As a child there were four words that never failed to strike fear in my heart when I heard them…

“Everyone, find a partner!”

I’m talking cold sweats… every time!  And you know what- as an adult I’m only a tad better (mostly I’m just better at pretending that I’m not scared).  Regardless of my personal discomfort, I still believe in the power of icebreakers.

We established in earlier posts that the most important essential element in every 4-H activity is belonging.  In order for youth (and adults) to feel they belong to a group, they have to interact with others.  A good icebreaker will guide club members to begin engaging with one another.

Typically a 4-H club might choose to conduct a brief icebreaker either before the meeting or immediately after roll call.  This allows 4-H members to begin loosening up and talking with one another before they begin discussing the business of the meeting.

While icebreakers build comfort and trust…