Hide the flip chart and pass round the bowl, just asking each delegate to choose what they fancy. (You could ask them to take more than one depending on what you want them to talk about).
Reveal the flip chart and ask them to talk about their ‘chosen’ topic.

It could also be used for non-edible giveaways too.

Here's an energiser/icebreaker that works really well with a group of people from different departments in the same large organisation: Give each person an organisation chart. Then allow them five to 10 minutes to meet as many people as possible and write their names in the correct places on the chart. Play some cocktail party music while they are doing this. You can give prizes for those who get the most names in the right places in the time available.
With thanks to Jane Smith

Paired sharing

This works best for groups of 10 or more people who don't know much about each other but will be working together for the duration of the course.

Break the group into pairs.
Each pair will have two minutes' discussion time during which they need to learn something about their partner that no-one else in the group knows. Have some topics of discussion prepared on PowerPoint to help spark conversation: eg their current role, what they like most about their job, family life, hobbies, etc.
After the two minutes is up, ask the participants to find a new partner from the group who they don’t know much about. Repeat the same scenario (two minutes discussion time.)
Repeat this step a few times until most people have learned something new about their fellow participants.
Reassemble the group and nominate someone who will now be introduced to the group by each participant in turn. Throw a ball around the room and have each person who catches it say something they learnt about the nominated person.
Repeat the step until everyone in the group has been introduced.

Get the group to stand up towards the back of the room in a relatively clear space.

Then ask the group to align themselves with a series of statements along the lines of Are you more 'this' (eg rock & roll) or 'that' (eg classical)?

If they're more 'this' they move to one side of the room and if they're more 'that' they move to the other side (or they stay in the middle if they're neither or can't decide!)

Other examples of this or that we have used include:

Ferrari / Rolls Royce
Sun / moon
Beach / castle

etc, etc.

As well as re-energising the group and getting people moving, it also gets people to consider similarities and differences within the group.

A really simple idea and an old favourite is to ask all the delegates to write two truths and one lie on a piece of A4 paper (it's best if they all have the same pen colour), then fold the paper four times and drop it into a box, bucket or bin.

Each delegate then pulls out a piece of paper and reads the two truths and one lie written on it.

The rest of the group then have to guess who wrote it, and which is the lie.

I tend to ask the group to write down information that no-one else knows about them, something unusual, out of the ordinary.

It's great fun, easy to run, no prep and great for getting people to think a little more creatively!

Create your very own totem pole using the key events that have happened to your participants throughout their life. Ask participants "what’s the best thing that’s ever happened to you in your life" or "what’s your best memory". They should be able to think of something straight away. They then draw their experience or memory on paper and include their name and the date it happened. Once the memories are recorded, get each participant to talk about what they have drawn, then display the drawings in chronological order on a wall somewhere.

This is a bit of work, but one of the best intros I have ever come across...though it only really works with eight or more people (and ideally no more than 16).

Produce a set of cards, each with a unique 'personality trait' written on it. You’ll need about 12 cards per person.

Hand the cards out in any random order. The first task for the students is to read the cards and sort them out into two piles: those that are true for them for most of the time and those that are not true or less true. (This usually takes about three minutes).

The second task is for participants to get rid of all the cards that are NOT true for them. The catch is that they can only get rid of a card by giving it to someone for whom it IS true.

The aim is for each person to end up with at least five or six cards that are wholly true for them.

At first things move a little slowly, but within a few minutes the energy levels come right up as participants move around the room and really get to break the ice. This part can take between five and 10 minutes depending on the number of people.

You will need to create more cards than you need for the participants so that they can ‘swap with the bank’.

Once everyone has a set of cards that describes them, you have a number of options. Here are some suggestions…

• In open forum, get each person to reveal what is on their cards
• Split people into groups and ask them to introduce themselves to each other using the cards
• Get people to self select into groups, so that they gather with those who are ‘like them’

The golden nugget

A warm up exercise: go around the room and ask each delegate to introduce themselves. They should say who they are, where they come from etc... and then add one fact that nobody else will know about them.

This usually end up in laughter and is a good starting point when building rapport between people.

Everyone gets a bingo card, and crosses off their squares by finding someone who fits the description in the square -  eg 'Has twins in the family' 'Has been to China' etc. There are prizes for the first to complete a line and the first to complete their entire card. You can get a full descriptions from www.dickbarton.co.uk (click 'free downloads'). This game creates a great buzz and people find out about each other.

Have a laugh by getting everyone to rename themselves: their first name becomes the name of their pet, or family pet if they don't have one (most families have had a pet at some time), and their second name comes from the name of their house or street. I'd be Hanky Lothian. Well it's a bit different.

This really helps delegates to get to know where everyone came from.  

If there's room, stand in a big circle (you included) and throw a tennis ball to the person in front of you, who then does the same to someone new. Once everyone has caught and thrown the ball, the cycle is complete. Then ask everyone to remember what they did and do it again - quicker. Then feed extra balls in for fun, and see how many people can keep going.

I find this gets everyone giggling and interacting, but above all doing something physical. Don't try to justify the exercise. Just say its to 'wake us all up'.

Below are some online sources of free icebreakers & energisers, also recommended by members:

Business Balls: Team-building games, ice-breakers and energisers

Dick Barton: Free downloads

Educational Consulting: Icebreakers

Group Games: Icebreaker games

International HIV/AIDS Alliance: 100 ways to energise groups

Icebreakers.ws: Icebreakers, games and group activities

I-tech: Icebreaker activities

Reproline: Icebreakers & introductions

Results Through Training: Activities and exercises

10 ways to break the ice Useful list

The Thaigi Group: Training games

TrainerBase: Icebreakers, warm ups and warm downs

Trainer Bubble: Energisers, icebreakers & games

Ultimate Camp Resource: Icebreakers

Venture Up: Indoor energisers

Workshop exercises: Team building exercises

Got a great ice-breaker or energiser that we've missed? Or a great source of free exercises to share with other members? Then please post a comment below and let us know. The theme on site throughout the whole of July is 'tips, tools and free resources' - or we could have simply called it 'sharing' !