Telephone/Rumor
Grades 1-2
No equipment needed
Development Goal
To develop teamwork and good listening
Before You Start
Skills Practiced: Following directions
- Make sure you have a blackboard and chalk or pencil and paper for the students to use.
- 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.
- This may be difficult for 1st graders. Make the message very easy and something the students are familiar with. Spelling words are good and provide an opprtunity for students to practice writing the word.