Educational Games: Game 6, Common Threads

    

Players are challenged to  figure out the common characteristic or category for 

lists of three related items.

Age Range: 4 to 12

Skills Used: factual knowledge, reasoning, 

listening

Number of Players: 3 to 8

Noise Level: moderate to high

Activity Level: low

Materials: cards with lists of three related 

items

Setup

Create cards listing three items that have something in common. For example: hooves, 

paws, talons—kinds of feet; sash, cummerbund, belt—things that go around your waist; 

Ford, Allis Chalmers, John Deere—kinds of tractors; a hunter, Robin Hood, Cupid—all 

shoot a bow and arrow; and so on. Include the answer at the bottom or on the back of 

the card.

How to Play

The game director reads the list on the card and asks, “What’s the common thread?” The 

players, or teams, quickly say their answer. The first correct answer is awarded a point. If 

two or more players answer at the same time, only those players are eligible to answer the 

next card to earn the point. Once the point has been given, everyone is back in the game. 

The player (or team) with the most points is the winner.

Variations

For younger or beginning players, make all of the items on the list belong to one 

category, such as triangle, circle, square (shapes) or red, yellow, blue (colors).

For slightly older players, make all of the items on the list have a similar characteristic, 

such as horses, lions, alligators (all have four legs) or grapes, pumpkins, cucumbers (all 

grow on vines).

For older or more advanced players, make sure the items sound dissimilar yet still have 

a common thread, such as tile, checkerboard, knot (all are square); a cherry, Edgar Allen Poe, 

an arm (all have pits); or a needle, a potato, a spider (all have eyes).

Let players take turns reading the list. The other players can write their answers. The 

reader verifies and awards a point to each person with the correct answer.

Tips

Add more than three items to your lists for those just learning the game or if you 

want to reinforce certain vocabulary or characteristics.

Challenge players to think of additional groupings to use at another time.

Give credit to those who can think of another common thread for any given list.

Take the cards with you to play while waiting in line.

Source

Alexis Ludewig and Amy Swan, 101 Great Classroom Games, New York, 2007.