Forbidden Words Review

Choose this exercise

Purpose: Test and reinforce understanding of key workshop concepts by explaining them in plain language without relying on standard jargon.

Use it when: Use near the end of a training session or workshop unit to review technical definitions and core ideas.

Skip it when: Skip during introductory stages when participants have not yet encountered the concepts, or when the group has fewer than 3 people.

Group arrangement: Groups of 3 to 5, each containing three role units A, B and C. Use unit sizes 1/1/1 for 3 people, 1/1/2 for 4, or 1/2/2 for 5. Prefer groups of 3; use one group of 4 or 5 to absorb a remainder.

Timing: UWT adaptation: three 3-minute rounds, each with a 150-second solve limit and 30 seconds to score and rotate, plus 3 minutes for setup and 3 for debrief.

Materials and tools

• One set of 3 separate concept cards per group of 3 to 5, each with a target concept and forbidden words
• One timer or stopwatch per group
• One Role-Unit Score Sheet and pen per group
• For remote or hybrid delivery: a video meeting with direct messaging, plus devices and headsets for mixed groups

Before participants arrive

1. Prepare three separate concept cards per group, tailored to the workshop topic. If printing the sample card page, cut it into three cards and keep them face down.
2. Provide each group with the three face-down cards, a timer, a Role-Unit Score Sheet and a pen. Do not reveal a card to its receiver unit before the turn.

Say this to open

We will review concepts without their usual jargon. Form three role units called A, B and C. Each unit will describe once, guess once and monitor once. A unit may contain one or two people. Each round gives you up to 150 seconds to solve, followed by 30 seconds to record and rotate. A forbidden word or an unsolved timeout gives both active units a 180-second penalty score, not an extra wait. We compare unit totals, not individual scores; you may also play without scoring.

How to run it

1. Form groups and assign role units 3 minutes

   Form groups of 3 to 5, using one group of 4 or 5 for a remainder. Assign units A/B/C with sizes 1/1/1, 1/1/2 or 1/2/2. Units stay together for all rounds. Paired senders alternate clues; paired receivers may both guess. Paired monitors split timekeeping and forbidden-word checks. Give each group three face-down cards and a score sheet. Explain that all forms of a forbidden word count as a violation.

2. Run round one 3 minutes

   A sends Card 1, B receives, and C monitors. Only sender and monitor units may see the card. Start a 150-second solve timer. A clean solution earns its elapsed seconds for both active units. A forbidden word ends the turn with 180 seconds for both; an unsolved timeout has the same score. Use the rest of the 3-minute block to record and prepare the next round. The penalty adds points, not waiting time.

3. Rotate and run rounds two and three 6 minutes

   Run two more 3-minute blocks with the same 150-second solve cap and 30-second scoring/rotation allowance. Round 2: B sends Card 2, C receives, A monitors. Round 3: C sends Card 3, A receives, B monitors. Record one result for both active units each round. Sum A from rounds 1 and 3, B from 1 and 2, and C from 2 and 3. The lowest unit total wins; keep ties as ties.

4. Debrief and capture insights 3 minutes

   Bring the room together. Invite 2 or 3 volunteers to share which terms were hardest to describe without technical jargon and what strategies worked. Note how plain translations expose whether someone understands a core concept.

Debrief questions

• Which concept was hardest to describe without its standard jargon, and why?
• What strategies helped your receiver guess quickly when you could not use the primary keywords?
• How did translating these terms into plain everyday language change your understanding of them?

Finished output: One group score sheet with two active-round results per role unit, plus examples of workshop concepts explained without their usual jargon. Groups may omit competitive scoring.

Remote

Create breakout groups of 3 to 5 and assign the same three role units and rotations. Send each secret card by direct message only to the current sender and monitor units. Do not post it where the receiver can see it. Paired unit members use the same alternate-clue, joint-guess or split-monitor rules as in person. Monitors enforce the 150-second solve cap, record the result, and rotate within the 3-minute block.

Hybrid

Use groups of 3 to 5 with the same three role units. Form room-only and remote-only groups when the counts fit; otherwise make a mixed group using separate devices and headsets in quiet positions. Deliver cards only to sender and monitor units, using paper or direct messages. Apply the same role rotations, solve caps and unit scoring in every group.

Access and participation choices

• Participants may use written clues or text-to-speech instead of speaking aloud. A partner or facilitator can voice their prepared clue or guess.
• Participants may pass on a turn without explanation. If a unit passes without solving, record the ordinary unsolved-turn score or agree before starting to omit competition for that group.
• Allow groups to skip competitive scoring and focus on plain-language explanations while retaining the turn limits.

If the session gets stuck

A group contains 4 or 5 people rather than 3.

Keep exactly three role units: sizes 1/1/2 for four people or 1/2/2 for five. Paired members stay together while their unit rotates through sender, receiver and monitor. Record unit scores only; do not rank individual members.

A sender freezes because the forbidden words eliminate their entire vocabulary for that topic.

Remind them to use concrete real-world metaphors, scenarios, or physical analogies rather than textbook definitions.

Terms used here

• Framegame: A reusable game structure whose content can be replaced to fit different learning subjects.