Twenty minutes, a tray of household odds and ends and a dish towel. Study, cover, then remember: the classic 1911 game that trains the eye and the memory.
Dad Field Manual editors · Drafted with AI help · Published Oct 15, 2026
A tray or table and a dish towel or coat to cover itHave
15 to 20 safe small objects: a spoon, a sock, a toy car, a key, a crayonHave
Paper and pencil for each playerHave
A timer or watchHave
Where: A table or a clear patch of floor.
Before you start
No sharp objects on the tray, and nothing small enough for a baby or toddler to put in their mouth.
Keep the little ones' reach in mind. If a younger sibling is around, count items back into the box when you finish.
02Steps
Fill the tray
DadWithout letting the kid see, put 15 to 20 small objects on the tray and cover it with the towel. The 1911 book suggests 20 to 30, but start smaller. Write a list of what's on the tray.
Look for one minute
KidWhisk off the towel and set the timer for one minute. The kid can look but not touch or write. Say "Time." and cover the tray again.
Write what you remember
KidGive the kid paper and a pencil, or let a young child whisper the list to Dad. Take a couple of minutes. Spelling doesn't count; a small drawing does.
Check the list
TogetherUncover the tray and tick off what was remembered. Whoever remembers the most wins. Say what they did well.
Swap roles
TogetherNow the kid sets the tray and Dad plays. Dad may not see the tray being set. Notice how hard it is to be sneaky and how much a kid enjoys outwitting a parent.
Try a memory trick
TogetherPlay again, but this time make up a silly story linking the objects in order. Does the story help?
03If it stalls
If the kid gets frustrated, cut the minute to 90 seconds or drop the number of items.
Group objects by color or type in your head: three red things, two metal things.
Don't let the winner brag. Praise the kid who remembered the odd item.
04Variations
Ages 3–5
Six large, safe objects, and the kid points or whispers rather than writes.
Ages 6–9
The full plan with 15 items.
Ages 10+
Twenty items. Or play the 1911 sister game: look at a poster or shop window for one minute, then describe everything that was on it.
OutsideSpread the objects on a blanket in the yard and cover them with a second blanket.
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1911 scouting handbook, p. 311. The 1911 book describes Kim's game: put 20 to 30 small articles on a tray or table and cover them, uncover for one minute, cover again, then have each player name what they remember. The player who remembers the most wins. Project Gutenberg (public domain in the USA) Checked Oct 15, 2026
Dad Field Manual · Field card 70 · Classic Field Skills
Play Kim's game: remember the tray
Twenty minutes, a tray of household odds and ends and a dish towel. Study, cover, then remember: the classic 1911 game that trains the eye and the memory.
Time
20 min
Cost
$0
Ages
5 and up
Where
Kitchen table
Since 1911: The 1911 list includes knives, nuts and corks. Leave out anything sharp, and anything small enough for a young sibling to swallow. Otherwise nothing here has changed since 1911.
What you need
A tray or table and a dish towel or coat to cover it
15 to 20 safe small objects: a spoon, a sock, a toy car, a key, a crayon
Paper and pencil for each player
A timer or watch
Before you start
No sharp objects on the tray, and nothing small enough for a baby or toddler to put in their mouth.
Keep the little ones' reach in mind. If a younger sibling is around, count items back into the box when you finish.
Steps
Fill the tray. Put 15 to 20 safe objects on the tray, cover them and write a list.
Look for one minute. Uncover for one minute, looking only, then cover again.
Write what you remember. Write, draw or whisper every object you remember.
Check the list. Uncover the tray, count what was remembered, and say what worked.
Swap roles. Swap: the kid sets the tray and Dad plays.
Try a memory trick. Replay, linking the objects in a silly story to help recall.
If it stalls
If the kid gets frustrated, cut the minute to 90 seconds or drop the number of items.
Group objects by color or type in your head: three red things, two metal things.
