# Name That List Small teams race against a countdown to identify every item belonging to a specific closed category. Teams pool recall, check their answers against a verified answer key, and compare problem-solving strategies. **Time:** 10 minutes. UWT plan allocating 10 minutes for setup, one list round, scoring, and brief reflection **People:** 4 to 24. Teams of 2 to 4 people ## Choose this exercise **Purpose:** Pool collective recall within small groups to complete a defined list under mild time constraints. **Use it when:** Use as an energetic transition or warm-up when teams need to practice fast coordination and collective memory. **Skip it when:** Skip when competitive trivia creates anxiety or when evaluating specialized technical expertise that participants do not share equally. ## Materials and tools - 1 sheet of paper per team - 1 pen per team - 1 countdown timer for the facilitator - 1 printed master answer key for the facilitator ## Before participants arrive 1. Select a closed category with an undisputed, finite number of items (for example, the 7 continents, the 8 planets in our solar system, or the 12 signs of the zodiac). 2. Write out the master list and item count beforehand. ## Say this to open We are going to do a quick challenge called Name That List. You will work in small teams to recall every single item in a specific category. When I announce the category and start the timer, your team will write down as many items as you can. You have two minutes, or until the first team yells completed. Let us form teams of three or four now. ## How to run it ### 1. Form teams and introduce category (2 minutes) Divide participants into teams of 2 to 4 people. Give each team one sheet of paper and one pen. Announce the category and the exact total count of items expected (for example: The 8 planets in our solar system). Confirm everyone understands before starting the timer. ### 2. Run recall sprint (3 minutes) Start a 2-minute timer. Teams confer quietly and write down their answers. If a team writes down all items before time expires, they call out 'List complete!' and step away from their paper. Stop the round either when the first team finishes or when the two minutes expire. ### 3. Verify answers against master list (3 minutes) Read each verified item from the master answer key aloud. Teams swap papers or self-score by placing a checkmark next to each correct item. Confirm which team identified the most correct items, or who completed the full list first. ### 4. Debrief group recall strategies (2 minutes) Ask 1 or 2 reflection questions to the room. Invite 2 to 3 brief observations on how teams divided recall work or handled uncertainty. ## Debrief questions - How did your team handle disagreements about whether an item belonged on the list? - What strategy helped your team remember items that were initially forgotten? - How did working together change your speed compared to working alone? **Finished output:** Completed and scored category recall sheets produced by each team. ## Remote Create breakout rooms with 2 to 4 participants each. Provide a shared collaborative doc or allow one person per team to type into a private chat draft. The facilitator posts the category into the main broadcast announcement. When a team finishes, their representative types 'Done' in the main chat. Bring everyone back to verify against the master list on a shared slide. ## Hybrid Pair in-person participants together and remote participants together so physical writing or digital typing remains balanced. Use an online shared document where remote teams type their answers and in-person teams can either hold up their paper or designate one person to type their final list for verification. ## Access and participation choices - Participants can contribute by writing, verbal brainstorming, or timekeeping. - Any participant may opt out of speaking by serving as the silent scribe or simply observing their team. ## If the session gets stuck **A team debates an ambiguous item (such as Pluto for planets).** Clarify ground rules before starting by stating the governing standard (for example, official IAU astronomical classification, 8 planets). **One dominant participant writes without consulting teammates.** Remind the room before the round that all teammates must agree before an entry is finalized. ## Terms used here - Closed category: A topic with a finite, uncontested set of items, such as days of the week or chess pieces. ## Participant material: Sample Category Prompt Cards Category: Signs of the Western Zodiac (12 total) Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces. Category: Planets in our Solar System (8 total) Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune. Category: The Seven Continents (7 total) Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia/Oceania, Europe, North America, South America. ## Sources and adaptation Observed in Playmeo library, attributed to Mark Collard. Retained the core mechanic from Playmeo (teams listing all items in a named category to compete). Added standard time boundaries (10 minutes total, 2-minute sprint), remote and hybrid adaptations, explicit access options, sample prompts, and debrief prompts. [Playmeo](https://www.playmeo.com/activities/fun-team-building-puzzles/name-that-list/) [Playmeo](https://www.playmeo.com/activities/fun-team-building-puzzles/name-that-list) Current run sheet: https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/quick-group-challenge-for-team-building-fun-name-that-list/