How to Play Eenie or Meenie Game
Game is Approved by Middle School Gifted Kids for Advisory
Aug 21, 2009
The first days of school are usually exciting for gifted students; they tend to enjoy school and look forward to being back in the enrichment classroom. Gifted advisories offer a chance for teachers to work with gifted students on personal and interpersonal issues. Most kids who have grown up in the enrichment classroom know other enrichment students, either through class or enrichment summer camps, but advisories help gifted kids establish new bonds and new friendships.
The First Days of Advisory
Middle school advisory classes focus on housekeeping the first day; students are making sure lockers open and schedules work. When it is time to do a class activity, Eenie or Meenie is a great game to help kids who know each other get to know each other better. The goal of the game is simple: guess which of two “likables” a friend prefers. Teachers will appreciate that the game is simple to create with basic classroom supplies and students are involved every step of the way.
Supplies Needed for Eenie or Meenie
There is very little prep time required for Eenie or Meenie, and the supply list is simple. For 20 students, a teacher needs:
- 100 3x5 cards cut into thirds (giving the class 300 small cards, or the paper equivalent)
- pens or pencils to write on the cards
- space for students to sit across from one another (the hallway works well for this).
Setting up Eenie or Meenie
The teacher should tell the students to write one “likeable” something on each card. The word can be anything that the student likes. Some examples could be:
- different sports
- book or movie characters
- foods
- types of animals
- games
- places to visit
- celebrities
- songs
Some students will be more random and write words like “duct tape” or “street signs”. This actually makes the game better. Make sure that the students understand to only write one word on the card. Students should not write, “I like cookies.” Instruct the students to just write the word “cookies” on the card.
Each student should have 10-15 cards to write on. Some students will want to write more. Some students will want to write less. All that matters is that a variety of likeables are on the papers.
While the students are writing on the cards, the teacher should divide them up into two groups. Counting off by one and two is the easiest way. If the class has an odd number of students, the teacher can play.
Getting Students Seated for Eenie or Meenie
Have all the "one" students line up and give the teacher their (written on) cards. The teacher should shuffle the cards as they are collected. Have the 'ones' sit two feet apart in a row on the floor.
Have all the "two" students line up and give the teacher their cards, which should be shuffled into group one's cards. Have the 'two' students sit across from the 'ones' in a parallel row.
Pass out the cards face down. Each pair should get about 30 cards. It is okay if the numbers are not exact.
Playing Eenie or Meenie
Remind students that every word on the card is liked by someone in the class, so all of these are okay to like. There is no reason to make fun of any of the likeables. The goal is to get to know each other better by guessing which item other people like better.
Student one turns over the first two cards, and then student two guesses which item student one likes better. Then they talk about why that choice is preferred, and student two turns over two cards, and student one guesses which choice student two prefers. When the time is up, the students stack up the cards and turn them in to the teacher.
Considering how simple the game Eenie or Meenie is, it is amazing how much conversation is generated. Gifted students establish cooperative and competitive relationships during class time. Games such as "Eenie or Meenie" offer gifted kids to see each other in a new way , which is one goal of gifted advisories. Eenie or Meenie is a simple, easy opportunity to build friendships among students who know each other already.
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