🐮 Who's in My Group?

What you need

Equipment: Paper slips. Make slips by category, for example 4 animals with 3 or 4 identical slips each (lion, lion, lion, cat, cat, cat...). The number of slips must match the number of players. Clear space to move around.

How to play Who's in My Group?

1. Each player draws a slip and reads it secretly. Nobody says what they got.
2. The host explains: find the rest of your group without talking at all.
3. You may only make your animal's sound or do its movements.
4. On 'Capy!', everyone starts moving around and searching.
5. Found someone from your group? Stay together and keep searching as a team.
6. The first group that is complete raises their hands and makes their sound together.
7. Keep going until all the groups are together.
8. Round two uses harder categories: machines, jobs or movies, with no obvious sounds.

Scoring and wrapping up

Scoring: First complete group = 3 points for each member. Second = 2. Third = 1.

To finish: Once every group is together, they are already the teams for the next activity. The most fun way to make teams at any event.

By age

• Ages 7-8: farm animals with very clear sounds.
• Ages 10+: jobs, machines and sports, acted out silently.

Variations

• Big group: make 6 or 7 groups and use the harder categories.
• Blindfold version: for small groups in a safe space, players close their eyes and use sounds only.
• Capy twist: one secret slip says 'Capy'. That player can join any group, and the group that adopts Capy gets a bonus point.

Tips for the adult in charge

• 3 or 4 groups of 4 or 5 players works really well.
• Count the slips twice. One missing slip leaves a child searching for a group that is not there.

🖨️ Printable group ideas

Choose one line per round and write each item on 3 or 4 identical slips.

1. ☐ Farm animals: cow, sheep, pig, chicken
2. ☐ Wild animals: lion, monkey, elephant, snake
3. ☐ Pets: dog, cat, parrot, hamster
4. ☐ Sea creatures: fish, crab, octopus, dolphin
5. ☐ Birds: owl, duck, rooster, crow
6. ☐ Insects: bee, mosquito, grasshopper, butterfly
7. ☐ Machines: washing machine, vacuum cleaner, blender, car
8. ☐ Vehicles: train, fire truck, airplane, motorbike
9. ☐ Jobs: firefighter, chef, doctor, teacher
10. ☐ Sports: soccer, swimming, tennis, basketball
11. ☐ Musical instruments: drum, guitar, trumpet, piano
12. ☐ Weather: rain, wind, thunder, snow
13. ☐ Fairy tale characters: witch, giant, king, dragon
14. ☐ Kitchen sounds: kettle, frying pan, toaster, microwave
15. ☐ Things at a party: balloon, cake, music, presents
16. ☐ Dinosaurs: T-rex, pterodactyl, triceratops, brachiosaurus