A cooperative drawing challenge
Split each team into describers and drawers. Describers read a prompt while drawers create a picture from what they hear. Focus the first round on clarity rather than artistic skill, then swap roles and compare how the communication changes.
- Time
- Two rounds and a short debrief; facilitator sets the timing
- Participants
- Teams with at least two roles
- Materials
- Paper, pens, prompt cards and table space
How to use it
- Download the prompts, give each team a card and agree the clarification and role-swap rules.
- After two rounds, discuss which descriptions helped and what questions could have been asked earlier.
Worksheet preview
| Prompt | Elements to include |
|---|---|
| A rainy station | An umbrella, a bench and a bird waiting for transport |
| A hilltop picnic | A picnic mat, three cups and a distant vehicle |
| A small bookshop at night | A window, a lamp and a stack of books |
| A kitchen in space | A round window, a floating spoon and a teapot |
| A cat moving home | A box, a plant and a photograph |
| A seaside birthday gathering | A cake, a kite and two chairs |
| A forest post office | A mailbox, a signpost and a post worker with a hat |
| A rooftop garden | A watering can, three plants and a table |
Open the CSV in Excel, Numbers or Google Sheets. Save a copy before editing.
Setup and rules
Give each team paper, pens and a prompt card. Agree a round length. Describers can explain objects, positions and composition but cannot show the card. Allow clarification questions when appropriate for the group.
At the end, show the pictures and identify one useful description and one misunderstanding. Swap roles and use a different prompt; the drawings do not need to be ranked.
Adapt participation
Offer describing, note-taking or discussion roles to anyone who prefers not to draw. For a quieter version, pass written descriptions. Use one large table or separate tables with enough space for each team's picture.
Continue planning
- A quiet category challenge
Write answers to a shared category, then discuss overlaps and different interpretations.
- A 90-minute team activity programme
Coordinate introductions, a cooperative activity and a debrief with an editable programme.