Even though we use this for fun in the classroom it is a great game for any occasion. We played for the first time 3 years ago at a Christmas party. We’ve heard it called Crazy Cats, El Gato, and Telephone Pictionary. We’d love to know if you have a better name for it!
At one of my schools I (Alyssa) decided we would play telephone pictionary. I had no idea the commitment I was agreeing to…
1. I had to cut out 8 small sheets of paper for every one of my 300 students.
2. I had to come up with the easiest way to explain the rules of the game (Christmas Carols don’t make logical sense to a student who knows limited English).
3. Last I had to explain why the game was so fun at the end of the 8 turns.
I think I lost a few of my students but most enjoyed the game throughly.
TELEPHONE PICTIONARY
Players: Strangely enough, an odd number is best. 7 is perfect; 5 or 9 works OK, and 6 or 8 is manageable.
Materials: A blank sheet (sheets) of paper and a pen/pencil for each player.
Setup: Everyone writes their name at the bottom right of a sheet of paper. Then on the top, write a phrase or sentence. Song lyrics, sayings, quotes, or random thoughts are all fine. (I used Christmas Carols)
Play: After writing the sentence, each player passes the paper clockwise. Upon receiving the paper, each player draws the phrase or sentence as best as possible.
When finished, that player folds the paper so the original sentence cannot be seen—only the drawing. The paper is then passed to the right again, and the next player has to interpret the drawing as a sentence. That player then folds the paper so the drawing cannot be seen—only the new sentence—and passes it again. Repeat passing the paper, writing a sentence or drawing, and folding until the paper comes back to its originator. (With an even number of people, skip the last drawing.) Unfold the paper and be amused at how your sentence changed as it was interpreted and re-interpreted by your fellow players.
Below is a gallery of the T.P. games my students played. Most are in pencil and are a little difficult to see. You’ll have to click on a picture to make it bigger and visible.