Memory Tray

Set up

Out of sight, arrange small objects on a tray so that none are hidden behind another. Cover the tray with a cloth. Give every player paper and a pen.

Good objects are ordinary and varied: a key, a spoon, a coin, a button, a toy car, a clothespin, a candle, a pencil sharpener.

How to play

1. Put the covered tray where everyone can see it.
2. Remove the cloth and start a one-minute timer. Players look without touching, talking or writing.
3. Cover the tray again.
4. Players have two minutes to write down every object they can remember.
5. Uncover the tray and go through the objects one by one. Players tick the ones they got.
6. The player with the most correct objects wins. Take off a point for anything listed that was not there.

Ways to change it

• What is missing: after the first look, players close their eyes while you remove one object. The first to name the missing object wins the round. No writing needed, so it suits small children.
• What moved: rearrange two objects and ask which.
• Baby shower tray: fill the tray with baby items: a sock, a pacifier, a rattle, a bib, a bottle brush. The guest of honor keeps them afterward.
• Christmas tray: tree decorations, a candy cane, a bell, a ribbon, a nutcracker.
• Detail round: after the lists are scored, ask questions about the objects: what color was the button, which way did the key point?
• Teams: one list per team, written by whispering.

Who it suits, and who it doesn’t

Memory Tray is a calm, seated game that suits any age from five, and it is a standard at baby showers because the tray can be made of gifts. It works for two players or forty, as long as everyone can see the tray. It rewards quiet concentration, so do not schedule it right after something rowdy.