No props needed: games everyone can play—fun activities using only voices and gestures
Have you ever wanted to play something with friends or family but had trouble because you didn’t have any props? In fact, there are plenty of games you can enjoy with multiple people without any equipment.
Games like “Takenoko Nyokki” and the “Human Knot” can get everyone excited right away just by using your voices and moving your bodies! In this article, we’ll introduce easy, no-equipment group games you can enjoy anywhere.
Try them during short breaks or at gatherings with friends and family!
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[No props needed] Games everyone can play. Fun activities that get lively with just voices and gestures (1–10)
A game about finding the correct moves
Act out the prompt’s movement and have others guess it.
For example, if the prompt is “forward roll,” the guesser should try various movements that come to mind.
The children around, who know the prompt, should react to each movement.
Decide in advance how to react when the movement is close to the prompt—for example, by cheering.
Using those reactions, the guesser narrows down the correct answer.
It’s also fun to have multiple guessers or to play team versus team.
You don’t need any materials, it’s a simple game, and it’s sure to get everyone excited.
Number-Taking Corps
Let’s play “Kazutori-dan,” a game where you mustn’t mess up numbers and units.
Players sit facing each other in a circle and, going clockwise, call out numbers and units to the rhythm of “Boom-boom! ◯◯.” For example, if the first player declares the theme by saying “Boom-boom! apple,” the second player responds, “Boom-boom! 1 piece,” and then declares the next theme.
The theme can stay as apple or be changed.
If the theme changes to banana, the third player should say, “Boom-boom! 2 bunches.” Repeat this, and anyone who gets the unit or number wrong loses.
Limited Shiritori
Let’s try adding a twist to the classic children’s game “shiritori.” We’ll call it “Limited Shiritori.” You can choose any genre to limit the answers—whatever you like.
For example, set themes like anime characters or snack names: something everyone can answer, but that also raises the difficulty and makes it more fun.
Since it also tests how much you know, even adults will get excited.
The winning strategy in shiritori is, of course, to keep giving your opponent words that end with the same final character.
That’s pretty tough in Limited Shiritori, but do your best and aim for victory!
No props needed: Group games everyone can play. Fun activities using just voice and gestures (11–20)
Mozzarella Cheese Game
The “Mozzarella Cheese Game” is an easy game you can play without any props.
The rules are simple: take turns saying “mozzarella cheese.” However, when it’s your turn, you have to say it with more enthusiasm than the person before you.
If you start off too hyped, it can get exhausting, so it’s best to begin a bit subdued.
That said, there’s also a strategy of deliberately starting with high energy to make it harder for those after you! Try playing it in a place where it’s okay to be loud.
human disentanglement puzzle
A disentanglement puzzle is where you untangle intricately interlinked loops.
Doing this with human bodies is called the “human knot.” First, participants stand in a circle and hold hands.
Each hand should hold a different person’s hand, and to make it more complex, avoid linking with immediate neighbors—reach for people across the circle or at diagonals.
Once that’s set, you’re ready! Next, untangle the knot and try to return to a simple circle.
During this process, no one is allowed to let go of anyone’s hand.
Keep untangling—sometimes by ducking under linked arms and stepping over them.
It requires flexibility, so if you’re stiff, take it easy and don’t push beyond your limits.
Magical Banana
Word games are great because you can easily play them anywhere, right? For anyone looking for that kind of game, I recommend “Magical Banana.” The rules are basically the same as a word association game.
For example, “Banana makes you think of yellow,” “Yellow makes you think of lemon,” and so on—keep connecting words by saying something associated with the previous person’s word.
Gesture Telephone Game
Let’s enjoy a gesture-only telephone game where you communicate without using words.
Form teams of about five or six people.
Once you line up in a single file, the first person checks the prompt.
Pass the prompt to the next person using only gestures, making your movements big and clear.
The last person gives the final answer to the prompt.
Exaggerating your gestures and adding facial expressions may make it easier to convey the message.
And if it doesn’t get across, thinking about how to make it clearer is part of what makes this game fun.
