Crossword Names
Crossword Names is a name activity in which a group builds one interlocking crossword grid out of letter cards, using everyone's first name. Each name has to cross or share a letter with a name already laid down, so learning names is combined with a small cooperative puzzle. The activity is published by Mark Collard on playmeo.
Facilitation script
- 1
Spread the letter cards face up and explain the goal: one connected crossword containing every first name.
1 min - 2
Have a volunteer with a longer name lay the starting word in the middle.
1 min - 3
Everyone finds their letters and attaches their name to the grid. Encourage people to help each other find a place and to rearrange where needed.
5 min - 4
Read the finished grid aloud together, with each person raising a hand at their own name.
2 min
Tips
Count the letters you need before the session: common vowels and letters such as A, E, N and R run out first, so make many more of those.
Choose a long name as the starting word to give others more letters to attach to.
Stand back once it is running, because the conversations about where a name could fit are where people actually learn each other's names.
Common pitfalls
Running short of common letters, which leaves the last few people unable to spell their names and standing outside the activity
Letting everyone lay names at once with no rule about connecting, so the result is several separate islands and the puzzle element is lost
Skipping the read-out at the end. Without it people have looked at letters but not linked names to faces
Using a table too small for the group, so three people build the grid while the others watch over their shoulders
Not thinking about names with accents, hyphens or non-Latin spellings, which can leave a participant feeling their name does not fit. Ask people to spell their name the way they prefer and have blank cards ready
Variations
Without letter cards, draw the grid on a flip chart or whiteboard and have each person write their name in. Online, use a shared whiteboard with a text box per letter or a simple table grid. With a larger group, form sub-groups of eight to ten that each build a grid and then try to join the grids. For a team that already knows each other, replace names with one word each for what they want from the workshop.
Where it fits
When to use it
A group of 6 to 15 people is meeting for the first time and you want names seen in writing as well as heard
You want an opener that involves cooperation without asking anyone to perform or share personal information
The next block is a group problem-solving task and a small shared puzzle sets it up well
Names in the group are unfamiliar to some participants and seeing the spelling helps with pronunciation and recall
You have a table or floor area people can gather round
When not to use it
You have no time to prepare letter cards and no whiteboard. Run Name Game or Concentration, which need nothing
The group is larger than about 15 around one grid. People at the edge cannot reach or see, so split into sub-groups or use Human Bingo
People cannot easily bend, kneel or crowd round a floor space. Use a wall or whiteboard version instead
You want people to learn something about each other beyond names. Follow up with or switch to 3 Question Mingle or Two Truths and a Lie
Related methods
Frequently asked questions
What is Crossword Names?▾
Crossword Names is an opener in which a group builds a single crossword-style grid from letter cards using everyone's first name. Each name must cross or share a letter with another, so people have to look at and talk about each other's names to make the grid work.
How many letter cards do you need?▾
Enough to spell every first name in the group with spares. As a rule of thumb, prepare many more of the frequent letters, vowels above all, than of rare ones, and keep a few blank cards and a marker ready for gaps.
How long does Crossword Names take?▾
Plan five to ten minutes for a group of 6 to 15. The laying itself is quick, but people need time to find letters, negotiate where names connect and read the finished grid aloud.
What if a name does not share a letter with any other?▾
This is rare once a few names are down, but it can happen with very short names. Let the group rearrange earlier names to open up a connection, or allow a surname initial or nickname as a bridge.
Can Crossword Names be run online?▾
Yes, on a shared whiteboard or in a shared spreadsheet where each cell holds one letter. Ask one person to type the starting name and let the others add theirs so that it crosses an existing name.
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Try it freeMethod descriptions on Workshop Weaver are original content written by our team, based on established facilitation practices. This method was inspired by work from playmeo (Mark Collard).