In or Out

The Basics

Players sit in a circle, one player thinks of a basic topic or category without telling the group. Each player says a word, and the first player then must say in or out depending if it fits the category or not. The goal of the group is to guess the topic. Once the topic is guessed the player who made the correct guess then thinks of a new category. Topics may include the Farm, Movies, New York City, Yellow, Space, anything goes!

Some groups suggested that a “Hot, Warm, Cold” scale may be better, as some things like “animals” work very well for the topic of “farm”, but something like “buildings” or “money” would be a challenge for kids to make a definitive answer.

In the Classroom

• The pace in the game can get slow as players try to find the perfect word. The leader’s job is to move it along. Even an “out” response provides information!

• There is a logic to this game, and guesses should become more focused as the players know more and more. Interrupting the game with a quick, “here is what we know” segment can focus players more.

Curriculum Connections:

• This is a good warm-up for focusing. Getting everyone on the the same page by getting them to solve things logically.

• It also is a good word play game, expanding students vocabulary and getting them to consider how things are connected. (Is a human an animal? Well yes. So animal is in…)