Heads up, seven up facts for kids

Heads Up, Seven Up (sometimes called Thumbs Up, Seven Up or Heads Down) is a fun game often played in elementary schools. In this game, a few players are chosen to secretly tap the thumbs of others, and then everyone tries to guess who tapped them! It's a great way to have a quick break and test your memory.

How to Play Heads Up, Seven Up

Playing Heads Up, Seven Up is easy and doesn't need any special equipment. It's a perfect game for a classroom or a group of friends.

Getting Started

To begin, seven (or another agreed-upon number) players are chosen. These players stand at the front of the room. Everyone else sits at their desks or in their spots.

The teacher or a chosen player then says, "Heads down, thumbs up!" or "Heads down all around!" This is the signal for everyone sitting down to put their heads on their desks. They must close their eyes tightly and keep one thumb sticking straight up.

The Secret Taps

The chosen players from the front then quietly walk around the room. Each of them secretly and gently presses down one thumb of a person sitting down. Sometimes, instead of pressing a thumb, they just lightly tap the person's head.

After each chosen player has tapped one person's thumb (or head), they quietly return to the front of the room. This part of the game usually takes about a minute.

Time to Guess

Once all the chosen players are back at the front, the teacher or chosen player calls out, "Heads up, seven up!" or "Heads up, stand up!"

Everyone who was sitting down now lifts their heads. If your thumb was pressed down (or your head was tapped), you stand up.

Each person who is standing then takes a turn. They try to guess who they think tapped their thumb or head.

• If you guess correctly, you get to switch places! You go to the front of the room and become one of the chosen players for the next round. The person you guessed goes back to their seat.
• If you guess incorrectly, you simply sit back down.

The game then starts all over again with the new group of chosen players at the front!

Making it Fair

Sometimes, the players who guess later in the round might have an easier time. This is because some of the "tappers" might have already been correctly guessed and sent back to their seats.

To make the game fair for everyone, the teacher or leader can change the order of guessing each time. For example, they might call on people from the front to the back of the room, or from left to right. This keeps the game exciting and fair for all players.