activities for presentation skills training

24 engaging training games and activities

Creating the ideal conditions for learning isn’t easy . Trainers need to balance information sharing and theory with experiential activities in order to create effective learning experiences.

Training games are a great way to engage trainees with interactive activities that help facilitate the learning process . In this guide, we'll share our favourite training activities alongside tips for engaging trainees. You'll leave with practical ideas for improving your next employee training and add new methods to your toolkit. Let’s dive in!

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A step-by-step guide to planning a workshop, how to create an unforgettable training session in 8 simple steps, 47 useful online tools for workshop planning and meeting facilitation, what are training games and activities.

Training games and activities are interactive activities designed to engage trainees and create a more memorable and engaging learning experience.

These games are experiential in nature, and they invite trainees to actively participate in a task or game rather than just passively receive information. These kinds of training activities include group discussions, role-play games, debriefing and sharing exercises, group discussions, hand-on activities and more. 

Training activities are used to help facilitate some aspect of the learning process and often correlate with one or more stages of Robert Gagné’s pricinples of effective learning .

In some scenarios, these activities can go further by asking participants to actively use knowledge they are gaining in the session or to practice soft skills too. These opportunities for interactivity are a wonderful addition to any training program.

For example, if you’re delivering feedback training to a team, you might include an activity where they practice giving each other feedback in the session. This kind of gamified training is a great way to enhance learning and build practical skills that can be used immediately after the training is complete. 

On another occasion, enhancing your corporate training with a fun activity can do double duty in enabling better learning while also building team connections and communication skills.

Why use training games and activities?

According to Seymour Epstein’s cognitive experiential self-theory (CEST) , our brains process and retain information in two ways: analytical-rational and intuitive-experiential.  The intuitive-experiential parts of our brain are more active when focusing on specific tasks , especially those that are physical in nature or which invoke feelings and experiences. Knowledge gained through this kind of experiential learning tends to be retained more quickly and is forgotten more slowly than other methods. 

The analytical-rational parts of our brain are more active when focusing on processes , synthesizing information and making decisions .

In Seymour Epstein’s theory, our brains work best when both of these parts are working in tandem . Great training often employs various methods in order to activate both of these systems and help learners get the most out of the experience.

To simplify, adult learners can learn by passively receiving information but any learning is more effective when paired with experiential activities such as participating in tasks and games. 

Training games are an effective way to bring that intuitive-experiential part of our brains online . They also help create space in an agenda and enhance the learning experience.

For best results, try pairing training activities with a discussion or debrief in order to also activate the analytical-rational part of the brain and help trainees retain and use the training material you provide. 

However you use these games and activities, you’ll want to consider when and where to place them in your training agenda so you can create an effective learning flow and deliver a successful training program.

In SessionLab, it’s easy to create everything from a training program outline to an agenda for an individual training session . Start by dragging and dropping your training content into place.

Colour code your activities according to interaction type so you can build a balanced training session that caters to different learning styles. 

When you’re ready to lead your session, it’s easy to export your agenda in the format of your choice . Create a PDF handout for your trainers and trainees or invite stakeholders to collaborate on your session directly. 

Training icebreakers

Every training session has to start somewhere. After you’ve gotten the group’s attention and outlined the objectives of the training session, this is a perfect time to break the ice and start warming up the group. 

These training icebreaker activities are designed to help loosen up the group and create connections while also creating space to begin exploring the topic of your training programs.

While it might be tempting to jump right into presenting your training materials, using a training icebreaker game can ensure that you truly have the attention of your learners and that they’re best positioned to engage in learning. 

Just the facts

Getting a group of trainees energized at the beginning of a training session while also getting them to talk about the topic at hand is a great use of an icebreaker. In this training icebreaker,  start by defining a topic the group is going to list facts about. 

For example, for training on feedback skills, the topic might be “Facts about good feedback.” Next, invite the group to sit in a circle and have each person in turn contribute a fact about the topic.

While this is easy to start with, it can be difficult to keep going around the circle without repeating a fact or introducing an opinion or unproven theory. When someone breaks the rules of the game, another member should challenge by saying “ Just the facts!” and then the group will vote on whether it is a fact or not.  

This is a great training icebreaker to get people warmed up while thinking critically about the topic at hand. 

Just the facts   #teampedia   #icebreaker   #energiser   This is intended as an icebreaker before a training, but can also work as a  general icebreaker with 3 or more people.

Having the group share their expectations of a training session can help create alignment and spur engagement while also giving the trainer insight into how they might best serve the group.

In this ice breaker for training, start by dividing a flipchart or virtual whiteboard into four quadrants. Then ask participants to respond with what they expect from: 1. The Training, 2. The Trainer, 3. From Yourself and 4. Other Participants.

You can have participants write their responses on sticky notes and add them to the chart, or simply ask for responses and write them in the necessary place. Check back at the end to show the group what they’ve achieved in line with their expectations. 

I EXPECT   #warm up   #issue analysis   #opening   #online   #remote-friendly   #energizer   An opening exercise to clarify expectations in any workshop or training situation

Training icebreaker games are often at their best when they encourage participants to begin engaging with the topic at hand while also sharing their perspective with the group.

Magic Box is an effective exercise that asks trainees to start by choosing an object from a pre-created box. Next, they’ll tell the group who they are, why they selected the object and what they think it has to do with the training ahead.

Participants are asked to think creatively about the relationship between the object and the workshop they’re about to undertake, creating engagement and allowing space for personal expression. It’s one of my favourite training icebreakers! 

Magic Box   #team   #icebreaker   #get-to-know   #teambuilding   #remote-friendly   Ice breaking at the beginning of the workshop/meeting

Best and Worst

Sharing personal experiences and encouraging curiosity at the beginning of a training session can help set the stage for learning. In this training icebreaker, start by asking each person in the group to write down one best and one worst question that they want to learn about the group. For example: what’s the worst present you’ve ever been given, what’s the best advice you ever received.

Put all the questions in a hat and have everyone pick 2 at random. Go around the circle and have everyone share their answers and related stories. 

In a training environment, I tend to ask participants to add a third question relating to the topic at hand or put some extras in the hat myself: for example, what’s the worst feedback you ever received or what makes you cringe during a presentation?

Best and Worst   #teampedia   #get-to-know   #opening   #icebreaker   #team   This activity could easily break the ice at the beginning of a workshop, enabling participants to get to know each other in a fast process.

One Word Method

Training icebreakers are great for helping your group to fully arrive in the space and relax into the training session to come. One Word Method is one of my favourite ice breakers as it’s easy to run, encourages creativity, and it can also be adapted to serve any topic or training session. 

Start by introducing a topic of theme and let participants know that they’ll collaboratively create a sentence by each contributing one word of that sentence in order. The aim of the game is to create a sentence that makes sense and which also covers the subject or topic you’ve chosen.

This training game is especially effective at encouraging everyone in the group to speak early in the session and can help introduce a difficult subject in an approachable manner. 

One Word Method   #product development   #idea generation   #creativity   #icebreaker   #online   #warm up   Creating a sentence relating to a specific topic or problem with each person contributing one word at a time.

Who are you? The pirate ship exercise

Every member of the group brings a unique perspective to any workshop, meeting or training session. In this fun training icebreaker, participants are encouraged to consider their role and perspective and what they’ll bring to the training ahead.

Start by sharing the picture of the pirate ship and ask people to reflect on which character on the ship best represents them. You might also ask, “Which character in the image best represents how you feel about this training? Why? Put your answer in the chat”. The ensuing discussion can help break the ice while also getting the group to think about how they’ll engage with the training to come. 

Who are you? The pirate ship exercise (dinámica del barco pirata)   #team alignment   #team   #remote-friendly   #teamwork   #warm up   #icebreaker   This an easy but powerful exercise to open a meeting or session and get participants to reflect on their attitudes or feelings about a topic, in the organization, team, or in the project.

Training games to enable effective learning

Helping learners to learn is the goal of every educator and trainer. These training activities are designed to help create an ideal learning environment and can be used to support your main training content and get your trainees engaged early in the process.

Often, employees learn as much from each other as from a presentation, and these activities are designed to enhance employee engagement by encouraging participation and the sharing of experiences among the team.

In Robert Gagné’s 9 principles of instructional design, he notes the importance of asking participants to recall previous learnings. This training activity from Thiagi Group is a simple game where participants are asked to recall something relevant to the topic at hand and share it with the group. 

Start by getting participants to stand in a circle and choose a category relevant to your topic or training materials. Next, throw the ball to a participant who must respond by recalling something they know or have learned about the topic before throwing it to another participant. You can use this at the start of a session to gauge existing knowledge or use it after lunch to help the group recall what they did in the morning.

Catch All   #review   #energiser   #thiagi   #action   #closing   #debriefing   Here’s an energizer that gives your participants an opportunity to think on their feet and see how others act under pressure.

Walking Questions 

In many training scenarios, one of the best sources of information and insights is from trainees themselves. In this training activity, you’ll invite groups to answer one anothers questions in order to close knowledge gaps and encourage proactivity in the group. 

Start by giving each participant a sheet of paper at the end of a training block. Each trainee writes one open question on top of a sheet of paper. They then hand the paper to the person to their right. On the new sheet they receive, each trainee will read the question and write down any ideas or insights they might have before handing it onto the next person. The activity ends when everybody has their original sheet back, complete with ideas from everyone else in the group. 

Walking questions   #what if learning style   #idea generation   #learning   This is a great facilitation technique to answer open questions of trainees with a “What if” learning style. It prevents the facilitator from answering all questions herself. With this method trainees can:  close knowledge gaps find solutions for personal problems imagine themselves using their new knowledge in future and prepare themselves for obstacles

Angry Customers

The fourth stage of Kolb’s learning cycle is Active experimentation, where participants get to practice using the skills they’ve learned during the training. Role-play or simulation games are an especially effective training activity to encourage this in trainees. While the specific role-play you use will need to reflect your training topic, Angry Customers is a great example of how it’s done.

In this training game, split your team into two groups. One group will brainstorm examples of angry customer statements while the other group will brainstorm statements that might help defuse such a situation. Next, pair people from separate groups together and roleplay an angry conversation. Debrief at the end to help the group identify what worked best and how they might use these insights in real-life situations.

Angry Customers   #customer service   #role playing   #skills   #thiagi   #communication   Training Customer Service Representatives (CSRs) to handle angry and abusive customers is a tough challenge. Effective communication with an angry customer requires a combination of knowledge, skills, and attitudes. As a part of our training session, we use this rapid roleplay activity.

Pecha Kucha

It’s common for trainers to ask trainees to present learnings or summarize discussions in small groups during live training. Such a presentation can help enable knowledge retention and to ensure participants have a good understanding of the material.

Pecha Kucha is an effective training activity that asks participants to create a presentation with 20 images that they present for 20 seconds each. It provides a great framework for sharing information in a fast but comprehensive and visually interesting manner that can help enable knowledge retention and recall. 

As an added bonus, it’s also a great way of building presentation skills and teaching employees simple ways of sharing information with other teams.

Pecha Kucha   #reporting   #presentation   #sharing   #idea generation   #issue analysis   A learning and presentation technique for sharing ideas

Fun with Snowballs

Creating an opportunity for participants to recall and share information while also having fun can enhance learning and create a memorable training experience for all. In this training game, start by distributing paper to each participant. Next, ask a question relevant to your training topic or material presented and ask each participant to write their response on the piece of paper. 

Next, get everyone to move into an open space and have a snowball fight using the responses they’ve made. After a few minutes, blow a whistle and have each participant grab the snowball closest to them and read the answer or information out loud.

Variations for this game include asking participants to write a key takeaway or learning, or to use this at the start of training to ask participants what they know about the subject before you begin.

You might also award points for a correct answer to a question or keep a record of correct and incorrect answers so you can adjust your training materials accordingly.

Fun with Snowballs   #review   #energiser   #team   #thiagi   This activity energizes the group. So use it when participants need a spurt of energy. The main element of this activity is the anonymous way in which participants provide their inputs. The facilitator can use the information gained through this activity to evaluate what the participants have learned or want to learn.

Adult learners and trainees are typically more goal oriented than child learners. Getting your trainees to think about their personal goals, as well as those of the training at large can help pave the way for engaged learners. 

Triz is an effective training activity that asks participants to list all the things they must do in order to fail at their goals. For example, you might ask, “What should you do to make sure that you achieve the worst result imaginable during this training?”

By flipping perspectives, its often easier to surface key barriers to learning and create space for a considered reflection on how to engage and make progress on their goals. 

Making Space with TRIZ   #issue analysis   #liberating structures   #issue resolution   You can clear space for innovation by helping a group let go of what it knows (but rarely admits) limits its success and by inviting creative destruction. TRIZ makes it possible to challenge sacred cows safely and encourages heretical thinking. The question “What must we stop doing to make progress on our deepest purpose?” induces seriously fun yet very courageous conversations. Since laughter often erupts, issues that are otherwise taboo get a chance to be aired and confronted. With creative destruction come opportunities for renewal as local action and innovation rush in to fill the vacuum. Whoosh!

Mixed Up Sentences

Passive presentations with no interactivity or space for trainee engagement can be a drag for participants to sit through. While it’s often necessary to present information in this way, there are ways to enliven the process and also reinforce learings too. 

With this training method, start by creating a sequence of sentences that summarize the main points of your presentation. Next, put those sentences out of order and remove one from the list. During your lecture or presentation, invite participants to take notes and at the end of the session, split them into teams who will use their own notes and the sentences to recreate the missing sentence and also put the sentences back in order. 

Mixed-Up Sentences   #review   #issue analysis   #thiagi   The use of lectures for training adults has several advantages and several disadvantages. So does the use of training games. What if we combine these two approaches in a complementary fashion? That is the idea behind interactive lectures. Interactive lectures involve participants in the learning process while providing complete control to the instructor. These activities enable a quick and easy conversion of a passive presentation into an interactive experience. Different types of interactive lectures incorporate built-in quizzes, interspersed tasks, teamwork interludes, and participant control of the presentation. One effective approach to adding interactivity to lectures involves requiring participants to review what they heard and summarize the key points. This approach reinforces learning and improves recall. Missing Sentence provides an intriguing twist to an interactive lecture that is based on the review-and-summary strategy.

People learn in all sorts of different ways. While some people enjoy lively group discussions and interactive presentations, others need some quiet time alone with the material. 1-2-4 All is an effective way of catering to multiple learning styles while also creating space for personal reflection and small group discussion. 

