topics.
Resources Needed:
A sheet of paper for each participant.
Instructions:
Provide everyone within the group with a blank sheet of paper. Once they all have this, ask them to close their eyes while you give them instructions on what to do with that piece of paper.
Provide instructions on what to do with the paper. For example…
Pull the top right corner down to the bottom left corner and fold at the crease.
Turn the paper over.
Rip the top right corner from the paper.
Fold the whole piece of paper in half.
Fold again.
Create a hole in the middle of the paper with just your hands, etc.
Once you have provided enough instructions to make the exercise interesting, ask everyone to open their eyes and examine the piece of paper they have.
The point to note is that although they all received the same instructions, the results were very different.
Hold a discussion around why this is and relate it to communication. For instance…
We need to be able to clarify, confirm and check.
We all understand instructions differently and this means we have to be clear when giving instructions.
How important is being able to see what you are doing?
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10. I Can Fly in the Balloon - Energizer
INSTRUCTIONS:
I want to ask everyone to sit in a circle.
We will be playing a game called, ‘I can fly in the balloon'. As we play I want each of you to try to figure out exactly what is going on.
I’ll begin the game by stating I can fly in the balloon because I am …..
I Can Fly in the Balloon - Energizer
Duration:
10 – 15 minutes dependent upon the size of the group
Objective
To reenergize participants during a lull in a training program.
Instructions
This is one of our favorite activities and we first came across it during a family party. We’ve since successfully used it a number of times during training courses. It really helps participants to re-focus when they start to tire during an event.
We find that the activity works well in communication programs or where participants are learning to collect, analyze and draw conclusions from information.
The activity works best for groups of at least 6 people and no more than 12
Without saying who you have selected, choose a member of the group.
Next ask participants to sit in a circle or around a large table. Say that you will be playing a game called, ‘I can fly in the balloon’, and that you will be starting it. Explain that they need to determine what is going on.
Participants need to decide for themselves what this game is about, and who you have chosen, so do not give any further instructions. Just launch into the game.
Pick a visual characteristic about the person you selected. This should be a characteristic that applies to a number of people in the room (e.g. male). Now announce:
‘I can fly in the balloon because I am male’ (if male was the characteristic you chose). It is often best to use a characteristic you share with the person you chose because it will keep participants off track to begin with.
Now tell the person next to you that it is his/her turn. Ask why they can fly in the balloon. They should announce:
‘I can fly in the balloon because…’
If he/she chooses a characteristic that applies to the person you selected say:
‘Yes, you can fly in the balloon’
If they chose something that does not describe your chosen person say:
‘No, you can’t fly in the balloon’
Ensure everybody in the group has an attempt and then take your next go. Choose another characteristic of your chosen person (e.g. wearing a watch) and announce this:
‘I can fly in the balloon because I am wearing a watch’
Go around the group again using the same approach as above. And keep on going around the group until everybody realizes who you are describing.
Eventually everybody will figure out that only one person can fly in the balloon and who that person is. Congratulate them for achieving this.
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11. Drawing Conclusions - Energizer
INSTRUCTIONS:
To begin, I want to ask each of you to find a partner.
Now while one person holds a pen in their hand and does not move it, the other person must move the paper around under the pen to try to write a word or draw a picture.
Any questions?
Drawing Conclusions - Energizer
Duration:
10 minutes
Objective:
Helps participants to appreciate that they cannot do everything for others. Particularly useful for leadership skills training, where you might want to help participants appreciate the benefits of delegation.
Instructions:
Place participants into pairs. One person holds a pen in their hand and does not move. The other person moves the paper around under the pen and tries to write a word or draw a picture.
Of course the results will be pretty bad. Discuss the results with the participants and ask them what the results might have been if they had just asked the other person to draw the picture or write the word.
Hold a general discussion about trying to do things for other people and why it might be beneficial to allow them to work on their own. From this point it is easy to expand the topic and begin to discuss the benefits of delegation or leaving others to find their own way.
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12. Cross the Line - Energizer
INSTRUCTIONS:
To begin, I want to ask each of you to find a partner and face each other standing on opposite sides of the marked line about an arm’s length apart.
When I say ‘GO’ you’ll have 30 seconds to persuade your partner to cross to your side of the line.
Any questions?
