What's in the box? It's scary but fun—a classic crowd-pleaser.
“What’s in the Box?” is a classic, crowd-pleasing game that livens up parties and events! The rules are simple: you stick your hand into a box where you can’t see the contents and guess what’s inside based only on how it feels.
The suspense and surprise make it beloved by people of all ages.
Using items with distinctive textures—like scouring pads or slime—virtually guarantees big reactions and excited faces the moment someone reaches in, sending the whole venue into a buzz.
In this article, we’ll introduce recommended materials—from staple items perfect for hyping up your event to unexpected, quirky objects that add an extra twist!
- Get the party started! Fun 100-yen store party goods
- [Elementary School] Quick and Easy! Indoor Recreational Activities Perfect for Lower Grades
- [Simple Games] Recommended Indoor Recreational Activities for Adults
- [Children’s Club] Easy and fun indoor games. Exciting party games
- Recommended for upper elementary grades! Exciting indoor recreation and games
- [For Kids] Popular party games. Fun games that get everyone excited
- Christmas party booster! A collection of game ideas that large groups can enjoy
- A fun, everyone-joins-in game that gets everyone excited!
- [Play Right Away!] Exciting Recreation Games Recommended for Elementary School Students
- Items that liven up a house party, including games and fun gadgets.
- [Elementary School Rec] Recommended Games and Performances for a Fun Party
- Team-based recreational activities for adults that are fun even with large groups
- Get the Fun Going! Easy Classroom Games You Can Play at School: Recreational Activities for the Whole Class
Get the crowd going! Classic items for the mystery box (11–20)
hand
Even if the person putting their hand in the box can’t see what’s inside, people around them can sometimes see what’s in there, right? Why not take advantage of that situation—where only the guesser can’t see—and make someone’s hand the item to guess? Have the guesser wear an eye mask to block their vision, and have the person in charge put their hand in from the front.
Because they’ll assume, “There’s no way something like that is in there,” you can expect a big reaction when they touch it.
The reaction may also change depending on whether the hand moves or not.
brush
Propose one surprise idea using “What’s in the box?” Here it is: presenting a gift.
As they feel around wondering what it could be, the shape gradually becomes clear—then surprise! It’s something they’ve wanted for a long time.
They’ll love it for sure.
Back to the main point: what to put in the box.
Everyday items like a brush or a mirror can be fun.
There are things we use all the time that we still might not recognize by touch alone.
If you’re playing with family, a great question is: “Whose smartphone is this?”
pine cone
Smoke from mosquito coils rises in a thin stream out of a pig-shaped ceramic holder—now that’s an old-fashioned Japanese summer, isn’t it? But surprisingly, most kids today have never even handled a real mosquito coil.
It might be fun to turn that sweet spot into a quiz.
My top recommendation is pine cones.
Some people might not have touched one since kindergarten.
Anyone a bit older would naturally know, and that generation gap can be a source of laughs.
Pagers and stiff paper train tickets are great picks too!
clay
Clay is something people often handle during craft time, so there’s a good chance they’ll quickly figure out what it is.
To give them time to react and think, it’s a good idea to get creative with the type of clay you use and the shapes you make when presenting the question.
If you make the shape more complex, their attention may shift to that, helping them forget that the material is clay.
Since pressing it firmly changes its form, that alone can gradually lead them away from the correct answer—another useful point for getting them to think more deeply.
musical instrument
There are many different kinds of musical instruments, and there are major differences in how they produce sound.
This activity tests whether you can imagine an instrument not by how it looks, but solely from how it feels to the touch.
If the instrument is one you’ve handled before, you might arrive at the answer right away.
It’s easier to understand if it makes sounds as a hint while you’re touching it, so it’s recommended to choose acoustic instruments—starting with percussion—as the subjects!
ice
https://www.tiktok.com/@maruhi_mitsuko/video/7393269887390584071Sudden changes in temperature tend to surprise everyone, and when you can’t see what’s happening, that surprise is even more pronounced.
With that in mind, how about focusing on temperature changes in an unseen situation and using a large piece of ice as the theme? When someone slowly reaches out to touch it and the cold is waiting there, you’ll get big reactions from participants who weren’t prepared for it.
The shape of the ice is also key; by making it pointed or adding other twists, you can create even more surprise.
Ideas for what's inside a box using ingredients (1–10)
konjac
This game gets everyone excited regardless of age or gender, so it’s perfect as entertainment for small gatherings or parties.
Even big, burly grown men find it pretty scary to stick their hand into a mysterious box! And of course, the all-time classic “konnyaku” is an absolute must.
The host’s lead-in—“Are you okay with reptiles, like frogs or snakes?”—is a guaranteed hit.
You don’t have to just place the konnyaku on a plate; you could also suspend it by a string inside the box.
If you make the konnyaku sway, the person touching it will think it’s a living creature!