Peanut Auction

Shared By Joanne United States

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This is one of many free activities.
Golden Carers has 1000s of activities and resources for senior care.

This is the most popular activity that we do and our Residents absolutely love it.

I go to the dollar store, purchase anything, they especially like jams, cookies, tissues, things for the season to decorate outside their doors, you get the idea.

I made peanut bid signs, or something that they can hold up when they want to bid on an item.

Here's how its played:

Each resident receives a number of real peanuts in the shell - however many you want to give them. I give them 75 to start the game. I pre-count them in individual brown lunch bags.

I also give them larger brown bags with handles to carry their goodies home with, but I ask them to recycle the bag and bring it back when they are through so I can reuse them next month.

OK, so each resident gets a bag of peanuts and a brown bag with handle. You need a caller and an assistant to collect the peanuts.

Your caller puts an item up to bid.

The residents go crazy! Oh my....they are so competitive.

It's a lot of fun with lots of laughs for not much money!

Try it!

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Comments Post a Comment

Carolyn 10th Apr 2024

Do you show the gift or wrap it? . I also play bingo with the group, when they win they can take a quarter or buy a bag, sometimes it could be a zonk. But they love this

Susan 10th Apr 2024 Activity Director

Hi Carolyn
It is up to you whatever works best with your group

Darlene 4th Nov 2022 Activities Director

I love the idea of this activity and have tried it a couple of times. Our problem is that we will have several people raising their hand for the maximum bid. I end up having to put their names in a hat to draw a winner. It becomes a raffle. How can I prevent this from happening?

Gail 25th Jun 2021

I do this activity with my residents also. We use photo copied dollar bills. We were having a problem with them bidding all their money right away, so I was so glad to read that one of the ladies set a one, two dollars max bid. I will try this at my next auction! Thank you

Talita 25th Jun 2021

Thanks so much for your feedback Gail. Some great ideas in this thread!

Joanne Anthony 25th Jun 2019

Hello all,

Update on original post, I no longer use actual peanuts, we now use a point system. Everyone received 50 points, my activity assistant keeps track on a sheet of paper how many "points' they use on an item that they wager & win on, and subtracts the amount from their balance. She lets them know their balance at the end of an item up for bid. A lot easier way of doing things rather than collecting tokens, peanuts etc.

Amy 21st Jun 2019

I do this every other month. I use plastic tokens. Residents earn them by attending select activities, bingo winnings, and returning surveys and such. They also get tokens just for attending the auction. I used to do it quarterly...now I have to do every other month! It also gets them reminiscing about going to auctions:

Talita 24th Jun 2019

Great idea Amy, an extra incentive to get involved can never hurt!

Carol 27th Dec 2018

We did this activity as a silent activity as not all out clients speak English. We used poker chips as money. Most of our items were donated. I had talked to some of the participants before as to what they would like and several mentioned needlework kits even ones started. Our local Rescue Mission had several for a little bit of money and 2 were donated. Other big hits was were jars of sugar free candy and fleece lap blankets which were donated. The participants enjoyed it so much and can't wait to do it again. Keep the great ideas coming!

Jennifer 1st Jun 2018 Activity Director

Fun idea! I do auctions every so often with fake money that I found (clip art). I just printed the money on paper, cut them out and give them each the same amount of money. I do $15.00 each. I made a rule, though, that they can only raise the bit by either one or two dollars. That way they don't just automatically bid their full $15.00 right off the bat. It also makes the game last a little longer and gives some of the slower residents some time to think.

Talita 4th Jun 2018

Great suggestions, thanks Jennifer!

Abigail 25th Jul 2017 Well Being Coordinator

This is a brilliant idea! Thank you for sharing :) I'll need to have to find something different to peanuts as in England alot of work places won't allow them due to allergies, but awesome idea! :)

Joanne 26th Jul 2017 Activity Director

Thanks

Joanne 1st Jun 2017 Activity Director

Awesome Sandra!!! We hold this event monthly. I usually purchase things that they can use like tissues etc, they love cookies, cracker jack they especially the homemade breads and cookies when we make them. I usually package them nicely! They go crazy over those items!! just more ideas for you :O) JO

Sandra 31st May 2017 Recreation Officer

Held our first peanut auction today. We used small trinket gifts etc as the items for auction. The residents had a ball, so much laughter and competitiveness. Great activity that we will hold again. Thank you.