Trivia Tic-Tac-Toe

Choose this exercise

Purpose: Review subject knowledge and practice cooperative turn-taking through a familiar grid game.

Use it when: Use during training reviews, classroom checks for understanding, or workshop energizers to test knowledge without individual stakes.

Skip it when: Skip when the group has wide disparities in baseline knowledge that could cause embarrassment, or when quiet individual reflection is required.

Group arrangement: Two teams (Team X and Team O), balanced as equally as possible with one extra player on one team if the total is odd.

Timing: Based on Playworks recommendation of 10 minutes or more; 15 minutes allows for team setup, 1 to 2 complete grid games, and a brief review.

Materials and tools

• Floor tape, chalk, jump ropes, or 4 long ropes to mark a 3x3 grid on the floor
• 1 list of 10 to 20 topic-specific trivia questions with answers
• 9 printed X cards and 9 printed O cards (optional markers if players do not stand in grid cells)
• Timer or stopwatch

Before participants arrive

1. Use tape, chalk, or ropes to mark a large 3x3 grid on the floor, roughly 6 feet by 6 feet, with cells large enough for a person to stand in.
2. Prepare the list of review questions ahead of time.
3. Ensure a clear line of sight between both team lines and the grid.

Say this to open

We are going to play Trivia Tic-Tac-Toe to review what we covered today. We will divide into Team X and Team O. Each turn, one person from each team steps up to hear a question. The first person to answer correctly wins a square on our grid for their team. The first team to connect three in a row wins.

How to run it

1. Divide teams and explain rules 3 minutes

   Split the group into Team X and Team O. Line teams up facing each other near the grid. State the rules: when a question is read, only the two active runners may answer. Teammates must stay quiet until the runner claims a cell. Show the physical poses: X extends arms and legs wide; O forms a circle with arms overhead, or players may place an X or O floor card.

2. Play the first game 5 minutes

   Call the first pair of runners to the center line. Read a review question clearly. The runner who calls out the correct answer first chooses an empty square on the grid and stands in it (or places their team marker). If neither knows the answer within 5 seconds, pass the question and draw a new one. Rotate to the next pair of runners. Continue until one team completes three in a row or all nine squares fill.

3. Play a rematch or tiebreaker 4 minutes

   Clear the grid. Continue down each team's queue so players who did not get a turn as runner in round one step up first. Run a second game using fresh questions from the review list until another line is formed or time reaches the 12-minute mark.

4. Wrap up and debrief 3 minutes

   Gather both teams together. Ask 2 focused questions about the content covered and game strategy. Invite 3 or 4 brief responses from the group before transitioning.

Debrief questions

• Which questions revealed topics we still need to revisit before our next session?
• How did your team decide which square to claim to balance offense and defense?
• What helped you stay focused when waiting in line for your turn?

Finished output: A completed review of 10 to 15 curriculum questions with clear identification of team understanding across tested topics.

Remote

Display a 3x3 digital grid on a shared screen. Use breakout rooms or two designated chat groups (Team X and Team O). The facilitator calls two runners to unmute. The first runner to speak the correct answer claims a square, and the facilitator places a digital X or O in that space.

Hybrid

Maintain the physical 3x3 grid on camera. Pair remote and in-person players into Team X and Team O. Remote runners type their answer into the meeting chat or unmute to speak. When a remote runner answers correctly, an in-person teammate or facilitator places a physical card on the floor grid for them.

Access and participation choices

• Players with limited mobility or fatigue can sit in chairs placed inside grid cells or place handheld X/O cards instead of standing or holding physical poses.
• Any participant can opt out of speaking by serving as the team's grid strategist or scorekeeper without needing to give a reason.

If the session gets stuck

Teammates shout out answers while the active runners are trying to answer.

Enforce a reset rule: if a sideline teammate shouts the answer, the turn automatically goes to the opposing team runner.

Both runners guess incorrectly or do not know the answer.

Give the correct answer aloud, discard that question, and immediately ask a new question so the turn keeps moving.

Terms used here

• Runner: The single designated team member active for the current trivia question.