What you need: A car trip and someone to play. And you probably need the car trip to be at least partly through a populated area with road signs.

How to play: The came is pretty simple: players look out the car windows at passing road signs and try to spot a word that starts with the letter A. Then, once that has been found, a word that starts with the letter B, then C, and so on all the way until Z, when the game ends. My siblings and I played this game all the time on our family road trips. Sometimes we would have a game that would last hours and hours: we would start as we were leaving our city, dwindle as we drove through fields and mountains, and pick up again where we left off when we reached a populated area again. Some letters (like Q, X, and Z) get pretty tricky. I remember waiting for miles and miles to catch a glimpse of a Diary Queen. For this reason, my sisters and I vowed that if we ever owned a restaurant, we’d name it something like this:

Rule Variations: You should probably set your rules before you begin, because (as I’ve experienced), many disputations can arise. For instance, does a letter have to come at the beginning of a word ? Or is it okay if just appears anywhere in the word? Either way, do license plates count? (This was our most common source of disputation.) Do you always have to find letters in order? Pick your rules, stick to them, and have fun!

Variations: You can play with everyone working together on one team, individually, or as two teams (maybe one team looking out the left windows and one looking out the right). And I’ve also played (in sparsely populated areas) where you have to just find an object that starts with each letter, not the actual word. This is kind of fun because it lets you get creative and use your vocabulary (for example, if you know what a Joshua tree is and you see one, you can use that for J). Any one else have any rules or variations to share?

What it is

What you need: A pool, probably at least 4 players, and a small white whiffle ball (one the size of a golf ball).

How to play: All players stand outside the pool, with their backs turned towards it. One player takes the whiffle ball, places it somewhere on the bottom of the pool, and then resurfaces. As soon as the other players hear the player resurface, they turn around and start watching for the ball – the goal is to be the first to find and grab it. A small white whiffle ball floats, but slowly, so it will take a while for it to come up to the surface. The players on the side don’t know where the ball might be, so they all watch for it carefully. The first player to spot the whiffle ball jumps into the pool to grab it. But as soon as he or she jumps in, the other players can jump in, too, and then whoever grabs the white whiffle ball first and yells “dibble dabble” (no matter if it’s the person who first spotted it or not) wins. The winner gets to hide the whiffle ball for the next round.

If you’re playing with a big group, chances are more than one person will spot the whiffle ball at the same time, but that’s okay. The rule just says that players are allowed to jump in the pool either when they see the whiffle ball or when they see someone else jump in.

A small white whiffle ball is very hard to spot in a pool (especially if people are jumping in and splashing around), so a lot of the game is usually spent searching for the ball, but still splashing around a lot to keep others from finding it, too. And that’s all part of the fun. :-)

Strategies: If you’re the one to see the ball first and jump in, it could be smart to jump away from where the ball is (if you’re fairly certain you’re the only one who’s seen it), because most likely the other players will be watching to see where you jump so they can jump in after you and grab the ball. While they’re splashing and searching, you make a break for it, grab the ball, and yell “dibble dabble!” Or, if you’re the one hiding the ball, you can get sneaky and place it by an edge, or even on the surface of the pool, just to throw the other players for a loop. You could also, when all the players are in the pool looking for the ball, pretend to see it on the far side of the pool to distract your opponents while you’re still searching.

Variations: We always played with a whiffle ball, but you can play with anything small, hard to see, and buoyant-but-not-too-buoyant, like a toothpick, a popsicle stick, a golf tee, a toothpaste cap, or 2-liter soda bottle cap.

What it is

What you need: A big, open area indoors (like a gym). And lots of non-hard balls (like ones made of foam or rubber). And lots of people to play.

How to play: Divide your players into two teams, and divide your gym into two sides with a line (real or imaginary) down the middle. Place all the balls on the line and instruct the players on both sides to stand a designated distance away from the line.

The purpose of the game is to get players on the opposite team out by pegging them (from the neck down) with a ball. So when someone says “go” or a whistle blows, all the (brave) players rush to the line to grab a ball and start trying to get people on the opposite side out. If you’re pegged anywhere from the neck down, you’re out and have to go stand against the wall. But if you catch the ball or you get pegged above the neck, the person who threw the ball at you is out. Balls end up bouncing around on the floor, and you can pick one up at any time, but be careful no one pegs you in the process! Also, players aren’t allowed to cross the line in the middle.

The game turns into a big crazy melee, with balls flying and players running, throwing, and, of course, dodging, until one team has completely vanquished the other by getting all players out. There’s one catch, though: if everyone else on your team is out and you’re the last player in, and someone throws a ball at you to peg you, but you catch it, your whole team is back in, hooray! Then the game keeps going.

Variations: I’ll admit that I was never a huge fan of dodgeball – I’m just too afraid of things heading at high speeds aimed at hitting me, I think. But for some reason, I love glow-in-the-dark dodgeball, though it could be said that it’s decidedly more risky and intense. (Watch for a future post on how to play this amazingly awesome game.)

Game: Set by Set Enterprises

What it is: A card game played with two or many people (or even just you) that involves looking for sets of shapes, colors, and patterns. Cards are spread out twelve at a time on the table, and all players look at the cards and try to find sets of three, according to similarities and differences between the shapes, colors, and patterns on the cards.

My review: My first experience with this game was in sixth grade math class. I hate math, but I loved this game so much that I went home and made my own version with three-by-five cards and Crayola markers. I played with my homemade ghetto version for years, until my mom got me a real game for Christmas (when I was in college).

I love the concentration in searching for sets. The definition of a set is actually a little complicated, but once you get the hang of it, you can spot them quick. I think I like it so much because it involves colors and patterns, not numbers (bleh). The game is easy enough for older elementary-school kids to play, but it’s fun for adults, as well. It’s not loud or especially exciting (unless you’re playing with a big group and sets are spotted super fast), but if you’re looking for a thinking/perception game that’s fun for kids and adults alike, something quiet and brain stimulating, it’s perfect. I highly recommend it. :-)

What it is

What you need: Enough people to play (probably at least twelve), a slip of paper for everyone to write on, pens to write with, and enough seats in a room for everyone (e.g., chairs or couches or benches). Each seat should be clearly distinguishable, so the floor probably wouldn’t be the best, and it’s best if they’re arranged in a circle. Oh, and you need one couch that seats exactly four people (or a bench or set of chairs will do).

How to play: First, designate one four-seater couch (or bench or set of chairs) as the Couch. The point of the game is to have all four seats on the Couch occupied by your team members. Next, divide into two teams. The easiest way to play is boys versus girls, because everyone always needs to remember who’s on their team, and things might get a little confusing later. Boys versus girls is easy. If you can’t do boys versus girls, though, maybe you could divide family versus family, or teens versus adults – any division that the players will be able to remember easily.

So you have your teams? Good. Let’s say you’re playing boys versus girls. So next, have everyone sit in the circle in the order boy-girl-boy-girl. (This means that each team will have two players on the Couch.) Also, it’s important that one seat stays empty, so you need one more seat than there are people.

Next, hand out the slips of paper and pens and have everyone write their first name down (if you have two players with the same name, have them use their last initial, too). Then gather up the slips of paper, toss them in a hat, and hand them out to everyone again. Each player will get someone else’s name. Someone might get his or her own name, but that’s fine. It’s just important that everyone keep the name a secret.

Okay, so you’re with me so far? Good. Now you’re ready to play. Let’s say Keith, Liz, Ben, and Ann are playing. Keith is one of the lucky ones sitting on the couch. Liz and Ben are sitting in random seats in the circle. And Ann is sitting in the seat to the right of the empty seat: because of this, she gets to start. Remember the objective: each team wants to get four of their players on the Couch. Here’s how it works: Ann calls out the name of anyone in the room, like “Ben.” Then whoever is holding the slip of paper with Ben’s name on it (say it’s Liz) would get up and move to sit in the empty chair next to Ann. Then Liz and Ann would trade papers, so now Ann is Ben, and Liz is whoever was on Ann’s paper (nobody but Ann and Liz know).

Then the person to the right of Liz’s old chair gets to call out a name. So that’s basic game play: the player to the right of the empty chair calls out a name, and the player holding the piece of paper with that name moves to the empty chair, and then the players switch names.

Now remember that Keith started on the Couch? Let’s pretend he’s holding a slip of paper with Donna’s name on it. Eventually, someone will say “Donna,” and Keith will have to get up and move. That means one of the Couch spaces is now open. Then Kelly (the person sitting to the right of where Keith was sitting) is lucky: she gets the chance to fill the open seat on the Couch with one of her team members, as long as she can remember one of the names one of her team members is currently holding.

