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Nicofiends activity

Mystery Auction

A bidding game about hype, missing information and group decision making.

What it explores

This activity helps young people think about how easy it can be to make a decision when something sounds exciting, popular or limited. It opens up discussion about what can happen when people act before they have the full picture.
Time
20 to 30 mins
Age
Ages 11 to 16
Setting
Classroom, Youth group, Community setting
Group size
Small Groups

Activity at a glance

Best for

Hype, missing information and group decisions.

You’ll need

Mystery Auction cards or envelopes Timer Optional small props or images linked to each mystery item

Key message

Ask what is missing before making a choice.

How to run it

  • Split young people into small teams.
  • Give each team 10 paper tokens and a bid sheet.
  • Explain that they will hear short descriptions of mystery items. Teams can bid tokens if they think the item sounds worth having.
  • Read out the first mystery item description. Keep it short and persuasive. For example, “This is bright, popular, easy to carry and everyone is talking about it.”
  • Give teams 30 seconds to decide how many tokens to bid.
  • Collect the bids, then reveal the full item description, including the missing information or catch.
  • Repeat with several mystery items.
  • At the end, ask which descriptions sounded most appealing, what information was missing and whether teams felt pressure to bid before they knew enough.

Discussion prompts

  • What made you want to bid?
  • Did the description give you the full picture?
  • Did your team feel pressure to act quickly?
  • What information would have helped you make a better choice?
  • Where might young people see hype or missing information in real life?

Reflection

This activity helps young people notice how hype can affect decisions. It encourages them to pause, ask what is missing and think before following the group.

Download printable materials

Link To Smoking, Vaping or Nicotine

Mystery Auction links to the way smoking, vaping and nicotine products can be promoted through hype, packaging, flavours, offers, social media or the idea that lots of people are using them.

The activity helps young people notice what information is being shown, what is being left out and how pressure can build when something feels popular or hard to miss.

Adapting the activity

Make it Easier

Use fewer mystery cards and reveal the missing information straight after each bid.

Make it Harder

Give teams one chance to ask a question before they bid. After the reveal, ask whether their question helped them get the full picture.

Safety Note

Keep the discussion general and scenario based. Do not ask young people to share personal or family experiences of smoking, vaping or nicotine. Follow your setting’s safeguarding process if a young person raises a concern.

Ready to Run The Acitvity

Download the activity PDF or go back to the resource hub to find another activity.

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