While group games are made to introduce fun to your group of friends, some icebreaker games can also turn educational.
In the group game, Categories, you’ll see how one fun icebreaker game can train the minds of your players as they rush to find words that relate to a given category.
This game can be useful both for adults, as a warm-up for the brain between everyday activities, and for children who are just getting to know the world and simply learning.
Features of the Categories Game
| ★ Game Name | Categories |
| ★ Group size | any |
| ★ Age | any (6+) |
| ★ Type | stationary |
| ★ Skill | erudition/ memory |
| ★ Place | indoor and outdoor |
| ★ Time | up to 10 – 20 min |
| ★ Preparation | no |
| ★ Materials | no |
Aim of the Game
The aim of the group game Categories is to have your players say a word corresponding to a designated category while clapping their hands following a rhythm.
You’ll quickly notice your players scrambling through words of a tough category as they’ll have to work hard not to be eliminated.
Ideal Age and Group Sizes to play Categories
You can play Categories with groups of 4 to 12 people. If you have larger groups, you may consider breaking everyone into smaller teams to play simultaneously or have your players take turns.
The group game Categories is suitable to be played by anyone aged 6 and up.
What to prepare to play Categories
What makes the group game Categories such a great pick is that you don’t have to prepare any materials ahead. Hence, if you’re looking to play a game on a whim, Categories will guarantee you hours of fun at a snap.
How to play the group game Categories
To play Categories, you may choose a player to start at random and decide if you want your players to play in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction.
You may have to place your players in a circle but it is not mandatory.
Step 1: The starting player will state a category of their liking, then begin the game by saying a word that relates to the category and clap their hands twice.
For example, if the category is a fruit, then the starting player will say, “Fruit. Apple.“
Step 2: The next player must then say a word that also relates to the category and clap twice as well. In this case, it would be “Fruit. Orange.“
Step 3: Repeat step 2 until every player has said a word to relate to the first category, ensuring that everyone says a word and claps twice.
No repeated words are allowed, and if they repeat a word, that player will be eliminated.
The game becomes increasingly difficult if you pick a tough category like state or color.
To make the game a fun icebreaker game, you may have one of the categories be names and force your players to say the name of someone else in the group that isn’t their own name.
Examples of the categories to play:
- Movies
- Cartoons
- TV shows
- Celebrities
- Cities
- Countries / States
- Capital cities
- Dog breeds
- Birds
- Cars
- Sport
- Martial art
- Rivers
- Vegetables
- Pets
- Professions
- Love songs
- Artists
- Trees
- Colors