Who Wrote It? Dinner Table Mystery

What you need

• Paper, one slip per guest
• Crayons or markers, one pencil per guest or shared
• Bowl, 1

How to do it

Grown-up prep: Cut paper into slips, set out pencils and a bowl, and have a few fact ideas ready for anyone who gets stuck.

1. Before the meal, hand every guest one paper slip and a pencil.
2. Secretly write one fact about yourself that nobody here knows.
3. Fold your slip twice and drop it in the bowl.
4. When dessert comes, choose one kid to be the host.
5. Host, pull out one slip and read it aloud.
6. Everyone guesses who wrote it while the writer stays silent.
   Ask: What clues make you think it was them?
7. Writer, stand up and tell the story behind your fact!
8. Pull the next slip and keep going until the bowl is empty.
9. Now save new slips for next dinner, or invite more guests to play!
   Ask: Whose fact surprised you the most tonight, and why?

Ideas to try

• What is a food you secretly love that nobody would expect?
• What is the strangest place you have ever fallen asleep?
• What is a talent you have that most people do not know about?
• What did you want to be when you were little?
• What is the funniest thing that ever happened to you at school?
• What is the best surprise you ever had?
• What is an animal you have touched or held that most people have not?
• What is a song you know every single word to?
• What is the bravest thing you have ever done?
• What is something you collected or used to collect?
• What is a place you have visited that nobody here has been?
• What is a silly fear you have, or used to have?
• What was your first pet, or the pet you always wished for?
• What is a word you always used to say wrong?
• What is the most unusual food you have ever tried?
• What is a game you made up yourself?
• What is a famous movie or book you have never seen or read?
• What is something you can do with your body that is a little weird, like wiggling your ears?
• What is the best gift you ever gave someone?
• What is a nickname you once had?

Play it again

• Fib round: everyone writes one fake fact, and the table guesses who wrote it and whether it is true.
• Theme night: all facts must be about one topic, like food, scary moments or vacations.
• Twenty questions: guessers may ask the table three yes or no questions before making their guess.