Start by inviting participants to silently reflect on a question or topic of the training. Next, ask participants to form pairs and build on the reflection or ideas they each had. Finally, ask participants to form groups of four and discuss further before presenting their main learnings or ideas to the group. 1-2-4 All is a simple training activity but it’s also one of the most effective ways of creating space for everyone to be heard and contribute to a group discussion. 

1-2-4-All   #idea generation   #liberating structures   #issue analysis   With this facilitation technique you can immediately include everyone regardless of how large the group is. You can generate better ideas and more of them faster than ever before. You can tap the know-how and imagination that is distributed widely in places not known in advance. Open, generative conversation unfolds. Ideas and solutions are sifted in rapid fashion. Most importantly, participants own the ideas, so follow-up and implementation is simplified. No buy-in strategies needed! Simple and elegant!

Collaborative and fun training games

One of the fundamental principles of adult learning is experiential learning, which gives participants the chance to use skills and knowledge in a practical way.

Asking trainees to utilize their creative or critical thinking skills in the form of a game can help create an experiential learning experience and enliven the group. They’re a great way to enhance group dynamics and improve communication between trainees too.

Marshmallow challenge with debriefing 

Marhsmallow Challenge is a classic team building game that works well in a training environment by asking participants to work together as a team and engage their problem solving skills. 

Start by briefing the team on the task: they must build the tallest free-standing structure out of 20 sticks of spaghetti, one yard of tape, one yard of string, and one marshmallow, which needs to be on top. After each team has presented their marshmallow tower and a winner has been crowned, conduct a debriefing where participants will reflect on what went well, what could have been improved and what learnings they will take from the exercise. 

Marshmallow challenge with debriefing   #teamwork   #team   #leadership   #collaboration   In eighteen minutes, teams must build the tallest free-standing structure out of 20 sticks of spaghetti, one yard of tape, one yard of string, and one marshmallow. The marshmallow needs to be on top. The Marshmallow Challenge was developed by Tom Wujec, who has done the activity with hundreds of groups around the world. Visit the Marshmallow Challenge website for more information. This version has an extra debriefing question added with sample questions focusing on roles within the team.

Human Machine 

Effective collaboration is an important aspect of how groups operate. Collaboration and camaraderie is important in a training environment too, and this training game is an effective way of engaging a group collaboratively. Start by getting the group into a circle. Let them know that together, they will be creating a human machine where each person will be a part of that machine. 

Start by asking one person to enter the middle of the circle while making the sound and physical movement of one part of the machine. After 5 seconds, another person enters the circle and connects to the first person, also making a sound and a movement.

Continue until everyone has been connected to the machine. In small groups, you can also deconstruct the machine one piece at a time. Use this training game when you’re looking to encourage creative thinking and collaboration in your trainees. 

Human Machine   #hyperisland   #energiser   This fast and physical group gets participants moving and working together in a way that generates energy and promotes collaboration. One at a time, members of the group become parts of the “machine”, each one making a distinct physical motion and a sound, until the whole group is working together in motion, as one human machine.

Blind Square – Rope game

Fun training games where participants need to engage their problem solving brain while working as a team can be a great counterpoint to heavier training material and presentations. In this training game, start by tying a long piece of rope into a circle. 

Instruct trainees that they’ll need to turn the circle into a square but must do so while blindfolded. They’ll have 15 minutes to plan their actions but must not touch the rope. They’ll then have 10 minutes to create the square as a team while wearing their blindfolds.

This is a simple but effective training game that builds communication skills and can also be used to start a conversation about collaboration, planning and problem solving.  

Blind Square – Rope game   #teamwork   #communication   #teambuilding   #team   #energiser   #thiagi   #outdoor   This is an activity that I use in almost every teambuilding session I run–because it delivers results every time. I can take no credit for its invention since it has existed from long before my time, in various forms and with a variety of names (such as Blind Polygon). The activity can be frontloaded to focus on particular issues by changing a few parameters or altering the instructions.

Helium Stick

Training activities don’t need to be complicated in order to create engagement in your group and help pave the way for collaborative learning. Helium Stick is a fun and engaging training game that is a simple and effective way to encourage presence and collaboration in the group. 

Start by asking everyone in the group to form two rows, facing each other. Next, ask them to put their index fingers out and rest a long, thin rod on everyone’s fingers, ensuring its level. Finally, ask the group to try moving the rod down while ensuring everyone’s fingers remain in contact with the rod. The result is a fun, engaging game that helps trainees land in the session and create some levity in your agenda. 

Helium Stick   #teampedia   #team   #teamwork   #icebreaker   #energiser   A great and simple activity for fostering teamwork and problem solving with no setup beforehand.

This physical training game is a fun energizing game that also doubles as an exploration of the differences between self-organization and command-control management. For any training that contains elements of group dynamics and human systems, this is a great choice of training icebreaker or energizer. 

Start by getting trainees into groups of 7-16 people. Next, ask everyone to get into a circle and close their eyes. Next, they should link hands with two different people in the group and then open their eyes. The group must then untangle themselves without breaking any links. This training game often results in a lot of laughter and fun, while debriefing it can help give groups an understanding of how certain dynamics can manifest within a group. 

Human Knot   A physical-participation disentanglement puzzle that helps a group learn how to work together (self-organize) and can be used to illustrate the difference between self-organization and command-control management or simply as a get-to-know-you icebreaker. Standing in a circle, group members reach across to connect hands with different people. The group then tries to unravel the “human knot” by unthreading their bodies without letting go of each other people’s hands. As a management-awareness game to illustrate required change in behavior and leadership on a management level (e.g., illustrate the change from ‘task-oriented’ management towards ‘goal/value-oriented’ management).

Virtual Scavenger Hunt

Scavenger hunts on a specific topic can be a great way to get participants engaged in their own learning and encourage proactive exploration of a training topic. Start by creating a list of items that participants need to find that relate in some way to the topic of your training. 

For example, if you were running training on conflict resolution, your list might include finding a series of quotes or articles to cover each step of the resolution process, finding or taking photographs to represent four emotions experienced as a result of conflict, collecting the social media profiles of 3 thought leaders in the space, or even creating a spotify playlist of songs relating to core feedback principles.

Creativity is vital here, but the end result can be an engaging exercise that not only reinforces learning but also creates lots of space for fun. 

Virtual scavenger hunt   #energiser   #teambuilding   #remote-friendly   A fun team-building energiser that encourages groups to recreate the scavenger hunt experience in a fully remote environment! 

Games and activities for closing a training session

The closing stages of your training session can be among the most important when it comes to reinforcing learnings and helping your participants retain the key points of your training.

These training activities are designed to give trainees space to reflect on the session, reinforce their learnings and debrief with the group. They can be especially useful if you want to encourage trainees to take action following the training session or create a sense of closure too. 

If you’re following the ADDIE model of training design , these closing activities can also help you evaluate the effectiveness of your material and provide crucial feedback for future training sessions. 

Letter to Myself 

The best training sessions often result in positive change, whether that’s solving a problem or enabling trainees to do something they couldn’t do before. That said, it’s not uncommon for some participants to struggle to retain or implement learnings after the training. This training activity is a great way to avoid that issue.

Start by handing out pens and postcards/paper to the group and explain that everyone is going to write a letter to their future selves. In that letter, they’ll explain what they wish to achieve by the time their future selves open the letter.

You can add additional prompts such as, “I want to remember…” “I want to make a positive change because…” or “The biggest takeaway from today is…” to help guide the group and ensure participants are well positioned to retain and use their new knowledge in the future.

Letter to Myself   #hyperisland   #action   #remote-friendly   Often done at the end of a workshop or program, the purpose of this exercise is to support participants in applying their insights and learnings, by writing a letter and sending it to their future selves. They can define key actions that they would like their future self to take, and express their reasons why change needs to happen.

I used to think…But now I think…

Effective training is all about creating positive change. In this closing training activity, participants are asked to reflect on what they’ve learned and how their knowledge or perspective has changed as a result of what they’ve learned. Giving immediate feedback in this way can help surface valuable insights and cement learning too.

First, trainees will consider what they thought or knew about your training topic before the session, then they’ll reflect on what they think or know now. Give a few minutes for solo reflection before group sharing so that everyone is able to gather their thoughts before also enjoying the collective wisdom of other team members. 

I used to think…But now I think…   #teampedia   #review   #debriefing   #team   A simple but effective closing activity that could lead to identify the learning point or outcomes for participants and measure the change in their behavior, mindset or opinion regarding the subject.

Artful Closer 

Closing a training seminar by asking participants to create a visual representation of something they’ve learned can be an effective way to aid knowledge retention, share insights and create a memorable experience. Start this training activity by asking participants to close their eyes and think about the highlights of the session and choose one of the key lessons they learned. 

Next, participants will create an abstract image to represent that learning and which captures the essence of what they’ve learned. After they’re done, trainees then share the images in small groups and try to interpret what each image represents. For a closing activity with a visual edge, Artful Closer is a great choice that can prompt interesting discussions and aid knowledge retention too! 

Artful Closer   #thiagi   #action   #debriefing   #closing   This activity begins with reflection, proceeds through nonverbal communication, and ends in a discussion. You can use ARTFUL CLOSER to debrief participants after an experiential activity. You may also use it as the final activity at the end of a workshop. You may even use it as an opening ice-breaker by asking participants to think about common personal experiences. For example, I began a recent session on presentation skills by asking participants to process their experiences with the most inspiring speech they had ever heard.

Magical Gifts 

Having the members of your group share their takeaways from a training session is a great way to reinforce learnings and create a sense of closure.

In this paired training activity, one person starts by sharing their favourite takeaway from the training session or what action they’re going to take next. The second person listens carefully and then hands them an imaginary gift in response and describes what it is. 

For example, if I say that my next step after receiving training on emotional intelligence is to reflect on my experience and prepare for a tough conversation with my boss, the other person might hand me a magical pillow to help me rest and prepare for that conversation or a megaphone to help my voice be heard. After receiving the gift, the first person shows appreciation and explains how they will use the gift before switching. 

For particularly heavy training topics, this closing activity can be effective at introducing some levity and kindness while still ensuring people meaningfully reflect on what they’ve learned. 

Magical Gifts   #zoom   #virtual   #connection   #listening and awareness   #listening   #listening and responding   #remote-friendly   #takeaways   #closing   #closing activity   #ericamarxcoaching   In pairs, each person gives a “magical” gift to their partner that relates to what their partner has shared with them. 

Whether you’re designing live training sessions or blended learning courses , training games and activities can be an effective way to enhance the training experience and create space for experiential learning. Use them alongside tools like Gagne’s instructional design principles in order to design the most effective learning experiences possible.

These games aren’t just about using up time or giving people a break (although that’s also a worthy cause!) – activities like these can help engage participants and create a memorable experience that ensures learning is retained long after the session is over. 

Want to go further? Check out our guide on how to design a training session plan and create an agenda that will set the foundation for an effective session.  Looking for an example training agenda? Explore this training plan template based on Kolb’s learning cycle and adjust it to your needs. 

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14 Fun & Interactive Presentation Games for Teams and Students

So you've got an audience to energize, students to engage, or a team that needs a little extra fun — playing an interactive presentation game is an easy way to do just that.

We've done the research and found the best of these games for you: we looked specifically for games that are simple to set up, fun to play, and flexible enough to be used with a variety of presentations and audiences. Most of these activities work virtually with Zoom/PowerPoint and can also be used in person.

Which of these 14 presentation games do you like best? Take a look and let us know your favorites:

1. Live Trivia Competition

A great way to ramp up the excitement and engagement is to enable a little bit of friendly competition. Trivia is an easy way to do this—plus, it can be whole-group inclusive and large-audience friendly (if you use the right tools).

Here's a great trivia game you can run with your team, students, or any large audience. It's already created for you with questions and scoring built in to make it even easier:

Here's how to play:

• Make a free account here: https://slideswith.com/  
• Click the slide deck and copy it. 
• Launch the trivia game by clicking "Start Event."
• Invite your group to join in and submit answers using their mobile devices (show the winners automatically).
• Interact and play during your presentation!

This trivia game has questions on many topics to keep your audience's attention and appeal to everyone. It only takes 10-15 minutes to play, so it's a great game for long discussions! Also, this interactive activity is free for up to ten participants and is totally customizable.

2. Sing and Swing 

To really liven up your group, encourage your listeners to play Sing and Swing. This activity is best for long presentations because it boosts energy, creates a fun, light-hearted environment, and makes people laugh a lot. 

Here's how to play: 

• Before your presentation, pick a well-known song and rewrite the chorus (replace parts of it with words and phrases from your presentation) 
• When you're ready to play, show the song on your screen. 
• Invite your audience to sing it with you!

If you have a fun group or a class of energetic students, consider adding choreography to engage your audience even more. 

3. 20 Questions

If you want a presentation game that requires your listeners to talk more than you, 20 Questions is the one to play! A classic and simple activity, this game immediately boosts engagement and gets people laughing. 

Here's how to play: Have someone put an appropriate image or word on the screen behind you (this can be an audience member you trust or a colleague or co-presenter). To make things more fun, put on a blindfold so that everyone knows you can't cheat. From there, ask 20 "yes or no" questions to guess what's displayed on the screen. Your group should respond "yes" or "no" to guide you to the correct answer. 

4. Scavenger Hunt Challenge

To get your audience out of their seats, a scavenger hunt challenge is one of the best interactive games for presentations. It'll immediately energize your audience , team, or students while giving them a fun way to learn.  

There are tons of in-person and virtual scavenger hunt ideas you can use to dive deeper into your topic or help everyone learn about one another. But if you want a ready-to-play game that you can instantly launch without having any tech skills, here's a fun one to play: 

• Use an email address and password to create a free account here: https://slideswith.com/ (a free account guarantees up to ten people can play at no charge). 
• Click the game and press "Copy and use this slide deck." 
• In the top right corner, click "Start Event."
• Ask listeners to join the game by using their mobile devices to scan the QR code. Players should continue using their mobile devices to submit answers to questions.
• Have everyone start hunting for items! 

This activity is a particularly fun game because it's a photo-hunt, show-and-tell challenge! That means your audience will not only get out of their seats to find items, but they'll also get to take pictures and share and discuss photos of what they find. This conversational element will help engage your group! 

5. Group Word Clouds

Whether you're speaking to team members, students, or conference-goers, this activity lets you ask questions and get your listeners' thoughts on specific topics. 

