Ante Up

submitted here by Kathy Deik of Twining Village

Size of Group: small to large

Equipment: a jar of pennies (about 25 per person and 100 more for the "pot"), questions written on index cards beforehand

Objective: increase socialization

Description: Residents sit around a table. Each has 25 pennies placed in front of him/her. The "pot" of pennies is placed in the middle. Each resident takes turns reading a card and following the directions on it. Each card tells the reader to either give or take a penny. The resident with the most pennies at the end "wins", but this is also just a fun socializing game and is good for ice breakers too. Very quick to organize after you've done it once.

Some sample cards would be:

• IF YOU HAVE EVER BEEN TO HAWAII, TAKE A PENNY FROM THE POT
• IF YOU ARE WEARING EYEGLASSES, GIVE A PENNY TO THE PERSON ON YOUR RIGHT
• IF YOU LIKE ICE CREAM, GIVE A PENNY TO EACH PERSON SITTING AT THE TABLE
• IF YOU KNOW HOW TO TYPE, TAKE A PENNY FROM THE PERSON ACROSS FORM YOU AT THE TABLE
• IF YOUR FAVORITE COLOR IS BLUE, GIVE A PENNY TO THE POT
• IF YOU CAN SAY HELLO IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE, DO SO, THEN TAKE A PENNY FROM THE POT
• SHAKE HANDS WITH THE PERSON ON YOUR RIGHT, AND GIVE HIM A PENNY
• IF YOU HAVE EVER BEEN ON A BOAT, TAKE A PENNY FROM THE POT
• WHISTLE DIXIE, THEN GIVE A PENNY TO A PERSON WEARING RED
• ETC. ETC. ETC.

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