Equipment/Materials Needed:

• Pencils (one per player)
• Paper or index cards (enough so each player has as many pieces of paper as there are players)

Setup Instructions:

1. Seat all players in a circle.
2. Give each player a stack of paper or index cards equal to the number of players. For example, if there are 6 players, each person needs a stack of 6 sheets of paper.
3. Give each player a pencil.

Game Play Instructions:

1. Each player writes a simple phrase on the top sheet of their stack. This could be something like, “A cat chasing a mouse” or “Riding a bicycle.”
2. After writing the phrase, each player passes their entire stack to the person on their right.
3. The next player reads the phrase on the top sheet, moves that sheet to the bottom of the stack, and then draws a picture of the phrase on the next blank sheet.
4. Once they finish their drawing, they pass the stack to the right again.
5. The new player looks at the picture (but not the original phrase), moves the picture to the bottom of the stack, and writes a phrase that describes the drawing on the next blank sheet.
6. Continue passing, alternating between drawing and writing, until each stack has made it all the way around the circle and back to the original player.
7. When the stacks return to the original players, they take turns showing each page in their stack to see how the message changed from start to finish.

Notes:

• For younger players, use simple, clear phrases to avoid frustration.
• For older players, try more challenging or abstract phrases.
• To add a twist, limit drawing time to 30 seconds or use only a few words in each phrase.
• Safety Tip: Make sure pencils are used responsibly and not waved around while passing stacks to avoid accidental pokes.

For more information, see https://scoutermom.com/16259/picture-telephone-game/