Monkey in the middle
Monkey in the middle is a throwing and catching game for a small group. Players try to keep the ball away from one player, the “monkey.”
Speed Scrabble
This is a variant of Scrabble that’s a lot faster, which I’m a fan of. You only need the Scrabble letter tiles, and it’s ideal for a small group.
Actor/movie loop
This is a talking game where you try to find links between actors via the movies they star in. You can play with two people or a larger group, and you can play cooperatively or competitively. Even if you’re not big movie buffs – don’t worry. You can still play and enjoy it.
Who am I?
A character card guessing game for a large group of people. You’re assigned a character or person and you have to ask questions to other players until you figure out who you are. It’s a great mingling game because it can encourage you to talk to lots of people in the group.
Feather
This is a really simple game kids can play in a car. It’s not so much a game as an…activity to pass the time? Or a way to tease/persecute the person sitting in the middle of the backseat. Players basically use the momentum of the car to squish each other.
Breakfast combo
This game is a variation of twenty questions. It’s a little more complicated than twenty questions and involves more thought for both the guesser and the one answering the questions. So if you like twenty questions but it’s getting a little old, this’ll probably be the perfect game for you to try.
Walk on the ceiling
This is a game, or really more of an activity, to play around the house. It’s ideal for one to two players, really entertaining for little children, a new favorite of my four-year-old, and the reason my handheld mirror is broken.
Bigger or better scavenger hunt
The bigger or better scavenger hunt is a great activity for a youth group or teen get-together. It’s open-ended and doesn’t require many materials at all. It often leads to lots of laughs, too!
Christmas gift pass
This is a Christmas gift exchange activity, using the poem “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” and the words “right” and “left” to instruct children to pass their gifts to the right or the left. It’s kind of like a white elephant gift exchange, but for younger kids because it’s easier and faster and, because there’s no actual choosing involved, will probably lead to less gift-picker remorse.
This or that
This or that is a simple talking game where players choose which of two items they prefer. It’s best for a small group, maybe even two players only. And you don’t need anything! It’s a great getting-to-know you game.