Numbers
See how many numbers your group can say without anyone treading on your twos!
Before you begin
- Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. There's also more guidance to help you carry out your risk assessment, including examples. Don’t forget to make sure all young people and adults involved in the activity know how to take part safely.
- Make sure you’ll have enough adult helpers. You may need some parents and carers to help if you’re short on helpers.
- You might want to make or print a number timeline to help everyone know what order the numbers should go in.
Play the game
- Everyone should sit in a circle.
- Tell everyone that the aim of the game is, as a group, to count out loud from one to as high as possible, without any two or more people saying the same number at the same time.
- Anyone can speak at any time, saying any amount of numbers. The numbers need to be said in order from 1 upwards.
- However, as soon as two people say a number at the same time you must start again.
- The only rules are that you can’t go round the circle and take it in turns to say numbers.
- You also can’t point or gesture at people to indicate who’ll be the next person to speak.
- How high can you get?
Safety
All activities must be safely managed. You must complete a thorough risk assessment and take appropriate steps to reduce risk. Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Always get approval for the activity, and have suitable supervision and an InTouch process.
- People can work in small groups or as a whole group, depending on what will work best for your group. This game can be played sitting or standing – whichever way works best for everyone.
- Take time and have patience while telling everyone what to do. Give short instructions clearly and concisely. If you need to, pause, then repeat the same instruction using the same words. You could have visual resources to explain the game or a printed copy of the instructions for anyone who may need them.
- Some people may struggle to know what number comes next. You could create a number timeline and point to the numbers as their said, so everyone can follow along.
- You could have a practice round of the game to make sure everyone knows what they’re doing. Let young people help explain to each other what to do, too.
- Make sure any individual with hearing loss can clearly see the person speaking, as they may find it helpful to read lips or body language, especially in a fast-moving speaking game. An adult could remind everyone to say the numbers slowly, loudly and clearly. You could ask people to say one number at a time, rather than any number of numbers to help people keep track of the numbers.
- This game can be played in small groups around a small table, so everyone can see each other or put their hand in the middle when they say a number. If you’re playing in a circle, you could ask people to stand up or put their hand up when they say their number, too.
- If it’s too noisy and anyone doesn’t like the noise, the person leading the activity can remind everyone to be quieter. People could wear ear defenders, or you could run the activity outside.
All Scout activities should be inclusive and accessible.
