Activity

NAME MEMORY GAME

Number of participants

5 to 25 participants

Objectives

● To get to know each other and learn each other’s names.
● To abandon the fear of making mistakes.
● To train memory.
● To foster concentration.
● To connect with the group.

Where does the activity take place within the process

Beginning

Duration

20 minutes

Material needed

Preparation

Prepare the room/space so that it is as spacious as it can be, without obstacles.

Step by step description

1. Ask participants to form a circle.

2. Ask one of the participants to say their name out loud.

3. Ask the following one (sitting on the right side of the person who just said his/her name) to repeat the previous name and then say his/hers out loud.

4. Then the third participant on the row should say the first and second names previously said and then add his/her name and so on.

5. The objective is for all participants to say their name and have the chance to repeat the names previously mentioned.

6. Once all participants have said their names, try doing it faster several times to see how well participants remember each other’s names.

7. Whenever you feel that the names have been memorised, end the exercise.

Closing up

You can reflect on the exercise asking:

● Why do you think we did this exercise?
● Was it easy or difficult? Which parts and why?
● What happened when someone made a mistake? What were the reactions? How do you feel when you get it wrong?

Resources

v

Comments / hints for facilitators

It is a great exercise for team-building and also to introduce the idea of mistakes and how we deal with such situations and frustration in life. It is also a good way to introduce the subject of memory, especially when working with people of older age, so you can reflect on how memory is perceived socially and what happens when we do not have such good memory or start “loosing” it as we age.
    Back to the platform