An Icebreaker / Energizer - Not for the faint hearted!

Name of Icebreaker: Going to the Races

Category of Icebreaker : Energizer

Time Scales: 10 Minutes

Size of Group:  5 +

Materials Required None: Just know your actions!

Aim of Icebreaker: To energize the group and have a bit of fun!!

Please Note: This icebreaker is not for the faint hearted!

Pre-Organisation
Prepare your script and make sure you remember your actions.  You can make your script up as you go along.

Process

1. Find a clear space and ask your group to stand up and form a circle and face inwards.
2. Explain that they are going to be participating within a horse racing event and that you just need to explain the rules and the course to them.
3. You are the commentator and all the team are jockeys on their imaginary horses– all the jockeys must stand with knees together and bent.
4. When they are racing round the track you are commentating on what is happening (it is good to do the actions as well so they can follow you)
5. The different commands that you will say in your script are in bold.
6. Go through each of the following commands and practise the actions.

Commands

Trot Tap your hands on your thighs fairly gently one at a time, but hard enough so you are making a noise. Right hand on right thigh, left hand on left thigh, getting the rhythm of a horse trotting.  Everyone to be in rhythm with you. Clip clop clip clop

Canter Do the same actions as above but do this a little faster, remembering one hand at a time.

Gallop Then much faster ensuring that you get a rhythm and everyone is in time.

Then the horses will have to do the following around the track: 

Horses are backing – all jockeys take 2 steps backwards

Coming up to a fence, ready jump – all jockeys actually jump with your hands on your knees

Racing round the corner so bear to the left or to the right – jockeys are to bend leaning to the left side or to the right side

Sharp corners – bend further over to the side

Coming up to a water fence, ready jump - jockeys jump the fence then clap their hands, saying splash

Need to go faster – jockeys pretend they are whipping their horse and shout YEEHA!

Racing past the queen – jockeys look left and salute to the queen saying “Good afternoon your highness”

Jockeys are getting a bit thirsty so we need to go to the pit stop,

Pint of beer – jockeys pretend to reach for a pint and then go glug glug glug and say aaaah when their pint is empty.

There is a loose horse on the track – all jockeys need to jump to the right to miss the horse

When you have practised all of the actions then you can start the race. Here is an example script that you can use or you can make it up as you go along as long as you know the different actions and get them all in.  Just know that your jockeys are horse racing and this is a physical activity so don't make it too long, they may get tired.

Conclusion
This icebreaker is very funny to do and it raises the energy of the group.  It helps with interaction with each other and gets them to open up more. 

This is a good one to do either once everyone comes back from lunch or during the afternoon  in the “graveyard” slot!

SCRIPT (You are a commentator so remember to talk fast like you were commentating a horse race.

So the horses are just trotting around the paddock (tap hands on thighs one at a time) and up to the boxes. They are all easily going in oh no one of the horses is backing up (back 2 spaces) and they are in their boxes again. And they are off!!

Horses starting off into a canter (faster pace) and they need to go faster (whip horses, yeeha) they are now into a gallop (faster pace) and are racing well. Oh no Tiffany has fallen over already, I am not sure what has happened there! The horses are nearing the first corner so they are veering round to the right (bend right) and they come to a fence (jump). All the horses jumped that one well and then they are coming round the next corner, round to the left, this is a sharp one (bend left). Here is the first water jump (jump, clap, splash).

They need to keep working those horses and get some speed up and go faster (whip horses, yeeha). They are coming up to the double fence – lets see how they get over this one, here they go over the double fence (jump, jump). Oh no Joey has fallen. Careful there is a loose horse on the track (jump right). The jockeys keep racing up the hill their pace slows down to a canter (Slower pace) they pass the queen (look left, salute, good afternoon your highness).

Then there's another fence (jump) and another fence (jump). The jockeys are getting a bit thirsty now need a pitstop for a beer (reach out, glug glug, aaaah). They then get back on the track again trot, canter, need to get some speed up (whip, yeeha).

Then the last 2 fences which is a water fence, (jump clap, splash) and then another fence] triple fence (jump, jump, jump) oh no Tiffany is in the way again, loose horse (jump right). The horses are now coming up to the final straight, it is a true sprint to the finish, faster and faster (whip, yeeha) (whip, yeeha) and they are coming to the finish line here they come.

Flippers and CC are neck and neck, faster (whip, yeeha) just 30 meters to go and Flippers pulls ahead and Flippers has won the race.

 

Comments

[vikas verma]

excellent energizer. wonderful!! words too short to praise it.