No.269
Match Your Scale without Saying Numbers
Japanese name: 数字を言わないイメージ合わせ
Materials
- Number cards from 1 to 20, one per person
- A timer
How to play
- Give each person one number card. They may look at their own number but must not show it. Agree that a higher number represents a larger creature.
- Each person chooses a creature that feels appropriate to their number—for example, an ant for a low number or a whale for a high one. They use their own judgement.
- Mingle and talk for 4 minutes. Describe the creature without saying the number or giving numerical clues such as its position on a twenty-point scale.
- Pair up with someone whose number seems close to yours. The facilitator helps ensure nobody is left out. Everyone reveals their cards together.
- Compare the numbers and discuss the clues used to choose partners. Recognise that people interpret the scale differently, then change the theme or finish.
Ways to adapt
Older primary: reduce the cards to 1–10 and use a concrete theme such as the size of vehicles.