Ice breaker activities

Ice breaker #1: Tell the story of your name

Mode of delivery: Synchronous In-person/online

Participation: In group

Duration: 5-15 minutes based on the number of the group

Materials:  Internet and a device for doing the activity online, and enough space for the group for in-person version.

Instruction: The learners will talk about their name sharing a funny memory related to their name- they could talk freely about any aspects of their name- meaning, pronunciation, letters, and/or the reason that name were chosen for them. After each storytelling, one of the group members will reiterate/re-tell the story they heard. Afterward, the person who shared their story will reflect on how deep the listeners listened to the story. All group members should participate.

Ice breaker #2:  Listen and Draw

Mode of delivery: Synchronous In-person/online

Participation: In pairs

Duration: 5-15 minutes based on the number of the group

Materials:  Internet and a device for doing the activity online as well as a whiteboard- virtual whiteboard for the online version. Whiteboard and enough space for learners.

Instruction: Learners will be divided into pairs. One of the partners will explain an object’s appearance without saying what the object is or what it is used for. It also cannot be compared to other similar objects during the explanation. The other partner will attempt to draw the object based off the first partner’s explanation. Afterwards, the partner that was explaining the object will reveal what object they were thinking of, and they can compare how accurate the drawing is. The pair will repeat the activity, switching places.

Ice breaker #3: YES, and funny fact

Mode of delivery: Synchronous In-person/online

Participation: In group

Duration: 5-15 minutes based on the number of the group

Materials:  Internet and a device for doing the activity online, and enough space for the group for in-person version.

Instruction: Learners form a group. One person shares a funny fact like: “it’s impossible to lick your neck”. Then the next learner says “yes” and adds a funny fact that complements the previous person’s funny fact. They will keep doing it until everybody have participated and they have had fun enough.

Main Activities

Activity #1: Tell a story about a part of your body!

Credit: Jemma Llewellyn

The aim of this activity: Practicing mutual deep listening

Mode of delivery: Synchronous In-person/online

Participation: In group

Duration: 5-15 minutes based the number of the group

Materials:  Internet and a device for doing the activity online, and enough space to make circle for the in-person version.

Instruction: Each learner tells a funny story of their childhood about something that happened to their body (e.g., about a scar they have somewhere on their body). After each storytelling, inspired by what they heard, learners one by one try to reiterate the story about something that happened to them (e.g., replacing a broken bone with the scar). Afterward, the main storyteller will reflect on how actively the listeners listened to their story.

Reflection questions

• How did your story relate to some of the other stories shared?
• Which details about the stories were the easiest to miss? Were there any stories that were easier to remember than others?
• How did the story affect your perception of the person sharing the story compared to how you perceived them before?
• What would you do if you are asked to re-tell a story which is in another language that you are not very fluent?

Additional notes for instructors

• All learners should have the opportunity to be the main storyteller
• The story does not have to be real; they could improvise and make it up at that moment.
• Since the main storyteller needs to compare other’s stories with their story to decide if they listened actively, this can be a deep listening practice for the main storyteller as well.

Activity #2: Breaking the silence

The aim of this activity: Practicing a challenging deep listening

Mode of delivery: Synchronous In-person/online

Participation: In group

Duration: 5-15 minutes based the number of the group

Materials:  Internet and a device for doing the activity online, and enough space to make circle for the in-person version.

Instruction: Learners close their eyes and make a single short sound/noise. Everybody tries to make their single noise to break the silence. Ideally there should not be any moments of silence. At the same time, they try not to have an overlap with anybody else’s sound-no sound simultaneously. Then they repeat the activity with open eyes. At the end, they compare the two ways of doing the activity and reflect on.

Reflection questions

• What does it mean to you to break the silence?
• What does it mean to you not to overlap with others’ sound?
• Was the activity challenging? Why?
• Is there any way to make this activity go smoothly?

Additional notes for instructors

Because of the inevitable audio delay in the online version, the activity would be more challenging than the in-person version.

Activity #3: Interrupted improvise storytelling

The aim of this activity: Switching between deep listening and active observation

Mode of delivery: Synchronous In-person/online

Participation: At least a group of three

Duration: 6 minutes for one round for a group of three

Materials: Internet and a device for doing the activity online, whiteboard.

Instruction: Learners make a group of three. Then they determine three different roles for each member- learner A tells improvisational story, learner B draws based on the heard story, and learner C interrupts the storyteller by saying irrelevant words while trying not to listen to the story but observing the drawing. The storyteller keeps telling the story by using the given new word. Considering a direction (e.g., clockwise) they switch their roles every 30 seconds for 6 minutes.

Reflection questions

• How was each different role in terms of deep listening and/or active observation? Were there some that required less attention than others?
• Which role was most appealing to you? Why?
• What’s the key to keep this loop working smoothly?

Additional notes for instructors

The instructor could suggest various theme, frame, or limitation for the roles such as:

• For the storyteller: “the story is happening in a desert” or “the story is about a broken bicycle”
• For the drawing: “you are allowed to use only polygons in your drawing” or “you are allowed to use only curved lines”
• For the interrupter: “you are allowed just to use the name of fruits as interruption.”
• Also, the loop could get started by a drawing. The drawer draws something, and the storyteller starts telling the story based on the first drawing, or with a given word from the interrupter.

Activity #4: Client and Engineer Interview

The aim of this activity: To equip learners with questioning skills

Mode of delivery: Synchronous In-person/online

Participation: In pairs

Duration: 10 minutes-Two five-minute rounds

Materials: Internet and a device for doing the activity online, and enough space for two learners to sit in front of each other.

Instruction: Two learners make pair as client and interviewer. The client thinks a minute and then represents a problem in one sentence. Asking questions, the interviewer tries to explore the client’s problem. Other observants/audiences try to create better options for questioning the client after or during (if possible) observing the interview. Then the interviewer and the client switch their role.

Reflection questions

• How would you reflect on your experience before and after the tips?
• How did you experience in different roles- client vs interviewer?
• What is a better time for creating better questions, after or during the activity? Why?

Additional notes for instructors

The instructor asks learners to do the activity twice- once before and then after sharing the following tips:

• Being vulnerable by sharing your story try to provide a safe environment for client so they could share their stories as well.
• Listen deeply to the client and try to recognize the stakeholders’ point of view with empathy.
• Question and challenge the proposed problem and do not rely on the information as it was presented by the client. Most of the time clients do not see their problem as it really is. Find and present the best question.
• Try to have the best understanding of the problem and try to see the problem more extendedly. Sometimes client’s problem is way bigger than what they imagine. Having a bigger perspective of the problem you can solve more problems or the existing problem in a better way.

Resources:

Sample of Deep Listening Activities slides deck are created to be used by the facilitators.