In the era of online games and technology, most kids have forgotten the timeless indoor and outdoor games. Social media and mobile games have significantly deteriorated the mental health of kids and adults alike.
As a result, it’s high time we reintroduce them to kids and enhance their quality time. Are we guessing an easy way out? You’re right! Guessing games are fun, easy, and a perfect go-to for an entertaining gathering.
And it is not just a cool pastime but also a fun way to learn vocabulary and grammar for kids.
In this article, we have carefully curated the best 30 indoor and outdoor guessing games not just for kids but also for teenagers and adults.
Indoor Guessing Games for Kids
1. Dumb Charades
One of the most interactive indoor guessing games of all time, Dumb Charades doesn’t require any props. It can be easily played with four or more kids, though an even number might help.
All you need is to divide the players into two groups. The first group will give the name of a movie/song/actor/book, or anything mutually agreed upon.
A representative from the second group would quietly listen to the given idea. Then, within a time limit of, say, two minutes, the second group has to guess the given name through a mute mimic by their representative.
If the second group selects the right name, they get a point. If not, they get zero. This goes on and on for at least two times or as long as you wish. Isn’t it an entertaining guessing game to tickle your funny bones?
We agree!
2. UNO
Let’s begin with this: we all love UNO, right? This interesting guessing game is a multi-level card game that improves a preschool kid’s skill to make simultaneous decisions.
It also helps them learn the names of different colors, numbers, and more. Players run to get rid of their cards. This is done by matching them to the card on the deck.
When you’re left with only one card, you say, UNO! An absolute banger for a family night, UNO is best-suitable for kids 4 years and older.
3. Cards
Imagine having a standard deck of 52 cards and playing countless games through the same! There are so many kid-friendly card games that require nothing but a standard deck of cards.
After all, Guessing games are more fun when you can play several games from the same prop.
Whether you are to play preschool card games like Crazy Eights, War, Old Maid, or Memory, or for relatively older kids like Snap, Rummy, and more, this guessing game will always win the battle of board games.
4. Boggle
When it comes to guessing the game, why should board games have all the fun? Boggle is a word game that blends fun and focus so kids start enjoying learning vocabulary. All you need is a boggle game set, and you’re on it!
Chaining letters to create a meaningful word is all it takes. Boost your creativity and confidence with quick thinking in this fun guessing game.
This game is best for two or more kids to play and delight. Scramble the letters, set a timer, and find at least 3 letter words.
The basic rule is not to use the same letter in a word; the one who finds more words and writes in their notebook wins.
5. Heads Up, Seven Up
Heads up, Seven Up is a quirky number game to improve your math skills while having fun. The objective of this classroom guessing game is to guess the person who pressed your thumb.
The first step is to ask seven kids to stand in front of the room. The host will then say out loud, ”Heads down, thumbs up.” The seven kids will do exactly as mentioned above. All the remaining kids would put their heads on the desk with one thumb open.
Once they’re done, all the seven kids standing in front of the classroom would come and quietly press the thumb of one kid sitting with eyes closed on the desk. Then, they will be asked to guess who touched their thumb.
If the guess is right, both kids exchange their places. If the guess is wrong, the volunteer standing in front of the classroom remains in the same position. The game continues with a fresh set of volunteers.
6. Pictionary
Pictionary is probably the best indoor guessing game for kids to improve their drawing and guessing skills. Don’t believe me? Try playing this fun game.
All you need is a notebook and at least four kids to play with. Divide the teams, and then a selected person from a group will share a thing to draw.
The representative of the other team would be given, let’s say, sixty seconds to draw and get their drawing a successful guess. Each team will be given a point for the right guess.
The team with the most points wins. Simple and sweet.
7. Rhyming Riddles
This guessing game is focused on bulking up your analytical and problem-solving skills. Through rhyming words, kids also get a gist of poetry and literature.
