Alphabetically Speaking With Friends

word-games-thinking

Try this today

Start With A:

 

• In a group of two or more, the first person begins with a sentence that starts with the letter “A.”
• The next person to respond starts with the letter “B” and so on.
• You can play as a nonsense game where the sentences are unrelated, or you can make it more challenging by trying to tell a story together or carry on a regular conversation.

 

Start a Story:

 

• Try out a written equivalent of the game by making up your own alphabetical version of what's often referred to as the "exquisite corpse" exercise. This is a collaborative literary game that can be used by a group to develop a story. Starting with the letter "A," someone writes a sentence on a piece of paper then passes it to the next person, who writes another sentence, starting with "B," folds the paper to hide the first person's line and passes it on to the next person until everyone has added a line. You can keep going all the way to Z, or stop midway at "M" or "N." Each person must ready only the previous line before writing their own to help provide the story with a semblance of continuity.
• Raise the stakes: The first person to stumble buys coffee or cookies.

Why

• Recruit friends. To play an alphabetical word game, start by speaking a sentence that starts with the letter "A."
• Take turns. The next player comes up with a sentence that begins with "B." Take turns until you've made your way through the alphabet.
• Write now. You can also play by writing down your "A" sentence and passing it to the next player. Each person folds the paper so players only see the previous sentence. Then, read the "story" aloud!

 

Word games activate parts of the brain that deal with language and word finding. One of the best perks of playing games is that they have so much entertainment value, they don’t feel like work. This activity combines wordplay and social skills. Studies suggest people with rich social networks are mentally sharper. Plus, the give-and-take involved in group settings may strengthen our communication skills, as a robust social life facilitates a positive feedback loop of social, emotional, intellectual and physical well-being.

 

You can play this game during a regular conversation or as a stand-alone activity.