What’s the point of Ice Breaker games?

As someone who has ADHD and is naturally averse to being forced to make friends, Ice Breakers are a particular horror of mine. Being in a room of strangers and having to do silly things, talk about stuff I don’t want to and basically just waste time until the main event begins, I just can’t see the point of them. However I know I’m in a minority and they are actually super popular to, as the name suggests, break the ice at any event or venue you can imagine, and many people swear by them.

The reason people feel so passionately about them is that they value the importance of interaction between a group of employees, school children, students or guests and feel that it can be vital in the success of the group’s dynamics. Bringing a group of people together can be a difficult task and if barriers are not broken down quickly and effectively many individuals may feel isolated and withdrawn from the group. By getting everyone to feel more at home in the group, they are more likely to speak up and participate in the rest of the session.

Of course as there are so many different types of ice breaker games, it’s important to choose the right one for the occasion / event. There are ice breaker games for corporate settings, ones for children, educational settings and many informal ones for parties and so on. Each one has a specific outcome in mind as well as using anything from props, to paper and pen or just talking to each person about a specific topic.

If you are in charge of the group, please be mindful that not everyone enjoys these games and don’t force anyone to take part, however with some jolly encouragement and with a fun theme, most people can be persuaded to join in and the majority will find they’ve actually enjoyed the game.

So, by heroically ignoring my own feelings I have compiled a collection of as many ice breaker games as I can find. There’s sure to be one that will suit your particular circumstances.

 

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *