You might remember the elementary school game telephone, where one person whispers a message to another, and  then another to another, and so on, until you end up with something completely different from the original message. Well, I’ve invented (i.e., adapted from disparate sources) another form of this game, using haiku and drawing instead of whispering. Curious? Read below for more details!

You will need:

1. Pens and Pencils
2. Index Cards (at least three per person)
3. Egg timer or stopwatch (optional)

Here’s how the game works:

1. Write a haiku on one side of an index card.
2. Pass this card, haiku-side up, to the person on your left.
3. Draw, on the other side of the card you’ve just been handed, what the haiku is about. Don’t worry if you can draw well or badly; bad drawings can sometimes make the most interesting games.
4. Pass this card, drawing-side up, to the person on your left. Do not look at the other side of the card you’ve just been handed.
5. On a new index card, write a haiku based on the drawing just given to you.
6. Pass this new card, haiku-side up, to the person on your left.
7. Repeat steps 3-6.
8. After all the cards have been filled (or when people get tired), read the haikus aloud and hold the drawings aloft. It’s fun to see how the haikus “evolve” through drawing after drawing.

Tips:

1. If people get “stuck” for inspiration, institute a time limit, e.g. 90 seconds to write a haiku, 3 minutes for a drawing.