Visual Phone is a great energizer to get everyone engaged while fostering a conversation about communication and its interpretations.

Running the activity:

  1. Break the large group into sets of three people (one or two groups can have four people).
  2. Place three sticky notes and a pen in front of each person.
  3. Ask everyone to write a sentence (on the sticky note), then place a blank sticky note on top of it (at this time, only the author of the sentence knows it).
  4. Everyone passes the sticky note clockwise.
  5. Each person reads the sentence from the sticky note in front of them, and then creates a representative drawing for the sentence (on the blank sticky note).
  6. Everyone passes the sticky notes clockwise.
  7. On a new sticky note, each person writes a sentence for the drawing in front of them, and places it on top of the sticky note set (now the set has three sticky notes: the original sentence, the drawing, and the new sentence).
  8. Everyone passes the sticky note set clockwise (for the groups of three people, the set should end up in front of the original sentence writer).
  9. Open the sticky note set so everyone can see the sentences and their respective drawings.

 

Typically, participants will laugh and have a great time comparing drawings and sentences.

This is a great energizer with a sublime message about communication (visual and written), context, and interpretations.