Anti-Um

Anti-Um was originally devised to help children or adults learn the art of good public speaking, particularly in the area of speaking well without pauses or interruptions.

Age: All ages

No. of players: 4 or more

Equipment: None

Time: 10 minutes+

Aim: The aim is to speak on a given topic for one minute without pausing.

1. One player chooses any topic, such as "Butterflies", "Paint" or "Smelly". The person on their left then has thirty seconds to think about the topic before they must speak for at least one minute on the topic without pausing or saying "Um" (or "Arr" or "Like" or any similar word or phrase which is used as a pause while thinking).

2. Although it is rather difficult when you first start to speak off the cuff for a minute, it becomes much easier after a few weeks of practise. Just watch out for the "Ums"! It is great for practising public speaking, and should not be too embarrassing if you are with family and friends!