A few months ago, our neighbors invited us over for drinks and politics. The impetus was that they were deeply concerned about the future of our country, and wanted to engage in conversation with others who felt the same. While I’ve been definitely engaged in the news, and somewhat engaged from an activist perspective, my husband has been reluctant and heading his head in the sand. With the advent of the second Trump administration, I think he’s now realized how serious things are. At any rate, I was pleased that he was up for this cocktail party and we had an enjoyable time with our neighbors. I think we all needed to vent to sympathetic parties.
Tonight, we’re reciprocating and inviting our neighbors plus another local couple over for pizza. I’ve been playing with the AI assistant Claude, and I asked it to design a fun game for tonight.
The results are hilarious and worth sharing. The appetizer one sounds the most doable. My personal favorite activities are Policy Pizza and the Filibuster Challenge. Perhaps these activities could be adapted for high school students.
What are your thoughts about this?
Pizza & Politics: The Civic Engagement Game
Overview
A dinner party game that combines political knowledge, civic action planning, and pizza-themed fun for engaged citizens ready to make a difference.
Game Setup
Players: 4-12 people
Time: 60-90 minutes
Materials Needed:
Pizza ingredients or pizza ordering capability
Small pieces of paper for voting
Timer (phone works fine)
Scorecards (paper works)
How to Play
Round 1: "Pizza Coalition Building" (20 minutes)
Goal: Build consensus like a political coalition, but for pizza toppings.
The Challenge: The group must agree on 3 pizzas that satisfy everyone's dietary needs and preferences
The Twist: Each person gets to "veto" one ingredient they absolutely don't want
Political Parallel: Practice the art of compromise and coalition building
Scoring: If you successfully order/make pizzas everyone can eat, everyone gets 2 points
Round 2: "Know Your Civics" Pizza Trivia (25 minutes)
Format: Teams of 2-3 people answer questions while pizza bakes/arrives.
Sample Questions:
Local Level: "What day of the week do most local city council meetings happen?" (Answer: Usually Tuesday or Wednesday)
State Level: "How many state legislators does our state have total?"
Federal Level: "Name the three Senate committees that deal with environmental issues"
Pizza Bonus: "Which US President supposedly served pizza at a state dinner?" (Answer: Bill Clinton)
Scoring: 1 point per correct answer, bonus point for pizza questions
Round 3: "Policy Pizza" (20 minutes)
The Game: Each team creates a "policy platform" but explains it using pizza metaphors.
Examples:
Healthcare: "Universal healthcare is like a pizza party where everyone gets fed, not just those who can afford delivery"
Climate Policy: "Green energy transition is like switching from coal-fired pizza ovens to solar-powered ones"
Education: "Public school funding is like making sure every neighborhood pizzeria has quality ingredients"
Scoring: Groups vote on most creative metaphor (can't vote for your own team)
Round 4: "Action Items & Appetizers" (15 minutes)
Real Talk Round: While enjoying food, each person shares:
One local political issue they care about
One concrete action they'll take in the next month
One way the group could support each other's civic goals
Scoring: Everyone gets points for participation, bonus points for committing to group actions
Bonus Challenges
"Flip the District"
Hide slips of paper with local voting districts around the party space
Teams race to find them and name the current representative
First team to find 3 and correctly identify reps wins bonus points
"Grassroots Pizza Delivery"
Create mock campaign slogans for pizza delivery
Examples: "Door-to-Door in 30 Minutes or Less!" or "Every Slice Counts!"
"Filibuster Challenge"
One person must talk continuously about pizza for 2 minutes without stopping
If they succeed, their team gets points
Topic ideas: "Why pineapple on pizza represents democracy" or "The constitutional right to choose your own toppings"
Winning & Prizes
Victory Conditions:
Highest total points wins
BUT: Everyone wins if the group commits to at least 3 collective civic actions
Prize Ideas:
Winner picks the next local candidate for group to research together
Losing team organizes next month's voter registration drive snacks
Everyone wins: group photo for social media with pizza and "I Voted" stickers
Discussion Starters for Dinner
While eating, consider these conversation topics:
What local issue should our community prioritize?
How can we make political engagement more fun and accessible?
What's one thing you learned about your neighbors' political priorities tonight?
How can we channel our political energy into positive community impact?
Optional: Social Media Component
Create a group hashtag like #PizzaPoliticsParty
Post pictures of your political pizza creations
Share your group's civic commitments
Tag local representatives with your pizza policy metaphors
Game Variations
For Larger Groups (12+ people):
Create multiple pizza stations with different political themes
Rotate every 15 minutes
For Ongoing Game Night Series:
Track points across multiple gatherings
Focus each month on different civic topics (local, state, federal)
Invite guest speakers from local organizations
Virtual Version:
Use pizza delivery apps as the coalition-building exercise
Online trivia platforms for questions
Breakout rooms for policy pizza discussions
Remember: The goal is building community, sharing knowledge, and channeling political energy into positive action. Keep it fun, inclusive, and focused on what you can do together!