WORD GAMES:
Psychiatrist
One
person leaves the room. The rest of the players determine a verb or a method of
answering questions that may confuse the person that left. The person comes
back and asks questions to try and determine what their “sickness” (or what
verb or answering method they chose) they have.
Examples: answer previous
question asked, answer like you’re afraid, answer like opposite gender, always
include a certain thing (like an animal) in the answer, begin with the same
letter for every answer, etc.
Going Camping
One
person determines a pattern for answers. Each player (including “it” person) in
turn says, “I’m going camping and I’m going to bring _________” Then the “it”
person says, “You can come” or “You can’t come” depending on whether the thing
they are bringing is in line with the pattern. If a player picks up on the
pattern, they don’t say the pattern out loud, but continue saying what they’ll
bring until all players get the pattern.
Examples: must start with a
certain letter, must be alive, must be something in the room, must begin with a
letter in that person’s first name, etc.
End Letter
Alternate
players speaking a single word which must begin with the ending letter of the
previous word said. If you can’t think
of another word that begins with the last letter of the previous word, you’re
out! You can confine the allowed words to certain categories, such as foods,
names ,etc.
Variation: only allow
cities, states, countries, rivers, or other geographic locations as words.
General Knowledge
Decide
on a topic (such as fruits, cars, sports, etc.). Players must list something
that fits into that category that has not been previously said by another
player. Play continues in a circle at a constant beat or speed until a player
messes up or cannot think of another one. A player has three strikes before
being out of the game. After one person messes up, a new topic is chosen and
play continues.
Thimble Game
A
topic is chosen (such as colors, desserts, states, etc.) The “it” person stand
in the middle of the circle with a small capsule of water (bottle top) and
silently chooses and item from the category. People take turns guessing an item
form the chosen category while the “it” person holds the water in front of the
guessing person’s face. If the person does not guess what the “it” person
chose, play continues in a circle, if the person does choose what the “it”
person chose, the water is thrown in their face, and they become the next “it”
person and a new category is chosen for the next round.
Newspaper Chase
Supplies: rolled newspaper
Pick
a theme (such as cereals, candies, or cities) and everyone picks a name, word,
etc. with that theme. One person is in middle of circle. One person says
another’s name or word; that person must say their own name and someone else’s
to pass it. Person in middle must hit person who has said own word but not
another’s word with rolled up newspaper. When caught, person goes in middle.
Categories
All
players sit in a circle. Choose category and start some type of slapping rhythm
(lap lap clap, etc). Go in circle and player must name item under that category
according to rhythm (on the clap). When a player misses a beat, they are out.
Examples
of categories: cereals, candies, movies, states, cousins’ names, flowers,
colors, etc.
BRAINTEASER WORD GAMES:
Snapps
Two people need to know how
the game works
One
person (knows how to play) leaves room, everyone else picks a word or a name,
person returns. You speak a phrase for a consonant (first letter of phrase) and
snap for vowels (1 snap-A, 2 snaps-E, 3-I, 4-O, 5-U, 6-Y). Person can figure
out what word it is. For example, “cat” is the word: “come on, you can get it”,
one snap, “try really hard” = “cat”
Speed Limit
One person needs to know how
the game works
“There’s
a __________, but no __________.” Players must repeat the phrase, filling in
the blanks with various words but have to figure out which words work according
to the patter. The first blank must have a word with double letters in a row
(“speed”) and the second blank must have a word with no double letters in a row
(“limit”). When a player figures it out, just keep playing along until all
players catch on.
Whoop Johnny
One person needs to know how
the game works
Tell
each player to “See if you can do this” or some phrase like that. Do something
inconspicuous (like stretch fingers, itch eye, etc.) You touch each of your
fingertips, beginning with your pinkie, saying “Whoop whoop whoop whoop WHOOP
(raise voice and follow “J” curve between thumb and pointer finger) Johnny
Whoop (same “J” curve as before) Johnny Johnny Johnny Johnny. Players must
replicate what you did, but they must catch on to what you did before you
started (the itch or stretch, etc.)
