Overview
With the internet abuzz with news and photos, everyone seems to know everyone. This game uses people in the media as it's game pieces. All you need is a bowl, some slips of paper, and a bunch of folks ready to have fun. Teachers, check my variations for use in the classroom.
Age
School-age, Tweens, Teens, AdultsNumber of Players
5 to 10, 10 to 20, 20+Team Division
Teamwork! (divide into teams)Competitiveness
Either/or (can be played either way)Difficulty
Attention, please! (a few rules to follow)Indoor or Outdoor
EitherSpace Needed
Small (a clearable open space the size of a 1-car garage)Noise Level
RowdyMess Factor
Clean and tidyPrep Time
5 - 10 minutesGame Time Length
15 - 30 minutesSupplies
Setup
1. Have everyone playing come up with 3 or more names of well known figures. They can be actors, celebrities, characters, famous politicians, historical figures, etc. Living or dead, real or fictional, as long as they are well known.
2. Have each player write their chosen names on individual slips of paper. Make sure that each person is secretive about who they write down.
3. Fold the papers in half and collect them in a large bowl or container.
4. Divide the entire group into teams with about 4 members per team.
5. Seat each team together but apart from the other teams.
6. Designate one person to be the "Timer".
How to Play
1. Select which team will start.
2. Team 1 chooses a player to be "it". The bowl is handed to "it".
3. Set the timer for 1 minute.
4. On "Go", "It" reaches into the bowl, pulls out a celebrity name, reads it silently and then gives clues to their team about the celebrity. "It" can provide their team with any information that can come up with - just not their name. "It" can act out what they do, or perform something made popular by that celebrity, whatever it takes.
5. The team work's together to guess the mystery name.
6. If the team guesses the celebrity before the minute is up, "It" pulls another name from the bowl and continues.
7. For each name guessed correctly the team earns a point.
8. If the minute is up before the team guesses the name, then that slip of paper goes back in the bowl. Correctly guessed slips of paper are kept by the team.
9. The bowl is then passed to the next team.
10. Each round of the game should have a different team member pulling names from the bowl.
11. The game is over when all the names have been pulled from the bowl.
12. Teams tally up the number of slips of paper they have, and a winner is declared.
Variations
1. Teachers - limit the "celebrities" to historical figures or characters from novels you are studying. Have the kids write down dates, historical locations, battles, etc.
Educational
1. Teachers, have your students play a version of this game as review before a history test. Incorporate key figures and events.