Activities for Families

Introduction

Someone makes an absolute statement and the other players attempt to show that the person is lying. This is done by finding an example that breaks the statement.

Simple Statements That Are Almost Always True

One type of statement to use is saying that something is always true. Here are some examples with quick discussions of why they are lies.

• All trucks have four wheels. – Large trucks often have 6, 10 or more wheels.
• All rectangles are squares. – Rectangles need not have all their sides the same length.
• All birds can fly. – Ostriches, emus, and kiwis are birds that cannot fly.
• The moon is only visible at night. – The moon is often visible during the day.
• All shapes have straight sides. – A circle does not have a straight side.
• All playgrounds have swing sets. – Some playgrounds don’t have swing sets.
• All rooms have chairs. Bedrooms and bathrooms often don’t have a chair.

If-Then Statements That Are Almost Always True

Another type of statement is of the form “if __, then ___ .” Here are some examples with quick discussions of why they are lies.

• If today is Monday, then it is a school day. – Some Mondays are holidays and some Mondays occur during the summer.
• If I don’t eat for three hours, then I am hungry. – Most people can sleep for more than three hours and not wake up hungry.
• If a person is taller than someone, then they are older. – Children often grow up to be taller than their parents.
• If the sun is shining, it is a warm day. – Winter days can be sunny and cold.
• If someone is late, something bad must have happened to them. – Sometimes people are late through carelessness or reasons beyond their control (traffic, bad weather, car trouble).