My Guess Who game has seen so much activity over the years the box top hardly qualifies as a cover anymore.  I think it has two sides and the top left. 

But I doubt many therapists who have stumbled upon this game would be surprised, because it’s awesome!

It’s fun.  It’s engaging.  You get to smack those little hinged doors down on every turn.  And it’s amazing for working on:

1.  Descriptive concepts: short/long, big/small, colors
2. Asking questions:  “Does your person________?” or “Is your person__________?”
3. Answering yes/no questions: “Yes. My person_________.” Or “No. My person________?”
4. Vocabulary building: blond (I always hear “yellow hair” and I’ve spent too much on mine to tolerate it being called “yellow”); rosy (vs. red) cheeks; facial hair/mustache/beard; and get creative—it’s not a small nose, it’s tiny, miniscule or petite.
5. Articulation:  And, of course, it’s ideal for articulation carry-over activities since there is so much repetition. (is/does/person: guarantees s/z productions on every turn; your/person: guarantees r productions on every turn) 

Haven’t played before?  This is how it works.  Each player has a board.  Although you can play against the child, it’s almost better if you are the moderator for two children playing against each other.  That way you can “see” both boards and help answer or prompt questions.  You may also need to assist with the sometimes confusing concept of which doors are shut down.

Each player randomly chooses a card (person) which is kept secret from the other player.  The object of the game is to guess who your opponent is before they guess who you are!  On your turn, you ask a yes/no question to narrow down who they might be.

Examples:           “Is your person a boy?”

                                “Does your person have blond hair?”

                                “Does your person have facial hair?”

                                “Does your person wear a hat?”

                                “Does your person have rosy cheeks?”

Based on your opponent’s answer you will need to close down those possibilities that don’t fit.  Hence the confusion. 

Question:            “Does your person have brown eyes?” 

Answer:               “Yes.”

This means all blue-eyed possibilities are put down—and that’s where lots of kids are baffled.  If you are playing against a child, you may need to say:

                Answer:               “Yes.  My person has brown eyes.  So…blue eyed people go down.”

A final tip?  You may want to use some tape to reinforce the box sides!

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