The game we are going to talk about on this page is a bit different from most ‘team games’. This one can’t be played in the comfort of your own home. Instead, you are going to need to head to a store with a bit of money in your pocket.
This means it probably isn’t the best party game, but it can be a brilliant game when you have children that need to be entertained. Let’s take a look.
Features of What Can You Buy Game
| ★ Game Name | What Can You Buy Game |
| ★ Group size | small and medium |
| ★ Age | any |
| ★ Type | active |
| ★ Skill | counting |
| ★ Place | outdoor |
| ★ Time | up to 15 – 30 min |
| ★ Preparation | no |
| ★ Materials | money |
Aim of The Game
The purpose of the ‘What Can You Buy Game’ is to have teams see what they can buy from a store when they are given a fixed amount of cash.
Depending on how you play the game, the winner could be the team that bought the best items, or it could be the ones that spent the closest to their budget.
Group Size and Age
This is a game designed for people of all ages. However, we believe that this is a game that would be brilliant for children. It will help them to learn basic math when buying things. However, you will probably want to have an adult in tow to ensure everything is done properly.
The group size doesn’t matter all that much. However, this game will work best when a team is formed of around 5-players. Although you can play with smaller team sizes, we do not recommend that they have less money than $5, otherwise the game becomes too challenging.
Preparation and Needed Materials
Each team will need some money. We recommend at least $5. Anything more, and the game becomes less challenging. It may also take a little bit too long.
If you are playing with children, then you will probably want to hand them the money yourself. If you have adults, then each person can contribute an equal amount to the team.
Each team will also need a bag to carry the goods they have bought.
If there is no store close by, then the teams will need some way to get to the store.
How to Play What Can You Buy
Before the game starts, you will need to establish the rules of the game. This means working out how you are going to select the winner. There are plenty of ways to do this.
We recommend that you choose a winner based upon the type of items they purchase. So, the ‘better’ the items, the more points the team gets. Obviously, this can be quite subjective, but it is just a game. It doesn’t really matter who the winner is.
You may also want to set limits to the type of item that can be purchased. This will add a bit more of a challenge to the game. For example, if you have children playing, then you may say “you cannot buy candy or toys”.
You can get as restrictive as you want on these rules, and that adds a ton of fun to the game. Although, you will probably want to make sure that the store you are heading to has a decent selection of products.
Finally:
- Send your teams out there with their cash.
- Tell them that they need to keep the receipt.
- Give them a time limit of 20-30 minutes (depending on the size of the store).
- Once they return, inspect their items, and determine a winner.
Simple!