So memory is an important part of this game. The girls in the room are trying to figure out the boys’ names on the couch so they can call them off, and vice versa. And the people who are sitting to the right of a Couch seat are trying to keep track of the names of their teammates so that, when a Couch seat opens up, they can fill the seat with their team members. But people shuffle around all the time, and you never know if you’ll be called to a Couch seat or off the Couch or what. So you try to keep track of everything, but with all the seat-switching and name-switching, you can imagine that it gets pretty complicated!

As far as rules go, team members aren’t allowed to help each other, especially when it’s the team member whose turn it is to call someone to an empty chair. (People may talk and whisper when it’s not their turn, but try to keep it to a minimum.) There’s lots of memory and thinking involved, but it’s great fun, and a big moment of triumph for the winning team when they win. :-)

What you need: Just people to talk.

How to play: It’s a pretty simple game. First, players pick a category – let’s say food. One player starts by naming any food, say, a strawberry.

The next player has to name a food that starts with the last letter of the previously named food: so, in this case, Y. Yam, for example, would be a good choice.

Then the next player has to name a food that starts with M. And that’s the game! Keep naming food until you can’t name any more. Then choose a new category and go again!

Variations: You can have players go in order, and the first player to not think of a word (at all or within a certain time limit) or say a repeat word is out. Play until you have one winner. Or, if you’re looking for a less restrictive game, don’t set a playing order and have players call out words whenever they have a good one. Play until no one can think of another word. If you’re competitive, you could even keep points – whoever has called out the most words by the end wins. Can you think of any other ways to play?

What you need: Small, hard candy (we always used M&Ms, but Reeces Pieces or Skittles would work great, too) and a Don’t Eat Pete game board. Don’t worry, it’s easy to make one. You just need a grid of nine faces, like this one:

You can get creative with the colors and faces you use. You could probably even have more than nine faces. That’s just the number I’ve always played with. It works well. It’s also best if the grid is large, like on a poster board, but if you want to download a mini version, click here.

How to play: Put the game board in the middle of the room and have everyone sit in a circle around it. Next, lay out one piece of candy on each face. Then choose one person (or have someone volunteer) to leave the room and cover their ears. Say Bobby is the one to leave. While Bobby is gone, the rest of the players secretly choose one of the nine faces to be “Pete” for that round. Then you can call Bobby back into the room. But, shh! Make sure everyone keeps the identity of Pete a secret.

Bobby then gets to start choosing pieces of candy to eat while everyone else watches in anticipation. As soon as he touches the candy that’s on Pete, everyone yells as loud as they can, “DON’T EAT PETE!” Then Bobby’s turn is over and someone else gets to go. Bobby only gets to eat the candy that he chose before he touched Pete.

So then fill up the board with candy again and let someone else go! It’s a lot of fun for little kids: something about the anticipation, the suspense, the colored smiley faces, the candy…I don’t know. But I loved it when I was a kid, as evidenced by this adorable video of me describing my five-year-old birthday party games:

Aren’t I cute? (Many thanks to Aunt Melissa for documenting this precious moment of my childhood. :-))

Printables: Click here to download a mini Don’t Eat Pete board. Have fun!

What it is

What you need: A group of people, probably at least 10, and either a big open room or some space outdoors.

How to play: First, make sure you have the right number of players. You need enough to divide all players into groups of three and have one left over. So, you could have 10 players (3 groups of 3 plus 1), or 16 players (5 groups of 3 plus 1), or…well, you get the idea. Next, divide everyone up into groups of three and choose one person to be It.

Now the groups of three have to get into position. Let’s say Jane, Maria, and Sam are in a group. Two of the three (Jane and Maria) will form a “castle” by holding hands like this:

Then Sam will be the “beaver” inside the castle, like this:

So once all your groups of three have formed castles and beavers, the game can start. The point of the game is for the person who’s It (say, Michael) to be part of a castle/beaver group and not be left out anymore. So Michael can call out one of three things:

• Castles!
• Beavers!
• Castles and beavers! (or, if you want to keep in touch with the Mexican roots of the game, ¡castillos y castores!)

If Michael calls out “castles,” all of the players forming castles must lift their arms up (without breaking hand holds) and find a new beaver. All the beavers stay where they are. So if Michael said “castles,” Jane and Maria, still holding hands, would together run to find a new beaver. (Michael would hope that one of the castles would find him so that he’s no longer left out.)

If Michael calls out “beavers,” all of the players who are beavers must duck out of their castles and go find a new one. All the castles stay where they are. Michael would run with the beavers find a castle to call home, leaving another player left out.

