Ice Breaker

Tomorrow I have to give a 15 minute presentation to two people. I would like to start with an ice breaker as my discussion is about learning styles and I would like to use an ice breaker as one example, but I can't think of any for just two people.
Hope you can help...soon
Thanks Tracy

You may be talking about learning styles such people taking in information - kinethetically, visually or aurally.

Here is a good one for "breaking the ice". Do this to both of your audience in turns.

1. Get your audience to hold out their hands with their arms straight inf front of them and their thumbs pointing straight up

2. Ask them to rotate their hands so that their thumbs are pointing downwards

3. Ask them to corss their handsa over so that their palms are flat against each other.

4. Get them to interlace their fingers to make a fist.

Now - point to a finger (without touching) and ask them to move it. Now try another. They will proably find the bottom fingers most difficult.

Repeat the exercise with touching - many people find this easier.

Another ice breaker technique, which is quite simple, is to get the audience to draw a picture without showing the other person. They have to then describe the picture to the other person who has to make an exact copy - without being able to see it. All of the instructions have to be made verbally and there can be NO POINTING!

Set a time limit of three minutes.

Most people will find this very difficult. Then allow them a very quick glimpse of the picture. They will then suddenly be able to draw it with ease.

This demonstrates two diffferent learning styles. All to often teachers and coaches rely heavily on verbal communication. Often a short picture will help to convey the message very effectively.

I hope that these will help you

Kind regards

One ice breaker for a larger group is to ask them to break off into twos.

If there is an odd number then you can take one of the places - if an even number then you just observe.

Give them three minutes to find out what they have in common. You may prompt them to ask where people have lived, the jobs they have done, hobbies - what ever they like. If it is a work group make sure that you ask them to make it not work related.

You can then at the end ask people to call out some of the things that they have in common with each other. You'd be amazed how connected most people are!

Here is another breaking the ice technique for a mid sized group - it works particularly well in your own company or group - is to ask people to write on a post-it note something about themselves that nobody else would know.

People then have to guess who the answer may apply to. You do not have to do all of the answers - just pick a few at random. You can also save a few for later in the day when people return from a coffee or lunch break.

Some of the answers can be really revealing. One person turned out to have been a breakfast TV presenter earlier in his life and another went into the woods looking for mushrooms!