This game is the perfect way to start your presentation, especially if you're discussing something with a wide range of opinions or are unsure how much your listeners know about a certain subject. Group Word Clouds is also beneficial if you want to do a quick meeting pulse or know how your listeners feel going into your presentation—understanding their energy levels and mood can help you adjust (if necessary) to get maximum engagement and excitement.

To enjoy this activity, keep things simple by using a tool that already offers a ready-to-play Group Word Clouds game. Here's a popular one you can launch immediately: 

• Create a free account by entering an email and password here: https://slideswith.com/  
• Click the game and then copy it (the button to do so is right underneath the slide deck).
• Press "Start Event" in the top right corner. 
• Tell participants to play by scanning the QR code. 
• Create word clouds and have fun!

This interactive game only takes 5-10 minutes to play, so it's a fast, fun way to engage your audience and feel out the room. Players can use their mobile devices to answer questions. This activity is also free for up to 10 people and is easy to personalize.

6. The Get to Know You Game

This activity is one of the best presentation games if you have a small group that doesn't really know each other. The Get to Know You Game is a creative way to do introductions, and it's really simple.

Here's how to play the game: Before the event, ask group members to bring a favorite song or item to the presentation (you can do this by emailing them). When you're ready to play, ask each person to introduce themself, present their song or item, and explain why they picked it. For those sharing a song, have them play it on their phones before they explain why it's their favorite. 

7. Live Poll Questions 

When you have a large group, it's not easy to find ways to boost engagement—but poll questions are the solutions, especially when they're live and interactive. With this unique setup, large groups engage by answering questions and seeing their answers displayed in a fun way. 

Your job is to make sure you actually find a game that showcases responses uniquely to captivate your group. For a quick and great option, here's a popular icebreaker activity that promises to display responses using fun formats like word clouds, donut charts, live graphs, and per-player: 

• Create an account for free to access the game:  https://slideswith.com/  
• Click the slide deck and press the button to copy it. 
• Look in the top right corner of the deck and press "Start Event."
• Invite your group to play the game. They only need to use their mobile devices to scan the QR code. 
• Start polling your audience!

This activity is one of those fun presentation games everyone will want to enjoy, so invite all of your team members and students to participate. This game can accommodate up to 250 players and takes 5-10 minutes to complete. Tell your group to use their mobile devices to submit their responses. 

8. Assumptions 

This interactive game is a great way to break up your presentation to see who's paying attention and who can answer questions pertaining to your topic. 

• Ask your audience to stand up (for virtual presentations, make sure everyone's video is on). 
• Show true or false statements on the screen one by one. 
• Tell people to raise a hand if they think the statement is correct and sit down if they think it's incorrect.
• Continue until one person is left standing.
• Award the winner. 

This activity can be as short and challenging as you want. Also, if your presentation is long, you can play multiple rounds to break up your speaking time and test your audience throughout your discussion.  

9. Controversial Questions 

Want to see where your audience, students, or team lands on controversial topics? Then, energize your presentation with a fun, creative game called Controversial Questions. This activity has prompts that inspire lively debates, so it's a great way to get your group excited and chatty. 

However, to maintain a positive environment, make sure to find a tool that offers an office-friendly, classroom-friendly, and conference-friendly game. You don't want to sour the mood by creating uncomfortable division during your presentation. To make sure this game is fun and light-hearted, here's a popular one that's suitable for all audiences and ages: 

• Sign up for a free account by inputting an email address and password here:  https://slideswith.com/pricing  
• Click the game and press the button that says, "Copy and use this deck." 
• Press "Start Event" (the button is in the top right corner). 
• Have participants join the fun by asking them to scan the QR code with their mobile devices. 
• Get controversial and play! 

This interactive game for presentations asks fun (but appropriate) questions like:

• Does pineapple belong on pizza?
• Does the person flying in the middle seat get both armrests?
• Should the toilet roll go over or under? 

Players should use their mobile devices to submit answers. Up to ten people can play for free, and you can customize the game by updating the questions!

10. Word of the Day 

With this activity, you can keep your audience, team, or students engaged throughout your entire presentation. This  game requires listeners to be alert and recognize whenever you say the word of the day. 

Here's how to play: At the beginning of your presentation, tell your group the word of the day (it can also be a phrase if you'd prefer). Say that you'll weave the word into your presentation and that your audience must shout it out whenever you mention it. 

11. Mini Activity: Group Icebreaker

Whether you're doing an in-person or virtual presentation, you need to warm up your audience to get things started on a positive note. The best way to do that is with a quick icebreaker game. 

However, make sure your questions are fun, positive, and engaging. You can easily do this by finding a game that already has the best icebreaker questions included. Here's one that's ready to play (and requiring no tech skills to launch): 

• Input an email address and password to make a free account here: https://slideswith.com/  
• Click the deck and copy it (press "Copy and use this deck). 
• Click the button in the top right corner that says "Start Event."
• Invite participants to play by asking them to scan the QR code. 
• Break the ice to warm up your audience!

Your group should use their mobile devices to submit responses to poll questions. Also, this game accommodates up to 250 players, but only ten people can join for free.

12. Process of Elimination 

This activity is one of the best games for presentations because it's simple yet fun and great at helping listeners get to know each other. You can play it at the beginning of your presentation or in the middle to give your group a chance to stretch their legs. 

• Before your event, create a list of "yes or no" questions. 
• Once you're ready to play, tell your group to stand up (if you're doing a virtual presentation, make sure everyone's video is on). 
• Ask each question one by one. 
• Tell attendees to stand if their answer is "yes" and sit if their answer is "no." 

The questions can relate to your topic or be totally random. Also, if you'd prefer to thin out the number of people standing, you can take a creative twist and ask your questions by saying something like this: "Stay standing if (insert scenario)." When phrasing each question this way, the game will end with one person standing. To acknowledge the winner, you can give them a round of applause or award them a prize. 

13. Conference Opener Icebreaker 

If you're speaking at a big conference, you need an interactive game for presentations that can get everyone involved and ensure every voice is heard. To achieve these goals, you should create an icebreaker game that works for large groups . 

Using an easy, intuitive template is the best step to take. That way, you don't have to start from scratch or spend hours making your game. For a template that requires no code or tech-savviness to build on, here's the best option: 

• Sign up by making a free account here: https://slideswith.com/  
• Click on the game. On the next page, click the button to copy and use the deck. 
• Customize the template using the instructions HERE . 
• During your presentation, press "Start Event" in the top right corner. 
• Ask the group to use their mobile devices to scan the QR code and join the fun. (Also, make sure participants use their mobile devices to submit answers.) 
• Play and engage your audience!  

This template has fun, interactive features built in to keep your large audience engaged. Those features include polls, word clouds, and ratings. Just make sure you sign up for a paid plan to accommodate the large number of people in your group—the free account only works for up to ten players. 

14. Two Truths and a Lie 

This classic game is a fun, energizing way to help your listeners get to know one another. It's perfect for small in-person or virtual groups and is an ideal activity for the beginning of your presentation. 

Here's how to play: Pick any topic (for the purposes of this article, the topic will be "movies"). In no particular order, say two movies you've really watched and one you haven't watched. Ask your audience to guess which statement is the lie. The winner picks the next topic and says two truths and a lie. 

Be Memorable With Presentation Games

Oftentimes, people forget presentations within a week or even days, and that's because the discussions are boring. But you don't work hard preparing a presentation for it to be forgotten. If you want your message to stick, all you have to do is make it enjoyable without being corny.  

If you want to be remembered and actually get people engaged, you need to make your presentation fun and enjoyable, without coming off as corny or desperate to please. Ivan Dimitrijevic, 10 Secrets of Making Every Presentation Fun, Engaging, and Enjoyable

Luckily, the interactive presentation games in this article are unique and exciting—they're far from corny. So, use them for your upcoming presentations to make your messages compelling and memorable. 

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• Presentation Hacks

10 Public Speaking Games and Activities to Try

• By: Kelly Allison

Public speaking is a skill like any other—to become great at it, you need to practice. But if you’re like most, then you probably don’t have a room full of people at the ready that you can speak in front of every day. Don’t let that stop you from practicing, though.

There are actually a ton of games and activities you can take advantage of that’ll help you hone your chops and become the best presenter you can be without the need for a formal audience.

Speak Nonsense According to research , an excellent presentation is 38% your voice, 55% non-verbal communication and just 7% your content. In other words, your delivery matters even more than what you say, and this exercise helps you refine it. Find a paragraph online in a language you don’t understand or simply write down a few lines of jibberish, and practice saying it aloud as though you’re giving a speech. Pay mind to your tone, inflections, and generally how you can use your voice to create more interest.

Learn From the Pros Look online for speeches that are widely accepted as exceptional. The most popular TED Talks of all time is a great place to start. Pick a talk that you’re interested in and watch it through a critical lens. Analyze the narrative structure the speaker uses, what makes their delivery effective, how their visuals enhance their talk and other components that make their speech extraordinary.

30 Seconds Filler-Free Filler words like “uh” “um” and “y’know” not only make your talk more difficult to listen to, but they also make you seem less prepared and authoritative. For this exercise, record yourself giving a talk on any topic for 30 seconds, taking care to omit all filler words. Whenever you use a filler word, start over and try again. Do this exercise ten times, filler-free.

One Minute Off-the-Cuff For this exercise, you’ll set a timer on your phone for one minute and record yourself giving an impromptu speech on any topic that interests you. The only rule is that you can’t prepare for it in any way. This is designed to get you more comfortable speaking off-the-cuff and minimize the anxiety that comes from being afraid you won’t have anything to say.

Tell a Photo Story Storytelling is critical to engaging your audience and helping them retain the information you’re sharing. To practice developing narratives, find an interesting photo online and record yourself presenting a story about it. Discuss what you think the backstory is, who the people are, their dreams, their motivations, and anything else that’ll tell a compelling story about them.

Make Up a Definition No matter what your presentation is about, you should always seem like you have authority over the topic. For this exercise, choose a word you don’t know the definition of and record yourself saying, with authority, what you think it means. Pay attention to how you can use your voice and intonations to have more command and seem more authoritative.

Q&A With an Expert You’ll need to find a friend for this one. Choose a topic or job that you don’t know much about. Ask your friend to interview you about it and answer their questions as though you’re a well-informed expert. This will help you with both your delivery and authority.

Gush About Something You Don’t Love Enthusiasm is contagious. If you want your audience to be excited about your topic, then you need to show enthusiasm for it. Choose something you’re indifferent about, say, a kitchen utensil, and practice speaking about it enthusiastically. Use your voice, emphasis, and body language to make it seem like the most exciting thing in the universe.

Make a Commercial Presentations are all about selling an idea, so you should practice the art of sales and persuasion to be the best you can be. Choose an item in your home and create a one-minute commercial about it. Record yourself saying what makes it special, how it can enhance lives, and why everyone needs that item in their corner.

Where Did That Name Come From? This is another exercise that’ll make you a better storyteller on stage. Pick an item in your home, like a stapler, and tell a story about how it got its name. The idea here isn’t to be accurate, so by all means, make something up; this is just to get you in the habit of finding and developing interesting stories from anything.

Looking for more ways to improve your presentation game? Then take Ethos3’s Badge Assessment to discover your unique presentation persona.

Kelly Allison

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Ever wondered what sets a great presentation apart? It’s more than just the words you use. Think about this, voice modulation, or how you say things, plays a substantial role at 38%. Your body language like hand gestures or eye contact, or how you carry yourself, takes a commanding lead at 55%.

Surprisingly, the content—the words you speak—only contributes 7% to a successful presentation. This interesting fact reveals that being an impressive presenter is like having a special recipe. It’s not just about what you say but how you present yourself. 

In this blog, we’ll dive into the world of presentation skills, and here’s the exciting part—we’ll make the learning process enjoyable by exploring games and activities that can transform you into an outstanding communicator even in front of a large group. Let’s explore the elements that can make you a standout presenter on your professional journey!

Importance of Presentation Skills

In the professional world, the ability to deliver a compelling presentation goes beyond sharing information; it’s about creating a memorable impact on your audience.

Here’s why presentation skills are important:

1. Communication Mastery

Presentation skills are at the forefront of effective communication. It’s not just about what you say; it’s how you say it. A well-delivered presentation ensures your message is heard and understood, fostering clear and meaningful communication.

2. Professional Credibility

A skilled presenter commands professional credibility. The ability to articulate ideas with clarity and confidence instils trust and respect from colleagues, superiors, and stakeholders. Credibility is a cornerstone for career advancement and building strong professional relationships.

3. Influence and Persuasion

Presentations are powerful tools for influencing and persuading others. Whether pitching a proposal, leading a team meeting, or advocating for a project, effective presentation skills enable you to sway opinions, gain support, and drive initiatives forward.

4. Career Advancement

Professionals with polished presentation skills often find themselves on a fast track to career advancement. The capacity to deliver compelling presentations positions you as a valuable asset to the organisation, setting the stage for leadership roles.

5. Confidence Building

Mastering presentation skills significantly contributes to building confidence. The more skilled you become at presenting, the more confident you feel in expressing your ideas. Confidence is contagious and can inspire confidence in others, creating a positive and dynamic work culture.

Now that we understand the pivotal role presentation skills play in professional success, let’s dive into engaging activities that can serve as effective tools for improvement.

Activities To Enhance Presentation Skills

These activities go beyond traditional training methods, offering a dynamic and enjoyable way to refine your presentation prowess.

Explore the following activities to elevate your skills:

Activity 1: Pecha Kucha

Pecha Kucha is a unique presentation style that challenges individuals to communicate their message with precision and impact. Originating from Japan, the term “Pecha Kucha” translates to “chit-chat” in English, and the format was first introduced in 2003 by architects Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham . Here’s how Pecha Kucha works:

20 Slides, 20 Seconds Each: 

Presenters create a slideshow with precisely 20 slides. The catch? Each slide is displayed for only 20 seconds. This strict time constraint adds an element of urgency, compelling presenters to deliver their message succinctly.

Concise and Focused Content

With only 20 seconds per slide, presenters must convey their content in the most essential and impactful points. This format discourages information overload and encourages a clear and focused presentation.

To excel in creating a Pecha Kucha presentation, consider the following tips:

Thematic Consistency: Maintain a consistent theme or message throughout your 20 slides to ensure coherence and a unified presentation.

Powerful Visuals: Prioritise impactful images, diagrams, or concise text on each slide to enhance the visual appeal and complement your spoken content.

Scripted Timing: Practise your presentation to synchronise with the 20-second time limit per slide. This ensures a smooth and well-timed delivery during the actual presentation.

