This fast, fun activity is a quick take on Pictionary. You can do it outdoors or indoors, though the physical nature of this activity makes it more suitable for relaxed outdoors environments. Use it as an interlude between longer activities or at the very start of the event to get people in a relaxed state.
Number of participants: 6-20 people
Duration: 30 minutes
Objective: Improve communication skills
How to play
1. Head to your favorite stock photography site and print a number of vector shapes on separate sheets of paper. These can be shapes of signs, objects, or even abstract shapes. Think “Statue of Liberty”, “Formula 1 car”, etc.
2. Divide participants into teams of two people each. Make them sit back-to-back.
3. Team Member A gets a pen and a sheet of paper. Team Member B is given one of the printed shapes.
4. The objective of the game is for the Team Member A to draw the shape using only verbal instructions from Team Member B. B cannot state what the object is; he/she can only describe its uses or give instructions on how to draw it.
5. Give each team 2 minutes to draw the shape.
6. Teams that get the most shapes right win.
Strategy
This game focuses on communication skills – giving and listening to instructions. At the end of each game, evaluate what went wrong, what went right while communicating. This is not only great for getting people involved, but it can also highlight flaws in how your team members communicate verbally.