If Michael calls out “castles and beavers,” all the castles let go of the hands they’re holding, and everyone runs to form totally new groups of three. Then castles can become beavers and beavers can become castles, and the result is usually pandemonium – and hilarious.

No matter what Michael calls or how players rearrange themselves, in the end one player should be left out again – say it’s Sam. Then it would be Sam’s turn to call something out and try to join a group of three.

So there’s no real winner or loser, and the game just kind of goes on until you don’t feel like playing, or until everyone collapses on the floor with laughter, because every time I’ve played it it’s been hilariously fun.

What you need: Just people to play. :)

How to play: First, have everyone sit in a circle, or establish a clear playing order so everyone knows when it’s their turn. Then you can start. The point of the activity is just to tell a story, one word at a time. Each player gets to say one word. So this is how a sample start to a game might go:

I’ve played where ending punctuation marks count as words, too; otherwise, sentences tend to drag on without any clear end. You can tell your story on paper or out loud or both, and it usually ends up pretty silly or ridiculous. But that’s the fun part. :-)

Variations: To avoid the story breaking down into a totally unrelated mess of words that lacks any continuity whatsoever (which is often what happens when I play with my siblings), you could choose a topic or narrow the scope before hand. Or, just say anything goes.

What it is

What you need: A good frisbee and a large field outdoors, preferably with a way to mark end zones (like trees, fences, shoes, or some other sort of boundary)

How to play: First, set up the field by designating the playing area with two end zones for scoring (like in football). It’s best if there are clear boundaries on the end zones and playing area, to avoid disputes later. Next, divide the players into two even teams.

Then you’re ready to play. The game is fundamentally like football: each team starts at opposite ends of the field, and each team tries to get the frisbee into the other team’s end zone to score. So, pretend you’re on one team, standing on the field, facing the middle. Behind you is the end zone the opposition is trying to get to in order to score – the end zone you’re trying to protect. In front of you, across the field, the other team is standing in front of the end zone your team is trying to get to.

One of the teams (the other one) starts off with the frisbee and throws it off to your team. Your team spreads out to catch the frisbee as the opposing team rushes towards you. You so happen to catch the frisbee – woo hoo! Now you have to advance it up the field by passing to your teammates. But while you have the frisbee, you are not allowed to move your feet more than three steps; you can only pass. So you quickly pass the frisbee to a team member and your team starts advancing up the field. You can pass to team members in front of you or behind you, it doesn’t matter.

But someone gets clumsy and misses a catch, and the frisbee lands on the ground. Then it’s the other team’s turn, and they get to pick up the frisbee where it fell and move it down the field the other way. Your team switches to defense, trying to block the opposition from catching or throwing the frisbee, even trying to knock it out of the air. For example, as an opposing team member passes the frisbee, in a leap of glory you knock the frisbee onto the ground. Then it’s your team’s turn again, good for you. Or, if your team member actually catches the frisbee while playing defense, its also switches to your team’s possession.

Play continues like this, moving up and down the field. It’s usually pretty fast-paced, with a lot of running involved. The first team to get a player to catch the frisbee with both feet on the other side of their end zone scores. Then the other team takes a walk of shame to the other side of the field, and the teams switch sides until the next point.

Variations: I’ve played ultimate football before, which is the same thing, but with a football. Also, I’m sure there are variations on rules (for example, the three-step rule that allows the person holding the frisbee to take three steps between catching it and throwing it again could be the two-step rule), or more specific rules I didn’t mention. Anyone have any rules to share?

What you need: Paper, something to write with, and two players.

How to play: The game is basically the same as regular tic-tac-toe: you try to win by getting three X’s or O’s in a row. The trick is, instead of one grid of nine squares, you have three grids of nine squares, all stacked on top of each other. A diagonal, horizontal, or vertical set of three lets you win, but since the game is 3-D, there are many more winning possibilities, some of which are shown here:

And it’s more fun. And challenging. And harder to end in a tie.

Variations: I suppose, since the playing space is so much larger, you could try with more than two players. I never have, but just use another letter or shape or color and see how it goes. Or I guess you could try with four grids stacked on top of each other instead of three…woah, woah, that’s a lot of squares…but who knows? ;-)

Printables: Want a printout with grids all drawn up and ready to go? Click here and enjoy!

What you need: Paper and a pen (or two). Or, really, anything to write with and on (a stick in the stand, a marker and wipe-off board, a sharp stone on a cave wall…you know). And two people.

