Energizers

Credits CC Last Updated 2014-03

Trainers can help break up the pace of the day with fun interactive sessions called Energizers, which are useful when the group, trainer included, simply needs a fun break from training sessions.

Example Energizers for Your Events

Energizers are short, fun activities that get participants moving and interacting, and are especially useful after lunch or long periods of sitting, when the group energy is frequently at its lowest and participants can seem to be the most disengaged. These are good exercises to have ready to pull out of your “toolkit” when you feel that the energy level in the room going down (e.g., glazed eyes. yawning participants, random nodding).

Sometimes, your participants will need to simply get up from their seats, stretch, or walk around to re-energize themselves. You can always call for 5-minute Energizers by playing some dance music and asking everyone to stand-up and dance. Or stretch. Or just take a quick break to get some fresh air away from the training room.

If you are using Jargon Balls in your training, one of the easiest ways to energize the room is to call random Jargon Ball fights with everyone standing up and trying to hit each other with the Jargon Balls. You can even encourage participants to say Jargon-terms you’ve used previously in the training as they do this, as a handy way for them to become more familiar with these terms!

Trainer’s Note

You can crowdsource your Energizers by asking participants to lead an activity. You can do this ahead of time by having a sheet of paper posted visibly in the room, where the participants can list their names as “Volunteer Energizer Leaders”. You can do this more spontaneously as well, selecting participants who seem willing or engaged on the spot. This is a good way for you as a trainer to learn from your participants (and add to your training toolkit), and also to encourage participation and leadership from your participants.

Beat Jam!

The object of this game is for participants to come up with a series of beats that together will form a musical beat.

Instructions

Have your participants stand up in a circle.

The first person starts with one beat done twice.
This could be tapping feet, clapping hands, snapping fingers, or drumming on a table top, etc.
After they finish their beat 2 times, the person on their right will do the first person’s beat twice, and then add another beat.
The first person will continue their beat as this happens.

After the second person finishes their 2 beats twice, the third person does the first and second participants’ beats and then adds their own, again doing it twice. The first and second person continue their original beats. Repeat until everyone in the group has taken a turn to add their beat, and everyone has created a piece of music.

Trainer’s Note

This is ideally for 10-12 participants (8 works too, but not fewer) - it can also work with larger groups if time is managed well. You can also do a variation on Beat Jam where you use motions instead, but the original version works better for participants who have issues with mobility.

Behind the Screen

The object of this game is to test participants’ memory of each other’s names in a test of speed.

Instructions

You will need a big sheet (or a blanket or a large piece of butcher paper).

If you have a blanket or a sheet, make sure it isn’t completely opaque.
You will also need two facilitators to hold the sheet in the middle of the space.
Break the group into two teams. Ask each team to stay on opposite sides of the sheet.

Each team will have one person in front of the screen per round. Once the screen is raised, the first person to name the representative from the other team gets a point.

Trainer’s Note

This is a good activity to do to ensure that participants remember each other’s names.

The Most Efficient Method

The object of this game is for everyone to find the quickest way to get the ball from the first person to the last (to make sure everyone has caught the ball and received it). But, as a facilitator, try not the divulge that until after the groups has done the first round.

Instructions

You will need a small rubber or plastic ball and a timer for this Energizer.

Have everyone in a circle, and give the ball randomly to a participant.
That first person will throw the ball to another participant and so on and so forth.
Everyone should pay attention to the sequence of participants.
Ask the group to toss the ball to each other once more, repeating the same sequence as before.
The trainer should be timing this round.

Ask participants to try to come with a way to beat the current time whilst keeping the same sequence. Do at least 2 more rounds for participants to try and beat the current best time.

Trainer’s Note

This may not be appropriate if you have participants who have problems with mobility; also, make sure that you have enough space for this activity.