Easy peasy activities to make your workshops more interactive Part Four

For the last three weeks I’ve written about seven reasons why you REALLY need to add interactive activities to your workshops and shared three sets of twelve examples of easy peasy engaging and fun activities.  This week I’m back with twelve final examples plus a bonus.

If you’ve always wanted to make your workshops more interactive but you weren’t sure where to start, I’ve got your back.

I have hundreds and hundreds of what I call F.G.L.A.’s (facilitated group learning activities) and while many of them are customized to my specific learning content, lots of them aren’t and can easily be adapted to your workshop content.

Here are twelve more engaging, interactive activities you can easily use in your next workshop.

Note:

• those marked with a * can be used online.
• the ones with a # can be used online and IRL (including if you’re in a physical room with the participants and demonstrating from your laptop).

1. # Blob tree: use a tool like this blob tree to spark conversation. Note I’ve paid for this tool so please do the same if you wish to use this particular one.
2. # S.O.S.: Play the game S.O.S., putting an S or an O in a grid trying to make the word SOS but preventing your partner from doing the same.  However, before placing a letter, have each player relate something about your workshop content.

3. # Snakes and ladders: Play the game Snakes and Ladders, attempting to move up the ‘ladder,’ and avoid moving down the ‘ladder’ based on your content.  Here’s an example based on my Workshops that Work (training people how to design and deliver powerful workshops) content.
4. # HARP worksheet: I firmly believe that not enough attention is paid to supporting participants in applying their learning long after the workshop is done.  Use my HARP worksheet to help with that. It’s editable once downloaded.
5. # To Do To Done worksheet: Here’s another way to help your participants remember your content – my To Do To Done worksheet.
6. # Quite worksheet: And you guessed it, the same concept with my Quite worksheet.
7. # Break cards: encourage your participants to take a break and mix and mingle with my break cards. (Links to more information and also the cards themselves).
8. # “Date” your colleagues part one: no, not that kind of dating.  Here are some speed ‘dating’ prompts to help your colleagues get to know more about each other personally. You can also add your own prompts, related to your specific content.
9. # “Date” your colleagues part two: here are some speed ‘dating’ prompts to help your colleagues get to know more about each other professionally. Go ahead and adapt them to your content.
10. # Make a wish: have colleagues make a wish a month based on your content. I do this annually. Here are my examples for this year.

11. # Fortune teller: make customized fortune tellers based on your content.  Print them off on paper and play away!  Or make a custom online one. Here’s an online example of mine.
12. # Spin the wheel: time to make a decision?  Create a customized wheel to spin to make the choice, such as which group goes next to present.

Bonus

You did it! You’ve learned about no less than forty-eight simple activities to make your workshop more interactive and engaging.  Take a minute to celebrate with this fun, bonus tool. Make some noise and watch what happens with Bouncy Balls.

There you have it, a fourth and final set of twelve really easy ways to add interaction and more engagement to your workshops, plus a bonus, whether they be online, IRL, or even hybrid.   Which one(s) are you most interested in?  Pick one or two new ones for you and get going. Your future workshop participants will thank you.

Now go on and learn, learn some more, and lead

Learn

• Figure out which two or three activities you’d like to try and get ready for some fun.

Laugh

• No more drama (like this squirrel who actually faked its own death) with utterly banal and boring workshops.

Lead

• Press the gas and actually try the activities you’ve selected.