Page | 21
Trainees expect that training will be stimulating, interesting, and yes, fun. That does
not mean that you have to be a comedian (unless you are, of course, and are hosting
a stand up comic’s training workshop), but it does obligate you to incorporate some
activities into your training that helps to engage your learners.
Planned activities will bring the following elements to your training:
Keeps the day moving at a stimulating pace
Fun helps to bring people together and break down barriers
Laughter leads to an endorphin release, which is healthy
Improves retention of material by providing hands on application and practice
In order to fully involve your trainees, make sure that you preface activities with a discussion about
safety. Let them know that what takes place in training stays in training, so that they are encouraged to
take risks, challenge previously held assumptions, and make mistakes and learn from them.
Choosing the right activity is very important. One sign of a good trainer is someone who knows how to
choose and even modify an activity to fit certain situations. A good resource library of activities is
important so that you don’t find yourself re-using the same activities and tiring of them, or exposing
them to people over and over, especially if you are an in-house trainer developing workshops for the
same people.
The following list is a handy reference of the types of activities that can be the right fit for your training.
Although some of the headings may overlap, the definitions are here to give you a better understanding
of the range of activities that can be used.
Game: A game is an exercise that normally has a set of rules and an element of competition. Games
often include some kind of reward.
Icebreakers: Icebreakers are used as an exercise to introduce group members to one another (break the
ice), encourage some energy into the beginning of a workshop, and lead into the topic material. They
are an important starting point to your training session.
Energizer: An energizer is a brief pick-me-up activity designed to invigorate a group if energy in the
room is waning, or to bring them back together following a break. Energizers are often about five
minutes long.