Group GamesMemory Tray
Players look at a tray of objects for one minute. Then the tray is covered and they write down everything they can remember. It is a quiet game that works well between two noisy ones.
- Players
- 2 or more
- Time
- 10 minutes
- You need
- A tray, 15 small objects, a cloth, paper and pens
- Ages
- 6 and above
- Type
- Games for kids
Who it suits and when to play
Memory Tray suits children from six upward and is a quiet favourite at birthday parties, in classrooms and on evenings when the power is out. It needs no reading, only looking and remembering, and adults are often beaten by nine-year-olds. Use fewer objects for small children and more for older ones.
How to play
- Put 12 to 15 small things on a tray: a spoon, a key, a comb, a coin, a leaf, an eraser and so on.
- Show the tray for exactly one minute. No writing yet.
- Cover the tray with a cloth.
- Give two minutes to write down as many objects as each player can remember.
- Uncover the tray and check. One point for each correct object, minus one for an object that was never there.
Tips and variations
- Second round: remove one object secretly and ask what is missing.
- For small children use 8 objects; for adults use 20.
Common problems and how to fix them
- Children call out answers. Everyone writes or draws their list silently. Lists are read out only at the end.
- It is too hard for the youngest. Use eight objects for under-sevens, and let them say the names to an adult who writes.
- The same objects become boring. Change half the tray each round, or remove one object and ask which is missing.
More games for kids
- Treasure Hunt at Home 30 minutes, plus 20 to prepare
- Statue (Freeze Dance) 10 minutes
- Leader Says 10 minutes
- Picnic Races 30 to 45 minutes
Need fair teams or someone to go first? Use the team maker. See all 45 games.