Find or create riddles on anything you want your kid to learn about, and then give them some time to find the answer.
Initially, they may find it difficult to crack the riddle; help them by giving hints. Once they get a knack for it, ask them to create their riddles. Isn’t it pretty cool?
8. Psychiatrist
This fun game is for all the science geeks out there. Best suited for four or more kids. All you need is to designate a kid as a doctor. The rest will quietly decide upon a disease, let’s say cold.
Each kid will mimic one symptom of a cold. For example- one kid would cough, the second kid would act feeling cold, the third kid would carry a handkerchief near the nose, and so on.
The assigned doctor would now look at the symptoms of each and guess the disease (in each case).
As the name suggests, psychiatry is a wonderful game to develop sensitivity among kids and significantly improve the way they treat their mental health as well as of others.
9. Name that Tune
The best way to find the musician in your kid through indoor guessing games is to play this music game with them.
Best suitable for kids aged 5 years and more, this guessing game can easily be played with two or more people.
All you need is to think of a song, hum it to the kids, and ask them to guess. The one who guesses first wins the game. Once they get the hang of it, ask them to think of a song and hum the tune.
Gradually, they will learn tips and tricks of the art that is music.
10. Twenty Questions
Twenty Questions is an amusing game to upskill your kid’s knowledge. In this guessing game, the host assigns a certain topic, say, cricket.
\Now, all the remaining kids will ask the questions to the ‘it’ kid with the mystery answer.
For each question, the answer would follow a yes or a no. For example- Is this a film? No! Is it a sport? Yes! Meanwhile, if someone guesses the right answer, their team wins.
11. Ludo
A game that has garnered the attention of all age groups. Ludo is arguably one of the most played indoor guessing games, and why not?
Designed for two or four players, each is given a differently colored home with four pawns. One by one, players roll their dice and move forward to their winning point as fast as possible.
As a matter of chance, if two pawns coincide, the one that came later earns the position, and the former pawn is sent back to their home.
It’s surprising to watch how the game turns out to be. If you’re looking for an indoor guessing game that fits every family member and more, Ludo is the game to go!
12. Rock Paper Scissors
What do we do when we can’t agree on one thing? Well! This is what kids do! Rock-paper scissors are best for kids when they want to have fun quickly.
It is also an excellent way to decide the ‘IT’ person in other guessing games.
Suitable for two or more, all you need is, say, rock paper scissors together and unpredictably make a shape of either of the three things.
Any set of rules to follow? Rock beats scissor beats paper beats rock.
13. Hangman
Are you up for a mystery hunt? But beware! You only get a few chances before you get it right or the stick figure is hung.
That’s hangman for you! One of the most popular classroom guessing games, Hangman, can easily be played on a notebook.
A blank line is drawn for each letter of the word. The point is to guess the mystery word picked up by the host. You can also add variations from other games to make it more entertaining!
14. Heads Up
Heads Up is a blockbuster game to add laughter at your kid’s birthday party. Suitable for two players, this game is a hilarious treat to watch.
Arrange a bowl of chits with different things to guess. More unusual, more fun. Now, it’s time to divide the teams into two members each.
One by one, a member from each team would come and pick a chit to act upon. That’s it.
Set a timer of, let’s say, 60 seconds to keep the other member guessing about what it could be. The one who guesses the right answer in the shortest time wins!
15. Whisper Challenge
A quirky variation on guessing games like Heads Up, Whisper Challenge is a great way to improve your kid’s phonetic skills with unlimited entertainment.
The only equipment you need is a headphone/earphones connected to music. Follow the same steps as Heads Up except for the acting part! This is where the guessing gets creative.
Spell out the word without speaking out loud. And let them guess the word. Maybe they get it right. Or maybe you laugh your heart out with these memorable games.
Outdoor Guessing Games for Kids
16. Hide and Seek
Oh, come on! We know you’ve played this, and probably more than once. This classic outdoor game can be enjoyed at its best when played with a group of kids, ideally more than three.