Cross the Line - Energizer
Duration:
5 – 10 minutes
Objective
To energize participants during a training program containing a communication theme
and/or
To initiate a discussion about how we might influence people to do what we want
Resources Needed
Masking tape or string or chalk to mark lines on the floor – whatever is most appropriate for the training room you are working in.
Instructions
Set up the activity by marking a line or series of lines on the training room floor.
Organize participants into pairs. Arrange for participants to face each other standing on opposite sides of the marked line. They should be no more than an arm’s length apart.
Tell them that when you say ‘go’ they have 30 seconds to persuade their partner to cross to their side of the line.
At 30 seconds call a halt (30 seconds really is ample time).
Even in this short time many participants will be persuaded to cross the line.
Ask: What strategies did you use to persuade your partner to cross?
Listen to answers given
Ask: Why were these strategies effective/ineffective?
Listen to answers given.
Make the point that most effective strategies are when both parties win. For example – ‘Let’s both cross the line. That way we both achieve our objective.’
If you are using this activity during a program involving communication it will usually be possible to link this to your next topic. This works particularly well in as part of a program involving influencing, persuading and/or negotiating.
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30 Seconds
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13. Clothes Line - Energizer
INSTRUCTIONS:
Please form into two teams.
Each team has been given a blindfold and a large envelope containing all the materials needed for this exercise.
Now please select someone to be blindfolded from your team and blindfold them.
Now open your envelopes containing all you’ll need including instructions for this exercise.
Clothes Line - Energizer
Duration: 10– 20 Minutes including discussion
Objective
To help energize participants during a training session
and/or
To help participants consider the importance of trust when working with other people
Resources Needed
Each team will need:
Clothes Line Task Sheet
Two chairs
Blindfold
Length of string at least 8 feet long
Business Card
Sheet of A4 (8.5 by 11 inches) paper
Handkerchief
Pencil
Rubber band
Plastic or paper cup
Paper clip
Large envelope
8 clothespins
You may also want to include some small prizes in your resources.
Instructions
Form the group into two teams or more teams.
Give each team a blindfold and a large envelope containing all the other materials.
Ask the teams to select someone to be blindfolded and blindfold them.
Inform the teams that they may now open their envelopes, make sure they know that the envelopes contains, amongst other things, the instructions for this exercise.
Give them the chance to read the instructions before starting the exercise.
At the end of the activity lead a discussion to discuss the challenges the teams faced and how they coped with them.
Consider offering a small prize to the team to complete the task first
ENSURE THAT THERE IS A CLEAR AND SAFE WORKING AREA FOR THIS EXERCISE
Using the materials provided, instruct the person who has been blindfolded to undertake the following:
Place two chairs 6 feet apart. Fix a length of string to each chair to make a ‘clothes line’ about 3 feet from the ground. Using clothespins, attach the following objects to the line in the order given: 1 Business Card 1 sheet A4 paper 1 handkerchief 1 pencil 1 rubber band 1 plastic or paper cup 1 paper clip 1 large envelope You may not assist the blindfolded member of the team in any way other than through your verbal instructions. You have ten minutes to complete the task.
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14. Bunch of Squares- Energizer
INSTRUCTIONS:
Appoint one group member to act as your ‘leader’. Let’s assume the rest of your group are ‘staff’ and must all wear a blindfold. The staff members must also take hold of the rope.
Your task is to create a perfect square with the rope. However, the staff will be guided only by the communication skills of the leader and leader is not allowed to touch the ‘staff’ at any point.
Any questions?
Bunch of Squares - Energizer
20 minutes
Goal:
To energize the team and get them working together.
Tools:
A long piece of rope.
Blindfolds for each participant.
Instructions:
Ask one participant to act as ‘leader’. The other participants are ‘staff’ and must all wear a blindfold. They will also be asked to hold the rope.
Explain that their task is to create a perfect square with the rope. However, they will be guided only by the communication skills of the leader. The leader is not allowed to touch the ‘staff’ at any point.
Uses:
Best with groups of 8 or more, this activity demonstrates that participants are not always led as well as they could be and that communication between groups does not always lead to effective results.
This exercise also allows you to explore the feelings of being coached and also acting as coach. You can even discuss the coach’s use of commands.
