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: 668104b3d75bd5bad0fb527ae6e94bcca85ae3604a3015191fcad54fad3c7518

# Come to My Party

Participants guess the hidden rule governing which items are admitted to an imaginary gathering. They test hypotheses by proposing items and observing which ones are accepted or declined.

**Time:** 15 minutes. Playmeo lists this as a 5 to 15 minute exercise. 15 minutes allows for demonstration, multiple guessing rounds, and debrief.
**People:** 4 to 24. Whole group circle or plenary forum

## Choose this exercise

**Purpose:** Test hypotheses through iterative trial, observation, and pattern recognition without spoiling the solution for peers.
**Use it when:** Use during a training warm-up or transition when a group needs a light problem-solving task based on inductive reasoning.
**Skip it when:** Skip when the group is working under strict time constraints or when participants feel singled out by public guessing games.

## Materials and tools

- Whiteboard or flip chart
- Dry-erase marker or permanent marker
- Digital whiteboard or meeting chat (for remote or hybrid formats)

## Before participants arrive

1. Arrange seating or standing so all participants can see and hear one another.
2. Draw a vertical line down the board with two headings: 'Allowed' and 'Not Allowed'.

## Say this to open

I am hosting an imaginary party, and everyone is invited. To come, you must bring an item, a food, or a person. There is a hidden rule that decides whether your item is accepted. If you bring an item that fits the rule, you can come in. If not, you cannot bring it, but you can guess again later. If you figure out the rule, keep it secret. Test your theory by proposing items that follow it.

## How to run it

### 1. Introduce the challenge (2 minutes)

Explain the goal and the rule of non-disclosure using the opening script. Seed the board with two starting examples to begin the pattern. For instance, write 'apples' under Allowed and 'oranges' under Not Allowed. Note for facilitator only: acceptable items must contain consecutive double letters; do not reveal this rule aloud.

### 2. Collect item nominations (7 minutes)

Invite participants to propose items one at a time. In groups larger than 12, explain that turns rotate around volunteers rather than requiring every person to speak. If the nominated word contains double letters (such as 'balloon' or 'coffee'), say 'Yes, you can bring that' and write it under Allowed. If it does not (such as 'cake' or 'soda'), say 'No, you cannot bring that' and write it under Not Allowed. Anyone may pass their turn.

### 3. Escalate clues and test theories (3 minutes)

As participants identify the pattern, have them prove it by nominating valid items instead of stating the rule. If many are still stuck, introduce contrasting pairs intentionally, such as 'boots' under Allowed and 'shoes' under Not Allowed, to highlight the spelling pattern.

### 4. Debrief the reasoning process (3 minutes)

Reveal the double-letter rule if anyone has not solved it yet. Choose one or two debrief questions from the list and invite two or three volunteers to share how they formed, tested, and discarded their hypotheses.


## Debrief questions

- What initial patterns did you test before discovering the real rule?
- What clue or comparison made the rule click for you?
- How did holding back the answer help others continue solving the problem?

**Finished output:** A shared board list comparing accepted and rejected items, concluding with the group identifying the governing pattern.

## Remote

Run via video conference. The facilitator uses a screen-share digital whiteboard or in-meeting text chat to display the 'Allowed' and 'Not Allowed' lists. Participants submit their proposed items via spoken turn or in the chat. The facilitator confirms validity and logs the word on screen.

## Hybrid

In-person and remote participants take turns proposing items. The facilitator mirrors all spoken and in-person whiteboard entries into the shared digital whiteboard or meeting chat so remote participants see the exact spelling simultaneously.

## Access and participation choices

- Spelling support: write all submitted words clearly on the board so people who process language visually can spot double letters.
- Optional participation: participants may pass their turn or post guesses in writing without speaking publicly.

## If the session gets stuck

**A participant blurts out the solution early.**

Acknowledge that they cracked it, then change the rule immediately (for example, items must start with the same letter as the participant's first name) and continue.

**The group gets stuck and frustrated focusing on food categories rather than spelling.**

Add contrasting pairs that eliminate thematic theories, like accepting 'spoons' while rejecting 'forks'.


## Terms used here

- Double-letter rule: A spelling pattern where an accepted word must contain two identical letters next to each other, such as 'coffee' or 'puzzle'.

## Sources and adaptation

Observed in Playmeo, where it is listed as an activity by Mark Collard. The underlying parlor game mechanic of an imaginary picnic or party governed by a secret phonetic or spelling rule is a traditional lateral thinking game.

Retained the party induction framing, volunteer turn-taking, double-letter key, and progressive clue mechanic from Playmeo. Added explicit UWT timing breakdown, visual tracking board, non-spoiler testing rule, digital tools in materials for hybrid/remote delivery, and structured debrief.

[Playmeo](https://www.playmeo.com/activities/fun-large-group-games/come-to-my-party)

[Playmeo](https://www.playmeo.com/activities/fun-large-group-games/come-to-my-party/)

Current run sheet: https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/problem-solving-game-tests-creative-skills-come-to-my-party/