I have used the Balloon Chase exercise as both a fun energiser and a learning point. It is so simple and cheap to use, I now carry a pack of balloons in my training kit at all times. It always provokes some laughter, I have used it with a group of 4 delegates through to 40, but always indoors! It wakes people up and makes a really great message about non-verbal behaviour; that can be used not only in communication courses but also presentation skills, leadership, assertiveness etc. A real winner.

A great ice-breaker and lots of fun, although the team did complete the challenge in the first attempt they were then asked to keep doing it at faster times which was more challenging and a great opener to an afternoon of teambuilding. They were also annoyed with themselves when I showed them how they could have completed it in less than 30 second even though there was 17 of them.

I used the Balloon Chase exercise with a group to loosen them up at the beginning of a meeting, as this particular meeting involved a mixture of 'young' and 'older' people who didn't know each other. The task got the group mixing, and more importantly communicating on the same level rather than as adult and child. Although I don't recommend trying this exercise outside on a breezy day as we did, because you might just lose a few balloons!