# Group Pictionary Relay Small teams race to sketch and identify items from a shared facilitator prompt list. One person at a time draws without speaking or writing words, passing the drawing role to a teammate upon every correct guess. **Time:** 20 minutes. Matches the 20-minute gameplay cap described in the source instructions. **People:** 6 to 24. Parallel small groups of 4 to 8 participants, each seated around their own drawing pad or whiteboard. ## Choose this exercise **Purpose:** Translate words into quick visual clues under gentle time constraints to practice nonverbal communication and group guessing. **Use it when:** Use during team warm-ups, social energizers, or workshops focusing on quick iteration and communication styles. **Skip it when:** Skip when participants are uncomfortable with rapid drawing games, or when working in quiet, shared office spaces where shouting answers causes disruption. ## Materials and tools - 1 pad of blank paper (or 1 tabletop whiteboard) per small group - 2 dry-erase markers or felt-tip pens per small group - 1 master list of secret prompt words for the facilitator - 1 timer or stopwatch ## Before participants arrive 1. Prepare a master list of 10 to 15 simple, sketchable nouns. 2. Set up small group clusters with drawing paper and markers placed at each station. 3. Designate a central facilitator station positioned roughly equidistant from all teams. ## Say this to open We are going to play a relay drawing game. Each team will work together to guess a series of secret prompt words. One person from each team will come to me, receive the first secret word, run back to their table, and draw clues. You may not speak, mouth words, use hand gestures, or write letters or numbers. As soon as someone on your team guesses the exact word, that guesser runs to me to report it and collect the next word. ## How to run it ### 1. Form teams and set up roles (3 minutes) Divide participants into teams of 4 to 8 people. Ensure each group has blank paper and pens. Ask each team to choose their first drawer and line up their seating so everyone can see the paper. ### 2. Explain game rules and constraints (2 minutes) State the drawing constraints clearly: no talking, no sound effects, no letters, no numbers, and no physical gestures while holding the pen. Neutral example: If the prompt is 'coffee mug,' drawing a cup with steam rising is allowed; writing 'MUG' or pointing at an actual mug in the room is not. ### 3. Run drawing relay rounds (12 minutes) Call the first drawers to your station and whisper or show them Word #1. They return to their tables and start sketching immediately. Teammates call out guesses. When a team guesses correctly, the successful guesser dashes to you, names the word, and receives Word #2. That person becomes the new drawer. Continue until time expires or a team completes the prompt list. ### 4. Conclude and debrief (3 minutes) Call time. Invite the whole room to pause and reflect on the communication patterns they noticed during the sketch rounds. Take 2 to 3 comments across the room. ## Debrief questions - What sketching strategies made prompts easiest for your group to identify quickly? - How did your team handle moments when the drawer and the guessers were completely out of sync? - What similarities exist between these quick sketches and explaining a new concept at work? **Finished output:** Completed sketch sheets and scored progression through the facilitator prompt list. ## Remote Split into breakout rooms or remain in one main room using private direct messages. The facilitator direct-messages the target word to the active drawer. The drawer uses the virtual meeting whiteboard or shares an annotation screen. Teammates unmute or type guesses in chat. Once guessed, the winning guesser receives the next prompt by direct message. ## Hybrid Keep remote participants together in a dedicated virtual breakout room with a virtual whiteboard, while in-person teams use physical paper. The facilitator visits the virtual room or uses direct messaging to transmit prompts at the same pace as in-person runners. ## Access and participation choices - Participants may choose to be guessers exclusively rather than drawers without disclosing reasons. - Drawers with limited fine-motor mobility may use simple shapes, tactile items, or take on the timekeeper and runner roles. ## If the session gets stuck **A drawer accidentally speaks, mouths words, or writes a letter.** Remind the room gently of the silence rule, discard that specific sheet, and let the drawer continue with a fresh sheet of paper. **One team gets stuck on a single difficult prompt for several minutes.** Offer a skip option where the drawer can run back to the facilitator for an alternate prompt after 2 minutes of unsuccessful guessing. ## Terms used here - Drawer: The active team member sketching visual clues for their teammates without speaking. - Prompt List: A sequence of nouns prepared by the facilitator that all teams attempt to draw and guess in order. ## Participant material: Facilitator Master Prompt List Word 1: Campfire Word 2: Submarine Word 3: Bicycle Word 4: Lightbulb Word 5: Umbrella Word 6: Telescope Word 7: Treehouse Word 8: Sandwich Word 9: Volcano Word 10: Clocktower Word 11: Helicopter Word 12: Sunflower ## Sources and adaptation Observed on Playmeo, where it is titled 'Pictionary' and attributed to Mark Collard, adapting the mechanics of the classic commercial board game Pictionary originally created by Rob Angel. Retained the multi-team relay structure, whispering prompts to rotating drawers, and core Pictionary rules from Mark Collard's writeup on Playmeo. UWT added exact timing blocks totaling 20 minutes, a standardized master prompt list, hybrid and remote instructions, clear nonverbal drawing boundaries, and structured debrief questions. [Playmeo](https://www.playmeo.com/activities/fun-large-group-games/pictionary) [Playmeo](https://www.playmeo.com/activities/fun-large-group-games/pictionary/) Current run sheet: https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/fun-drawing-game-sparks-creativity-team-skills-pictionary/