Hangman

Choose this exercise

Purpose: Review and activate shared vocabulary on a specific subject through structured turn-taking.

Use it when: Use during a workshop opening, review module, or energizer when participants need to recall core terminology or definitions.

Skip it when: Skip when participants have widely unequal spelling confidence, or when the group finds gallows imagery insensitive; use a non-violent drawing theme or another vocabulary exercise instead.

Group arrangement: Two to four teams of 2 to 8 people guessing in rotation

Timing: Source suggests 20 to 30 minutes; structured here for 25 minutes across two rounds.

Materials and tools

• 1 whiteboard or flipchart stand
• 2 different colored dry-erase or flipchart markers
• 1 facilitator reference sheet containing 2 to 4 topic-related terms and definitions
• Printed alphabet strips (1 per team table)

Before participants arrive

1. Select two primary words or short phrases connected to the workshop topic from your reference sheet.
2. Draw the baseline structure on the board: for the traditional game draw the gallows base, or for the neutral tree alternative draw the bare trunk and ground line.
3. Distribute one printed alphabet strip to each team table.
4. Ensure all seats have an unobstructed view of the board.

Say this to open

We will test our recall on key terms from our topic using the classic letter-guessing structure, also called Word Quest. I have drawn empty slots for each letter of our mystery term. Teams will rotate proposing one letter at a time after a 20-second huddle. If the letter is in the word, I fill it in. If not, I add one line to the 6-part penalty drawing and write the missed letter in the discard box. Your team can guess the whole phrase on your turn, but an incorrect full guess adds a line too. Let us begin with Team 1.

How to run it

1. Introduce rules and assign teams 3 minutes

   Divide the room into 2 to 4 balanced teams of 2 to 8 people each. State the rules clearly: 20 seconds of quiet team consultation per turn, one chosen spokesperson names the letter, correct letters fill the blanks, and incorrect guesses add one of six strokes to the drawing. Announce the broad category or theme.

2. Run Round 1 9 minutes

   Draw dashes for the first term on the board (example: E C O S Y S T E M). Rotate turns through Team 1, Team 2, and subsequent teams. Track used letters clearly in a separate box. Continue until the word is solved or all six strokes of the figure are drawn. State the term and its short operational definition.

3. Run Round 2 10 minutes

   Erase the previous dashes and figure, leaving the baseline structure intact. Draw dashes for the second term. Rotate the starting turn to the next team in line. Run the guessing rounds under identical timing until the term is identified or six incorrect strokes accumulate.

4. Debrief vocabulary connections 3 minutes

   Call the whole room together. Ask participants how these two terms connect to the work of the day. Take 2 to 3 brief verbal responses from different teams.

Debrief questions

• How do these two concepts directly impact the problem we are working on today?
• Which letter choices or team strategies helped you narrow down the technical terms quickly?
• What related term should we keep in mind alongside these words during our next session?

Finished output: Two workshop-relevant terms solved on a public board with spoken team connections to the agenda.

Remote

Open a digital whiteboard or shared document. Display underscores for the mystery letters and a designated corner for missed letters. Assign teams to named breakout rooms or keep everyone in the main room using the chat box. Designate a team spokesperson to type each letter choice into the chat on their team turn. The facilitator updates the digital text blanks and adds a stroke to an image on screen.

Hybrid

Seat room participants in view of a main camera focused on the physical board, or duplicate the board on a digital screen visible to both co-located and remote attendees. Alternate turns strictly between online participants and room tables, giving each format equal time to submit letters.

Access and participation choices

• Participants may pass their turn to suggest a letter without penalty by nodding or saying pass.
• Use the provided printed alphabet strips at tables so participants can point to letters or check spellings quietly without public spelling anxiety.
• Teams may use non-violent drawing alternatives like adding 6 branches to a tree trunk or drawing a 6-part flower if traditional imagery causes discomfort.

If the session gets stuck

A vocal participant dominates their team guesses without consulting peers.

Enforce a strict 20-second consultation rule where the spokesperson must rotate every turn.

Participants suggest letters that were already eliminated.

Maintain a clear, large box on the board labeled 'Letters already tried' and point to it before each team declares their pick.

Terms used here

• Penalty drawing: A 6-stroke penalty figure drawn piece by piece on incorrect guesses; can be a stick figure on a frame or a neutral object like a tree adding 6 branches.