Moreover, you don’t need any equipment with this one. That’s right! Just decide a periphery to hide, then the one person who will search for everyone will close his/her eyes and count till, let’s say, 20.
In the meantime, all the rest will hide, and then it’s all about guessing who is hidden where and calling out upon each one without getting caught. The one who is found first will replace the former.
If the former calls out the wrong person or gets caught in the process, the game will start afresh with the kid counting again and searching again.
17. Musical Chairs
Isn’t it the first choice of all party lovers? As the name suggests, the musical chairs game is about music and chairs.
Although, most guessing games can easily be played with three kids. But trust me, when it comes to musical chairs, more people means more fun.
So, let’s say 10 kids are playing this guessing game. Number of chairs used will always be less than 10. One person is allotted to start and stop the music without any warning.
All the rest will walk the circle of chairs for as long as the music is playing. The very moment the music stops, you need to sit down on your nearest chair.
The one who fails to find a chair to sit in will be deemed as out. This goes on and on till the only person is left who wins the game. Easy and fun, right?
18. Statue
Statue is one of those games that involve physical activities such as dance, body balance, and more. This game is best suited to play with 4 kids or more.
One person will be allotted to sing a song as long as he/she may please and suddenly stop. At the same time, the other kids would dance their hearts out when the song was playing.
The moment the song stops, they will all freeze in the same position they were at the time. Beware, this is where it gets funny. The kid who was singing prior will now tickle the funny bones of frozen kids by cracking jokes.
The one who moves gets out, while the one who doesn’t eventually win. Statue is a cool outdoor guessing game you can’t miss out on!
19. Guess the Animal
An underrated game for kids aged 3 to 6 years, Guess the Animal is the best of all guessing games for parents to play with their kids.
Once they’re used to playing the game, encourage them to play independently with the kids of their age group. The only thing you need in this game is an open space for your child to move and play.
This guessing game is best suited for four or more kids and adults. Make two groups and ask the kid to think of an animal. Then act the way that animal does, make sounds of that animal.
For instance, if the animal is a cow, the kid would moo, walk on four legs, and make familiar movements to a cow. And the other side of the kids would guess the animal.
20. SPUD
SPUD is a fun ball game for kids to play and enjoy physical activities like running, catching, and throwing balls and improving their listening skills.
The ‘it’ person throws the ball high in the air and shouts a kid’s name; meanwhile, everyone except the person called upon runs away. The called person tries to catch the ball as soon as possible.
Once the ball is in the hands of the person called, he/she screams SPUD, and everyone freezes. Then, they throw the ball to someone else.
The one who catches the ball becomes the next ‘it.’ The first person who gets the full set of letters as SPUD loses.
21. Ghosts in The Graveyard
Are you looking for a scary game on a spooky family night? Then this is your jam. The person will be deemed as a ghost and hide. The rest of the kids will count from 1 to 10.
Once they complete the count, they will chant the poem, “Star bright, star light, I hope I see a ghost tonight.” Now, the ghost can come out anytime.
Meanwhile, the players tag each other before they reach their safe place. The player whom the ghost will tag will replace the ghost.
22. Hungry Snake
Outdoor guessing games boost body movements and enhance flexibility, all while having fun and playing it cool. The ‘it’ person would carry a jump rope and stand in the middle of the ground.
Now, the rest of the kids will hop over the rope whenever the snake approaches. The one who gets bitten, that is, touched by the jump rope, loses.
The same cycle is repeated till one kid is left untouched and eventually wins. To add fun to the game, encourage the kids to carry props in their hands, like a glass of water.
23. Find the Color
Find the Color is an impeccable guessing game for kids to learn to identify different colors. This simple game is suitable for three or more kids with an open space to find as many colors as possible.
The ‘it’ person will stand apart from the rest of the kids and then give a color for them to find. When they hear the color say blue, the ‘it’ person will run to catch the kid who fails to find anything with the color blue on it and touch it.
