In-Person Games
1. Mine Field - Lay out 50 plastic cups (mines), empty and upside down, on the 'mine filed' about 8 feet wide. The cups should be about 8 inches apart. Split into two groups. One person from each team must put on a blindfold. The team members from each team must try to instruct their blindfolded teammate through the mine field without him/her touching any cups. If he/she touches a cup, then they leave the field, give another teammate the blindfold, and the other teammate will make the attempt. The first team to successfully instruct a teammate to the other side of the mine field will win the game. The game tests communication skills, patience, and builds teamwork.
2. Guess Who - Access questions that help participants to get to know each other better by clicking here. Print out a few and cut them out so that there is one question on each strip. Place them in a bag. Pass the bag around and ask participants to take 3 strips. They are to write the answers that pertain to them on the back of the strip along with their initials. Collect them in a bag. Read each question, then the answer, and ask the group to guess who gave each answer. This is a fun way for participants to get to know each other.
3. Scavenger hunt - Make a list of items that will be fairly easy, or even just possible, for participants to access. Items can include a leaf, a blade of grass, a pen, a plastic cup, etc. Ask them to retrieve the items one by one. Each time you name an items, the participants are to scurry off to get them. The first person to return to his/her seat with the item will get a point. The person who has the most points at the end of the game will win.
4. Mafia - Gather players in a circle (at least 7 people works best). Choose a moderator who will not play but will guide the game. All players close their eyes while the moderator secretly assigns roles: a few players are Mafia, one is a Doctor, one is a Detective, and the rest are Villagers. The game has two phases: Night and Day.
- At Night, everyone closes their eyes. The Mafia secretly choose one person to “eliminate.” The Doctor chooses one person to “save,” and the Detective chooses one person to “investigate.”
- At Day, the moderator announces who was eliminated (unless saved). The group then discusses and votes on who they think the Mafia is. The person with the most votes is eliminated.
The game continues until either:
- The Mafia are all eliminated (Villagers win), or
- The Mafia outnumber the Villagers (Mafia win).
This game tests strategy, persuasion, and teamwork.
5. Whisper Challenge - Split into two groups. One person from each team must put on headphones with loud music playing so they cannot hear. A teammate will choose a word or phrase from the list and say it silently by moving their lips. The player wearing headphones must try to guess the word or phrase by reading lips only—no gestures allowed.
If the player guesses correctly, their team earns a point. After each round, switch to another teammate with the headphones. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins.
This game tests focus, lip-reading skills, and brings lots of laughter!
Online Games
- Skribbl.io - This game allows participants to compete for points by drawing, or guessing what other competitors have drawn. This is game requires each participant to have their own device (phone or tablet).
- Jeopardy - Set up your own jeopardy game. This is as fun as the real jeopardy. You can select from prepared games, or you can tailor your own game with unique clues.
- Scattegories - In Jamaica, this game is known as "Boy, Girl". The online version is just as fun.
- kahoot.com - Split into teams or play individually. The game host sets up a quiz on kahoot.com and shares the game code with all players. Each player (or team) joins the game by entering the code on their phone or device. The host starts the quiz, and questions appear on the main screen. Players must quickly choose the correct answer on their device before time runs out. Points are awarded for correct answers and for speed. At the end of the quiz, the player or team with the highest score wins. This game tests knowledge, quick thinking, and makes learning fun!
