Back in the early 90’s, a game called “Six Degrees of Separation” emerged. The movie, starring Will Smith, helped to propel the game into the pop culture dialogue. The game was often played with Kevin Bacon as the end game.  Basically, you had six moves to link another person to him. For example, you might try to start with Macauley Culkin.
EXAMPLE:
1st Degree: Macauley Culkin & Ally Sheedy (Home Alone 2)
2nd Degree: Ally Sheedy & Molly Ringwald (Breakfast Club)
3rd Degree: Molly Ringwald & Joan Cusack (Sixteen Candles)
4th Degree: Joan Cusack & Julia Roberts (Runaway Bride)
5th Degree: Julia Roberts & Kevin Bacon (Flatliners)
Today’s game, uses the power of Google to play a new game, Six Degrees of Googlation. This is a spinoff of the old classic.
PREP TIME–Â None
ITEMS NEEDED– Smart Phones with Internet Access (6 per team)
GAME TIME–Â 10-20Â Minutes
PARTICIPANTS–Â Teams of 6 or More
INSTRUCTIONS
In the original version of this game, you must make the connections via movies, but our game simply uses images found through Google. Note: We use Google images to make the playing field even and discourage participants from looking at sites they should not be viewing! Make sure to have them modify their search parameters to block anything inappropriate.
The search must incorporate real pictures, not doctored photos or side by sides. This simply means that a picture had to be snapped while the two people were together. For example, the first picture could be Culkin & Sheedy in a Home Alone 2 shot, then Sheedy & Ringwald, etc.
Teams must find the pictures and keep them on their phone. When they reach they end, the entire team will hold up their phones and someone will need to verify the connection (the same image/pic cannot be used more than once). Teams who can do so the fastest win.
Here is a list to get you started: 6 Degrees of Googlation.
BONUS TIPS
1. Not everyone will have a phone with internet access, so place people w/o a phone in groups where others do and have them take turns.
2. To make it a bit more challenging, give bonus points for longer degrees of separation (but no longer than six) and bar direct links (i.e. the two names are in a photograph together). Make it really challenging by not allowing them to use a person more than once throughout the game! This takes a bit more thinking and makes the game more fun.
3. Use this game to launch into a discussion about how we are all intertwined and our actions have ramifications that ripple into other people’s lives.
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