
How to Play the Telephone Game
Whisper a sentence down the line, then hear how much it changed by the end.
- A line or circle
- 5 min
- Nothing to prepare
- Kindergarten to 5th grade
- Quiet
One page with all five steps
How to Play
5 stepsLine up
Stand in a line or sit in a circle.
Whisper once
The first player whispers a sentence to the next, only once.
Pass it on
Each player whispers what they heard to the next.
Say it out loud
The last player says the sentence to everyone.
Compare
The first player says the original. Laugh at the difference.
Ways to Change It Up
- Picture TelephonePlayers take turns drawing and describing on a folded sheet.
- Vocabulary TelephonePass a definition and see if the word survives.
What You Need
No tools needed: Telephone takes nothing but the class.
More Icebreaker Games
All Icebreaker Games
Human Bingo
LivelyFind a classmate for each square on a bingo card of facts, also called Find Someone Who.
Whole class15 min

The M&M Game
QuietEach candy color is a question: red for a favorite food, blue for a dream trip.
Small groups or whole class15 min

This or That
LivelyCall two choices; students move to their side of the room and explain their pick.
Whole class10 min
Telephone Questions
Plan the Game into the Week
Drop a game into any lesson plan in EMStudio, with the rules attached. Free to start.
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Checked by a teacher