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20 Minutes
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15. Back Chat - Energizer INSTRUCTIONS:
Please form two lines behind each flip chart, as if you are lining up for movie tickets.
I will go to the last two people in each line and show the them a picture or word on a piece of paper.
These two individuals must draw the picture or word on the back of the person in front of them with their finger. This person must then pass it down the line until it eventually gets to the person at the front with the pen, who will draw it on the flipchart. The ‘winner’ is the team that draws the picture/word first. It must also be a fairly correct representation of the original picture/word.
Back Chat - Energizer
Duration:
15 minutes.
Objective:
This energizer is useful to highlight the dangers of ‘Chinese whispers’ within an organization or as a wider discussion on communication.
Instructions:
Split the participants into two groups and ask each group to form a line next to the other. Both lines should face the same direction as if they are lining up for something.
The person at the front of each line should have a flipchart placed in front of them and be handed a pen.
The trainer should then go to the two people at the back of the lines from each team. The trainer will show the two people a picture or word on a piece of paper (being careful not to let anyone else see it).
Once the person at the back of each line has seen the picture or word, they must draw the picture or word on the back of the person in front of them with their finger. This person must then pass it down the line until it eventually gets to the person at the front with the pen, who draws it on the flipchart. The ‘winner’ is the team that gets the picture drawn first.
However, the other element to note is whether the picture or word is anything like the original.
Review the session by holding a discussion about communication in general or highlighting a specific communication point that you want to make i.e. dangers of gossiping, giving clear instructions, delegating effectively etc. (Note: Some individuals may not wish to have pictures/words drawn on their back. If anyone says they are somewhat uncomfortable with the exercise, ask if they will act as a judge to determine if the picture/words are sufficiently comparable to the original.)
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16. The 2 Minute Test - Energizer
INSTRUCTIONS:
I placed in front of each class member a copy of a test question sheet face down.
Don’t turn the paper over until I say so as this is a speed test. You’ll have 2 minutes to answer the questions.
Your objective is to answer each question accurately, but you will only have two minutes to complete the test. I will let you know when there are 60, 30 and 15 seconds remaining.
Ready !
2 Minute Test - Energizer
Duration: Minutes including discussion
Objective
To help focus participants during a training session
and/or to emphasize the importance of understanding information before acting on it
Resources Needed
Sufficient copies of the below question sheet for participants to have one each.
Pen or pencil for each participant
Instructions
Give each participant a copy of the question sheet face down. Tell them they must not turn the paper over until you say so as this is a speed test.
Tell the group that their objective is to answer each question accurately, but they only have two minutes to complete the test. Tell them you will give them one minute, 30 second and 15 second warnings. (you can allow more time if you prefer)
At the end of two minutes go through the correct answers using the answer sheet provided.
Discuss how many people were caught out by the questions and why?
You may wish to offer a small prize to the person with the most correct answers.
2 Minute Test - Questions
Write your name in the square provided.
How many animals did Moses take aboard the ark?
A 10 foot rope ladder hangs over the side of a boat with the bottom rung on the surface of the water. The rungs are one foot apart, and the tide goes up at the rate of 6 inches per hour. How long will it be until three rungs are covered?
Some months have 30 days, some have 31. How many have 28?
A little girl kicks a soccer ball. It goes 10 feet and comes back to her. How is this possible?
A man dressed in all black is walking down a country lane. Suddenly, a large black car without any lights on comes round the corner and screeches to a halt. How did the car know he was there?
How many sides in a circle?
How far can a dog run into the woods?
Which country has a 4th of July - the USA or the UK?
A man built a house of rectangular structure, each side having a southern aspect. A bear came wandering by. Which color was it?
If you were alone in a deserted house at night and there was a lamp, a fireplace filled with sticks & logs and a candle and you only had one match, which would you light first?
How many birthdays does the average person have?
Why can’t a man living in New York be buried west of the River Trent?
Before Mount Everest was discovered, what was the highest mountain in the world?
How much soil is there in a 2’ by 2’ by 4’ hole?
How can a man go eight days without sleep?
Is it legal for a man to marry his widow’s sister?
If you drove a bus leaving Chicago with 40 passengers, dropped 7 off and picked up 2 at Naperville, stopped at Indianapolis and picked up 10, went on to Springfield, dropped 8 there and picked up 5 then drove on to arrive at Smithtown 2 hours later, what would the driver’s name be?
