Penny Stones: A Game of Conversation
by Karen Luciana

Penny Stones are clear, round, stones with a topic written on them.  There are a number of games that can be played with them, and the primary objective to get people conversing with one another.  One who holds a penny chooses a stone.  That person reads the topic and gives his/her answer while holding the penny.  Once finished, the penny is handed to the next player, and the process continues.  A player wins by providing what others consider the best response, thereby earning their win by votes.

My students have shown enthusiasm each time we have played Penny Stones.  We have played the game in various group settings; whole group and smaller groups of 4-6.  Our observations are similar.

Positives:

It was delightful for all of us to get to know one another better. One student remarked,

I have known my friend since kindergarten,
but I never knew that she. . .

We loved getting to know others and at the same time telling about ourselves.  It was fun for us to discuss topics that maybe we would have not imagined without the aid of the category, such as naming a superpower one would like to possess.  We agreed that Penny Stones is fun and is a great tool to use at the beginning of the school year or for any icebreaker activities.

Negatives:

We couldn’t applaud the voting system and seemed to feel that it wasn’t really necessary to select a winner.  In that respect, it is confusing to call Penny Stones a game.  Rather, it is more a fun activity and conversation starter. Some therefore, couldn’t evaluate play in the setting of a game.  Also, children often find it difficult to provide one answer, especially when the category involves a favorite.  This detail could prove to be an asset to the game because on objective is to encourage conversation.

Overall:

All of us decided that regardless of the rules, we will continue to use and enjoy Penny Stones.  We all agree to use them when in need of writing prompts or a way to pass time when we have some to spare.