How to play: We all know how to play, right? Make a grid of nine squares on the paper by drawing two vertical lines and two horizontal lines. One player chooses to be X and one chooses to be O. Players take turns drawing their markers (X or O) in one of the nine squares. The first player to have three of their markers in a row (horizontal, vertical, or diagonal) wins.

Easy, right? In fact, so easy it usually ends in a tie game and is really boring after a while. Except I did have one younger cousin who always managed to beat me…he’s smart, I tell you.

Variations: Okay, so maybe an old-fashioned game of tic-tac-toe just isn’t as exciting as it used to be. But 3-D triple-decker tic-tac-toe? Now that can be pretty fun. Go check it out!

What it is

What you need: Each player needs a piece of paper to write on. You also need one die and one pen.

How to play: Everyone sits in a circle, either around a table or on the floor. One person starts out with the pen, and the person to their left starts out with the die.

Let’s say Paul has the pen, Tasha is to his left with the die, and Adam is sitting to Tasha’s left. When the game starts, Paul starts writing legible numbers, starting with 1 and going up to 100, as fast as he can on his paper, while Tasha starts rolling the die as fast as she can, trying to roll a six. As soon as she does roll a six, she gets to grab the pen from Paul and start writing numbers on her paper, while Adam grabs the die and tries to roll a six. As soon as he does, he grabs the pen, and the person to his left starts rolling. Play proceeds around the circle like this. The first person to write to 100 on their paper wins.

Variations: This game is a little like the candy bar game, sort of. But while the candy bar game is pretty silly, one hundred is better for older players, and it’s a good game to play if you have a big group and want a game to play, but still want to be able to talk and laugh, because the people who aren’t rolling or writing will be able to chat and laugh all they want without worrying about the game, until it’s their turn.

What it is

What you need: A pool table with plenty of room around it to move in. And a group of people to play.

How to play: First, get rid of all the balls except for the eight ball and the cue ball. Those are the only ones you’ll need. You won’t need any cue sticks, either. Next, decide playing order by lining up around the table. Remember who you go after.

The object of the game is to always keep the eight ball moving. If it stops moving on your turn, you get a letter. If you get four letters (S, P, A, and Z), you’re out of the game.

Here’s how it works. Everyone lines up in order around the pool table. Let’s say Kim is playing, and it’s her turn. She steps up to one short end of the pool table and grabs the cue ball. Then another player stands on the opposite side of the table, grabs the eight ball, and rolls it across the pool table pretty hard, so it starts bouncing back and forth between the two ends. Kim’s job is to roll the cue ball and hit the eight ball with it. As soon as she hits the eight ball, her turn is over and she moves away from the table. Then the next player (say, Frank) is up. He grabs the cue ball and has to hit the eight ball, too. If the eight ball loses momentum and stops moving before he can hit it, he gets a letter.

Now, there are two important rules. First, the player who’s up must always stand between the pockets on either short end of the table:

No standing on the long ends; only on the short ends. Second, you can only hit the eight ball when it’s on the opposite side of the table as you. So in the above picture, pretend there’s an invisible line connecting the two middle pockets on the long ends. If the eight ball is on the left half of the table, you have to be on the right side, and vice versa.

That’s where the physically active part comes in – as the eight ball keeps rolling across the table, you end up running around it a lot to make sure you’re on the opposite side before you can hit the eight ball. You end up jogging more and more if the eight ball is on the other side, you roll the cue ball towards it, and you miss – then you’ve gotta run around the table, grab the cue ball, run back around, and hope the eight ball hasn’t stopped moving yet. There are no limits on how many times you can miss, as long as the eight ball keeps moving. Also, if you accidentally hit the eight ball when it’s on the same side of the table as you, you get a letter.

There’s one more way to get a letter in Spaz: if the person whose turn precedes you knocks the eight ball into a pocket. So say Kim’s up again, and she grabs the cue ball and rolls it towards the eight ball. The eight ball is hit and rolls into the corner pocket – that means Frank, who goes after Kim, gets a letter. He also loses his turn and the person after him starts again.

So that’s Spaz. Play proceeds around the circle. Keep track of your letters, and when you get all four, you’re out. The number of players gets smaller and smaller as players are eliminated, until a sole champion remains.

Strategies: One of the best strategies is, when it’s your turn, to wait until the eight ball is moving pretty slowly, almost stopped, and then very lightly hit it with the cue ball. Then the player after you really has to hustle to avoid getting a letter. Of course, hitting the eight ball into a pocket is a great strategy, too. But often the game is so fast-paced that aim might not have much to do with it. :-)

Cautions: This game is best suited for teens and older. Be careful of smashed fingers or flying pool balls…yes, very careful…

What it is

What you need: A pair of longer-than-ankle socks that you don’t particularly care about, because they’ll probably get a little stretched out. And a room with enough space for everyone to sit in a circle on the floor.

