youthspeakoutint.orgNever Have I Ever…
In this activity, you and your family will think about things you’ve never experienced. Think about things that you have never done, but someone in your family might have done. For example, has someone in your family been stung by a bee while you have not? You’ll come up with phrases that begin with “Never have I ever…” and get an opportunity to see your family member act out their experience. We know of a dad who has been struck by lightening and attacked by a tiger! How well can you act out the weird experiences that you’ve had?
What You Will Need
- A bowl or container
- Pieces of paper
- A pen
- At least three family members
- Mobile phone or tablet
Activity
- Parents (or grandparents or guardians), write down funny phrases starting with the words “Never Have I Ever” on a piece of paper and fold each piece of paper in half. Be sure to write about things that you or someone else in your family might have done.
Here are some examples:
Never Have I Ever… danced in the bathroom.
Never Have I Ever… eaten a mushroom.
Never Have I Ever… climbed a tree. - Put the pieces of paper in a bowl or container.
- Sit in a circle with the other players in your family.
- Starting with the youngest player, choose a piece of paper from the bowl or container and read the sentence to the group.
- Any player who has done that thing has to get up and act out that phrase. For example, if the paper says, “Never Have I Ever… walked barefoot on pine needles,” any player who has walked barefoot on pine needles must get up and act out that phrase.
- After each person in the group has participated in the activity, all family members will vote on the weirdest phrase and best performance.
- The player who wins “best performance” will act out their phrase on video.
- Using a mobile phone or tablet, another family member will record the winner performing their phrase.
Talk About It
Here are some things your family can talk about as you play this game:
- When someone acts out something you’ve never done, is it easier to imagine that you’ve done it? Why?
- Does watching someone act out something fun (like going sledding) make you feel happy?
- Does watching someone act out something yucky (like eating a raw egg) make you feel bad?
- If you acted something out for the camera, how did you feel? Were you shy or confident? What could help you feel more confident being in front of a camera?
What You Will Need
- A bowl or container
- Pieces of paper
- A pen
- At least three family members
- Mobile phone or tablet
Activity
- Parents (or grandparents or guardians), help each child write down funny phrases starting with the words “Never Have I Ever” on a piece of paper and fold each piece of paper in half. Be sure to write about things that someone in your family might have done.
Here are some examples:
Never Have I Ever… danced in the bathroom.
Never Have I Ever… eaten a mushroom.
Never Have I Ever… climbed a tree. - Put the pieces of paper in a bowl or container.
- Sit in a circle with the other players in your family.
- Starting with the youngest player, choose a piece of paper from the bowl or container and read the sentence to the group.
- Any player who has done that thing has to get up and act out that phrase. For example, if the paper says, “Never Have I Ever… walked barefoot on pine needles,” any player who has walked barefoot on pine needles must get up and act out that phrase.
- After each person in the group has participated in the activity, all family members will vote on the weirdest phrase and best performance.
- The player who wins “best performance” will act out their phrase on video.
- Using a mobile phone or tablet, another family member will record the winner performing their phrase.
Talk About It
- Did you learn something new about someone in your family? What was it? Were you surprised?
- Did any of the phrases make you laugh? Were those phrases pleasant or unpleasant experiences?
- What new experiences do you hope you will have someday? Why?
- Do you think you could act out an experience you’ve never had? What might make that easy or challenging?
What You Will Need
- A bowl or container
- Pieces of paper
- A pen
- At least three family members
- Mobile phone or tablet
Activity
- Write down funny phrases starting with the words “Never Have I Ever” on a piece of paper and fold each piece of paper in half. Be sure to write about things that someone in your family might have done.
Here are some examples:
Never Have I Ever… danced in the bathroom.
Never Have I Ever… eaten a mushroom.
Never Have I Ever… climbed a tree. - Put the pieces of paper in a bowl or container.
- Sit in a circle with the other players in your family.
- Starting with the youngest player, choose a piece of paper from the bowl or container and read the sentence to the group.
- Any player who has done that thing has to get up and act out that phrase. For example, if the paper says, “Never Have I Ever… walked barefoot on pine needles,” any player who has walked barefoot on pine needles must get up and act out that phrase.
- After each person in the group has participated in the activity, all family members will vote on the weirdest phrase and best performance.
- The player who wins “best performance” will act out their phrase on video.
- Using a mobile phone or tablet, another family member will record the winner performing their phrase.
Talk About It
- Did you think of experiences that you wish you could have someday, like skiing down a mountain or building a garden? What makes you want to have these experiences? What do these wishes say about your personality?
- Did you think of things you hope to NEVER experience, like eating a raw egg or breaking a bone? If someone in your family did have these experiences, did this game help you to you feel more empathy for them?
- Did you focus on pleasant or unpleasant experiences (or a little of both)?
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