Succinct Messaging: Craft concise and memorable messages for each slide, focusing on the main points to avoid overwhelming the formal audience with information.

Engaging Transitions: Plan smooth transitions between slides to keep the audience engaged. The rapid pace should feel natural and purposeful.

Feedback Seeking: Seek feedback from peers or mentors to gather insights on your Pecha Kucha presentation’s clarity, impact, and effectiveness.

Activity 2: Gush About Something You Don’t Like 

In this unconventional activity, participants are tasked with passionately speaking about something they don’t like. The challenge lies in transforming a negative subject into a positive and engaging presentation.

The objective is not to dwell on criticism but to practise the art of constructive communication and find positive aspects even in seemingly unfavourable situations.

Key Elements of the Activity:

Positive Framing: Participants must employ positive framing, emphasising constructive aspects or potential solutions related to a disliked subject. This requires creative thinking and the ability to reframe perspectives.

Expressive Communication: The activity encourages a person to maintain a passionate and expressive tone while discussing a disliked topic. This helps develop spontaneity and enthusiasm, key elements of engaging communication.

Audience Engagement: Engaging the audience is crucial in this activity, which also acts as an ice breaker. Participants must capture attention by injecting humour or providing relatable anecdotes, ensuring the presentation remains interesting despite the negative subject.

Improvisation Skills: The unpredictability of this activity fosters improvisation skills. Participants must think on their feet, respond to potential audience questions or objections, and navigate the presentation with adaptability.

Benefits of Gushing About Something You Don’t Like:

Participating in this activity provides several benefits. It cultivates the ability to find positives in challenging situations, fostering a constructive mindset. Expressive communication skills are honed through the challenge of maintaining enthusiasm, even when discussing a disliked topic. Engaging the audience under these circumstances enhances overall presentation skills, and the fun exercise sharpens improvisation skills by navigating unexpected turns.

Ultimately, this activity transforms negativity into an opportunity for growth, allowing participants to develop a positive and adaptable approach to communication challenges.

Activity 3: Photo Story

The Photo Story storytelling activity is a creative and engaging way to enhance presentation skills by incorporating visual storytelling. Participants are tasked with creating a presentation using a series of carefully selected photos as visual aids.

Each image becomes a piece of the narrative puzzle, and the presenter must seamlessly articulate the story, connecting each photo to the overarching message.

Visual Narrative Building: Participants select a sequence of photos telling a story. The challenge is to ensure that each image contributes meaningfully to the narrative, creating a cohesive and interactive visual journey.

Storytelling Skills: The activity focuses on developing storytelling skills. Presenters must describe the images and weave them into a compelling story. This enhances the ability to convey messages in a narrative format, making presentations more memorable.

Emphasis on Visual Communication: Photo Story underscores the importance of visual communication. Participants learn to use visuals effectively, recognising the impact of images in conveying emotions, themes, and key points. This skill is transferable to other aspects of presentation design.

Audience Engagement through Imagery: Engaging the audience is achieved through the power of imagery. Participants must captivate their audience by explaining the significance of each photo, fostering a deeper connection between the audience and the presented content.

Benefits of Photo Story:

Engaging in the Photo Story activity yields numerous benefits. It enhances storytelling capabilities, making presentations more engaging and memorable. The emphasis on visual communication contributes to creating visually appealing presentations in various professional contexts.

Additionally, the activity cultivates the ability to structure information coherently and captivate audiences through compelling visuals and narrative elements.

Overall, Photo Story is a versatile tool that improves presentation skills and promotes creativity and effective visual communication.

Activity 4: 30 Seconds Without Filler Words

The “30 Seconds Without Filler Words” activity is a great exercise designed to enhance public speaking skills by promoting clarity, coherence, and the elimination of filler words. Participants are challenged to speak on a random topic for 30 seconds without using common filler words such as “um,” “uh,” or “like.”

This activity aims to sharpen communication skills, encourage mindful expression, and minimise distractions to create a more impactful and engaging presentation style.

Elimination of Filler Words: The primary focus is on eliminating filler words that often diminish a presentation’s impact. Participants are encouraged to speak fluently and confidently, avoiding unnecessary pauses or distractions.

Mindful Communication: The activity cultivates mindful communication by prompting participants to recognise their speech patterns. This heightened awareness contributes to more intentional expression.

Pacing and Time Management: Participants must effectively manage their time within the 30-second limit, emphasising the importance of pacing in public speaking. This skill is transferable to various presentation scenarios where time constraints are a factor.

Enhanced Message Impact: Presenters create a more polished and professional impression for the whole room by eliminating filler words. The message becomes clearer, and the overall impact of the presentation is heightened, contributing to a more effective communication style.

Benefits of 30 Seconds Without Filler Words:

Engaging in this activity yields several benefits. It fosters an awareness of speech patterns, enabling participants to identify and eliminate filler words from their presentations. The emphasis on fluent and coherent expression enhances overall public speaking skills along with nonverbal communication, making presentations more impactful and engaging.

Moreover, the activity instils valuable lessons in time management and pacing, crucial elements in delivering concise and effective presentations. Ultimately, “30 Seconds Without Filler Words” is a targeted exercise that empowers participants to refine their communication style and deliver presentations with increased clarity and confidence.

The Power of Presentation Skills Training

Starting a presentation skills training course is like discovering a secret weapon for professional success. A skilled trainer can guide you through the intricacies of effective communication, helping you harness the true power of your voice.

Practice speaking under the guidance of experts allows you to refine your delivery, build confidence, and captivate your audience with every presentation.

Most people may underestimate the impact of a well-delivered presentation, but with the right training, you can elevate your skills to new heights.

In a presentation skills training course, you’ll discover the art of engaging an audience through various mediums. A seasoned trainer will train you on different types of presentations, teaching you to adapt your approach based on the context and audience.

Whether you write a speech, deliver a pitch, or participate in a video conference, the course equips you with the skills to excel and make your presentation successful.

A great trainer understands that effective communication goes beyond words. They emphasise the importance of non-verbal cues, teaching you to read and respond to your audience in the session. For example, when you actively listen, you can tailor your presentation to address the specific interests of your audience, ensuring they not only listen but also relate to your message.

Good presentation involves understanding these two truths: the significance of non-verbal communication and the importance of audience engagement.

In presentation skills training, every session is an opportunity to refine your abilities and unlock your full potential as a communicator.

So, if you’re interested in making a lasting impression and mastering the art of persuasive communication, a presentation skills training course is your pathway to success, offering opportunities for public speaking activities and discussion.

By Rishabh Bhandari

Books on presentation skills: essential books and resources for effective communication, unlocking effective oral presentation skills and public speaking proficiency.

Understanding What is Presentation Skills: Definition and Explanation

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20 Interactive Presentation Games

• Employee Engagement , Event Planning , Leadership Techniques

Meetings and conferences can be painfully tedious and dull. So much so that the phrase “Death by PowerPoint” has made it into our lexicon. According to Thomas Sowell , an American political economist and commentator, “People who enjoy meetings should not be in charge of anything.”

But if the problem with meetings is that they tend to be boring, the solution lies in finding ways to better engage and entertain your audience. You probably know the feeling of sitting in a meeting, trying to pay attention while one person drones on for an hour.

Even if the purpose of the meeting is to train, disseminate new developments, or even get everyone up to speed on weekly goals, engaging your audience creates a motivation to pay attention.

That’s why interactive presentation games are a great way to re-energizing meetings by involving audiences in the presentation. Interactive presentation turn passive listeners into active participants. Games allow the attendees to learn new skills, think of solutions within a short time period, and solve problems together.

‍ MeetingPulse equips your team with the tools and resources to create engaging events. With that in mind, here’s our guide to a few popular interactive presentation games.

‍ Related: Creating a Positive Organizational Culture while working remote

1. Project Jeopardy

This game is designed to make the presentation of reports more fun and interactive. The lead person on the report creates cards that have answers from the report.

For example, the card reads “25%.” The rest of the team is supposed to ask the correct question corresponding to the “25%” answer on the card. The question could be something like, “What was the company revenue growth for the quarter?”

‍ How to play: Give everyone the URL to your MeetingPulse meeting. Display the question on your screen and create multiple choice answers or leave it open-ended. The answers will pop up on the administrator’s screen in real-time, and you can share the answers to see how many people got it right.

2. Idea Box Game

The Idea Box game is excellent for brainstorming meetings where employees can share ideas about a project or product . It helps get the creative juices flowing and might even lead to some usable prototypes. Instead of having one speaker after another speak about their idea, having a team create an idea box creates a space for collaboration to further spark innovation.

‍ How to play: Use the MeetingPulse brainstorming tool to have teams vote and collect feedback about the products. Have each attendee log in to your MeetingPulse link — a virtual Idea Box. Give small groups thirty minutes to brainstorm, then allow submissions.

At the end of the exercise, each team should have the product name, features and functions, marketing taglines, and other vital product details.

Once each team has completed their box they’re invited to share it with the rest of the team who finally vote for the best box. Their ideas will appear on the screen right away, and participants can upvote or downvote in Reddit-style fashion and even submit emoji reactions.

3. The Introduction Game

This game is ideal for a new group of team members meeting for the first time on a mutual project or new hires joining a team. Give the new hires a chance to introduce themselves in an unforgettable manner.

‍ How to play: Ask the new members to bring a personal item or a favorite song. During the meeting, introduce them by letting their song blare for a few minutes on the sound system and then ask them to say something about themselves. If you’re using the personal item, ask them to talk about the item and what it means to them.

4. The talking stick

This activity makes sure that anyone who has a contribution not only gets to do so, but also that they get to speak uninterrupted. Using the talking stick is a great, rapid-fire way to focus the meeting on deep and meaningful contributions.

‍ How to play: Form a circle and make sure everyone’s seated. Before the discussion begins, everyone should agree that the moderator has the power to choose whoever speaks next. Once a member finishes talking, they should put the stick back in the center for the next person.

Use the MeetingPulse audience feedback capability to gain insight right away. Choose up to four emojis and allow your audience to react as they listen to new ideas.

5. Telephone game

The telephone game is used typically as an ice breaker or to liven up a group after a couple of mind-numbing presentations. While it doesn’t really work with a very large group, a sizable number like 10 to 15 people is just right.

‍ How to play: The meeting leader whispers the latest company marketing strategy used to the person on their left who is then supposed to relay the message to the next person and on and on until the last person gets the message.

The last person then gets to tell the rest of the team the final message, and you can compare it to the primary message from the lead.

6. The trivia competition

You can use this game to test the attendees’ trivia knowledge of the company or of general business trends . Create a trivia competition where the members play for points and the winner gets a prize. Project the points for everyone to see the winner.

‍ How to play: Formulate questions related to the company and use them for the trivia test. You can use MeetingPulse to create the questions, and set the timer to begin the game together. To add an extra touch of fun, include images with your multiple choice questions. Visuals add to the level of engagement and give your meetings an extra edge.

7. Fill in the phrase

Check out Meeting Pulse for Cool and creative ways to make polling questions and Quizzes!

‍ This game requires participants to fill in blanks on a survey or report. The survey or report should not be complete until the end of the presentation. This game rewards audiences for listening, and you can even provide some sort of prize.

‍ How to play: Create a report for attendees that has blanks. As you continue with the presentation, invite them to fill in the blanks from the information you are giving. Not only does the audience remain engaged, but they retain crucial information better.

‍ MeetingPulse integrates with Powerpoints , so you can use our single answer polling feature to play this game and display the results directly in your PowerPoint presentation.

8. Word of the day

Have a word of the day game as part of your presentation or meeting. It can be a phrase or a word.

‍ How to play: The presenter should weave the word or phrase into their presentation and the audience acknowledges its use by shouting back. The word must come from the team and not the presenter. This activity keeps everyone alert. Sometimes shouting can be distracting in the middle of a meeting.

In this case, use the MeetingPulse emoji feature, and everyone can submit ? when you use the word “key learnings.”

9. The 20 questions game

You get 20 questions to help you identify a picture that you can’t see, but the audience can. The audience can only lead you with yes or no questions. Use this game to liven up the audience.

‍ How to play: The audience will choose a picture that you can’t see. Have someone submit a photo and display it on the MeetingPulse user dashboard. Get blindfolded and begin to ask questions regarding the picture. You get only twenty questions to get it right.

If you’re an advertising agency, you can use this test your employees’ memory and see if they remember what you worked on. To keep track of all the questions and responses, have the audience choose “yes” or “no” by using a polling tool instead of having them shout it out.

10. Call and response

This game keeps the audience focused. The leader in the meeting calls out a phrase randomly during their presentation and the audience responds to it .

‍ How to play: Agree on the action to be taken every time the phrase is called out. The second the presenter calls out the word, your audience can dance, clap or just rise and seat. Alternatively, they can respond with a phrase, word, or an emoji using MeetingPulse.

11. What would I have done?

In this game, ask each member of the team what their alternative career would be. The point of the game is to open up to each other and foster conversation.

‍ How to play: Each member writes down their alternative career and waits their turn to reveal. The audience collectively asks “What would you have done?” and the selected member responds explaining why they chose that alternative. This is another great game you can play virtually, especially if you’re working with a big team.

With MeetingPulse , you can find out everyone’s alternative career and even get some statistics.

12. Fabulous flags

In this game , team members draw things that matter to them on their flag. This is known as the personal flag game, and it’s an excellent ice breaker activity.

‍ How to play: Everyone gets 10 minutes to draw objects or symbols that represent something meaningful in their lives. Each person gets two minutes to explain the items on their flag.

13. Botticelli

Similar to 20 questions, this game also tests your trivia. You keep in mind a person, place, or thing, and the audience has to guess. The game is a bit more complex because the player can talk back to the audience and distract them from the name.

‍ How to play: The audience asks leading questions to which the player responds with a yes or no. If they ask a specific question like “Does the celebrity’s name start with B?” then the player can respond with “It’s not Brad Pitt.”

This game is logistically easy to plan because all you need to do is formulate the poll questions and integrate them into your PowerPoint with MeetingPulse .

14. Candy introductions

This is a game that allows people to get to know each other while enjoying some sweet treats. It’s excellent for training sessions where participants are complete strangers, providing general topics for introductions that employees can elaborate upon further.

‍ How to play: The participants choose different types of candy from a bag and use each to represent different topics about themselves during the introduction. They can talk about family, career, hobbies, unexpected characteristic and dream destinations.

15. Crazy job interview

In this game, one participant tries to convince the others why they would be the best for a certain job. They have to expound on qualities given by another player and how those qualities make them a good fit.

