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Free Games for Preteens

Keep a group of preteens, ages eight to 12, busy with fun games at a social gathering or birthday party. Since most preteens feel they have outgrown childish board games and traditional birthday party games, create free games with little to no supplies needed that can pique their interest and get them involved with other preteens. Games also help preteens create bonds with one another and give them a chance to make new friends.

Spin the Bottle Dares
- Write dares, such as "stand on your head for one minute," "hop on one foot around the circle" and "sing the chorus to your favorite song" on small slip of paper. Place the slips of paper in a bottle and have the preteens sit in a circle. Put the bottle in the middle of the circle and have one player spin the bottle. Whomever the lid is pointing at when it stops spinning has to retrieve a dare from the bottle. She must complete the dare in two minutes to stay in the game. The last player standing wins the game. Make some dares easy and some hard. After a player completes a dare, she must place the dare back in the bottle and shake it up. She can spin the bottle for the next round.
Snatch
- Divide the players into two teams and give each player a small strip of paper that is 12 inches long. Give each team different colors so the teams can tell each other apart. When you say "Snatch," the players must run wild trying to grab as many strips of paper as they can from the other team. Team members must keep their strips of paper out in front of them while trying to grab other players' strips of paper. Set a timer for two minutes. After two minutes, the team with the most strips of paper collected from the other team wins the game.
Sock Game
- Place several pairs of socks in a laundry basket. Mix them up and make sure they are all separate. Have one player sit by the basket with his shoes and socks off. When you say "Go," he must find as many pairs as he can and place them on his feet. Give each player two minutes to find and put on as many matching pairs of socks as he can. The player who finds and puts on the most pairs in two minutes wins the game.
Cotton Ball Snuffle
- Have the preteens sit in a circle and pass around a jar of petroleum jelly. Tell them to put some on the end of their nose; the amount is up to them. Hand a large bowl of cotton balls to one of the players. She must stick her face in the bowl of cotton balls, trying to pick up as many as she can on her nose. Players cannot use their hands at all. The player who picks up the most cotton balls with her nose wins the game.

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