How to play: First, get ready by taking the pair of socks, wadding one sock into a ball, and stuffing it into the toe of the other sock. Then pick one person to be It (let’s say it’s Tom). Next, have everyone else form a circle by sitting on the floor with their legs bent in front of them, feet flat on the ground, knees up. The circle should be tight enough that everyone is shoulder-to-shoulder with the person next to them.

The person who’s It, Tom, kneels or squats in the middle of the circle. Everyone in the circle puts their hands under their legs so Tom can’t see them. To start the game, someone in the circle starts out with the sock. The point of the game is to pass the sock from person to person, under everyone’s legs, without Tom seeing (or at least grabbing) the sock. If he sees or suspects he sees it, he makes a grab for it. If Jill has the sock and is trying to pass it off to Melissa, but Tom sees and grabs it from Jill first, that means Jill is the new It.

Strategies: If Tom is It and in the middle of the circle and his back is turned to you, and you have the sock, you can get daring and pull it out and bop Tom with it (the sock is the perfect shape for that). Then you’ve got to move quick to pass the sock on before Tom grabs it. But it makes the game more fun (or mean, I guess).

What it is

What you need: Just people who know and like music. Optional: something that plays music (piano, guitar, iPod speakers, you know).

How to play: The basic game is simple. Someone picks a song and starts humming or singing it. Then the other players try to guess which song it is. Or, instead of singing or humming, you can play songs on the piano, one note at a time, or from a CD in the car, or with an iPod, or anything that makes music. You could take turns singing or playing songs, or have one designated song-player. You could choose a theme (oldies, Disney, movie scores, 90s pop) or leave it open. And I suppose you could keep score, but you don’t have to at all.

Variations: If you’re into music but not singing, you could play name that tune by reciting lyrics instead of humming or singing.

What it is

What you need: A bunch of people.

How to play: Have everyone stand in a circle, shoulder to shoulder. Tell everyone to put their right hand in the middle and then grab someone else’s hand (preferably with no peeking). Repeat with everyone’s left hand. Now you should have a big mob of people – a knot, if you will – and everyone should be holding on to two other people’s hands. The task? Untangle the knot! It will involve teamwork, communication, stepping over arms, twisting around, and probably lots of flexibilty. The only rule is that no one may break a hand hold. Once the knot is untangled, you should have a big circle, or maybe two separate smaller circles, or maybe two circles that interlock. Either way, the knot is untangled. Ta da!

Variations: Playing in the pool can be extra fun because the weightlessness makes it easier to duck around and through the knot. Just make sure that everyone can reach the bottom! I’ve also played with a “doctor” – one person who isn’t part of the knot but who walks around and directs everyone on how to untangle it.

What you need: A bunch of people and somewhere outside to run around.

How to play: It’s just like normal freeze tag with one variation – all players must keep their arms and legs either all bent or all straight, always. So start by picking someone (or perhaps more than one someone, if you’re playing with a large group) to be It. Then everyone (including It) chooses how they want to start – with all their limbs bent, or with all their limbs straight. To illustrate this somewhat silly concept, I’ve drawn these amazingly accurate and clear animations:

All clear? Good. So let’s say Matt, Ann, and Leroy are playing (along with a big group of their friends from yearbook camp). Ann is chosen to be It. She counts to a designated number while the other players run away (remember, with all their limbs either bent or straight). Then Ann finishes and starts chasing people, and the game works just like freeze tag, except any time Ann tags someone, she switches the way she’s running. So if she starts the game with all her limbs bent, then tags Matt, as soon as she tags him she switches to all her limbs straight.

It works the same for the other players. Say Matt starts the game with all his limbs straight, and then Ann tags him. First, he has to freeze (it’s funniest if you set the rule that he has to freeze in whatever goofy position he was in, no moving allowed). Then after Matt is unfrozen by Leroy touching him, Matt switches from all his limbs straight to all his limbs bent. So basically any time you are unfrozen or tag someone, you switch. And that’s the game!

Experiences: I think your first experience with something can really influence how you feel about it forever after. My first experience with this game was with a bunch of friends on a study abroad in Europe. We had been aboard a bus for hours and hours, and when we got out at a rest stop before driving for lots more hours, someone suggested we play this game. It was a blast! Maybe it just felt really good to run around after being so cooped up. Maybe it was just that I was with a bunch of silly friends and we were in Europe and feeling exhilarated. Or, maybe, this game really is just that awesome. So try it and find out!