Grandma likes Coffee but she
doesn’t like Tea
One person needs to know how
the game works
Players
try to figure out what words work for the pattern of the phrase “Grandma likes
__________ but she doesn’t like __________”. The first blank must not have the
letter “T” and the second blank must have the letter “T”. That’s why Grandma
likes “coffee” but she doesn’t like “T”! Players take turns guessing what works
and doesn’t until they figure it out. When a player figures it out, they don’t
say the answer, but continue giving statements that work with the pattern.
Bang-Bang
One person needs to know how
the game works
The
leader (who must know how the game works) point to various players saying
“bang” for each one, then asks who is dead. Give the players time to make
multiple guesses, then tell them who is dead. The first person to talk is the
one that you indicate is dead. Players keep playing the game until they figure
out the pattern of who is dead. (no get out if they “die”). You can change it
to something less violent for kids, such as “splash, splash, etc.” and ask who
got the wettest, etc.
CUPS
Two people need to know how the
games works
Four
cups are placed upside down. One player (knows how to play) goes out, and the
remaining players place a small object under one of the cups. The player returns. The leader (knows how to
play) gives the returning player a statement that lets him know what cup it is
under (cups are in a row and respectively represent “C-U-P-S”), such as “Please
pick a cup” means it is under the third cup.
4 is the Magic Number
One person needs to know how
the game works
Players
take turns giving you a number, starting between 1-20. You give them a series
of numbers that always ends up at 4. Then you can have them give you any
positive number and show them how it ends at four. Let them try to guess some
of the numbers in the sequence, but once they catch on they don’t say the
answer but try to do a sequence of their own. Determine the sequence by
counting the letters in the spelled out number. For example, If players say
“3”, you say “THREE” is five (letters), “FIVE” is four (letters), and “FOUR” is
the magic number. (because four has four letters, so it will never change.) All
numbers always come to four!
Chinese Writing
One person needs to know how
the game works
One
person arranges a couple spoons/forks/chopsticks in an abstract way on the
table and asks the other players what number it represents. When you put down
the utensils, discreetly place a couple of your fingertips on the edge of the
table, indicating what number the design represents. Players try to guess. Keep
repeating the process until someone catches on and sees that your fingers tell
you what number the design represents. There is no organization to the design
on the table, just for distraction from your fingers.
Black Magic
Two people need to know how
the game works
One
person (knows how to play) plugs ears while group decides on an object, either
in view or not. Person unplugs ears. Other person (knows how to play) gives the
person a list of objects and at the end of the list asks the person which
object the group chose. In the list of objects, the player includes an object
that ic black (such as a tire, someone’s black shoe, a road, etc.) and it is
always the object listed right after the black object. People will try to
figure out how the player knows what the object is. If they think they know
how, you can have them plug their ears and try the list on them. If they
discover the answer, just have them keep playing along until all players know
the answer.
Magic Napkin
Two people need to know how
the game works
One
player leaves the room (knows how to play). The rest of the group picks a napkin
in a 3x3 grid of napkins (9 total) or a 3x3
grid drawn on a white board or large paper. The player comes back in and tries
to guess which square was chosen. The other player who knows how to play should
not be revealed to the group (the first player can secretly pick someone to
explain the game to beforehand). This person uses their hands or feet, whoever is
most discreet to tell the person which square was chosen. Left hand/foot points
left for the top row, straight for the middle row, and right for the bottom row
of the grid (respectively). The right hand points left for the left column,
straight for the middle column, and right for the right column. For example, If
the first player walks in and discreetly looks at the second player, who is
sitting in a chair and has her left foot turned out to the left and her right
foot straight forward, they would know the box the group chose was the top row,
middle column box.
Full or empty alternating
cups
One person needs to know how
the game works
Place
six cups in a line, the first three full of water and the second three empty.
Ask players to make the cups alternating full and empty by only touching one
cup (only one collectively). Players must take the middle full cup and dump it
into the middle empty cup.
