Heads Down Thumbs Up Game

Ages: 3 years and over.

Indoor or Outdoor: Can be done indoors or outdoors.

Equipment/Resources: All you need is a group to play with and space to play!

Cost: Free.

Instructions:

1) Choose some people out of the group to be 'in'. You can decide how many based on how many are playing the game. Normally about three people are in.

2) Next everyone who is not 'in' needs to put their heads down, close their eyes and stick their thumbs up in the air. This looks really funny, but it's all part of the game. They are to stay like this until they are told they can move. They are not to peek as that would wreck the game!

3) The players that were chosen to be 'in' now sneak silently around the room and choose which person's thumb they will touch. They may only touch one person.

4) If a players thumb is touched they must quickly put both their thumbs down. This shows that they cannot be picked by someone else. They still cannot peek!

5) Once each 'in' child has chosen and touched one person's thumb they are to go back to their spot standing at the front of the group.

6) Next someone needs to yell out, 'heads up, stand up if you were touched'. Those children that had their thumb touched then stand.

7) Each child who is standing is then asked to guess who touched them. The 'in' players don't answer yet, they must wait till the very end. Each child can make between 1-3 guesses of which 'in' player they believed touched them. (Decide how many guesses each child may have before the game starts).



8) Next each 'in' player reveals who they chose. Any players that guessed correctly then get to be 'in' for the next round.



Aim: To see if you can guess who chose you so that you get to be 'in' the next time.

Time: Depends upon how many are playing. You can keep going as long as the children are enjoying it.

Players: A group of children is perfect.

Why?: To keep a group of children occupied when filling in time or waiting for something. It's also a great bonding or winding down experience.

Additions: Have more children being 'in' to make picking harder or each 'in' child could touch two people. Have adults joining in for really funny results.

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#3-5_year_olds
#5-10_year_olds
#10-13_year_olds
#free
#low_cost
#group_game
#social_skills
#turn_taking

%kidfun