If the ‘it’ person successfully catches someone before they touch the color, that person takes over the duties of the ‘it’ kid.
24. The Blind Eye Game
In this ice-breaker of a guessing game, the ‘it’ person will get blindfolded with a cloth. And then place the cover-eyed kid in the middle of the ground.
Ask him/her to circle three times and then find other kids. The one who gets caught must be identified with the respective name, and if it’s correct, they both replace each other’s position.
This guessing game is perfect for kids during big family gatherings, thereby suitable for at least 4 or more kids. Adults can also join the kids in this adventure of a game.
25. Eye Witness
Eye Witness is a classic guessing game for kids to hone their detective skills. It also helps them enhance their logic and reasoning. The ‘it’ person will examine every one.
Then, they would go out and change one thing about their attire or look. Each person should change a different thing about themselves.
For example- someone could change their hairstyle, and another kid could change their jacket. Once everyone is done changing something or the other, they will enter the prior room/ground back.
Now, the ‘it’ person will identify the changes made by each participant.
26. Capture the Flag
This guessing game requires at least six people and two flags. In the absence of flags, two different colored pieces of paper fabric can be in the flag’s place.
The ground shall be divided into two equal parts for the two teams, respectively. Place each flag at the back of the divided court and split the players in their area. It’s time for the players to go into the opposing team’s court and steal the flag out to their team.
If, however, the player gets caught in midway, then it would be considered as out. The team that steals the flag first wins.
27. Tag
This classic globe-trotting guessing game is bang on for kids of similar age groups.
Tag is an easy outdoor guessing game that follows a simple rule of touch and tag; that is, the ‘it’ person will run to catch the other players, and the one who gets caught becomes the next ‘it’ person.
The game goes on and on till every player has been caught. Suitable for four or more kids, Tag is your game next door!
28. Red Light Green Light
Traffic rules are tricky to teach preschool kids. But not if you play guessing gameswith them! As the name suggests, red light means stop, and green light means to move.
Decide a starting line. When the host shouts the green light, everyone should run to the finish line. In the meantime, if the host says Red light, everyone should stop.
If anyone moves on the red light, they’re out. You can also add variations to encourage learning about traffic signals like yellow lights, school signs, etc.
29. Spider Web
Are you looking for creative outdoor guessing games to improve the agility of your kid? Spider Web is spot on! Suitable for three or more players, the goal is not to get touched by the spider web.
No, not the real spider web. You can use ribbons or rope to design the web on your playground. Use your imagination.
Where is all my Spiderman fandom? Once you’re done with the arrangements, all the players will hop out to the other side of the web.
If they get caught up in the spider web, they’re out! The player who completes the task without getting caught up and in the shortest time wins.
30. Hopscotch
Wondering if any guessing games can also be played alone, just as with friends? Hopscotch is a popular outdoor game for kids to play and exercise simultaneously.
A chalk and a tossable object like a pebble is all it takes. Just draw ten adjoining squares on your playground or any geometric arrangement that suits your kid best.
Add numbers to each box, say, 1 to 10. Once the hopscotch court is ready, it’s time to toss your pebble to your nearest first square.
Start your one-legged journey from the last square to reach your pebble. Then hop your way out. Try the same steps for all squares, and that’s victory!
>The Final Word
Guessing games and kids are a match made in heaven. As adults, it is our responsibility to help them connect with nature, elevate their intellect, and establish meaningful relationships right from the beginning.
Indoor and outdoor activities play a vital role in a child’s holistic growth. We must make sure that we keep the children well-engaged in such activities that will help them to be active socially and mentally aware.
Play with them or teach them how to play these fun guessing games with their friends in their leisure time.
This will help them get rid of their addiction to the world of technology and unlimited streaming. Now that you have the games, you have the kid, so why wait? Let’s play!
