Works with Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, or your own local model: paste this prompt and your AI will co-facilitate this exercise with you.

Help me prepare and run the exercise below. First ask for my participant count, time, setting, access needs and intended result. Check these against the stated limits. Use the supplied rules and materials. Explain any proposed changes before using them, and label them as adaptations. Do not invent source claims or require personal disclosure. Give me one step at a time when I say start. I manage the people, physical activity and clock; do not claim to observe the room. Ask me what happened before choosing a next step.

Reference revision: 24f3b0daf4fab3f9b8b75c703165240275ec362749e10c2e2df1736238aec8b1

# Card Talk

Participants pick a face-up playing card based on how much they want to disclose, then pair up to share that number of facts with several partners. A debrief links choice and boundaries to group communication.

**Time:** 15 minutes. Playmeo suggests a 10-minute mingling period; UWT sets total run time to 15 minutes to include setup, instructions, and debrief.
**People:** 4 to 24. Mingle in alternating pairs; trio allowed for odd numbers.

## Choose this exercise

**Purpose:** Allow participants to regulate their own level of personal disclosure while meeting multiple peers in brief pair conversations.
**Use it when:** Use at the start of a meeting, training session, or workshop when participants do not know each other well and need low-pressure introductions.
**Skip it when:** Skip when the group already works closely together, when time is under ten minutes, or when a formal task-focused opener is needed.

## Materials and tools

- One standard deck of 52 playing cards (or numbered slips from 1 to 10)
- One digital countdown timer or phone timer

## Before participants arrive

1. Spread playing cards face-up across an accessible table so all numbers and suits are visible before participants gather.
2. Ensure room layout allows easy standing and movement between pairs.

## Say this to open

Take a look at the cards spread out on the table. In a moment, you will pick one card. The number on your card represents how many facts about yourself you will share in brief partner chats. For face cards, Jacks count as 10, Queens as 10, Kings as 10, and Aces can count as 1 or 11. Choose a number that matches how much you want to share today. Pick high if you feel talkative, or pick low if you prefer to keep it brief.

## How to run it

### 1. Choose a card (3 minutes)

Read the opening script. Invite everyone to step up to the table, review the face-up cards, and pick exactly one card. Let participants take their time. Reassure the group that any number is fine and that facts can be simple or professional, such as favorite foods or work roles.

### 2. First pair conversation (3 minutes)

Ask participants to find one partner. If there is an odd number of people, form one trio. Partners show their cards. Each person shares as many facts as their card value indicates. For example, a person holding a 3 shares three facts, while a person holding an 8 shares eight facts. Facts can be as short as single words. Stop this round when three minutes elapse.

### 3. Rotate and repeat (6 minutes)

Signal the room to switch partners. Run two additional rounds of three minutes each, calling time and prompting a new pair exchange each time. Remind people that they may share the same facts again or introduce new ones. If someone chose a high card and runs out of facts, they may simply state that they are done.

### 4. Debrief the experience (3 minutes)

Gather the whole room back together standing or seated. Ask two focused reflection questions. Take two to three brief volunteer responses from the room within the time limit.


## Debrief questions

- What helped you decide which card number to pick at the start?
- How did having control over your own sharing count affect how comfortable you felt talking to partners?
- What did you notice about keeping conversations going when one person had a high card and the other had a low card?

**Finished output:** Each participant completes three brief partner conversations with self-chosen disclosure levels; no written record is retained.

## Remote

Create a numbered grid (1 to 10) on a shared digital slide or whiteboard. Invite each person to claim a number by typing their initials next to it or private messaging the facilitator. Pair participants using video breakout rooms for three 3-minute rounds. Broadcast a switch reminder every three minutes.

## Hybrid

Form distinct pair pools so in-person participants talk face-to-face and remote participants meet in video breakout rooms. Alternatively, place a laptop at designated stations where in-person participants pair with remote attendees, with both showing their chosen number card on screen.

## Access and participation choices

- Participants may share professional facts, trivial preferences, or simple everyday habits instead of personal history.
- Anyone may select an Ace or Two for minimal sharing, or pass entirely and observe partner rotations without penalty.
- Provide physical seating for pairs so participants do not have to stand while mingling.

## If the session gets stuck

**A participant holding a high card (like a 10) struggles to think of that many facts.**

Remind the room that simple everyday details count, such as favorite beverage, commute method, or preferred pen, and that anyone may stop early.

**An odd number of participants leaves one person without a partner.**

Form one group of three. The trio shares their facts sequentially within the same three-minute window.


## Terms used here

- Face cards: The Jack, Queen, and King cards in a standard deck, valued here as 10 facts.

## Sources and adaptation

Observed on Playmeo, which attributes Card Talk to Mark Collard.

Retained the core mechanic from Mark Collard's Card Talk published on Playmeo, where participants select face-up playing cards to determine the number of personal facts they share in pairs. UWT added structured round timings (three 3-minute rotations), explicit face card values, ground rules for passing, accessible non-personal fact examples, and structured debrief questions.

[Playmeo](https://www.playmeo.com/activities/ice-breakers-get-to-know-you-games/card-talk)

[Playmeo](https://www.playmeo.com/activities/ice-breakers-get-to-know-you-games/card-talk/)

Current run sheet: https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/conversation-starter-game-for-breaking-the-ice-card-talk/