Overview
Celebrate our most “truthful” presidents with a silly game that mixes word play and imagination. One player tries to coax smiles and giggles out of other players by creating outrageous statements. If you can remain as serious as Abraham Lincoln or George Washington, you can come out a winner, but given the silly nature of this game, there will probably be more laughter than champions!
Age
School-age, Tweens, TeensNumber of Players
2, 3 to 4, 5 to 10, 10 to 20Team Division
Every man for himself (individual players)Competitiveness
Either/or (can be played either way)Difficulty
Easy peasy (fun and simple)Indoor or Outdoor
EitherSpace Needed
Small (a clearable open space the size of a 1-car garage), Medium (a clearable open space the size of a 2-car garage)Noise Level
Semi-rambunctiousMess Factor
Clean and tidyPrep Time
No prep time needed!Game Time Length
5 - 15 minutesSetup
1. Designate one player to be the President.
2. Have all the other players form a line, standing shoulder to shoulder, facing the President. Right before play begins, make sure everyone puts on a serious face (this in itself may make some fall out right away)!
3. Assign a “monitor” - this person will determine whether a player has smiled, laughed, or stayed serious.
How to Play
The object of this game is simple: the President tries to make the players smile or laugh by using a series of questions. Anyone who laughs, smiles, or giggles must sit down. Here’s how the President tries to achieve his goals.
1. One by one, the President faces a player and says to them, “Is it true... [and then they come up with a funny question]?” (For example, “Is it true that you like wearing pantyhose on your head and pretending to be a bunny?”)
2. The player must reply, “I cannot tell a lie... [and then repeat what has been asked by the President]." (For example, “I cannot tell a lie... it is true that I like wearing pantyhose on my head and pretend to be a bunny!”) If at any time the player or those around him/her smiles, laughs, or giggles, they must sit down.
3. You can give the President a time limit, or a number of players that he/she can approach to keep the game moving. See how many players are left standing.
Variations
1. Spy version: Have the President go out of the room and choose one person to be the spy. The spy is the only one in the group who is allowed to lie. This game is not about making people laugh, it’s about discovering the spy. With that in mind, more inane questions like "Is it true you have black hair” would be more fitting, since the spy would have to deny black hair, when they actually have black hair.
Tips
1. Make sure you’ve got “officials” on site to verify those who crack a smile.
2. Players must place hands at their sides. They cannot hide their mouths or shield their faces.
3. Younger children may gravitate to “potty humor”... it happens... just try to keep it from becoming too crude!
4. Encourage the President to come up with wild and silly statements, but nothing that can be considered hurtful or disrespectful.