‍ How to play: The participant is given a career, like a supermodel. Then they are given random phrases like “angry with the queen” or “intellectually incompatible” and they have to use these phrases to explain why they would be great at being a supermodel.

16. The elimination game

The elimination game helps participants to get to know each other, using a series of questions to find out the most common and most rare similarities amongst people within your company.

‍ How to play: The whole room is asked to stand up. The leader then asks elimination questions like “how many are attending this conference for the first time?” That group gets to sit down. The next is “remain standing if this is your fourth consecutive attendance.” The rest of the group sits down. And the elimination questions continue.

17. Would you rather

This is a fun game to liven up the room, giving participants two choices of something they can do. They have to choose the lesser evil.

‍ How to play: The player is given a question with two very bad or very good outcomes. For example, if the employees are afraid of heights, ask, “Would you rather go sky diving or bungee jumping?”

If you want to play this game with a large group of people, you can use MeetingPulse to get answers in real time. This game can also provide valuable insight for you. For instance, you can ask, “Would you rather have a breakfast spread or small desserts for our next meeting?”

18. Anagrams

‍ Think up a word and have everyone else try to figure it out. Expect some hilarious answers as everyone chips in.

‍ How to play: Jumble up the letters but ensure that they create a five or six letter word anagram when correctly aligned. Only the presenter should suggest the word, and the activity should be timed. People can submit their answers live on MeetingPulse .

19. Two truths and a lie

The players get to tell two truths and one lie about themselves and the audience deciphers which one is the lie.

‍ How to play: The player chooses a topic, like “career.” They tell two real facts about their career and one lie. The audience then decides which statement is false and why they believe that.

20. Choose the Agenda

In this activity, the participants choose the agenda of the meeting instead of being told what it is. This allow them to address burning issues.

‍ How to play: Participants are invited to submit their agendas, which are shared by everyone and then voted on. The one with the most votes becomes the main agenda for the meeting. This gives participants control over the meeting as well.

You can use MeetingPulse’s brainstorming tool with the upvoting feature for this!

Final Thoughts

Now that you know some of the best interactive presentation games, you’re ready to host your next event with new and creative ways to keep your audience engaged. MeetingPulse is a great tool and resource for you to make your presentations more memorable and — dare we say it — fun.

‍ Related: 25 Fun Poll Questions to Ask Your Audience

Get started with MeetingPulse today!

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Blog > The 10 best PowerPoint Games to play in Workshops, Classrooms & Presentations

The 10 best PowerPoint Games to play in Workshops, Classrooms & Presentations

01.01.20   •  #fun #game #powerpoint #presentation.

In our last blog post, we talked about tools and tips on how to boost the audience engagement in your presentation. One of our recommended ways to do so was to play games, as they release tension and function as a fun element that lightens the mood. That’s why today we are going to list the Top 10 best games to play in your presentation.

1. Would you rather

Is it a game that everyone knows already? Probably. But did we have to include it on the list because it is just perfect for playing with your audience? Definitely. The game is pretty much self-explanatory – You give your attendees two (or more) scenarios and they have to choose which one they’d rather experience. Combining the Would you rather – question with your presentation topic is usually very easy, but we also thought of some questions you could use for any topic (e.g. as an icebreaker, to get to know your audience a little better, to ask about their opinion or just as a fun element in between). You can let your audience vote by letting them raise their hands or by using an interactive poll tool such as SlideLizard .

• Would you rather A. travel back in time OR B. travel to the future OR C. stay in the present
• Would you rather A. have a long lunch break now OR B. have a short break and finish early
• Would you rather A. be able to read minds OR B. be able to fly OR C. be able to turn invisible
• Would you rather A. receive a letter from Hogwarts OR B. join Frodo on his journey OR C. Hog-what?
• Would you rather A. never be able to go on Social Media again B. never be able to read a book again

2. Charades

The popular game is not only great for your family’s game-night, but also for your presentations and workshops. Prepare a few cards that have words related to your presentation’s topic on them, let some volunteers in your audience draw and act them out. The rest of the audience has to guess the word. You can be sure that these terms and the associated performances will never be forgotten!

Small Trivia quizzes are perfect for checking and manifesting the audience’s knowledge at the end of your presentation. Instead of repeating and summing up what you have already said, you can let your participants test their knowledge right away. However, you can also use a quiz in the beginning to test your audience’s existing knowledge about a topic. But there are not only trivia quizzes: Questions about personality can also be interesting and work well as an ice breaker in the beginning. Again, we recommend a tool for poll creation, as that is the easiest way to conduct quizzes. In a recent article we listed 50 great questions (a mix of personality and trivia) , that you could use for your next presentation! And if you're a fan of quiz game shows, we also got a full Who wants to be a Millionaire PowerPoint template for you to download for free! You'll see how it looks like in the following video (be sure to turn up your sound!):

PowerPoint can be used for way more than most people know. Even we were amazed by people on the internet who created extensive games by animating content using PP. We don’t want to go that big today, but we are going to provide you with a free-to-download template of memory. You only have to add it to your presentation and customize the pictures or terms you want under the cards. Download free PPT Memory Template

5. Two Truths and a Lie

Here is another game that is just perfect when you play it with interactive poll tools. It is great for getting the audience to know you as a presenter better. Think of a fun, interesting or astonishing fact about yourself, and then invent two fake ones. Your attendees have to vote which statement they think is true. Be prepared to see some very surprised faces in your audience!

6. PowerPoint Karaoke

PowerPoint-Karaoke is the perfect improvisation game. Players are confronted with a set of slides they have never seen before and try to give a presentation as convincingly as possible. If you want to know all about this game and get some slides you can use for playing, check out our detailed blog post on PowerPoint-Karaoke .

7. Where do you stand?

For the game “Where do you stand?”, your attendees will actually have to stand up. Therefore, it is only convenient if you have enough space. If you want to get your participant’s opinion about something and get them to move a little, look no further! Create an imaginary line across the room. One end stands for one opinion, the other end for the exact opposite opinion. Your attendees can now place themselves on this line wherever they like (right in the middle, on either end or somewhere in between). You can then even interview people on the line (it is always interesting to choose two from opposite sites) and learn about their views. If you’re a little overwhelmed now, here are some examples you could use for this game:

Attention – you can of course ask about political or more controversial topics, but that may escalate and turn into a fight, which is not the purpose of the game or your presentation.

8. Describe That

Let your audience draw from cards with words on them and then describe it for the other attendees. It is basically like charades, but with words instead of acting. Some may find that too easy. In that case, you can either choose terms that are extremely hard to describe or add some “Taboo-words” to the card that can’t be used for describing.

9. True and False

Have you ever heard a crazy, bizarre fact where you didn’t think that it could be true? Perfect. You can use it in the well-known “True and False”-Game. You pick out a fact (ideally something related to your presentation topic) and then let your audience vote (you know – via an interactive poll tool like SlideLizard ) if they think it’s true or not. A tip for making statements false: Change little things about the them, like numbers, dates or names or use common misconceptions and see how many of your attendees buy into them, e.g. “Bulls are enraged by the color red” (which is false, bulls are simply enraged by movement, not specific colors).

10. The never-ending sentence

The never-ending sentence is a great game that incorporates many of your attendees and awakens their brain cells. It is perfect for keeping up their engagement and interest, especially for long presentations or workshops when you feel like some people are getting a little tired. Simply start by saying a word – it can be related to the presentation’s topic if you want – and ask a person in your audience to repeat that word and add another one – the next person to repeat those two words and add another one as well , and so on, until a sentence forms. As it gets longer the game gets a lot more difficult, because there is a lot more to remember and to repeat. The sentence can’t be ended, it has to be continued until someone makes a mistake (or until the last person in the room has added a new word). We promise that you will be left with a lot of fun, creative, and straight-up weird sentences that will make your audience laugh a lot.

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About the author.

Pia Lehner-Mittermaier

Pia works in Marketing as a graphic designer and writer at SlideLizard. She uses her vivid imagination and creativity to produce good content.

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EnthuZiastic

13 Most Effective Games and Activities for Public Speaking

If you believe that public speaking comes naturally , then you are mistaken ! It is a communication skill that can be studied and honed.

The best public speakers have dedicated time to perfecting their art . That involves proper communication skills, body language, and polished public speaking activities . They could put in many hours of practice, engage with a tutor, or enroll in speaking classes.

The best part is that you will develop your public speaking abilities and talk more persuasively in time. Public speaking activities can significantly enhance your success. Here, we’ll go through the 13 most effective games and activities for public speaking that may teach you how to talk passionately.

1. Talk Pointlessly

A great oration is, as per a study , 38% your tone, 55% nonverbal cues, and only 7% your material . Therefore, this activity for public speaking will help you improve your presentation since it matters more than the content.

The best way to do this is to pick a passage in an unfamiliar dialect over the internet. You can also jot down a nonsense paragraph and practice reading it loudly as if you were addressing an audience.

Notice how you are utilizing the ring of your voice to arouse interest amongst your audience. Pay close attention to your pitch, mannerisms, and overall delivery. You can also do this public speaking activity in front of the whole class.

2. Study the Experts

Try looking up talks regarded as extraordinary in the public eye available on the internet. The most well-known TED Talks ever are a fantastic starting point .

Choose a speech that interests you, and then observe it critically. Examine the speaker’s use of storytelling . The use of graphics plays a vital role in making a presentation successful. Also, note the other elements that help their speech stand out.

3. Thirty Seconds Without Fillers

Filler words are brief, empty phrases or sounds that we employ in conversation to fill up short gaps as we consider what to speak next. At times, we unwittingly speak our ‘umms,’ ‘uhs,’ and ‘ers,’ which interrupt the flow of our talks.

They not only create difficulties in following you when you speak but also give the impression that you lack confidence and authority.

To do this particular activity for public speaking:

• Record yourself speaking for thirty seconds on any subject.
• Make sure you leave out the filler words.
• When an ‘um’ comes up, restart and give it another go—ten times through, without any fillers.

4. Extempore

To do this activity for public speaking, capture yourself speaking spontaneously about any subject you find interesting. The only restriction is that you cannot arrange the topic and the speech beforehand . You can use your device’s stopwatch to start a one-minute countdown .

This exercise is meant to help you feel relaxed when speaking spontaneously. It will also help lessen the stress associated with worrying that you will run out of words to convey your idea. Try carrying out this public speaking activity in front of the class. Familiar faces always help!

5. Storytelling Using Pictures

Storytelling is essential to keep your listeners interested and assist them in remembering the particulars you’re delivering.

Please talk about the characters’ backgrounds, personalities, goals, driving forces, and everything else that will help write a fascinating tale about them.

6. Construct a Meaning

Whatever the subject of your speech, you must always come across as an expert on the subject.

To carry out this activity, select a term you are unfamiliar with . Then record yourself trying to give meaning to that unfamiliar word. Pay attention to how you can use your tone of voice to project a stronger sense of authority and influence.

Find Out More About Public Speaking as a Skill

Read Is Public Speaking a Skill to find out.

7. Questions for a Professional

To do this activity for public speaking, you’ll require a friend .

Pick a profession or subject that you are unfamiliar with. Invite a pal to ask you about it, and when they do, respond to their inquiries as if you were an experienced authority. This is a great exercise that will improve your confidence and presentation .

8. Prattle on about a Subject You Dislike

Excitement spreads easily. You must be EnthuZiastic about your issue for your listeners to be as well.

Pick anything you don’t care about, like a household tool, and practice talking excitedly about it. Use your tone, intensity, and gestures to convey the impression that it is the most exciting item in the world.

9. Write an advertisement

Since speeches are all about promoting a topic, develop the craft of marketing. In this way, you will be able to convince anyone and everyone.

Film yourself describing the object’s unique qualities, how it may help society, and why each person requires it in their possession.

10. The Origin Story

One activity for public speaking that will improve your storytelling abilities on stage.

Choose a household object, such as a stapler, and share a story of its name’s origins. Create your own story if you like. The goal here is to create the practice of locating and creating compelling narratives out of anything, not to be historically correct.

11. A Different Conclusion

OTT platforms have brought countless sitcoms and movies to our fingertips. We are glued to a show if it has a good plot and a cliffhanger. But, the ending of a show is what we take home. Now imagine your favorite show having two parallel finishes!

To do this activity for public speaking, you must start by choosing a popular television program or film. And you give it a different finish . Let your creativity run its entire course!

12. One Lie and Two Truths

This one is often relatively simple to beat and has tremendous excitement. And you’ll discover that while some people are good at it, it’s highly entertaining to see others stumble whenever they attempt to lie.

Call up all your close friends to partake this activity for public speaking. Now, o ne of your friends will stand up and say three facts about themselves . The catch here is that only two of them can be genuine . The third must be a fake .

The group must then decide which of the three was false before determining whether they were right. This one is, therefore, relatively short and incredibly simple, and you are not required to go into considerable length about it, but it is delightful.

You will win this game if you keep an eye on your friends’ behavioral cues. According to scientists , nonverbal communication helps us to understand a person’s personality. Also, it is an important aspect that will help you in your professional, as well as, your personal life.

Take note of things like eye contact, expressions, posture, hand movements, and voice tone since there are many different ways that people convey information.

13. A False Vacation

This activity for public speaking is mostly made up of one photo or a collection of similar photographs. It can be a farmhouse where you see pictures of animals, the barn, or anything amusing.

You must provide one, two, or three phrases for every picture before moving to the following one. The following image must then be used to carry on the narrative. As a result, you have to keep on making up stories to carry on the narrative.

How can public speaking skill be improved?

The best way to develop the skills for public speaking is to start small and keep practicing. Study the great public speakers, especially their mannerisms and tone.

How do you teach public speaking skills?

As a teacher, you need to understand your students. Please help them be the best version of themselves by providing feedback after every session. Do not forget to be patient with them.

What makes an excellent public speaker?

Speaking confidently in front of an audience is seen as more specific, correct, informed, clever, and likable than speaking less assuredly. Feeling anxious is normal, but if you want to succeed in public speaking, you must overcome your anxiety.

How to gain confidence in public speaking?

Maintaining eye contact with your listeners, using hand gestures to highlight points, and moving around the stage will help you appear confident on stage.

Being an excellent public speaker involves delivering engaging stories. You will become a more effective public speaker if you train yourself on how you can come up with innovative ideas for storytelling in the moment.

To educate yourself on being an excellent public speaker, you should frequently practice and make it enjoyable. It is similar to learning to ride a bike. In no time at all, you will develop the necessary skills.