What you need: Paper to write on and two pens (sometimes it’s fun if you use different colored ones).

How to play: First, set up the playing space by making a grid of dots on the paper, like this:

You can make it as big as you want. I think we usually did grids of about 10 by 10, unless we wanted a really epic game and made a grid to take up the whole page (and I guess that happened quite a bit, too).

Anyway, now you’re ready to start. Let’s say Chris and Meg are playing. Meg starts by drawing a horizontal or vertical line between any two adjacent dots, like this:

Then it’s Chris’s turn. He also makes a horizontal or vertical line between any two adjacent dots:

And then it’s Meg’s turn again. Play continues back and forth until the grid looks something like this…

And then something like this:

And then the game starts getting exciting. See, the point of the game is to form squares – for every square you form, you get a point. So as you’ll notice on the above grid, Chris and Meg very carefully avoided adding a third side to any set of dots on the grid, because that would allow the other player to form a square and get a point.

So now it’s Chris’s turn. But now the only moves left on the gird are ones that would allow Meg to get a point. But Chris has no choice. So he draws a line in the bottom corner, and then Meg can form a square and writes her initial inside the box to mark it as her point:

But the rule is, if you get a point, you get to go again. Now Meg is forced to let Chris get a square somewhere. So then it becomes a game of letting your opponent score as few points as possible. Chris was smart because he picked a move that only gave Meg one square. Meg also finds a smart move that only gives Chris two:

And, shown above, Chris now has to go again and gives Meg three squares. So all clear? That’s how the game is played, until the grid looks something like this:

And then you count up each player’s squares and declare a winner. In this game, Meg had 11 while Chris had 14, so he’s the winner.

Strategies: If you’re playing with a large enough grid and you’re sneaky enough, sometimes you can make a three-sided almost-square while your opponent’s not looking. Then they’ll never find it and draw a line somewhere else, and you can close up your own square for a point. That’s always fun. And the grid above is pretty simple; if you’re playing with a larger one, it’s more challenging because it’s possible to outsmart your opponent by finding good moves later in the game.

Printables: Don’t want to draw bajillions of dots? Click the links to download a printout of four small grids or a printout of one large grid. Enjoy!

What it is

What you need: A pair of dice, a plate (or we always used a disposable pie tin), some random utensils (like a fork and knife, or maybe a spatula), assorted articles of clothing (like sunglasses, a silly hat, scarf, and gloves are always good), and, of course, a few candy bars.

How to play: Sit everyone in a circle. Put the candy bar on the plate with the utensils and pile the assorted clothing nearby. Give the dice to someone (say Joe, this time) and instruct him to start rolling, with the goal of rolling doubles. As soon as Joe starts rolling, the person to his right (who, in this game, is Abigail) has to put on all the clothing as fast as she can and, using the utensils, attempt to unwrap and eat the candy bar. Joe also rolls the dice as fast as he can because as soon as he rolls doubles, Abigail has to stop, no matter how far she is in her process of unwrapping/eating the candy bar, take off the clothing, and pass it to Joe so he gets his chance to put on the clothes, unwrap the candy bar, and eat some yummy chocolate. Meanwhile the next person in the circle is hurrying to roll doubles, and…well, the game goes on and the candy bar travels all around the circle. Those not rolling the dice or trying to eat laugh and giggle at the silly sight of someone trying to unwrap and eat a candy bar with a fork and knife while wearing gloves and sunglasses.

Variations: If you’re playing with a bunch of germiphobes or people who just like cleanliness, you could set a rule that if someone’s sunk teeth into the candy bar, it’s theirs to keep, even if the next person rolls doubles before they can finish. Also, this game is a little like one hundred.

What it is

What you need: Just two or more players.

How to play: The point of the game is to hold a conversation using only questions. Players take turns asking questions to each other, and the first person to say a statement is out. The questions don’t have to make sense or logically respond to one another; the trick is just to get another player to fall into the habit of automatically answering a question. So a sample game between Ian and Lilly might go something like this:

IAN: Why is the sky blue?

LILLY: What are you doing?

IAN: Where are you going?

LILLY: What time is it?

IAN: Where is my hairbrush?

LILLY: Where do you think it is?

IAN: Wouldn’t you like to know….dang it!

LILLY: Haha! I win!

