The "Um" Game

Brinda Green, CTRS also found this activity for our facility, but it was originally submitted by Anna Mallard (Activity Therapist at New Hope for Children - Jedburg, SC).

Materials:
A small bag of random, familiar items
Horn/Buzzer

Description:
-Sitting in a circle, have each individual take turns describing an item given to them from the bag.  The person has one minute to describe the item.
-If the person says the word "um" or pauses for more than five seconds, they will sit down and wait until the next round to participate.
-If the person successfully describes the item, he/she will receive a point.
-Peers will be encouraged to use the horn/buzzer or make a buzzer sound if they hear "um" or count five seconds of silence.

There are several different ways to process this activity:
-Anxiety/public speaking
-Concentration
-Listening Skills
-Expand vocabulary