Memory Race

A race against the mind!

Materials

Beanbags
Masking tape
Marker
Paper
Hoops

Framing

Participants flip over the beanbag with the correct letter/number/word for the question asked or statement made. Place 15-30 beanbags in the activity space. Write down letters/number/words on the tape and stick these to the beanbags. Place a hoop around 15-20 feet away from the beanbags, and the groups will line up behind their hoop. List of questions that will have letter, number, or word answers - that is up to the leader. Make sure that the questions/statements all have different answer, or be sure to have enough answers for the questions/statements.

Instructions

Divide participants into groups of 3-5 participants.
Start with the beanbags flipped up and allow groups each 20-30 seconds to examine each beanbag and try to memorize where each letter/number/word is located.
All groups will line up behind their hoop.

- The leader will read a question or say a statement for what to look for. Example of questions:
- What letter does “apology” start with?
- How many fingers does Mickey Mouse have on one hand?
- What object do we open up to protect us from rain?
- Find the fifth letter of the word “earth”.
- Find the answer to 6x7.
- Find the word that is opposite to open.
After the leader says the question or statement, the first participant in each line will run to the beanbags. They will put their foot on the beanbag they believe the answer is under.
There cannot be more than one participant on each beanbag. So if a participant gets to a beanbag first, then the other participants have to find another one.
They will all flip over their beanbags. The participant with the correct answer takes that beanbag back to their group and puts it in their hoop.

- If none of the participants are correct, then no one gets the beanbag, and the leader will either repeat that question for the next set of participants, or save it for later.
When you get down to less beanbags remaining than participants, then the first participant to get to the beanbag(s) get to flip them over.
Play until there are no bean bags left.

Modify

Participants don’t take the beanbag when they get to the correct answer, they leave it where it is, and the leader gives them another beanbag, a tennis ball, a sticker, or something else that represents a point. The leader will mix up the beanbags part way through.
Instead of having participants go against each other, each participant gets their own question, and if they are wrong, then the next participant goes and so on.
Use pylons and place the answers under the pylons.