2 Minute Test - Answers
Answers
None – Noah built the Ark.
Never, The boat rises as the tide goes up.
All 12 months have 28 days
She kicked it up in the air
It occurred in the daytime
How many sides in a circle? 2, an inside and an outside
How far can a dog run into the woods? ½ way then it is running out
Which country has a 4th of July - the USA or the UK? Both of course
A man built a house of rectangular structure, each side having a southern aspect. A bear came wandering by. Which color was it? White, you are at the North Pole
If you were alone in a deserted house at night and there was a lamp, a fireplace filled with sticks & logs and a candle and you only had one match, which would you light first? The match, of course.
How many birthdays does the average person have? One – the rest are anniversaries of your birth
Why can’t a man living in New York be buried west of the Hudson River? Because he is LIVING, NOT DEAD in New York!
Before Mount Everest was discovered, what was the highest mountain in the world? Mount Everest was still the highest even though it had not been discovered.
How much soil is there in a 2’ by 2’ by 4’ hole? None – it is a hole
How can a man go eight days without sleep? No problem, he sleeps at night.
Is it legal for a man to marry his widow’s sister? How can he? He is dead
If you drove a bus leaving Chicago with 40 passengers, dropped 7 off and picked up 2 at Naperville, stopped at Indianapolis and picked up 10, went on to Springfield, dropped 8 there and picked up 5 then drove on to arrive at Smithtown 2 hours later, what would the driver’s name be? Class member should write their own name here
THESE AND OTHER SIMILAR QUESTIONS
Never. The boat rises as the tide goes up. ____________________
A farmer had 15 sheep, and all but 8 died. How many are left?
The 8 sheep that were left. ____________________
She kicked it up. ____________________
A man and his son were in an automobile accident. The man died on the way to the hospital, but the boy was rushed into surgery. The emergency room surgeon said "I can't operate, that's my son!" How is this possible?
The surgeon was his mother. ____________________
It was daytime. ____________________
A rooster laid an egg on top of the barn roof. Which way did it roll?
It didn't roll - roosters don't lay eggs. ____________________
A truck driver is going down a one way street the wrong way, and passes at least ten cops. Why is he not caught?
He's walking on the sidewalk. ____________________
An electric train is moving north at 100mph and a wind is blowing to the west at 10mph. Which way does the smoke blow?
There is no smoke with an electric train. ____________________
Mount Everest was still the highest even though it had not been discovered. ____________________
Does Britain have a 4th of July?
Yes they do, and a July 5th and a July 6th. ____________________
Eskimos are very good hunters, but they never hunt penguins. Why not?
Eskimos live at the North Pole, penguins at the South Pole. ____________________
No problem, he sleeps at night. ____________________
How can you drop a raw egg onto a concrete floor without cracking it?
Concrete floors are very hard to crack! ____________________
How can you lift an elephant with one hand?
It is not a problem, since you will never find an elephant with one hand. ____________________
How many animals did Moses take onto the ark?
None; Noah was in that story! ____________________
Just one, all the rest are anniversaries of your birth. ____________________
How many cheeks do you have?
Four…count them. ____________________
How many legs does an elephant have if you count his trunk as a leg?
Four. Because calling the trunk a leg doesn’t make it a leg. ____________________
How much dirt is there in a hole 3 feet deep, 6 ft long and 4 ft wide?
None, or it wouldn’t be a hole. ____________________
I asked the assistant in the hardware store, "How much will one cost?" "Twenty cents" she replied. "And how much will twelve cost?" I asked. "Forty cents." she replied. "OK, I'll take one hundred and twelve." How much did I pay?
Only 60 cents. I needed 3 numbers for my house number… ____________________
If a doctor gives you 3 pills and tells you to take one pill every half hour, how long would it take before all the pills had been taken?
1 hour! Take the 1st pill right away, half an hour later take the 2nd and half an hour after that the 3rd. Total time spent: 1 hour! ____________________
If a plane crashes on the border between the US and Mexico, where do they bury the survivors?
Survivors generally are never buried. ____________________
If it took eight men ten hours to build a wall, how long would it take four men to build it?
