Chances are you’ve experienced the annoyance of your phone dying right when you need it most, even if you simply needed it to help you escape boredom on your flight, road trip, or arduous wait in the doctor’s office. Take a moment to transport yourself back to the pre-iPhone days, when you actually had to engage with those around you for entertainment. Before I scare you off, consider playing some tech-free games with your kids and family the next time you want to foster togetherness without screens- whether that togetherness is intentional or forced by an ill-timed low-battery message.
1. Charades
Everyone is familiar with charades, the game that turns everyone into a mime. Split your group into two equal teams. When it’s your turn, use gestures and your superb acting skills to convey a person’s name, location, item, movie, actor, and so on. No talking is allowed when it’s your turn to act, but you can use your fingers to indicate the number of words you’re trying to convey. Your teammates will try to guess what you’re acting out. The first team to reach a set amount of points wins.
2. Guess The Movie
If you have one or more people with you in your idle time, you could try this geek-approved game. You’ll rotate who asks the questions and rack up points to whatever amount you decide. Think of your favorite movies, then ask questions to see if your fellow players can guess the film you’re talking about. For example, you can ask, “Name any movie where Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie were cast as leading actors,” or “Name five movies Leonardo DiCaprio starred in.” Of course, if there’s any controversy on whether or not someone gave the correct answer, you’ll have to wait for your phone to charge up before confirming.
3. Total Recall
My grandfather would play this game to help keep his brain sharp as he aged, and trust me, it worked wonders. You can play Total Recall even if you’re alone, and the rules are simple: recall the events of your day, starting from when you got up in the morning. Remember specifics and tiny details, like the color of your barista’s shirt when you grabbed your cup of coffee or the color of the car you drove behind while running errands. You’ll stimulate your brain and sharpen your memory; two things playing on your phone will dull.
4. Name, Place, Animal, Thing
This game is an excellent way for kids to learn and have fun simultaneously; don’t worry, it’s fun for adults, too. For each letter in the alphabet, try to name a person, place, animal, and thing. It’s trickier than you think, especially as you near tricky letters like Q and Z, and things can get competitive quickly. For example, let’s start with A: Anna, Antarctica, Anteater, Apple. So on and so forth.
5. Card Games
This requires some advanced preparation, though it’s worth your while if you ask me. Stash some cards in your bag when going on long trips- a friend of mine even kept a deck of cards in her purse “just in case.” Don’t limit yourself to a traditional deck, either: several companies make travel-sized versions of your favorite games, like Uno.
6. Pictionary
For some reason, my mom always suggests Pictionary when we want to play a game as a family, even though she loses every time. You don’t need to play the traditional board game as long as you know the rules or are willing to make up a few before you start. Split into equal teams and settle in with a sheet of paper and writing utensil. One member of the opposing team will time one minute while the person drawing frantically tries to draw an item or action for their team members to guess. The artist is not allowed to talk. You earn a point if your team can interpret your artistic talents before the minute is up. If not, you’re out of luck, and it’s your opponent’s turn.
7. Magnetic Drawing Board
Yes, you’ll need to prepare and have this toy on hand ahead of time, though it’s a worthy investment. This was a staple in my household growing up, and it’s a foolproof idea to keep kids busy. There’s a pen attached to the board, which allows you to write with the power of magnets. Not only can you have your kids practice their writing skills, you can encourage them to draw and play interactive games like hangman.
8. Finish The Lyrics
Take turns among your friends. Put your music on shuffle. Pause it at random. If the person taking their turn can finish the lyrics, they get a point. If not, someone else can volunteer and “steal” the person’s turn from them by singing the correct words and earning a point.
9. Song Quiz
Like Finish The Lyrics, Song Quiz requires everyone to take turns guessing what song is playing. Put your music on shuffle, play the first ten to fifteen seconds of whatever song you land on, and see if the person who’s up can guess the song. If not, the same rules as Finish The Lyrics apply: someone can steal the person’s turn by identifying the song and taking the point.
10. Truth or Dare
Yes, this can get a little out of hand if you’re playing in a car. However, the upside of playing in a contained space is that the dares can’t become too outrageous. Go around in a circle and ask the person taking their turn, “Truth or dare?” If they request truth, they can be asked any question by group members and are required by the game’s rules to answer honestly (results may vary). If they select dare, you guessed it: group members can dare them to complete a task. Make sure you set boundaries with players ahead of time so no one is forced to participate in something they don’t want to.
11. I Spy
When I was younger, my local library had dozens of I Spy books that contained large photographs with a list of items within that photograph that readers could find. You don’t need a book to play and can instead prompt others around you to search their environment for something of your choosing.
12. Would You Rather
This game is perfect for young kids. Start by asking a question like, “Would you rather eat vegetables with dinner or fruit for dinner?” Let them answer and discuss why if they choose, then move on to the next question. For adults, the questions can get a little more nonsensical- and, if you so choose, controversial.
13. Road Bingo
Prepare a few bingo sheets with things often seen while traveling on the road, like mountains, water, dirt, types of cars, signs, animals…you get the idea. Ask the kids to cross off whatever they find on the road and give the winner a small, yet inciting, prize.
14. Twenty Questions
Have one person be the judge and the others be question-askers. The role of judge is passed around until everyone has had a turn. The judge will think of something- it can be anything- and everyone else will ask yes or no questions to try and determine what the judge has thought of. As the name suggests, only 20 questions can be asked. The judge wins if the object isn’t guessed when 20 questions have been asked. If the askers can figure it out, the one who guesses correctly earns a point. Be careful- guesses count towards your question total.
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