If you had fun practicing these fun games and activities for public speaking, let us know in the comments.

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Ideas and insights from Harvard Business Publishing Corporate Learning

Powerful and Effective Presentation Skills: More in Demand Now Than Ever

When we talk with our L&D colleagues from around the globe, we often hear that presentation skills training is one of the top opportunities they’re looking to provide their learners. And this holds true whether their learners are individual contributors, people managers, or senior leaders. This is not surprising.

Effective communications skills are a powerful career activator, and most of us are called upon to communicate in some type of formal presentation mode at some point along the way.

For instance, you might be asked to brief management on market research results, walk your team through a new process, lay out the new budget, or explain a new product to a client or prospect. Or you may want to build support for a new idea, bring a new employee into the fold, or even just present your achievements to your manager during your performance review.

And now, with so many employees working from home or in hybrid mode, and business travel in decline, there’s a growing need to find new ways to make effective presentations when the audience may be fully virtual or a combination of in person and remote attendees.

Whether you’re making a standup presentation to a large live audience, or a sit-down one-on-one, whether you’re delivering your presentation face to face or virtually, solid presentation skills matter.

Even the most seasoned and accomplished presenters may need to fine-tune or update their skills. Expectations have changed over the last decade or so. Yesterday’s PowerPoint which primarily relied on bulleted points, broken up by the occasional clip-art image, won’t cut it with today’s audience.

The digital revolution has revolutionized the way people want to receive information. People expect presentations that are more visually interesting. They expect to see data, metrics that support assertions. And now, with so many previously in-person meetings occurring virtually, there’s an entirely new level of technical preparedness required.

The leadership development tools and the individual learning opportunities you’re providing should include presentation skills training that covers both the evergreen fundamentals and the up-to-date capabilities that can make or break a presentation.

So, just what should be included in solid presentation skills training? Here’s what I think.

The fundamentals will always apply When it comes to making a powerful and effective presentation, the fundamentals will always apply. You need to understand your objective. Is it strictly to convey information, so that your audience’s knowledge is increased? Is it to persuade your audience to take some action? Is it to convince people to support your idea? Once you understand what your objective is, you need to define your central message. There may be a lot of things you want to share with your audience during your presentation, but find – and stick with – the core, the most important point you want them to walk away with. And make sure that your message is clear and compelling.

You also need to tailor your presentation to your audience. Who are they and what might they be expecting? Say you’re giving a product pitch to a client. A technical team may be interested in a lot of nitty-gritty product detail. The business side will no doubt be more interested in what returns they can expect on their investment.

Another consideration is the setting: is this a formal presentation to a large audience with questions reserved for the end, or a presentation in a smaller setting where there’s the possibility for conversation throughout? Is your presentation virtual or in-person? To be delivered individually or as a group? What time of the day will you be speaking? Will there be others speaking before you and might that impact how your message will be received?

Once these fundamentals are established, you’re in building mode. What are the specific points you want to share that will help you best meet your objective and get across your core message? Now figure out how to convey those points in the clearest, most straightforward, and succinct way. This doesn’t mean that your presentation has to be a series of clipped bullet points. No one wants to sit through a presentation in which the presenter reads through what’s on the slide. You can get your points across using stories, fact, diagrams, videos, props, and other types of media.

Visual design matters While you don’t want to clutter up your presentation with too many visual elements that don’t serve your objective and can be distracting, using a variety of visual formats to convey your core message will make your presentation more memorable than slides filled with text. A couple of tips: avoid images that are cliched and overdone. Be careful not to mix up too many different types of images. If you’re using photos, stick with photos. If you’re using drawn images, keep the style consistent. When data are presented, stay consistent with colors and fonts from one type of chart to the next. Keep things clear and simple, using data to support key points without overwhelming your audience with too much information. And don’t assume that your audience is composed of statisticians (unless, of course, it is).

When presenting qualitative data, brief videos provide a way to engage your audience and create emotional connection and impact. Word clouds are another way to get qualitative data across.

Practice makes perfect You’ve pulled together a perfect presentation. But it likely won’t be perfect unless it’s well delivered. So don’t forget to practice your presentation ahead of time. Pro tip: record yourself as you practice out loud. This will force you to think through what you’re going to say for each element of your presentation. And watching your recording will help you identify your mistakes—such as fidgeting, using too many fillers (such as “umm,” or “like”), or speaking too fast.

A key element of your preparation should involve anticipating any technical difficulties. If you’ve embedded videos, make sure they work. If you’re presenting virtually, make sure that the lighting is good, and that your speaker and camera are working. Whether presenting in person or virtually, get there early enough to work out any technical glitches before your presentation is scheduled to begin. Few things are a bigger audience turn-off than sitting there watching the presenter struggle with the delivery mechanisms!

Finally, be kind to yourself. Despite thorough preparation and practice, sometimes, things go wrong, and you need to recover in the moment, adapt, and carry on. It’s unlikely that you’ll have caused any lasting damage and the important thing is to learn from your experience, so your next presentation is stronger.

How are you providing presentation skills training for your learners?

Manika Gandhi is Senior Learning Design Manager at Harvard Business Publishing Corporate Learning. Email her at [email protected] .

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• 7 Public speaking games

Public Speaking Games

7 fun-filled speech activities for kids of all ages.

By:  Susan Dugdale   | Last modified: 03-29-2022

If you're looking for fun-filled  speech activities  check these out.

There are  7 tried and tested  public speaking games  on this page - ones that have been a great 'yee-haa-hooray' splendiferous success for me.  You'll find they'll adapt easily to suit children of all ages;  from around middle school to adulthood and don't require a great deal of set-up preparation.

• Connect the dots
• Tell us the history of
• Story starters
• The big fat lie
• In the news today

More public speaking games

• Guidelines for the games

Use them in your class room, with the members of your speech club, as an extension activity for a life skills or communications program, or for home schooling with your family.

They'll help by-pass anxiety, develop and nurture competent, confident public speaking skills, and do it with a large, welcome dollop of fun!

*  If you're not sure about how to introduce games to your class or group, scroll down to the foot of the page. You'll find handy 'how to begin' guidelines there.

1. Connect the Dots

How to play

Prepare a collection of word cards each with a familiar noun on it. You'll need at least 100. They could be names of famous people, common objects, colors, animals ... For example : bird, wheelbarrow, hammer, cow, witch, moon, grass, hat, elephant, computer, book, vase, elbow, photo, green, candlestick, shoe, painting, mug, plane, eclipse, Queen Elizabeth,  operation, halo, knife, eye, storm, girl, pillow, lid, thermometer, jungle, barn, wheel, thistle, steam, mud, bike, pink, Madonna  ...

Put the word cards into box or non-see through bag.

A player picks two cards and then must immediately begin telling a story connecting both words together convincingly. The story needn't be long, (one to two minutes is enough), complicated, or true!

Once your class is comfortable with connecting two words, add to your word collection and increase the number of cards selected to three or even four.

What this game teaches

In a word - transitions!

Moving from one idea to another smoothly, in a way that can be readily understood and followed by your audience, is a must-have public speaking skill.

Connect the Dots gives people the opportunity to practice.   It doesn't matter how disparate the "dots" or ideas  appear to be, a way can be found to link them, and with practice the ability to make those connections will become stronger and stronger.

An added benefit of the game is listening and learning from each other.

Connect the Dots - an example story

I've picked my two words. They are Queen Elizabeth and bike, and here's my speech!

"When you think of Queen Elizabeth, what do you see in your mind? Do you see an older woman wearing a diamond studded tiara staring grimly into the camera?

That diagonal sash across her chest proclaims dominion over the commonwealth realms. These include countries as diverse as Canada and Barbados - 32 of them in all. That's serious leadership - around 128 million people, including Prince Phillip, her husband, their four adult children, assorted wives and grandchildren.

Her daily duties would make most of us wince. She answers letters, talks to government officials, reads briefing papers, plans her diary, makes calls to charities, hospitals, factories, schools, museums or military units, performs civic duties like openings and investitures, and tours . That routine hasn't varied for the last 56 years. The Queen is an institution, revered and respected.

But she's also a person. And despite how difficult it may be to imagine, she'll have good days, bad days and days when, in the words of Cyndi Lauper, a girl just wants to have fun.

In my imagination, she wants to poke her tongue out at all the 'must and mustn't dos', toss the tiara sideways and shuck off the designer gowns.

She'd like to walk barefoot through wet grass and float on her back down a summer stream blowing bubbles. She'd like to gallop a horse around Hyde Park without a minder and in the afternoon ride a bike. Starting at the top of Primrose Hill she'll fly down, pedals whirring, yelling 'Look Ma no hands.' It will be glorious. It will be wonderful, and she will be free.

Perhaps it was a glimpse into unfettered being that convinced her to take up sky-diving with James Bond for opening of the 2012 Olympics. 86 years old and starring in a royal performance. She showed us. It's never too late to 'get on yer bike' in whatever form it takes. God save the Queen!"

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2. Tell us the history of ...

Prepare a starter list of events or things. Write them on slips of paper.

For example: a postage stamp, birthday cake, books, a zebra's stripes, a chimney, the tooth fairy, common sayings like 'a penny for your thoughts', 'a red rag to a bull', 'a pinch and a punch for the first of the month', April Fools Day, a wheel, a Christmas tree, ice cream, a ladder, Father Christmas, May Day, a siren, shaking hands on meeting someone...

Put the topic cards/papers into a non-see through bag. 

When it's their turn a player pulls a topic from the bag. They then must give an account of the history (story) behind the thing or event they've drawn.  It needn't be factual!  Encourage imagination, outrageous lies, flights of fantasy...

The goal of this public speaking game is sustained credible fluency. Aim for 1 - 2 minutes per story.

3. End lines

You'll need a collection of endings written on slips of paper.

For example: 'Just do it', 'Diamonds are forever', 'He's fallen in the water', 'Some like it hot', 'His bark is worse than his bite', 'Love makes the world go round', 'An apple a day keeps the doctor away', 'First up, best dressed', 'King for a day', 'Funny money', 'Laughter is the best medicine'...

Put the end lines into a non-see through bag.

Each player takes a turn to take an ending from the bag. The task is to tell a 1-2 minute story ending with the line they have selected.

4. Story Starters

Write opening sentences or phrases on slips of paper. You'll need one for each member of your group and then some more. For example: 'It was a dark and stormy night', 'I wish people would not say...', 'Yesterday I saw a herd of cows ', 'My favorite activity is bird watching', 'The wisest saying I ever heard was...', 'In 20 years time I will be...', 'It made me yell', 'All I want for Christmas is...', 'Something is terribly wrong...', 'The little voice inside my head...', 'This is the secret I've never shared before', 'I never knew what happened...', 'Sometimes I just want to...', 'You know it's Summer when...', 'Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you', 'The story made me want to...','I heard the best news this morning', 'The sound of people laughing...'

Put the slips of paper into a non-see through bag.

Nominate a person to begin. He/she reaches into the bag and pulls out a story starter. The starter they've drawn must be used to open their story.   A story can be built and extended however the speaker wishes.

5. Oink Substitution

In this game a commonly used word is chosen and then substituted with the word ' oink '. For example: If the selected word is  I , the speaker says  oink  instead.

Oink  can be played several ways.

Playing Oink using well-known stories

Make copies of well-known children's stories. For instance - Red Riding Hood, The Gingerbread Man or Three Little Pigs. (You will find many of them here: american literature.com has hundreds available.)

Next choose a regularly occurring word in each piece to substitute.

Eg. The word 'she' would be suitable in The Gingerbread Man story . Here's the opening paragraph given the 'oink' treatment.

"One day, the cook went into the kitchen to make some gingerbread. OINK took some flour and water, and treacle and ginger, and mixed them all well together, and OINK put in some more water to make it thin, and then some more flour to make it thick, and a little salt and some spice, and then OINK rolled it out into a beautiful, smooth, dark-yellow dough."

Decide who is to start. Ask them to choose a story. They are to read aloud for approximately one minute making sure they use 'oink' in place of the selected word.

Repeat for each member of your group.  Try to have each new reader of the same story pick up from where the last reader of it left off rather than repeat the same passage. 

Encourage authoritative readings, full of passion and drama!   

Using Oink as an extension activity

Another way to play  Oink  is as an extension of already known games. Try it with  One Minute Speeches , Story Starters or End Lines.

Once your group is confident, add the ' oink ' factor for even more fun! You'll find substitution hones thinking-while-you're-speaking skills really well.

6. The BIG Fat Lie

This game encourages the use of the imagination, develops fluency and, it's fun. In playing it your group will learn about body language too. How do you know when somebody is lying? How can you tell?

Each speaker is to stand so that everyone can see them clearly and share 3 things about themselves on a theme you set.

Examples of theme: holidays, the future, my favorite after school activities, when I was young, my beliefs, the best books I've read, the best adventures I've had..., my family...

Two of the things they say about themselves in relation to the theme are to be true. The third is not .

When they've finished speaking, ask the class/group to identify the lie. And when they have, ask them how they knew. What alerted them to it being untrue?

PS. This makes a great icebreaker for groups getting together for the first time.

7. In the News Today

In the last activity making up of this collection of 7 public speaking games, your class/group are broadcasters, anchor people for a news show.

The news is whatever has happened during the day. It could be an event on the way to school like a traffic jam. It might be a new menu in the canteen or lunch room. It could be an announcement the principal made.

It doesn't matter how trivial the happening; encourage the big news treatment for anything at all, even a new set of pencils!

The aim of the exercise is give whatever subject they choose the standard news format. They'll need to cover who, what, where, why, when and how .

Once they've mastered that encourage experimentation; adding introduction hooks, on-the-spot interviews, switch backs and summaries.

If you liked these games ...

You'll love my ebook!

28 public speaking games (with many more variations and extensions), full instructions, PLUS printable topic, tongue twister, poem and image sheets.

A complete one-stop-select-print-go public speaking resource for busy people.

Find out more   >>

Before you begin the games with your class

Lead in guidelines.

Taking the time to set the games up will ensure they go well and go on to become an accepted and eagerly anticipated part of your classroom activities.

• If your class is new to playing public speaking games start with the simple activities first, for example, the Story Starters.
• Model or demonstrate each game before you ask them to play themselves.
• If it's too threatening to have the entire focus of the class on one person at a time - split into smaller groups of 4-6 players and have them work simultaneously. It will be rowdy but worth it!
• Establish your ground rules for positive participation. You can check out the ones I used in my teaching here: rules for public speaking games
• Include full class quickfire feedback sessions at the end of each game. I found these invaluable for drawing attention to and reinforcing what had been done well. Be sure to acknowledge any gain - not matter how small!
• Keep the timing snappy. Too much of any one particular activity will become tedious. Keep it flowing along.

