20 Questions Basics 

"Is it my underpants?" NOOOO!!!!!

The goal of 20 Questions is to figure out what someone is thinking about (object or person) within the space of 20 questions. Only questions that require a Yes or No answer can be asked.

The first question is usually one of the standards. It gets the ball rolling.

- Is it animal, vegetable, mineral, or other?
- Is it alive or not alive?

Kids love thinking up the mystery item, but to develop their thinking skills, think of the object or person yourself and have them ask the questions.

20 Questions is brainy because it can't be played strategically unless kids categorize the information they collect and eliminate certain possibilities.

So, if the group already knows that the mystery object is not a piece of clothing, it's a total waste of time to blurt out triumphantly, arms waving and eyes bulging, "Is it my underpants?"

Remind your kids to avoid random guesses since there are a limited number of questions available.

Tips on Playing 

. . .the brainy way!

Whether you're playing with just one child or a group of children, you can ratchet up the thinking by pointing out nicely when questions are not effective.

For example, when kids make random guesses, remind them of the 20-question limit and ask them to think about how they could narrow the possibilities and use their remaining questions more effectively.

"I noticed you haven't asked me if it's in this room (or house or apartment)" will help to show how to eliminate possibilities. If a child asks a question that has already been answered, ask, "What do you already know that would answer that question?"

If you play this game with a group of kids, encourage them to cooperate with each other about using their bank of 20 questions.

When playing with kids as young as age 5, it's best to select one of the following as your mystery object:

- a person (or animal) they know

- an object in plain view

- a favourite personal belonging.

As children mature, their physical world expands and you can refer to more settings, such as school, the park, recreation centre, mall, other people's homes, a local restaurant, and so on. But at that age, best to stick with the immediately visible world or familiar people or animals.

Kids also get a lot of enjoyment out of thinking up the most unlikely thing for you to guess, so let them jump in!

Variation: Who Am I? 

The Game That Became "What's My Line?"

Try this variation called "Who am I?"

Instead of guessing a mystery object, kids use their 20 questions to uncover the identity of a person you pretend to be. The only rule is that the person must be known to everyone playing the game.

As with 20 Questions, it is often a good idea to show kids how to eliminate whole categories of people early on. Depending on how young they are, they may not figure out this strategy on their own but you can show them how to do it.

Example: "Why don't you think of an age and ask me if I am older or younger than that age?"

What's My Line?

"Who am I?" was the basis of the popular 1950s quiz show "What's My Line?" A panel of four well-known personalities tried to guess the job or business of a mystery guest by asking yes-or-no questions. The guest won $5 every time a panel member asked a question that could be answered No.

The game ended when a panel member could correctly identify the person's line of work or when the guest had answered No to ten questions.

And by the way, that's an original cast photo up there in the top right corner.

Read more about "What's My Line?" in my Links section!

Did You Know? 

. . .from Scooge to JFK

• In Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, Scrooge's nephew plays the parlour game "Yes and No," which closely resembles 20 Questions. The mystery item turns out to be Uncle Scrooge.



• The creator of the original 20 Questions radio show was Fred Van Deventer, a New York City broadcaster.



• The very first show was broadcast from the Longacre Theater in Manhattan on February 2, 1946. In the 1940s, the Longacre specialized in radio and television productions.



• Van Deventer, his wife Florence, and their 14-year-old son Robert were the first contestants.



• The Van Deventer family had played 20 Questions as a family for years. They were so skilled at the game, they could usually guess the mystery object or person in seven questions or less.



• Florence used her maiden name--Rinard--on the show.



• Robert Van Deventer called himself Bobby Maguire.



• Bobby once guessed the mystery item without asking a single question. The answer was "Brooklyn." He got it by reading body language.



• A popular question for estimating the size of the mystery item has traditionally been, "Is it bigger than a breadbox?" It's attributed to Steve Allen, of "What's My Line?" fame.



• The top prize a guest could win on "What's My Line?" was $50.



• Columnist Dorothy Kilgallen, one of the original panelists on "What's My Line?", died in 1965 because of an accidental combination of sleeping pills and alcohol. In the years since her death, conspiracy theorists have suggested that Kilgallen was killed because of her research into the assassination of JFK.

Animal, Vegetable, or Mineral: Part 2 

. . .all you'd ever need to know

The Modesty Panel

Take the "Animal, Vegetable, or Mineral?" quiz at the Modesty Panel. This website is witty and smart, though some of its fare is risqué, so parental discretion is definitely advised. (My second favourite quiz is "Art or Crap?" which I flunked miserably.) Margaret Nissen will also create a customized quiz to draw traffic to YOUR website for a modest fee.

Animal-Vegetable-Mineral Man

Check out this supervillain from the Doom Patrol Comic Books. Wonder what he'd look like with few plastic or poly-fibres thrown in.

What's My Line?

A great site about the original "What's My Line?" featuring John Daly, Dorothy Kilgallen, Arlene Francis, and Bennett Cerf. Lots of great B&W pictures.

Did Dorothy Get It Like Marilyn?

Read Robert Morningstar's account of Kilgallen's death and decide for yourself.

Now Read What Eric Paddon Says

A dim view of the JFK conspiracy and the role of DK. (Always tell your kids there are two or more sides to every story.)

20 Questions on the Net

Play 20 Questions online with popular categories such as The Simpsons, Harry Potter, sports, music, and more. Hey, you can even play Old Testament 20Q!

Victorian Parlour Games

Animal, Vegetable, or Mineral was originally a 19th-century parlour game. Read more about Victorian parlour games at this charming site. Best if you enjoy Victoriana, though. It's a little frilly.

Dorothy Kilgallen Brainy Quotes

"Doorman: a genius who can open the door of your car with one hand, help you in with the other, and still have one left for the tip."

20 Questions: The Brainy Way to Market Stuff 

. . .folks love a mystery

What's Your Favourite Brainy Game? 

. . .don't be shy!

Blog Posts from Google 

A baseball cap that reads your mind

Tryst With God – Swamy Raj – Series 12

Grey's Anatomy: Losing My Mind

Mirror neurons cause us to reflect actions, sensations, emotions

Talk to Me! 

Please let me know if you enjoyed this lens! And don't forget to come and visit me in January at my regular website.

JessicaPegis Hi Bobby! Amazing to hear from you. Of course, I would welcome corrections and additions to this lens. I'm so honoured you dropped by! Please get in touch with me by hitting the Contact Me button on the right-hand menu right under my photo. And please visit again! -Jess Posted March 18, 2008

Bobby McGuire

That was my radio/television name, on Twenty Questions. (See above) If you'd like some facts and corrections to your text, please let me know. Robert VanDeventer

Posted March 18, 2008

claws4me2

Wow,
I really enjoy your e-zine. I won't ever have kids, but had I people who think your way, it might have been more fun! (when I was young) Keep up the excellent work, and know your site is awesome!
Way to go, Jess!

Posted March 16, 2008

jeffwend A lot of info here, nice job on your first lens =) Posted January 01, 2008

clouda9 Hey_Jess you have something magical here! Thanks for sharing your expertise (personal thoughts) and links to find out more! Fav'd, stars, and comment in the 'U'! :) Posted December 30, 2007

 

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