Online energizers for workshops/ activities on democratic citizenship

This is a workshop aim at supporting facilitators and other practitioners in the educational field, to create a relaxed, active and participative learning environment.

We wish for facilitators to have the necessary tools to engage participants in their learning activities. Through these examples and by experiencing the methods, participants (the facilitators in the next activities) will have an additional experience which will bring added value to their work,

Make sure that the methods are suitable for the desired number of participants.

The workshop is split in 3 phazes: 1) Introduction and getting to know each other 2) Main activity 3) Evaluation

As this is presented as an online workshop, it is necessary to provide a link for the meeting. Online can be found plenty of tools provided for free.

▪ Exercise 1 (10 min) - Brainergers - physical exercises that involve simple movements, but  performed simultaneously with both limbs (or with the fingers of both hands, etc.) which raises the  degree of concentration and difficulty in performing them.
▪ Exercise 2 (20 min) - The session begins with rhythmic, cheerful music. Then the participants  are asked to give as many answers as possible to the question “I wish my cat / dog could… ...” for  3 or 4 minutes, without thinking too much, to try to be spontaneous. Of course you tell them they don't need to have a dog, cat or any other pet. They write down their answers individually on  paper, then are either asked to share them with the group. Depending on the time available, invite 3-4 or more to share their list. The activity is done with all the cameras and microphones on,  because it generates spontaneous joy, noisy laughter and thus creates a very dynamic  atmosphere.
▪ Exercise 3 (10-15 min). Mima online. The facilitator will invite a volunteer from the group to  mime, writing him what to mime in the chat (privately). The participant will mime and the group will  try to guess. Guess the correct answer by chatting. The facilitator will follow the chat and will give  the winner the new role of mime and so on. I hope in the end, the participants can determine what  will be mimicked. As a proposal could be occupations: plumber, doctor, lawyer, journalist, mentor, youth worker (we must put the youth worker last - to be able to connect with the next session).
▪ Exercise 4 (20-25 min) - Counting exercise: participants must count from 1 to 15 (or as many as you choose) without setting rules in advance who is going to say the next number and without  doubling (without say the number at the same time).
▪ Exercise 5 (5-10 min) - Dance. The facilitator chooses a "danceable" song and the 
participants are invited to dance, in front of the room or not, as they prefer. If there is enough time, you can choose the song together with the group.▪ Exercise 6 (15 min.) Game “What would I take with me on a desert island?” Each participant  must say an object / thing / phenomen etc that I think could take with them on a desert island. The 
facilitator will tell them whether or not it is allowed to take that thing / object with them. Participants must guess the rule according to which the object is accepted or not. The rule is that the name of  the object starts with the initial of the participant's first name.
▪ Exercise 7 (10 min) - Gymnastics - The facilitator or a participant proposes a movement that  the group repeats. It is important that each movement is clearly explained and then exemplified. Sometimes a good music and an engaging voice help.
▪ Exercise 8 (15 min) - The facilitator asks the participants to write in the chat a single word that means an object or something with which they have daily contact, or something common or something they see around them then at the moment. After everyone has written down a word in the chat, you tell them that they have 4 minutes to choose one of the words written in the chat as a continuation of the statement "My life is like….", Of course arguing it. For example. in the chat are written the words: phone, water, plate, perfume, vest, etc. A possible answer could be "My life is like a hat - sometimes exceptionally beautiful, sometimes completely ridiculous" etc. Ask participants to share the sentences either directly to the group or in the chart. I recommend a combination: 2-3 I share with the group, the rest I write in chat. Because he is a humorous  energizer, you can ask him to keep his microphones open so that the laughter can be heard.

Based on the discussion, the facilitator draws general conclusions while inviting participants to contribute: delimitation of work sessions, dynamization of  the group, stimulation of participation, stimulation of the playful spirit and appetite for learning, gameification  of learning.

At the end, ask participants to share one word which describes their experience with the workshop.

Invite participants to share ideas on how they will learn the methodology learnt during the workshop.