Resources
Props
- Set of 100 alphabet cards
Step-by-Step Instructions
- In advance, collect or create a set of alphabet cards (see Resources tab.)
- Lay these cards on a flat surface in front of your group, eg table or floor.
- Invite one volunteer to find the letters belonging to their first name and lay them side-by-side on the table/floor to spell their name.
- When ready, invite all group members to find the letters of their first name and lay them in a manner that they intersect and connect with the letters/names belonging to other people, ie crossword-style.
- Challenge your group to arrange all of the letters in a way that connects the names of everyone to the group.
- In conclusion, invite your group to review all of the names represented.
How To Play Narrative
This has become one of my go-to activities for groups that I expect will arrive in dribs and drabs. It’s ideal for both new and well-knit groups.
You’ll need to create or access a set of large alphabet letter cards. You can download a Print+Play set from the Resources tab or you can source them commercially.
Start by pulling out the letters which spell your name, ie D E V O N and lay them on a large table or the floor.
Spread the rest of the letters in a random pile close by.
Then, as the first people begin to arrive, invite them to grab the letters of their first name from the pile and challenge them to add their letters to your name crossword-style, ie where common letters intersect and connect to one another.
For example, Vera could choose to lay her letters below the V of Devon’s name because they share a common letter, ie Vera need only grab three extra letters to add her name.
The longer the names, the better because this will allow for many more letters to connect to and intersect with.
Over the course of several minutes, as more and more people arrive, the task becomes bigger and sometimes more complex as fewer letters remain and/or opportunities for connections become scarce.
If you’re lucky, the names of everyone in your group will find a way to connect to the ever-expanding crossword. If not, then that’s okay – you will have engaged your group immediately as they arrived, enjoyed a few fun moments and possibly learned a few new names. An ideal unofficial start.
Typically, standing in a circle around our crossword names, I like to invite my group to think of why I might have started with this activity. There are many rich and meaningful connections, and possibly the most powerful is that everyone is connected to the group somehow.
Example
As shared by long-time playmeo member Jennifer:

Practical Leadership Tips
Download a set of Print+Play letters of the alphabet from the Resources tab. You’ll be able to print and cut out 100 letters that mimic the commercial board game Scrabble.
Crossword Names is a wonderful unofficial start – if this concept is new to you, click the link.
You could use an actual set of Scrabble tiles, but… they are quite small. So, unless you are working with ten or fewer people, you are best to create a set of much larger letters to make them easier for a large group to see and handle.
The supply of each letter is limited, so it is natural for some letters to be used up quickly, eg the five vowels. In this case, you can either challenge your group to find a way to solve this problem, or… invite a little creativity in the way they spell some of their names.
Social-Emotional Learning
You could integrate Crossword Names as part of a well-designed SEL program to promote and maintain healthy and supportive relationships and to effectively navigate settings with diverse people.
Specifically, this activity offers ample opportunities to explore and practice the following social & interpersonal skills:
Self-Awareness
- Identifying Personal, Cultural & Linguistic Assets
- Demonstrating Self-Confidence, Honesty & Integrity
- Experiencing Self-Efficacy
Self-Management
- Demonstrating Self-Discipline & Self-Motivation
- Setting Personal & Group Goals
- Taking Initiative
- Use Planning & Organisational Skills
Social Awareness
- Taking Other’s Perspectives
- Appreciating Diversity
- Recognising Strengths In Others
- Respecting Others
Relationship Skills
- Communicate & Listen Effectively
- Seeking and/or Offering Support
- Build Positive Relationships
- Demonstrate Cultural Competency
- Work Collaboratively
- Showing Leadership
- Resolving Conflict Constructively
Responsible Decision-Making
- Demonstrating Curiosity & Open-Mindedness
- Making Reasoned Judgements
- Promoting Personal & Collective Well-Being
You can learn more about SEL and how it can support character education here.
Health & Wellness Programming
There is no specific health & wellness perspective to this activity other than promoting the benefits to one’s well-being of affirming one’s name and interacting with others to complete a simple puzzle.
If you can think of more explicit ways in which Crossword Names could be purposefully integrated into a health and wellness program, please leave a comment at the base of this page.
Popular Variations
- Arrival Activity: Take a look at Unofficial Start to present this exercise as a practical strategy to fill idle time and/or engage your group when they first arrive at your venue/class/session.
- Any Name: Invite the use of any name to be included in the crossword pattern, eg nicknames, surnames, alternative spellings, another language, etc.
- Letters & Numbers: Include the numerals 0 to 9 multiple times and permit their use to represent one or more letters of the alphabet. For example, the number 4 is sometimes substituted for an A, ie M 4 R I E.
- Theme Starter: Use a word that represents the theme of your program or some other significant attribute as a starting point, eg COLLABORATION. Then, invite group members to add their names to this word. Thanks to JeWElle de Mesa for offering this variation.
- Alphabet Letter Challenge: Supply only the 26 letters belonging to the English alphabet. Challenge your group to form a bunch of words that connect and intersect crossword-style so that (a) every word is legitimate and (b) uses all 26 letters. Click here to see one possible solution.
- Diversity, Equity & Inclusion: Distribute a bunch of blank index cards to each person and ask them to create their own alphabet cards. Encourage them to express their letters in whatever form, shape, colour, etc that they choose.
You Might Also Like...
0
What’s In A Name
Innovative series of games involving people's full names.
1
Fill Me In
Active circle name-game with lots of fun variations.
6
Bumpity Bump Bump Bump
Quick circle name-game for groups that know each other.
Useful Framing Ideas
This next group exercise will demonstrate the effort it takes to connect every one of you to the group…
I’m not a big crossword fan, but I know many people are. In this instance, there are no clues other than the use of your names, and there is no rigid framework other than what you create as you work together…
Reflection Tips & Strategies
Coupled with one or more reflection strategies, here are some sample questions you could use to process your group’s experience after playing this fun, interactive name-game:
- How did it feel to see most if not all of the names connected to the group?
- What might this tell you about our time together in this program?
- What was the most difficult part of solving this puzzle?
- Do you think this exercise helped you learn or recall a few new names?
- If you could change the rules, what would you do next time?
Source
On a recent workshop, it was the first time for me to see a space square with a heart drawn onto it. The group said this was about how ‘loved’ they felt as all their names were reflected on the wall; and that sometimes a loving thing to do with colleagues is to give them ‘space’, in whatever way, shape, or form. (“,)
Oh wow JeWElle, this is amazing. Such a simple activity yet so powerful a result. Well done for inspiring this.
thaaaaanks for this, mark.
verrrrry quickly – for diversity – with enough time – have learners choose their own colors, shapes and writing instruments, et al. these choices can be used in future sharing opportunities about:
1) reasons for choice
2) how the shapes, colors, et al represent them
3) other topics for diversity – same letters/different shapes, et al
I really appreciate how you have added a diversity angle to this activity, thanks for sharing JeWeL.
We’ve also added a ‘creatively directional’ angle – as a starting point, a crossword phrase or statement is placed in the middle of a wall/floor/table.
With the current project I’m supporting (data-driven development or 3D), we thought writing the name of the area plus ‘is 3D’ might help get the ball rolling, eg MELBOURNE IS 3D.
The spaces can be empty squares, or in one area, they put IS on one square.
All 10 areas we worked with wanted the challenge of putting all names on the board. Following this, we added a reflection question: What were some of the ways/methods we used to ensure that all names are reflected? Some responses that came up were – using full or nicknames, abbreviations (jr. for junior).
Enjoyyyyy!
Beautiful JeWElle, I always appreciate your creativity and willingness to share.