Summary: A kids’ game in which seven people secretly select seven other kids by pushing their thumbs down at “night”, followed by those kids guessing which of the seven chose them.
Ages: 6-12. Recommended # of People: 20+. Messiness Factor: No Sweat. Materials Required: None.
How to Play
Seven-up (7Up) is a popular elementary school game that has the benefit of getting kids to be quiet. In the game, seven students are chosen to be “It”, and so they stand at the front of the classroom. When the lights are out, the remaining students are instructed to close their eyes, put their heads down and make a fist with one hand, except for an upwards-pointing thumb. The seven standing students roam around the room, each touching one person’s thumb. The person that was touched then puts his or her thumb down, so that he or she isn’t picked twice.
When the seven students are done choosing, they return to the front of the room (“Heads up, seven up!”) and the lights go back on. All students open their eyes and raise their heads. The seven students whose thumbs had been touched stand up and take turns trying to guess who their toucher was. If they guess correctly, they replace the toucher at the front of the room. If a toucher managed to not get picked by the student he touched, the toucher stayed in the game for another round.
This game is especially well-suited for kids.