IceBreaker (Telephone Game) – Mentor

While engaging mentees with the telephone game, mentors will encourage active listening in preparation for the upcoming quality building tour.

The Object of the Game
The main purpose of the Telephone Game is for the amusement of the players. However, there
are some additional benefits for those playing.

The Telephone Game:

● helps clearly show how small misconceptions can end up making a huge difference.
● is fun for the players, generates laughs, and helps a group relax.
● can help develop active listening skills.
● serves as a springboard for discussing the importance of active listening.
● is used for classroom counseling lessons to help students understand the impact of gossip and
rumors.

How to Play the Telephone Game
Getting Started. 

1. Players must sit in a circle or stand in a straight line. They need to be close
enough that whispering is possible, but not so close that players can hear each other
whisper.
2. Begin the Game. The first person in the line or circle whispers a word or phrase into the ear
of the person sitting or standing to their right.
3. The Game Continues. Players whisper the phrase to their neighbors until it reaches the last
player in line.
4. The Conclusion. The last player says the word or phrase out loud so everyone can hear how
much it has changed from the first whisper at the beginning of the circle or line.

Rules for Telephone Game:

● The word or phrase can only be whispered once, so players must pay close attention.
● The word or phrase should never be a too familiar; you want to make sure it changes as it is
whispered.
● Only one player – the first – should know what the word or phrase is. The facilitator of the
game may wish to have the original phrase or word written down.