I picked up this simple game from a friend and have been playing it with my family to waken up our otherwise tired brains and put the kids’ reflexes to the test. Try it out and see how it helps you stay awake and alert. This is also an effective ice-breaker game in a big group to recall the names of new people we have just met.

To play the game:

1) Form a group of at least 3 players. The more players the merrier.

2) Draw lots to determine the player who will start the game.

3) The first player (Player A) will identify the name of a player (Player B) and shout out:

“Big Fish” or “Small Fish” with relevant hand gesture. This game works with the effect of “reverse mindset”. Eg. when shouting out “Small Fish”, we place our two palms far apart. When shouting “Big Fish”, we place our two palms close together.

4) Player B will have to shout out “Small Fish” to another Player (C or D or E or F or any other or even A) if Player A has shouted “Big Fish” and display relevant hand gesture, and vice versa.

Hand gesture for "Small Fish" - Spread your palms apart for "Small Fish"

Hand gesture for "Big Fish" - bring your palm close to each other

5) This goes on until the first player to shout the “wrong fish” or display wrong hand gesture along with what he shouts out, loses first and gets out of the game.

6) Then the game continues until the final winner for a small group OR until a certain number of members have lost for a big group, within a certain time frame.

7) Losers’ destiny is up to you! You may have penalty for them or sabotage them in whatever way.

My family rule is loser will have to sing, dance and a different song and dance each time.

It is up to your imagination to make the final penalty fun for the losers and entertaining for the winners. My boys always have alot of concentration during the game and it is fun seeing them fumble and their reflexes. It is even more fun for parents to let down our hair and create our own songs and dance before our kids.

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