No time at all it is already built. ____________________
If Mr. Smith's peacock lays an egg in Mr. Jones' yard, who owns the egg?
Peacocks don’t lay eggs, just peahens. ____________________
If there are 6 apples and you take away 4, how many do you have?
The 4 you took. ____________________
If you divide 30 by half and add ten. What do you get?
70! Think about it. What does half really mean? It's 0.5! What is 30 divided by 0.5? 60! Now = 70. ____________________
If you had only one match, and entered a dark room containing an oil lamp, some newspaper, and some kindling wood, which would you light first?
The match. ____________________
If you spell "sit all day in the tub" S-O-A-K, and you spell "a funny story" J-O-K-E, how do you spell "the white of an egg"?
A-L-B-U-M-E-N or E-G-G-W-H-I-T-E
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2 Minutes
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17. A Problem Shared - Energizer
INSTRUCTIONS:
I want to ask you to write several workplace ‘problems’ you’ve experienced on post-it notes.
Once you have two or three problems, bring them to the front of the room and place them on the flipchart with the heading ‘A Problem Shared’.
Together, we are going to work through each issue on each of the post-it notes and ask everyone to provide input on how these issues can be resolved.
A Problem Shared - Energizer
Duration:
Minutes
Objective:
This energizer is useful where you want participants to share their concerns and issues with other people in the group. It can also work well as a method of overcoming team challenges and making workplace improvements.
Instructions:
Ask participants to write workplace ‘problems’ they have on post-it notes. Once they have two or three problems, they should bring them to the front of the room and place them on a pre-prepared flipchart with the heading ‘A Problem Shared’.
Take turns working through the issues that are on each of the post-it notes and ask everyone to provide input on how the issues can be resolved.
Once you have a clear solution for the issue, ask the person that originally wrote it if they are satisfied with the solution and if they have any feedback.
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18. The Shake Down - Energizer
INSTRUCTIONS:
I want to make sure you’re awake and ready to learn for the next part of our program. I’m about to lead you through a SHAKE DOWN.
We’ll begin with six shakes of your right hand extended into the air, then six shakes of the left hand. Then six shakes of the right foot, followed by six shakes of the left foot.
Then we will go back to the right hand and do five shakes, followed by five of the left hand then five of the right foot, etc.
Any questions?
Shake Down - Energizer
Duration:
5 Minutes
Objective:
This energizer is a very quick, but very effective warm up that will wake up your audience and bring them back into learning mode.
Resources Needed:
None
Instructions:
This is a countdown energizer and works very quickly. As trainer, you should lead this energizer from the front of the room.
Explain to participants that you will be asking them to do a shake countdown. This countdown starts at six and then decreases to one.
Start the countdown with six shakes of the right hand (with hand in air), then six shakes of the left hand (with hand in air). Then six shakes of the right foot, followed by six shakes of the left foot.
Next, go back to the right hand and do five shakes, followed by five of the left hand then five of the right foot, etc.
Continue the countdown until you reach one shake of each.
As you can imagine, the actions get quicker with this energizer as the number decreases and it really wakes people up.
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19. Pop the Problem - Energizer
INSTRUCTIONS:
I’d like us to consider, identify and list all the problems we as a group see with a particular topic I am about to give to you.
These problems will then be written onto blown up balloons until there is a collection of balloons in the room, which represent our identified problems.
As a group we will work on each problem in turn until we have a satisfactory problem resolution.
Once a solution has been found, the person that originally identified the problem will put a pin through the balloon to burst it.
Any questions?
Pop the Problem
Duration:
minutes
Objective
To provide participants with an opportunity to get issues of their chest and then enjoy the feeling of physically making it disappear.
Materials Needed
Pack of balloons, marker pens, big pin.
Instructions
Participants must consider issues they have with a given topic and formulate these into problems.
These problems are then written onto blown up balloons until there is a collection of balloons in the room, which all represent a problem.
The group as a whole will then work on each problem in turn until they have a satisfactory resolution.
Once a solution has been found, the person that originally identified the problem puts the pin through the balloon to burst it.
There is a deep sense of satisfaction in watching the problems slowly disappearing with a loud bang as you progress!
For even more fun, fill the balloons with flour prior to the session. This creates a cloudy explosion each time they’re burst!
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