For more freebie fun filled public speaking games to play with your class:

• 5 best-loved improv games
• 10 impromptu speaking practice activities
• Developing word power exercises
• And yet more public speaking activities , some of them with printables to download.

What's the difference between the freebie public speaking pages and your ebook?

The ebook has the best of all the games on my site (including the ones on the pages above) and then some more.

Plus, it has full instructions for using each of the games and printables. It is the type of one-stop-time-saving resource I wanted to find when I was full time teaching and didn't .

My freebie pages are good but if your commitment to leading/teaching a public speaking class is ongoing, the ebook is better, more complete.

Why not check it out?

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15 Fun Public Speaking Activities

Much like riding a bike public speaking is a skill that is best learned through practice. And what happens when we enjoy doing something that we do? We do it more often.

So here are 15 fun public speaking activities that you can do, either by yourself or with a group of people or if you are running a class you can use this using with your students as well. ( more public speaking activities here )

[youtube id=”4zRgNymCB7w” mode=”normal” align=”center”]

What Are The 15 Fun Public Speaking Activities?

I truly believe that making public speaking fun is one of the things that are going to take an average public speaker and give then enough practice to turn them into a good or great public speaker.

1. My Friend’s Fictional Life

In this activity, what you do is you get up in front of people (you can do it home by yourself as well) and you take one of your friends and you introduce them. However, instead of introducing them in the normal way you make up a fictional life for them.

So you say, hi this is Jane Smith, and she actually moonlights as a jazz pianist for the underground mafia. And you talk about her life, whatever it may be.

So this is fun because it makes you been creative, it’s very easy to think of these things on the spot and just roll with it. It’s generally pretty funny as well.

2. Impromtu Game

You basically just get up in front of people and somebody gives you something impromptu to run with.

It might be a topic, it might be a sentence or it might just be a single word or anything like that. But generally we run with just a certain topic.

For example: They need to talk about climate change or they need to talk about what makes a great teacher, or they need to talk about social media changes or whatever. So that the impromptu game.

3. Funny Image Game

This is similar to the impromptu game, but basically what you do is you give the speaker a funny image; you can find these easily just searching through Google and you get them to talk about that image.

You can pretend it’s their life experience and how this impacted my life or they can talk about why this image is important and what this image means or what’s the story behind this image.

4. Continuous Story

This is best done with a group of people. Each person gets up and might speak for anywhere from 20 seconds to a minute and they start telling a story.

And when their time is up, the next person has to get up and they have to continue the story.

So, obviously each person doesn’t know what the person before them is going to say and so they have to continue the story.

The goal of this is to make the story make sense. This game helps people engage in listening and learn to be creative enough to make the story continue on and make sense.

5. Something In My Wallet

You can use your own wallet or (if people are comfortable enough and happy to do it) you can get the person sitting next to you’s wallet.

Take an item out of the wallet and discuss what this item is and why its important and obviously you are trying to elaborate and make it funny as much as possible.

6. Action Story

This can be done in 2 ways.

A) You tell a story that has a whole great of actions in it and as a speaker you have to do these actions yourself whilst speaking.

B) Or the audience has to do the actions themselves while the speaker is giving their speech.

So you could say; I did a big stretch when I woke up in the morning. And everybody has to stretch. And then you say, I put on my hat, and everybody has to do the actions in line with that.

7. Make A Commercial

Get a bunch of things from your room or from your house, bring them in and you need to make a commercial about these items.

Someone is giving a random product. It might be a deodorant, might be an iphone, it could be anything. And then they are required to give a 30 second to 1 minute commercial on this product and talk about why this is so awesome and why people should buy it. So that’s a really fun one as well.

8. A Fake Holiday

This one is done with images primarily and a set of images that are related to each other.

So it could be a farm where you have images of animals, or the barn house or something funny happening on the farm.

The speaker is required to tell maybe 1, 2 or 3 sentences for each image and then you click forward to the next image.

Then they need to use the next image to continue the story.

So you are using these images as the key cards, as to where the story needs to go so the person needs to adapt the story based on the images that are given.

9. Alternative Ending

You take a well known TV show or a well-known movie. And what you do is you create an alternative ending for it.

10. Connect The Nouns

This is really a fun one, I really like this one.

You can do this by either putting nouns on key cards shuffling them up and picking 2 up at a time or you can use this  random noun generator .

You get 2 nouns and you then have to create a story that connects that 2 nouns.

So it might be ‘a sheep’ and ‘a mechanic’ or it could be ‘friend’ and ‘shoelace’.

Then you have to create a story that connects those 2 nouns together.

11. How It Got It’s Name

Take an item (for example: packing tape) and you need to create a story around a packing tape and why it’s got its name that way.

You have to make it exciting.

12. Oink Substitution

When you are giving a speech you must allocate one word that you have to replace with word ‘oink’. Or you can use ‘moo’ or you use ‘woof’ or whatever it is that you want.

So you can use the word ‘I’ and replace it with ‘oink’.

So you would say: “Oink went to the movies and oink bought some popcorn.” And so you replace that word ‘I’ with ‘oink’.

This challenges your mind, and it makes that little bit harder to deliver a presentation. And it’s pretty funny for the audience, as well.

13. Which Is A Lie?

This one is generally pretty easy to out work and a lot of fun as well. And you will find that some students do it really well, but then some students just fumble when they are tying to lie and its quiet humorous to watch.

A person gets up and tells 3 truths about themselves, but 2 of them need to be true and  one of them needs to be a lie .

So they get up and they tell 3 things about themselves and then the audience needs to choose which one was a lie and they see if they were correct.

So this one is really quick, really easy and you don’t have to go into a great detail about it but it can be really fun.

14. Definitions

Get really big words that nobody really knows what the meaning is. You can do this using  this big word generator  or another tool (just Google it). Or you can just go through the dictionary and pick some strange ones yourself.

The speaker has to get up – they are given this strange word and they need to with confidence tell the class what this word means.

Obviously they are making it up, but they need to do it confidently.

15. Endings

You give a person an ending. It could be a saying: “Diamonds are forever” or an ending to a story ‘and the man cried for 3 days’.

You give them an ending and they have to create a story that matches up with that ending.

A lot of being a great pubic speaking is about story telling. Teaching people how to creatively think up stories on the spot is going to make them a better public speaker.

I have previously talked about how public speaking rubric actually damages the progression of public speaking skills . We need to continually practicing public speaking (like riding a bike) and have it be fun if we want to teach people to be great public speakers . Technique comes along with that.

So keep that in mind, keep public speaking fun and I hope that you enjoyed these activities.

18 thoughts on “15 Fun Public Speaking Activities”

Great activities Ryan! Thank you for sharing. I will definitely be using these with my graduating seniors to help them write their speeches!

Thank you for uploading these activities, Ryan. I’ll be using it with my kids.

These are fun and practical. Thanks for sharing

Great Ideas Ryan. I am a public speaking trainer in Spain and ypur ideas helped me to mix up my classes and have some fun activities. Thanks.

Very nice activities and funny too! Shall use in my sessions with students.

These are activities are definitely doable and fun! I would love to try these with my Oral Comm students! Thank you!

This is a Supercalifragalistic piece. I already think this will work without having tried it, but I’ll definitely give it a shot. Thanks for the revelation Ryan

Great tips. I used some of them for my classes. Really enjoyed your video too! Well done!

Thank you for downloading these ideas. I will be using several of these for teaching a Speech Class. They will also be helpful for beginning Debate Class as well.

Good sharing. Im gonna use it for my pupils. Tq.

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Very practical, thank you for sharing! I will use most of them with young people with intellectual disabilities.

how these activities can lead the students to participate in big events in the school? thank you

Thank you for these wonderful suggestions. I will use them with my EAL students.

Thank you for sharing your great innovative ideas, we will definitely use for my students. THANKYOU

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Book description

Discover the learning value of games, exercises, and puzzles. Revised edition.

Table of contents

• Versatility
• Cost Effectiveness
• Transfer of Learning
• Designing Games
• Design Hints
• Conducting Games
• The Don'ts of Game Presentation
• Facilitating Games
• Facilitating Hints
• Icebreakers
• Competitive Games
• Playing Those Mind Games
• Game Selection Checklist

Product information

• Title: 10 Great Games and How to Use Them—Presentation Skills & Games
• Author(s): M. Callahan
• Release date: June 1999
• Publisher(s): Association for Talent Development
• ISBN: 758411

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Audience Needs

Aims: • To build an understanding of the importance of designing a presentation around the audience needs. • To show participants how to ensure the venue supports the audience needs.

Time: The exercise in this module will take about 15 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 40 minutes to complete this module.

Group Size: This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 25 participants.

Useful For: Staff at all levels.

You'll Need: Nothing other than the materials provided.

Derek's Designs - Effective PowerPoint

Aims: • To encourage participants to consider how visual aids could be improved. • To engage participants in developing effective visual aids. • To identify some key dos and don’ts for visual aids.

Time: The exercise in this module will take about 30 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 60 minutes to complete this module.

Group Size: This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 15 participants.

Useful For: Staff with low levels of experience of giving presentations.

You'll Need: • Participants will be working in teams of 2-3. Each team will need to use a computer, laptop or tablet that has PowerPoint installed. • Access to the internet would be preferable. • A prize for the winning team would be a nice touch.

Notes: Prior to running this module you will need to ensure that you have either pre-loaded the slides the teams will be reviewing onto the machines or have given them a copy that they have themselves downloaded onto their machines.

If your participants won’t have access to PowerPoint for this exercise, it can be adapted so that participants create paper versions of the new slides, although this is less effective.

Endorsed by The National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers, NASBTT.

Going Dotty - Introducing Kolb’s Learning Cycle

Aims: • Introduces participants to David Kolb’s Learning Cycle. • Demonstrates the importance of engaging and involving participants in training.

Time: The exercise in this module can be completed in about 15 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 30 minutes for this module.

Group Size: This module can be used with groups of any size.

Useful For: Anyone who designs or delivers training, or who soon will.

You'll Need: • A set of sticky dots (or similar).

Notes: A great introduction to Kolb and the importance of experiential learning.

For added impact, try running this session either side of a coffee break.

Hotel Doldrums Part 1 - Where Are We Now?

Aims: • To build an understanding of the key steps in strategic planning. • To encourage participants to analyse financial and other data using a SWOT analysis. • To encourage participants to think about where they are now, before moving on in the next module to consider where they want to be.

Time: The exercise in this module can be completed in about 75 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 120 minutes for this module if working with 10-12 participants.

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Group Size: An ideal group size for this module is 12, with participants working in 3 teams of 4. If you have more than 15 participants in your group, you may want to consider ‘doubling up’ on some of the briefs with more than one team using the same scenario. This doesn’t detract from the learning; in fact it can be interesting to see how different teams approach the same problem and task.

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Notes: Hotel Doldrums is a series of modules that are designed to be run in sequence.

Together they form a complete 1.5 day workshop, which can be run as a single workshop, or as three independent sessions, each lasting between 2 and 4 hours. We’ve also suggested other modules you could add to the programme, if you have more time available.

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If you prefer to use the teambuilding version of Hotel Doldrums, please download the trainer’s notes from the teambuilding games section of Trainers’ Library.

This series of modules is set in the context of the hotel industry but requires no specialist knowledge of it.

The modules, when used together, also draw out skills relating to business planning, problem solving, influencing, team working and making presentations.

Hotel Doldrums Part 2 - Where Do We Want to Be?

Aims: • To give participants the opportunity to identify and explore options and appraise these. • For participants to create a 3-5 year outline strategic plan based on the fictional case study they’ve been given.

This module follows on from Hotel Doldrums, part 1, and is not designed to be used as a stand-alone module.

Time: The exercise in this module can be completed in about 135 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 180 minutes for this module if working with 10-12 participants.

You'll Need: Each team will a hotel data pack (provided) and a syndicate room or area.

Hotel Doldrums Part 3 - How Will We Get There?

Aims: • To encourage participants to develop a strategy from the options generated in previous sessions. • To encourage participants to prepare and give a persuasive presentation outlining their strategy and the work they have done. • To reflect on the learning from the Hotel Doldrums series of modules.

This module follows on from Hotel Doldrums, parts 1 and 2, and is not designed to be used as a stand-alone module.

Time: The exercise in this module can be completed in about 140 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 240 minutes for this module if working with 10-12 participants.

Improve Your Memory - Helping Information to Stick

Aims: • To demonstrate how memory can be improved just by using it differently.

Time: The exercise in this module will take about 20 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 40 minutes to complete this module.

You'll Need: Nothing, other than the materials provided.

Notes: This fun activity can be used either as an icebreaker or as a module on a longer ‘Concentration and Memory’ course. It can also be used in Train the Trainer training or any training where you want people to think about how they can make their message more memorable.

The exercise is intended to encourage participants to experiment with the method using their own examples and with time to practice, should also reassure participants that no one needs to struggle with a poor memory – improvements can be fast and tangible.

It’s a great tool too for encouraging participants to think about how they retain and recall new information and how they’ll store information you’re going to give them in the rest of the training.

Remote/Virtual Delivery: There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library.

Job Application 3 - Completing a Job Application

Aims: • To provide good practice advice in completing applications for employment.

Time: The exercise in this module can be completed in about 30 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 50 minutes for this module.

Group Size: This module can be used with groups of up to 25 participants.

Useful For: Staff at all levels especially those returning to work after a career break or job seekers. This module may also be used as a framework for 1:1 coaching sessions.

Notes: This is the third module in the Job Application series of short workshops taking participants through the whole job application process – from selecting the most appropriate jobs to preparing for interview. We recommend at least running the second module of this series ( Job Application 2 – Understanding Job Adverts ) prior to this one.

Job Application 4 – The Gentle Art of Writing a CV

Aims: • To help job applicants write a compelling CV.

Time: The exercise in this module can be completed in about 40 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 70 minutes for this module.

Group Size: This module can be used with groups of up to 25 participants

Notes: This is the fourth module in the Job Application series of short workshops taking participants through the whole job application process – from selecting the most appropriate jobs to preparing for interview. It may also be used as a short, stand-alone session.

We’ve provided two alternative briefs for Exercise 1, one for more senior, experienced groups and one for less experienced candidates.

