Category Race
Teams race to name one item for each category that starts with a chosen letter, scoring extra for answers no other team wrote.
- Time
- 15 to 20 minutes
- People
- 4 to 30
- Where
- In person or Virtual
- You need
- paper and pens or a shared document, list of 8 to 10 categories, timer
How to play
- Split into teams of two to five and give each team a sheet of paper or a shared document.
- Write or display eight to ten categories, such as fruits, cities, jobs and things in a kitchen.
- Pick a letter at random, skipping hard ones like Q, X and Z.
- Start a three-minute timer while teams write one answer per category beginning with that letter.
- When time is up, go through each category and have teams read their answers aloud.
- Award one point for each valid answer and two points if no other team has the same one.
- Play three rounds with new letters and add up the totals.
Tips
- On a video call, teams can work in breakout rooms and paste their lists in the main chat at the end.
- Let the group vote on borderline answers to keep it fair and fun.
- Swap in work categories, like tools we use or meeting snacks, for a team-flavored round.
Variations
- Solo version: everyone plays alone, which works well for groups of up to eight.
- Alphabet sprint: use one category, and teams name an item for as many letters as they can in two minutes.