Part One
One of the ways we can engage teams in workshops is to include icebreakers, games and activities. They can bring training alive, switch on a delegates creative side of the brain and reduce death by power point. When thinking about materials for activities it is important to remember you may not always be driving and therefore have to carry them to your venue on public transport so I have taken this into account in my recommendations. Throughout my career I have developed and been told about many games and activities that work, take a look at my favourites. In fact there are so many, I will produce a Part Two with more ideas and favourite materials, so watch this space.
Here are my top ten
These are for the Rod game, where you ask your delegates to form teams of four, they have to place the rod on the back of their hands and have to work together to lower the rod to the ground without grabbing it, or dropping it. It tests teamwork, communication, leadership, motivation. Usually facilitators use long bamboo but these are a pain to carry, however these rods screw together for form a long pole. I have two sets which enables you to have three teams. ( both sets will fit into one container.)
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Matte finish quality blank playing cards are easily coloured or written on with most pen. Good resilience and superior flexibility make it easy to shuffle. I use them to design game cards, memory games and energisers. My favourite being, write a list of questions one on each card and deal them out randomly: Your comfort food meal?, favourite song/film/book?, worst fashion faux pas?, favourite joke?, if you were a superhero for a day who would you be?, if you could travel anywhere for a day and be back intime for work tomorrow with no jetlag where would you go?
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They also produce coloured versions which I use when building quiz cards for board games. each colour would represent a different department or category.
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APOSTROPHE Games Create Your Own Board Game (Blank Game Board, Box & Accessories) with Game Pieces, Blank Cards, Blank Spinner & Dice. DIY Board Game, Build Your Own Custom Board Game
The PERFECT set to create YOUR OWN board game. 45.6 cm x 45.6 cm Blank Game Board AND Blank Game Box. It contains 72 blank poker size playing cards (two decks of 36), 5 blank dice, 2 standard dice, 8 multi-colour player tokens and 1 game spinner with blank base. I usually also by the coloured game cards above as they can be used for different categories. I use this as a team building exercise for train trainers, culture gurus and teams to build a game for induction that would embed culture, behaviours or standards. that could be played in an hour or shortened to 30
minutes. It take a day to design, draw, and pilot the game. In our increasingly digital world teams are finding a new found love of tabletop analogue games.
This personalized board game comes with everything you need to build an 'Opoly game' You’ll receive: 50.8 cm x 50.8 cm blank game board, Blank game box, 60 blank property & special cards, 12 blank printable property sticker sheets (144 stickers), 28 blank play money paper sheets (in 7 different colours), 32 houses & 12 hotels, 2 dice and 8 player tokens. I use this for clients that have several sites to train their global brand and identity.
This book, gives you everything you need to understand how to build a table top game. Board games are having a comeback, and especially within a younger, tech-y audience who enjoys the challenge and opportunity to work in an analog sphere. Game design expert Jesse Terrance Daniels teaches all the fundamentals of game design, from rule-setting to physical construction, along with original illustrations that capture the ethos and energy of the young, contemporary gaming community. Readers will learn the “building blocks” of game design, including game components, rules, and gameplay mechanics, and then how to craft a game, with a variety of examples and design prompts. I read this to help me understand the theory of game building in order develop a build a game to illustrate standards, systems or culture as part of leadership team building or train trainer sessions.
LEGO 76906 Speed Champions 1970 Ferrari 512 M Sports Red Race Car Toy, Collectible Model Building Set with Racing Driver Minifigure
I use Lego kits similar to these to illustrate different personality traits when exploring DiSC/SDI or insights and team building. I divide the group into mixed profile groups, each with an observer. I then give each team a kit, from which I have removed one piece ( not too crucial, usually an accessory). They have to complete to be the first team to finish. he missing part usually puts them into conflict state and allows us to see their true characteristics to come out. We then debrief with the observers how they behaved, which often correlates to their profiles illustrating their behavioural styles and how they can best utilise or adapt them in groups.
An oldie but a goody, this is for the hospitality industry. This book, although written in 2005 is jam packed with incentives, games and ideas to increase sales, spend per head and motivate teams.
I have used this for 15 years and it is still relevant today.
I use these for telephone training activities to illustrate how much impact smiling and body language on the phone can make. I ask the room except to people to wear a mask, I then explain I will role play answering the telephone, but each time I will change my body language and they have to guess what I am doing. I say what am I doing now? what is my facial expression, they shout out the answers. Those without the masks on tell them if they are correct. Throughout the exercise you remind them to keep their eye masks on. It takes 15 minutes start to finish. 1. slumped in my seat, scowling. 2. I remain seated but turn my back and look around. 3. I sit upright and smiling. At the end of the excise the delegate can understand the importance of smiling and positive body language whilst answering the telephone .
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Finding different and unusual activities to highlight or illustrate a theory or concept can be difficult. Th/is book is jam packed full of activities of all types suitable for adults and some for children. |They have real credibility as they have been used by NASA for astronaut training.
Including puzzles and tests on:
· visual perception and logic
· mental arithmetic and concentration
· psychological readiness
· teamwork and leadership
· survival, physical and medical skills
· foreign languages (every astronaut has to know Russian!)
and much more, this richly illustrated book draws on Tim Peake's first-hand experience of applying to be an astronaut in 2008, when he and five others were chosen - out of over 8,000 applications!
We've all dreamed of being an astronaut, though of the estimated 100 billion people who have ever lived, only 557 people have travelled to space. But with this unprecedented look into real astronaut selection, you might just find out your dreams can become reality... It has a 4.7 rating from nearly 500 reviews.