Managing the Audience

Aims: • To provide tips and techniques for coping with different and potentially difficult situations during a presentation.

Managing the Venue - Preparing for a Presentation

Aims: • To explain the importance of making sure the venue for a presentation is prepared.

Time: The exercise in this module will take about 25 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 40 minutes to complete this module.

Useful For: People new to presentations.

You'll Need: • Plenty of post-it notes.

Origami! - Train the Trainer Fundamentals

Aims: • To encourage participants to think about training methods. • To help participants understand how adults learn and how to ensure training is learner led.

Time: The exercises in this module will take about 20 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 40 minutes to complete this module.

Useful For: Staff interested in developing training and coaching skills.

You'll Need: • Lots of sheets of plain A4 paper.

Notes: Before running this exercise practise making a paper boat (using the handout to help you) until you can do it confidently from memory.

Pitfalls and Trampolines - Presentation Skills

Aims: • To examine common problems/conundrums associated with giving presentations and discuss ways of overcoming these. • To highlight and share best practices and tips for making presentations successful.

Time: This game can be played in about 30 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion and evaluation, we recommend allowing 60 minutes.

Skills and Behaviours Tested: Presentation skills, communication skills, influence and persuasion, planning and preparation, creative thinking and audience engagement.

Group Size: In this exercise participants can play individually, although we recommend they play in pairs/small teams.

You'll Need: • A counter for every team. • Dice. • A 'Pitfalls and Trampolines' game board and a set of Pitfalls cards and Trampoline cards for each game in play.

Notes: Pitfalls and Trampolines is a fun board game. It can be used at any point within a training event, but is perhaps most useful as a tool for reviewing key learning points and for sharing knowledge and ideas.

Some of the cards may not be applicable to your participants so, before starting the exercise, review all of the Pitfalls and Trampolines cards and remove any that aren’t relevant.

Planning a Presentation

Aims: • To explain one technique for planning a presentation. • To provide participants with an opportunity to practise planning what to include in a presentation and how to structure it.

Time: The exercise in this module will take about 35 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 60 minutes to complete this module.

Notes: This module provides a useful approach for planning presentations that can also be adapted to show participants how to plan a report.

Powerful Communication - What Listeners Pay Attention To

Aims: • To help participants understand what listeners actually pay attention to when someone is speaking. • To provide participants with a self-generated list of the essences of powerful communication.

Time: The exercise in this module can be completed in about 20-30 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 40-50 minutes for this module.

Group Size: This module can be used with groups of up to 15 participants.

Notes: This exercise can be useful in any course on communication skills or presentation skills. It works best at the start of a course as the flipchart that the participants generate can be referred to throughout the rest of the course and added to as other essences of powerful communication appear.

If you have 9-15 participants the exercise works best if you split the group into 2 teams.

Preparing for a Presentation

Aims: • To demonstrate the importance of planning and preparation. • To explore some of the key questions that presenters need to ask themselves as part of their planning.

Time: The exercise in this module will take about 30 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 40 minutes to complete this module.

Notes: A useful addition to any presentation skills training that encourages participants to think about what they need to consider before the event.

Presentation Skills - Timing!

Aims: • To illustrate the importance of practice and preparation to ensure effective delivery of a presentation.

Time: The exercise in this module will take about 10 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 15 minutes to complete this module.

Notes: This is a very short module with a very important point. It’s best to start the brief for this exercise directly before a coffee or lunch break.

Before you start the actual exercise, however, do ensure that absolutely no clocks are visible in the room; this may involve ensuring that all phones are out of sight!

Presenter Integrity

Aims: • To encourage participants to think about the importance of integrity when delivering a presentation.

Time: The exercise in this module will take about 10 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 30 minutes to complete this module.

Notes: This module uses characters that overseas customers might not recognise. However, it can easily be adapted by substituting the characters we've used with well-known characters that your audience will be familiar with.

Project Planning Part 3 – Communication Plan

Aims: • To consider issues around communicating your project plan effectively and to create a communication plan.

Time: The exercise in this module can be completed in about 35 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 70 minutes for this module.

Useful For: Anyone who needs to set up and/or commission and/or manage projects.

Notes: This is the third module in the Project Planning series. The first two modules must be run before this one.

If you are running this on a different date from the first two modules it would be sensible to remind participants to bring their completed project plan, risk analysis and contingency planning documents to this session.

As with the previous sessions, you will probably need several copies of the handout per participant so make sure you have enough printed.

Reporting Errors - Attention to Detail and Accuracy

Aims: • To test participant’s attention to detail and accuracy skills. • To identify the kinds of mistakes that are commonly made when writing or checking documents, and how to avoid them.

Time: The exercise in this module can be completed in about 25 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 50 minutes for this module.

You'll Need: • Nothing other than the materials provided.

Training Practice

Aims: • To give participants an opportunity to practice training delivery; including debriefing exercises. • To explore the importance of using relevant icebreakers and energisers to change energy levels in the training room.

Time: The exercise in this module can be completed in about 115 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 140 minutes for this module.

Group Size: This module can be used with groups of up to 20 participants, but a maximum of 10 participants is recommended.

Useful For: Participants in a Train the Trainer programme.

You'll Need: • 1 set of the Training Practice Cards. • 1 A4 envelope for each participant (with their name on it). • Enough Feedback Sheets for participants to give feedback to each of their fellow participants. • The equipment required for participants to run the individual icebreakers (see the trainer's notes).

Notes: Unlike most of our course modules, this one is designed to be run as several ‘mini sessions’ at different points in your training.

The timings in our summary sheet are based on 10 participants, each delivering their session individually. To work out an accurate time for your group: • Allow 20 minutes to introduce the session and give participants time to prepare. • Allow 10 minutes for each participant’s practice session. • Allow 20 minutes at the end for discussion, review of feedback and action planning.

It is preferable for your participants to deliver their sessions solo, but for larger groups, or if time is an issue, you can put them in pairs.

This activity can be used in groups of up to 10 participants or 20 if you are allowing them to co-deliver (not recommended).

Understanding Credibility

Aims: • To consider the importance of credibility when seeking to influence others. • To understand the link between perceived expertise, relationships and credibility. • To provide an opportunity for participants to consider how much credibility they have with those they are seeking to influence.

Notes: If you want to go on and cover building relationships in more detail we recommend that you look at in some of the modules under ‘Negotiation’, for example Building Rapport and Different Perspectives .

Visual Aids - For Presentations and Training

Aims: • To encourage participants to think about different types of visual aids that can be used. • To identify the pros and cons of using the various types and when they are most effective.

Time: The exercises in this module will take about 50 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 75 minutes to complete this module.

Group Size: This module is suitable for use with groups of any size.

You'll Need: • A sheet of small sticky dots, with at least one dot missing from it. • Flipchart paper, colourful pens and plenty of post-it notes. • A piece of string or rope that is approximately 4 metres long.

Notes: You will need a clear space in which to lay out your ‘Visual Aid Attitudes Spectrum’ and for participants to move along it.

It would also be beneficial to have relevant training posters around the room. Full and Pro members will be able to download a selection of posters from Trainers’ Library .

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Developing Powerful Presentation Skills

Learn public speaking skills to deliver dynamic and effective presentations.

This course makes delivering powerful presentations possible for everyone. Our onsite Presentation Skills Training develops skills and techniques to prepare, practice and deliver powerful audience-focused presentations that engage and inspire people to action.

Giving a presentation can be a frightening experience whether it be in front of a few people or a full house. The “Developing Powerful Presentation Skills” workshop takes you step-by-step through the process of developing and delivering an engaging presentation. From choosing the topic to using proper voice tone and body language, you learn how to make a great presentation. We even show you how to handle tough question and answer sessions with ease.

You will practice techniques professional presenters and facilitators use to:

Engage the audience, control nervousness, handle tough questions, display poise and confidence.

Learn how to:

• Convey information in a compelling and persuasive manner
• Leave a lasting, positive impression on your audience
• Improve your poise and charisma during presentations
• Facilitate through conflict, and even criticism, from your audience 
• Develop presentation techniques best suited to you for delivering a powerful message

Through interactive exercises and group activities, you turn theory into practicable techniques that will transform your presentations. This course will show you how you can build your confidence and gain the skills necessary to address any audience successfully and deliver dynamic, convincing presentations. Each seminar is tailored to the needs and experience level of the participants.

Practice and refine new skills during your training.  Alliance presentation programs offer video feedback and professional coaching to maximize speaking effectiveness. 

Plus, you will learn the proper use of visual aids to make them work for you, not against you. Know when enough is enough, how to avoid overuse, and avoid making visuals distracting from the message you are trying to deliver. 

We will even show you how take nervous energy (or public speaking fears) and channel it into powerful presentations that inform, influence and motivate others.

Who Should Attend

Executives, managers, sales people, trainers and those who want to acquire or improve presentation skills. This course will help you gain confidence and develop the skills to address any audience successfully.

Training Benefits

• Meet the needs of the audience and exceed their expectations
• Give engaging presentations that move people to action
• Stand out from the crowd
• Tailor your presentation to the group
• Make presentations more interesting
• Engage your audience for any length of time
• Apply tips and techniques used by professional presenters
• Overcome the natural fears of speaking to a group

Overview of Topics and Learning Points Developed

• Define the purpose of your presentation, clearly and concisely 
• Recognize the steps to take in preparing your presentation
• Select the best presentation style for your speaking opportunity
• Enhance personal voice projection, articulation, pacing and fluency
• Enhance personal body language, eye contact and gesturing
• How to project control and confidence
• Focus your presentation on the needs of the audience
• Presentation preparation, a little-known technique to outline in less than 30 minutes
• Identify the right tools to jump-start your presentations
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• How to appear relaxed and natural, increase vocal variety, use proper movement and sustain eye contact
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• Use stage fright as a tool to be enthusiastic and effective
• How to organize the room for better audience involvement and participation
• Learning not to worry about what you are going to say

Bring this seminar to your organization and begin applying powerful new presentation techniques immediately. Participants leave this session with necessary skills to deliver engaging presentations to clients, coworkers, executives and groups of all sizes.

To receive more information about this training call toll free at 877-385-5515. 

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Cries of Sexism Greet a Nike Olympic Reveal

The sporting giant offered a sneak peek at its track and field outfits for Team U.S.A., and an unexpected backlash ensued.

By Vanessa Friedman

Ever since the Norwegian women’s beach handball team turned the fact that they were required to wear teeny-tiny bikini bottoms for competition into a cause célèbre, a quiet revolution has been brewing throughout women’s sports. It’s one that questions received conventions about what female athletes do — or don’t — have to wear to perform at their very best.

It has touched women’s soccer (why white shorts?), gymnastics (why not a unitard rather than a leotard?), field hockey (why a low-cut tank top?) and many more, including running.

So it probably should not have come as a shock to Nike that when it offered a sneak peek of the Team U.S.A. track and field unies during a Nike Air event in Paris celebrating its Air technology on Thursday (which also included looks for other Olympic athletes, like Kenya’s track and field team, France’s basketball team and Korea’s break dancing delegation), they were met with some less-than-enthusiastic reactions.

See, the two uniforms Nike chose to single out on the mannequins included a men’s compression tank top and mid-thigh-length compression shorts and a woman’s bodysuit, cut notably high on the hip. It looked sort of like a sporty version of a 1980s workout leotard. As it was displayed, the bodysuit seemed as if it would demand some complicated intimate grooming.

Citius Mag , which focuses on running news, posted a photo of the uniforms on Instagram, and many of its followers were not amused.

“What man designed the woman’s cut?” wrote one.

“I hope U.S.A.T.F. is paying for the bikini waxes,” wrote another. So went most of the more than 1,900 comments.

The running comedian Laura Green posted an Instagram reel in which she pretended to be trying on the look (“We’re feeling pretty, um, breezy,” she said) and checking out the rest of the athlete’s kit bag, which turned out to include hair spray, lip gloss and a “hysterectomy kit,” so the women would not have to worry about periods.

When asked, Nike did not address the brouhaha directly, but according to John Hoke, the chief innovation officer, the woman’s bodysuit and the man’s shorts and top are only two of the options Nike will have for its Olympic runners. There are “nearly 50 unique pieces across men’s and women’s and a dozen competition styles fine-tuned for specific events,” Mr. Hoke said.

Women will be able to opt for compression shorts, a crop top or tank and a bodysuit with shorts rather than bikini bottoms. The full slate of looks was not on hand in Paris but more will be revealed next week at the U.S. Olympic Committee media summit in New York. The Paris reveal was meant to be a teaser.

Mr. Hoke also pointed out that Nike consults with a large number of athletes at every stage of the uniform design. Its track and field roster includes Sha’Carri Richardson, who happened to be wearing the compression shorts during the Paris presentation, and Athing Mu. And there are certainly runners who like the high-cut brief. (The British Olympic sprinter Dina Asher-Smith , another Nike athlete, told The New York Times last summer that while she opts to run in briefs, she also leans toward a leotard style, rather than a two-piece.)

What Nike missed, however, was that in choosing those two looks as the primary preview for Team U.S.A., rather than, say, the matching shorts and tanks that will be also available, it shored up a longstanding inequity in sports — one that puts the body of a female athlete on display in a way it does not for the male athlete.

“Why are we presenting this sexualized outfit as the standard of excellence?” said Lauren Fleshman, a U.S. national champion distance runner and the author of “Good for a Girl.” “In part because we think that’s what nets us the most financial gain from sponsors or NIL opportunities, most of which are handed out by powerful men or people looking at it through a male gaze. But women are breaking records with ratings in sports where you don’t have to wear essentially a bathing suit to perform.”

The problem such imagery creates is twofold. When Nike chose to reveal the high-cut bodysuit as the first Olympics outfit, purposefully or not, the implication for anyone watching is that “this is what excellence looks like,” Ms. Fleshman said.

That perception filters down to young athletes and becomes the model girls think they have to adopt, often at a developmental stage when their relationships with their bodies are particularly fraught.

And more broadly, given the current political debate around adjudicating women’s bodies, it reinforces the idea that they are public property.

Still, Ms. Fleshman said, “I’m glad Nike put this image out as the crown jewel of Olympic Team design,” because it may act as the catalyst for another conversation that has been long overdue.

“If you showed this outfit to someone from the W.N.B.A. or women’s soccer, they would laugh in your face,” she said. “We shouldn’t have to normalize it for track and field anymore. Time’s up on that.”

Vanessa Friedman has been the fashion director and chief fashion critic for The Times since 2014. More about Vanessa Friedman