Free and Fun Games to Play At Home

Breadcrumb

January 11, 2021
Hailey Garcia '23
Game

Feeling bored or at the brink of insanity staying at home?

Maybe you have siblings, younger or older and looking for some ways to have fun and actually enjoy each other's company. Sometimes we don’t have time to play, or consider games childish, but I would rather promote these activities. We need these moments of fun and nostalgia. So for our inner-child and reminder of silliness, here are some games that will require only your imagination and result in a ton of laughter!

Sardines

It’s hide and seek reversed! One person hides and all the other seekers count, then have to hide with the person hiding once they find them. It’s challenging to find a space where multiple people can fit, but it’s also hilarious to see the last person wondering where everyone went! You will definitely look like sardines!

Slenderman

You may have heard of the app Slenderman which is supposed to be a spooky game where you quietly move through the forest to collect notes while avoiding eye contact with this dark-slender-octopus man. My little cousins and I decided to create this game in real life. One designated person will be “slenderman,” and their job is to create the notes, hide, and guard them. Meanwhile, the others are searching for the notes and cannot look directly at Slenderman. The twist to this game is that all lights are off to add the suspense and realness of the game. Flashlights can be used but it’s more challenging without them. Once all the notes are found, Slenderman is defeated! I advise playing with a group that can handle a little scare!

Pictionary

A homemade version of Pictionary consists of paper and pen. You can either make cards with random subjects to draw or you can search up a Pictionary random word generator. There can be themes per round such as people, animals, food, etc. It’s best to have a timer set for at least one minute for the person to draw and another time for the team to guess. If the guess is correct, they get a point and now it’s their turn to draw.

Charades

Test and laugh at your and your opponents’ acting skills! Here you will need strips of paper with various actions or such as “painting” or “roller skating.” It’s a similar concept to Pictionary, but instead of drawing you become the word. There is also a free app called “Charades!” which has fun and challenging categories for charades such as celebrities, songs from different genres, children fairy tales etc. This game gets very loud and competitive but it’s worth it!

Build a Fort

You can use blankets, pillows, lights, chairs, anything that is available to make a grand creation! I can’t really tell you how to build a fort because its only limitations are your imagination. Once you are finished, consider watching a movie or simply sleeping. It’s a creative way to change the norms of what you are used to in your space!

I hope you have a blast!