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Family Guessing Games to Play

When your family has a long car ride or an extended wait in line, it is important to have some activities that you are ready to launch into. One of the most enjoyable games you can play is a guessing game. Your family members get the opportunity to use their brains and to create some memories together. Any of these games can be adapted with special family specific rules to make them your own.

I Spy
- I Spy is a game that works well with an unfamiliar room or when your family is out on the road. The game starts with one player saying, "I spy with my little eye something ..." and then he fills in the blanks with a description of any kind. Colors are frequently used for the adjective, but any adjective can be used. Other players then take turns guessing what the object might be. The game continues until one of the players guesses the object correctly or until the players give up.
20 Questions
- This classic game requires no equipment and can be played for hours on end. Either have every person play for themselves or divide your family into two teams. One player must think of an object, person, animal or anything at all. The other players or teams have 20 yes or no questions to guess the correct object. Younger children may need a little guidance at first so that they do not just guess randomly with every turn. A strong first question that can narrow things down is "is it living?" A team or individual wins if he can guess the correct answer within 20 questions.
Doodle Guessing
- This game works well at a restaurant when your family is waiting for your food. You will require a piece of paper (or a paper placemat) and a pen or marker. One player takes around a minute to doodle (draw) something onto the paper. After he is finished, the other players must guess what it is he drew. The game is much more fun if your family does not draw very well, causing ridiculous guesses. Set a time limit if you wish to make sure that everybody gets a turn.
Name that Tune
- For the musically inclined family, this game works well in a car but can be played anywhere that isn't too loud. One player whistles or hums a small part of a song that he knows. The other players must guess what the song is. If the players can't guess the song right away, the first player may whistle or hum more of the song or give clues to the players. One example of a clue might be, "this was in that movie we saw last summer." The player who gets it right wins the round and gets to hum the next song.

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