Cartoon Creations
Purpose: To energize a group
Best Used: After a break or after lunch

Display a cartoon (choose cartoons that relate to the topic you are covering) on PowerPoint slide with the caption removed. Ask table groups, pairs or teams to develop a caption and share with larger group. Share real caption with the group. Repeat with other cartoons as time allows.

Team Challenge
Purpose: To energize a group; to review content
Best Used: After a break or after lunch

Break participants into groups of 3-4 (depending on size of group). Ask groups to create team names in 2 minutes and chart the team names on chart paper. Ask each group to formulate two questions related to the content already covered and write the questions on chart paper. After asking that all training materials be put away, ask each group to pose their questions to the other teams. Team members huddle and discuss and write answers on chart paper strips. After 2 minutes, facilitator asks for answers. Each team with correct answer gets one point. Rotate through all groups. Facilitator may want to give prizes.

Fruit Stand
Purpose: Introductions and identifying expectations
Best Used: At beginning of PD event

Provide a bowl of fruit (or bowls of fruit for larger group) and ask each participant to select a piece of fruit. Steps:

1. Instruct participants to: “introduce yourself and tell the group how your piece of fruit resembles your expectations for the workshop/training session.”
2. Summarize/clarify expectations if needed
3. Allow participants to keep their piece of fruit and use as a snack later in the session.

Ask participants to form small groups (3-5) and give each group a set of markers and a strip of poster paper.  Ask each group to summarize and synthesize the content just covered and generate a catchy phrase to reflect what they learned.  Groups should write their catchy phrase on the poster paper strips and post on the wall in the meeting room.  Share each with the large group.  

It’s All About Me
Purpose:  Introductions
Best Used: At beginning of workshop or training session

Ask participants to select an item from their purse, wallet or pocket and use it to introduce themselves. Example: “Hi, I am Lee and I picked this nail file because I like challenges and smoothing out the rough edges.
“I am Miguel and I chose this picture of my daughter because I love being a dad.”

Alternative: Ask participants to describe how the item they chose is like the content being presented or how it is like the challenge being addressed.

ABC Summary
Purpose:  Processing Information
Best Used: After teaching content

Ask participants to gather in groups of 4-5 (or use a creative strategy for grouping them). Ask each group to list the letters of the alphabet vertically on the left side of a piece of paper or on chart paper.  Ask each group to then generate a word or short phrase, related to the content they just learned, for each letter of the alphabet.  If time allows, ask groups to report out a few of their generated items or post around room and do a gallery walk.