Not much planned for Saturday night? Why not gather family, friends and neighbours together for an evening of fun?
These simple games don't need a lot of space.
Left and Right
You will need three marbles and three coins for each team for this game. Also, it is best played with a referee.
- players divide into two teams (if there's an extra player he/she can be the referee)
- each team's players sit side by side in a row (on opposite sides of the room and facing one another is best)
- at the left hand end (left hand to the players) of each team place a bowl with three marbles in it, at the right hand end place a bowl with three coins in it
- the referee signals for the game to start
- teams must pass each object one at a time from one player to the next down the row to the end
- but marbles move to the right and can only be passed to the next player with the right hand, the coins move to the left and can only be passed along the row with the left hand
- players can't hold more than one object in their hand (you could have, say, a marble in your right hand and a coin in your left but not two marbles)
- the penalty for players who pass more than one item or who pass with the wrong hand is that the object must go back to the start of the row of players
- the first team who moves all the objects to the opposite ends first wins.
The game can be even more fun by having the players wear oven mits. Marbles and coins can still be used, or to make it a little easier, use tennis balls and drink coasters.
Fumble Mitts
Speaking of oven mitts ... here is another suggestion.
In advance of the game, wrap a gift (block of chocolate, bag of confectionary) in about a dozen layers of newspaper securing each with sticky tape.
- players sit in a circle (around a table is best)
- place the gift in the middle along with a pair of oven mitts
- to begin, players take turns, going around the table, in rolling the dice
- as soon as a player rolls dice that add up to seven they put on the oven mitts and start unwrapping the gift
- the other players take turns, going around the table as before, at rolling dice that add up to seven
- as soon as a player does, the player who is unwrapping the gift must stop and pass the gift and oven mitts to the player who has just rolled a seven
- this player then puts on the oven mitts and starts unwrapping the gift while the other players take it in turns to roll the dice
- the next player to roll a seven is the next player to put on the oven mitts and try to unwrap the gift
- continue until someone has unwrapped the last layer to reveal the gift, which is their prize.
For more ideas try Indoor Games for Kids.
The copyright of the article Family Indoor Games in Entertaining is owned by Lesley Munnichs. Permission to republish Family Indoor Games in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
