One Word At A Time

Age: 7 to adult
Players: Whole Group, Small Groups, Pairs
Time: 10-15 minutes
Tags: #Co-operation, #Speaking and Listening, #Storytelling

A story is told, with each person adding one word at a time.

Sit or stand in a circle. Each person speaks one… word… at… a… time… so that the whole group tells a story. Start with “Once… Upon… A… Time…” 

Director’s Tips

• Keep your thoughts free flowing, so that you don’t try to guess what’s coming.
• Aim not to force the story in a particular direction.
• It’s not easy to keep a logical flow (although it’s always amusing)!
• Players can say “full stop” to end a sentence.

Variations

• Play the game in pairs, with both players acting out the story as it is told. In this case, tell the story in the present tense and use ‘we’. For example, “We – are – climbing – a – mountain. – Look – a – giant -spider – coming – towards – us. Quick – run!” You can soon create an adventure story in this way.
• You can also use the one word at a time technique to create characters made up of two or more people – great fun for interview scenes!
• Throw or roll a ball around the circle in any order. Add your word, then pass the ball to someone else. (This variation ensures that players pay more attention)
• Play online by giving each student a number so that they know whose turn it is. Divide the class into break-out rooms to play the game in small groups.