Playworks Playbook

Ice Breaker
Telephone/Rumor
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Group Size: 10-20
Age Group: 2 nd -5 th grades
Length of Activity: 5-15 minutes
Developmental Goal: To develop teamwork and good listening
Skills Practiced: Following directions
Equipment Needed: Blackboard and chalk (paper and pencil will do)
Set-Up: None
Before You Start:
Practice passing whispered rumor/ messages.
Review rules and ask for questions.
Divide class into teams.
Choose 1 person from each team to meet together and create a rumor/message
How to Play:
Once signaled to start the first person on each team will whisper the rumor/message to next
person on their team.
S/he will whisper the message/rumor to the next person and so on.
The message/rumor cannot be repeated. This is a relay type game, pass on what you’ve heard.
The last person to receive the rumor/message must run to the chalkboard and write the message.
The team that is closest to the correct message/rumor gets a point.
Choose new players to create the message and play again.
Variations:
Instead of a message/rumor, it can be a short list of celebrities or grocery list.
Great way to incorporate the food pyramid, history, geography, or any other academic subject
into play.
2 nd -5 th I N C Bl L1