Group game idea: Occupations
/A while back we played a fun and easy, new-to-us group game called Occupations. I love a game that can include everyone from the very youngest, bright-eyed players to the very oldest, wisest ones; this is one of those times when "fun for all ages" is actually genuinely true. When we played it was at a party with several families--the youngest kids were about 6, the oldest kids were 18-19, and the parents topped off the range (*cough* 40-something). Everyone had a blast.
Gratuitous Richard Scarry picture placement. I have Busytown nostalgia. My kids loved these books.
Here's the lowdown:
Equipment: a slip of paper for each player (and enough pens to use) and a basket/bowl/bucket
Skills: memory and good guessing
To win: remember the occupations list, correctly guess, and be the last one standing whose occupation has not been guessed
1. Everyone sits in a circle. Have each player write down an occupation on a slip of paper, fold it, and put it in the basket without telling or showing anyone what's on it. (The occupations can be real or invented, silly or serious. I think our bank of jobs ranged from "elephant poop picker upper" to "cashier." It doesn't have to be what you are or what you want to be--just any occupation.)
2. After all the slips are in the basket, one person reads through them out loud. The group should listen carefully because it's the only time they'll hear all of the occupations and being able to remember them is important when you play the game. (When we played, the person read through them twice because we had 30-40 people and a LOT to remember.)
3. The youngest person in the group starts off the game by taking a guess what someone in the circle wrote ("Dad, are you the "circus clown"?)
4. If she's correct, that guessed person joins the guesser as a member of her team and she (the guesser) gets to guess again. If she's not correct, the turn moves to the person on her left.
5. When you correctly guess the occupation of someone who's already part of a team, the whole guessed person's team joins the guesser's team. Teams are led by the guesser who's still "active" in the game (that is, whose occupation has not yet been correctly guessed) but the teammates can give advice and suggestions.
6. The last person standing (whose occupation hasn't been guessed) wins.
Hint: The more the merrier with this one! You want plenty of players, enough so it's hard to remember all the occupations.
What group games do you love to play at your house? Any suggestions for teen gatherings? Mixed ages?
