This Is a What?
This Is a What? is a traditional circle game in which an object is passed from person to person with a fixed call-and-response script. Each new receiver asks 'A what?', and that question has to travel back along the circle to the leader before the answer travels forward again, so the chain of relayed lines grows by one with every pass. The result is a few minutes of concentrated, good-humoured confusion.
Facilitation script
- 1
Form the circle, show the object and announce its invented name. Explain that it will travel round the circle with a strict script.
2 min - 2
Walk through the script slowly with the first three people, making clear that every 'A what?' goes back to you and every answer comes forward from you.
3 min - 3
Let the object travel round the circle. Stay in your place, keep answering, and help the chain restart where it breaks.
5 min - 4
Optional second round: send a second object with a different name the other way and let the two chains cross.
3 min
Tips
Rehearse the script slowly with the first three people before letting it run, because the rule that the question must go all the way back to the leader is what people miss.
Insist on a theatrical tone, puzzled for the question and pleased for the answer, since the game is flat when the lines are mumbled.
Position yourself where you can see the whole chain so you can restart it gently when it stalls.
Common pitfalls
Explaining the rules in the abstract instead of demonstrating them, so the first passer simply answers the question and the relay never forms
Letting people shorten the script once the chain gets long, which removes the build-up that makes the game work
Introducing the second object before the group has mastered the first, which produces chaos that is confusing but not funny
Running it in a very large single circle with one object, so that most people stand idle for minutes before the chain reaches them
Leading it in a flat voice. Without a playful tone from the leader, adults treat the script as an embarrassing chore
Variations
A common extension sends a second object with a different name in the opposite direction, so that two chains of questions and answers cross somewhere on the far side of the circle. A simpler camp-style version drops the full relay: several objects travel at once and each passer just repeats the name a set number of times before handing over. For groups above 20, start objects at two points in the circle to keep waiting time down. The game does not translate well to video calls, because it depends on turning to a neighbour.
Where it fits
When to use it
The group has been listening for a long stretch and needs to laugh and use their voices
You have 12 to 30 people who can form one circle and about ten minutes to spare
Participants are comfortable enough with each other to be a little silly
You want a shared experience to refer to later when talking about handovers and relayed information
A retreat or offsite needs a low-stakes game between heavier sessions
When not to use it
The group is brand new and formal. The theatrical script can feel awkward, so open with 3 Question Mingle or Human Bingo and save this for later
There are fewer than about ten people. The relay chain stays too short to be funny, and Count Up gives a better focus exercise
The session is online. Use Chat Waterfall or Curiosity Ping Pong, which are built for a chat window
Time is tight and you need people energised in two minutes. Shake Down is quicker to explain and run
The room is noisy or people cannot hear well. A game built on short spoken lines relayed from person to person will only frustrate them
Related methods
Frequently asked questions
What is the game This Is a What?▾
This Is a What? is a traditional circle game in which an object is passed round with a scripted exchange. Each receiver asks what the object is, the question is relayed back to the leader, and the answer is relayed forward again, so the chain gets longer with every pass.
How many people do you need for This Is a What?▾
You need 12 to 30 people in one circle; around 12 to 20 is ideal. Below ten the relay is over too soon. In bigger groups, start a second object elsewhere in the circle so fewer people are waiting.
How long does This Is a What? take?▾
Allow 10 to 15 minutes. That covers a slow demonstration with the first few people, one full trip round the circle, and an optional second round with two objects travelling in opposite directions.
What object should you use?▾
Anything small, soft and easy to hand over, such as a soft toy or a foam ball. The object is given an invented name, so what it really is does not matter. Use two clearly different objects if you run the two-direction version.
Does the game have a learning point?▾
It is mainly an energiser, but it can lead into a short conversation about relayed communication. The group has just experienced how slow and error-prone a message becomes when every question must pass through a chain of people to one source.
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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 Traditional circle game; version described by Mark Collard (playmeo).