Perfect for killing time! A roundup of games for three people to enjoy
What kinds of games can you play when there are three people—like a close-knit trio, three siblings, or a family of three? Some games are easier with an even number, but once it’s an odd number, certain games get harder to play, right? In this article, we’ll introduce games you can play with your body or hands that work for three people.
We’ve gathered games you can use in various situations: to get some exercise, to burn off extra energy, or to kill time when you have a free moment.
Spend a fun time moving your body and hands together with your children or friends!
Active body games and hand-play games (1–10)
Big Laugh Game
Let me introduce the “Big Laugh Game,” a game where you give your all to laughing.
The rules are very simple.
Prepare a handkerchief and toss it up above your head.
Keep laughing continuously until the handkerchief flutters down and touches the floor.
Once it lands, stop laughing.
Kids are likely to burst into natural laughter as they start and stop.
As you repeat the game, try expanding the fun in different ways—fake a throw to add a feint, or use a tissue instead of a handkerchief, and enjoy experimenting with variations.
I wonder if the rice crackers are done.
It’s a game where everyone puts their hands in, and you hope to be the first to get your hands out by following the rules.
While saying “O-senbe, o-senbe, yaketa kana” (“Rice cracker, rice cracker, is it done yet?”), you point to each hand in turn; the person you land on last flips their hand over as if baking a rice cracker, and if that same hand is pointed to again, that hand can be taken out.
Because you go around confirming the words and pointing one by one, it takes a bit of time each round, making it perfect for spending time leisurely.
The order in which you get out is determined by where you start, so you can expand the ways to play by adding rules to decide the starting point and so on.
The ‘It fell, it fell’ game
Let’s play the “Ochita Ochita Game,” a no-prep activity everyone can enjoy! The leader says, in rhythm, “Ochita, ochita” (“Something fell, something fell”), and the others respond, “Nani ga ochita?” (“What fell?”).
If the leader says “ringo” (apple), everyone makes a motion of catching an apple with both hands.
If they say “kaminari” (thunder), you hide your belly button.
In this way, you react to the word by making the corresponding gesture.
You can also adapt it with many variations: if they say “ame” (rain), pretend to hold an umbrella; if they say “umeboshi” (pickled plum), make a sour face.
Share ideas together and have fun trying different versions!
Command Game
This is a game that tests your listening skills and reflexes by requiring you to act quickly according to given commands.
After the cue “Command,” if a specific action is named, you perform it as instructed; if an action is given without the initial “Command,” you do not follow it.
The pacing of the person giving commands is crucial: after issuing several “Command” prompts in succession, slip in an instruction without “Command.” As the instructions are repeated, the speed increases, challenging players to accurately discern the words amid the rising tempo.
Pose Matching Game
It’s a simple but surprisingly tricky game called “Pose Matching,” where the challenge is whether everyone can strike the same pose.
One of the three players gives a prompt, and then everyone immediately strikes the pose that they think perfectly matches it—the one that makes them go, “This is it!” If everyone agrees the pose matches, you’re good; if not, you try again.
Even when it doesn’t match, comparing answers—asking what each person’s pose was supposed to be—leads to lively conversations like, “I didn’t think of that!” or “Wouldn’t it normally be this?” The more people you have, the harder it gets, so three players might be just right.
Fly-and-don’t-fly game
It’s a game where you take a single jump forward when a specified word is called, aiming to reach the goal area.
The words you can jump on are three: “tobe” (jump), “tonde” (jump), and “jump.” If you jump on any other word, you have to start over from the beginning.
You might think making bigger jumps will get you to the goal faster than others, but if you lose balance and take an extra step, that also counts as a failure—so the strategy, including that risk, is important.
If you speed up the tempo of the calls, quicker decision-making is tested, so adjust the rules to the participants’ familiarity and get everyone excited.
Double Dutch
Double Dutch is a jump rope sport using two ropes, and its light, nimble movements give it a stylish vibe.
The classic setup has two people turning the ropes on the sides and one person jumping; feel the challenge of the timing and the fluid motion of the body.
It’s also standard for the turners to switch roles during a routine, and if that transition goes smoothly, everyone can enjoy the rhythm of jumping together.
Once you get used to reading the ropes’ motion and timing your jumps, it’s also great to enjoy it more stylishly by syncing with music.
One-Leg Stand Challenge
Good balance is an important ability for getting through daily life smoothly.
Let’s check each person’s sense of balance and compete to see how far our abilities go.
Basically, the idea is to see how long you can maintain standing on one leg, and we’ll gradually increase the difficulty by adding rules.
Recommended variations include spreading your arms to make balancing harder, and closing your eyes to make it more difficult to sense your body position.
If your results are poor, it might be affecting your daily life, so take this as a chance to start training your balance.
Catch
It’s a game that tests your brain’s ability to instantly coordinate different movements with each hand, as well as your reflexes for quick hand motions.
With one hand you make a pointing index finger shape, and with the other hand you make a tube shape.
Thread your pointing finger through the “tube” of the person next to you, so that all participants form a large circle.
Decide on a leader beforehand; at the leader’s signal, those making tubes try to grab the finger inside, while those pointing try to swiftly pull their finger out before it’s caught.
Even if you succeed with one hand, you might fail with the other, so repeat the game many times to train your reflexes.
Teleportation Game
The key is to move in an instant! Let me introduce the “Teleportation Game.” First, roll up newspaper to make long sticks—one for each person.
Stand in a circle facing inward, each person holding their stick upright on the floor.
At the cue of “Ready, go!” everyone lets go of their own stick, moves to the next person’s spot, and grabs that stick.
The key is to move before the stick falls.
Anyone whose stick falls is out, and the last person remaining wins.
If you gradually make the circle larger, the difficulty increases and you’ll need even quicker movements, which makes it super exciting.
Give it a try!