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Family members will race against the clock and name as many things in a given category as they can. Try thinking outside the box and choose answers that may be different from someone else. There are many variations of this creative activity that challenge you to think quickly. You can also simplify this engaging activity for you and your family members to enjoy together.
Begin by choosing the appropriate grade level for the child or children in your family:
What You Will Need
- Pen or pencil
- Paper
- 1 or more family members
- Clock or stopwatch
- Mobile device or tablet
Activity
- Parents or guardians, create a list of categories suitable for young children. Some examples include: animals, things you see in the grocery store, sports, or things you can do with paper.
- Using a clock or stopwatch, give your child (or children) 60 seconds to list as many things as they can from the given category.
- Add up the points (one point for each item). If more than one child is participating, see who has the most items on their list from the category. For one child, try another category and compare their points for different categories. For which category did they get the most points?
- Record a video of your child (or children) describing how you were able to list so many things. Post the video using the link below or post on social media with the hashtag #unpluggedgames.
Talk About It
Here are some things your family can talk about as you play this game:
- What did you like most about this game?
- How can you come up with more ideas for a category? Are some categories really easy while others are much harder? What’s the difference between them? Why are some easier?
- Can you come up with your own categories?
What You Will Need
- Pen or pencil
- Paper
- 1 or more family members
- Clock or stopwatch
- Mobile device or tablet
Activity
- Create a list of categories suitable for children in third through fifth grade. Some examples include: fruits and vegetables, outdoor activities, things you might find in the ocean, or art supplies.
- Using a clock or stopwatch, allow 60 seconds for everyone to list as many things as they can from the given category.
- At the end of the round, add up the points to see who has the most items on their list from the category. If you’d like to make the activity more challenging, receive points only if your answer was not listed by anyone else participating in the activity.
- If you receive the most points, record a video describing how you were able to list so many things. Post the video using the link below or post on social media with the hashtag #unpluggedgames.
Talk About It
Here are some things your family can talk about as you play this game:
- How would you change this game to make it easier or more challenging? Can you think of another way to play this game? If you were an inventor of games, how would you design this game?
- How did you come up with different, unique ideas for a category (things no one else would think of)?
- What was the funniest or silliest thing someone came up with for a category?
What You Will Need
- Pen or pencil
- Paper
- 1 or more family members
- Clock or stopwatch
- Mobile device or tablet
Activity
- Create a list of categories suitable for youth in sixth through eighth grade. Some examples include: insects, cities in your state, things you put in a dessert, famous people, or organs in the body.
- Using a clock or stopwatch, allow 60 seconds for everyone to list as many things as they can from the given category.
- At the end of the round, add up the points to see who has the most items on their list from the category. If you’d like to make the activity more challenging, receive points only if your answer was not listed by anyone else participating in the activity.
- If you receive the most points, record a video describing how you were able to list so many things. Post the video using the link below or post on social media with the hashtag #unpluggedgames.
Talk About It
Here are some things your family can talk about as you play this game:
- Imagine that you are an inventory of games. How would you change this game to make it more challenging, silly, creative, or interactive?
- What strategies did you use to come up with unique or unusual items for a category? Could you write down those strategies? Do you think someone else could learn to use them?
- What new categories would you add to this game?
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