Group: large enough to form three small groups of three or more.

Age: 9 to adult.

The point: to wake up the love and fun of language, and the way imagination grows from chance meetings of words. With some groups, you can talk about the Surreal, and that particular thrill that comes from some irrational juxtapositions. (How is it different from simply 'being silly'? Some children's poetry editors think it's the same thing.) The game leads on to any art form you like.

Warm up with word-associations in a circle, until everyone feels comfortable saying the first word that comes into their head, without judging or thinking. Encourage everyone to play with the different sounds and feel of words - some serious, some jokey, some slang, some old-fashioned, some short, some long...

Divide into three groups. Each forms a little circle and goes on word-associating in a circle, BUT...

GROUP A does only abstract nouns e.g. Love, Worry, Depth, Accident, Dream, Gravity

GROUP B does only adjectives e.g. Sizzling, Purple, Resplendent, Slimy, Dead

GROUP C does only nouns for concrete things e.g. Wardrobe, Alligator, Snow, Policeman, Trombone.

Stop. Each person think back and remember the one word in their group they found most interesting/funny/haunting/unexpected/strange. The one that sticks in your head, for whatever reason. Don't say it out loud.

The three small groups line up. The first person from each comes to the front to meet each other... turns and speaks their title to the rest:

"The [group A word] of the [group B word] [group C word]!"

e.g. 

The Love of the Resplendent Alligator

The Dream of the Dead Trombone

Depending what your interests are, take the title and 
(a) write a poem about it, or 
(b) draw a picture of it, or 
(c) improvise a dance or mime or use whatever art form you are working with. 

Then share.

© Philip Gross

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