Here’s a fun writing game for a class, a get-together, or in our case, a family reunion! It’s called Telephone Pictionary, and it’s a combination of those two all-time favorites.

How To Play

1. Before you start, cut several pieces of plain white paper into small rectangles about 3 inches wide by 2 inches long. Provide each player with a stack of these rectangles. Each player should have the same number of rectangles as people playing the game. For example, if there are eight people playing, each one should have eight rectangles. Every player also need a pen (no pencils — there’s no erasing!).

2. Each player writes a sentence on the rectangle that’s on top of his or her stack of papers. The sentence can be a famous quote or saying; it can be short or long. When everyone has finished, all players pass their paper to the person on their left.

3. Next, each player reads the sentence they’ve just been given. On the next small rectangle, players draw what the sentence says. Players may draw stick figures, but they can’t use any words or letters. The goal is to “show” the sentence as a drawing.

4. As players finish, they move the sentence papers to the bottom of their stacks, leaving the drawing on top. When everyone is done, all players pass their whole stack of papers to the person on the left.

5. Now it gets a little trickier. Players look at the drawing on the top of the stack passed to them. Then they write a new sentence on the next rectangular piece of paper. This sentence should state what they think the picture is showing.

6. Each player then moves the picture on the bottom of the stack, leaving the new sentence on the top. Then all players pass the whole stack to the person on the left.

7. It’s back to drawing! After reading the sentence, players try to draw what they read. When they are finished, they place the sentence on the bottom of the stack. The stacks (with the pictures on top) are passed again to the left.

8. The game continues this way until the stacks have gone all the way around the table. Depending on how many people you have playing (an even or odd number), the game will end either when you receive your original stack or the stack the person on your left started with.

9. This is where the game really gets fun! Players take turns reading the sentences and showing the drawings in their stacks in the order they were created. Just like in the game Telephone, the first sentence and the last will probably be really different!