What Am I?

Name and Purpose

What Am I? is a gentle circle game where players figure out the noun on their forehead by asking yes/no questions.
It builds logical thinking, question-forming skills, and vocabulary . and works especially well in multilingual groups.

a.k.a.

Age / Group / Time / Space

Materials

One sticky note per player (or small piece of paper with a loop of tape)
One pen or pencil per player
Optional: a pre-written set of noun cards the leader distributes (easier to manage for younger groups)

Quick-Run Card

Each player writes any noun on a sticky note in secret.
Pass the note to the person on your left. They stick it to their own forehead without reading it.
On your turn, ask three yes/no questions: “Am I alive? Am I bigger than a dog? Can I fly?”
After three questions, the turn moves on. Keep going around the circle.
When you correctly guess your noun, celebrate . and help others by being a good yes/no answerer.

Setup and Boundaries

Seated circle, close enough for everyone to see each other’s foreheads
Signal: leader raising a hand = everyone pauses and listens
Remind players: nouns should be common, understandable things (not proper names or very obscure items)

How to Play

Each player secretly writes one noun on their sticky note (a cat, a table, a cloud, a shoe).
Players pass their note to the neighbour on their left. Without looking, that player sticks the note to their own forehead.
The leader starts. On each player’s turn, they ask up to three yes/no questions about what they are.
The group answers each question honestly and clearly: yes or no only.
After three questions, the turn passes to the next player. The first player tries again on their next turn.
When a player guesses correctly, the group celebrates (clap, cheer, or a simple “Yes!”). That player may put the note down and become an answerer for the remaining players.
Play ends when everyone has guessed correctly, or after an agreed time limit.

I-OPt Options

Start
- A (Active): Write a fun noun and jump into asking questions eagerly
- S (Support): Help a neighbour think of a good noun to write
- Q (Quiet): Write a simple, common noun and ask straightforward questions
- O (Observer): Watch the first round and join when it feels comfortable
Mid
- A (Active): Use strategic questions to narrow down your noun quickly
- S (Support): Give clear, emphatic yes/no answers to help questioners
- Q (Quiet): Ask one or two questions and listen carefully before asking the third
- O (Observer): Watch the question patterns and notice which questions are most useful
Late
- A (Active): Help others by giving hint-style facial expressions (within the rules)
- S (Support): Encourage players who are struggling with a warm “Great question!”
- Q (Quiet): Continue asking steady questions at your own pace
- O (Observer): Share a useful question strategy you noticed
End
- A (Active): Lead a quick debrief question
- S (Support): Celebrate every remaining player still guessing
- Q (Quiet): Offer a short debrief answer
- O (Observer): Share the most strategic question you heard during the game

Inclusion Adaptations

For younger players or those with limited vocabulary, the leader can pre-write the nouns to ensure they are age-appropriate and familiar to everyone
Players who have already guessed correctly can become “hint helpers” . they can nod or gesture (but not speak) to guide others

Stewardship Moment

Sticky notes can be reused if players write lightly and carefully. Store them for future rounds.
Reflection: “We described things using only yes and no. What does that tell you about how many ways there are to describe one thing?”

Consent

Pre-brief: “Everyone will have a note on their head for this game. For those not comfortable with something on their forehead, holding the note in front of your face works just as well.”
Mid-game check: After a few rounds, quick check-in. Anyone can switch to a hold-in-front variation at any time.
Opt-out/re-entry: Any player can choose not to write a noun this round and join as an answerer only. Rejoin as a questioner on the next round.

Risks and Mitigation

Unkind nouns written on notes: if using player-written notes, remind everyone before writing that the noun should be something kind and neutral. Leader scans notes quickly before they are passed.
Non-readers: the leader can whisper the noun to a player instead of using a written note
Slow rounds: set a timer (30 seconds per turn) to keep energy up

Warm-Up Suggestions

Category Shout: leader names a category (animals, food, sports), everyone shouts one example at the same time
20 Questions practice: the group tries to guess one object the leader is thinking of, together, using yes/no questions

Debrief Questions

What? “What question helped you the most in figuring out what you were?”
So What? “What does it feel like to be described only by yes and no answers?”
Now What? “How can asking better questions help you understand a situation or a person more clearly?”

Cleanup and Reset