(Ian just said a statement, so he loses.)

With more than two players, you can take turns asking questions in a circle, or players can ask questions specifically to other players, in any order.

This is a great game to play while killing time in the car, on a bus, waiting in line…you get the idea. So go ask some questions!

What you need: A group of people and a room they can all sit in. It’s harder to play this one on the floor, so it’s best if everyone’s sitting on chairs or couches arranged in a circle.

How to play: Before you start, everyone who’s playing needs to choose a sign – something distinct enough that it’s clearly theirs, but (usually) inconspicuous and silent. For example, let’s say Mike, Lori, Ben, and Kate are choosing their signs. Mike’s is pulling his right ear. Lori’s is touching her nose with her finger. Ben’s is making a “peace” sign with his hand. And Kate’s is a wink.

Next, choose someone to be It (this time it’s Ben). Ben stands up in the middle of the circle and picks someone in the circle (like Kate) to have the Sign. Then he closes his eyes. The point of the game is to pass the Sign around the circle without Ben knowing who has it. Kate has the Sign now. To pass it to someone else, she has to make their sign to them. So, what if Kate wants to pass the Sign to Mike? She’ll make sure Mike’s looking at her and then pull her right ear (remember, that’s Mike’s sign). For Mike to officially receive the Sign, he has to acknowledge to Kate by pulling his ear. As soon as Mike makes his sign, he has the Sign. Until then, Kate still has it. Make sense?

So that’s how the Sign is passed around the circle. Now remember that Ben closed his eyes? After he counts to ten, he opens them, and by then Kate will have passed the Sign on to someone else (and maybe the Sign has been passed a few times), so Ben doesn’t know who has it. Since he’s standing in the middle of the circle, his back is always turned to part of it, allowing the players to pass and receive the Sign when he’s not looking. But Ben can be quick. Let’s say he catches a glimpse of Lori making her sign (touching her nose with her finger) and he guesses that she just accepted the Sign. Ben can then ask, “Lori, do you have the Sign?” She has to respond truthfully, and then Lori is the new It. She stands in the middle of the circle, picks a new person to start with the Sign, and closes her eyes to count. If Lori (or any other It) guesses incorrectly, the game keeps going. She can guess as many times as she wants. So that’s how the game is played.

A few things to remember while playing Signs: First, make sure that everyone remembers everyone else’s signs. It’s okay if people forget momentarily, but if none of the other players can ever remember Ben’s sign, they’ll never pass the Sign to him, and that would be sad. So it might be good to review everyone’s signs every once in a while. Another thing, sometimes the game can get confusing. If you’re not paying attention, it could be easy to lose track of who has the Sign, or multiple people could think they have it. At that point, it’s best to pause the game and have whoever’s It pick a new person to start and then count to ten. Finally, you can get pretty sneaky with passing the Sign. If Ben’s It and he asks, “Do you have the sign?” and you do, but technically you just passed it to someone else who accepted it before you have to answer, you can say “no” and you’re off the hook. So practice being sneaky and inconspicuous and go have fun with Signs!

Variations: There are many other games similar to Signs that you perhaps call the same name. Know any others? Oh, and one of my favorites is playing Signs in a perhaps less formal setting, say if you’re in a boring meeting and want some entertainment. Get your buddies to all very quietly and inconspicuously choose a sign and then pass it around without the People in Charge catching on.* Good times. ;-)

* Of course, you should be responsible. Always.

What it is

What you need: A bunch of people ready to run.

How to play: First, choose someone to be It – let’s say it’s Joey. Joey counts to a designated number to give the other players time to run away. When Joey’s done counting, he runs after the other players, trying to tag them. If Joey tags you, you have to freeze where you are until one of the other players comes over to unfreeze you. (Unfreezing is typically done by crawling under the frozen person’s legs, but there are many variations.) Once someone unfreezes you, you can run around again and try to unfreeze other players. If you get tagged by Joey again, you’re frozen again. The game ends when Joey freezes all of the players and a new It is chosen.

Variations: One of my favorite variations is freeze tag-with-all-your-limbs-bent-or-all-your-limbs-straight. Know any other fun variations to share?

Hi! Welcome to my new blog. I’m the Game Gal, and I like games – outdoor games, group games, family games, just fun games. Because, hey, who doesn’t enjoy having fun and laughing with family and friends?

So if you’re planning a family reunion, throwing a party, entertaining bored kids, or just getting together with any group of people looking for some fun, I hope you can find the right game here. Enjoy!