Second installment of games (see the first list here). Send us your feedback and other games that work well—next year we'll publish another issue on group activities and games.
1. Guess Who
Players: 1 to 10
One player leaves the room while the others think of someone everyone knows. When the player returns, they ask yes-or-no questions to figure out who was chosen. The game leader can reject questions that give away the answer too easily.
2. Beautiful Statues
Players: 3 to 10 children
One player faces the wall or turns away from the others and calls out a category in a loud voice: "beautiful statues that dance" or "that sing," or perhaps "handsome hunters," "chefs," "painters"—anything that can be acted out in mime. When the player turns around, all the others must freeze like statues in poses that match the category. The first player chooses the best statue, and the game starts again.
3. Hot and Cold
Players: 3 to 8
Space needed: A room without fragile or valuable items
One player hides a handkerchief in an easy-to-reach spot. Everyone else enters and searches. The hider guides them by saying "cold" when they move away and "hot" or "warm" when someone gets close to the hiding spot. Whoever finds it becomes the next hider.
4. Touch… Touch
Players: 3 to 10
Space needed: A garden or large open area
One player calls out: "Touch, touch!" and names a color—red, yellow, or whatever. Everyone else races to find something in that color and touch it. The first player chases them and can tag anyone who doesn't reach a matching object. That person becomes the next chaser.
5. Everyone to the Square
Players: 3 to 10
Materials: A table, chairs
Players sit around a table with their index finger touching the center. The leader chants "everyone to the square!" with varying speed and force, and all players put their finger at the center. Then: "everyone home!" and they pull back to the table edge. The leader can move their finger freely and mix up the commands to throw people off. If you mess up, you sit out or pay a forfeit.
6. Fashion Show
Players: Unlimited
Materials: A suitcase or duffel bag filled with old clothes (participants bring items ahead of time—the older or more out-of-date, the better)
Sit in a circle. While the leader sings a song, pass the suitcase around. When the leader stops, whoever holds it pulls out a piece of clothing and puts it on. Keep going until everyone is dressed up. Then the leader presents each participant as a latest fashion model—the height of style!
Marina - "Immacolata Concezione" (Bari)
Also read: 14 Games to Play Together
7. Two's Better Than One
Players: Two or more pairs
Materials per pair: 1 newspaper, string, tape, scissors, an object or box
Tie each pair's right arm and left arm together. At the signal, each pair must wrap a package, tie it, and seal it with tape using only their two free arms. The pair that finishes first (or makes the best package, if there's no time limit) wins.
Marina - "Immacolata Concezione" (Bari)
8. Musical Chairs to Jerusalem
Players: Unlimited
Materials: One fewer chair than players
Arrange chairs in a line, alternating direction so people can sit on either side. At a signal from the leader, everyone walks around the chairs singing. When the leader calls "stop," everyone sits. Remove one chair each round. By the end, everyone will be sitting on each other's laps on the last remaining chair.
Marina - Community "Immacolata Concezione" (Bari)
9. The Waiters
Materials: 30 paper paddles (rolled newspaper taped), 2 trays, 10 paper cups, 1 bucket of water, 1 empty plastic bottle
Space: Outdoors, ideally in summer
One team uses cups and a tray to transfer as much water as possible from a bucket to a bottle. The opposing team lines up on either side of a marked boundary and throws paper paddles at the cups to knock them off the tray (one cup at a time). The team moving the most water wins.
Claudio (Milan)
10. Ball-Dance
Players: Unlimited
Materials: Balloons (one per person), string, music player and tape
Form couples ready for the "Tile Dance." Ladies have two balloons tied to their ankles. When the music starts, couples dance. The men try to pop the balloons on the women from other couples by kicking them—while dancing. Any couple that loses both balloons is out. The last couple standing wins.
Marina - "Immacolata Concezione" (Bari)
11. Ribbons
Materials for 3 teams: 3 rolls of ribbon, about 30 meters each in different colors; 3 sets of numbered tickets (matching ribbon colors) numbered 1–10
Everyone sits in a circle. Hand out colored tickets at random to create three teams (each person stays in their seat). Player #1 from each team ties their ribbon to their chair. At the signal, each #1 runs to find #2 from their team, unrolling the ribbon as they go. At #2, the ribbon passes through their hands, and #1 continues to #3, and so on. The team that first connects all its members with ribbon wins.
Claudio (Milan)
12. Game of the Goose
Space: Indoors
The classic board game, but with a twist: each square has a small challenge—a skill test, a song to sing or make up, or a dare for other players. Prepare these challenges beforehand. Group participants into teams to keep the game moving.
Faith and Light (Carugate)
13. Identity Card
Players: 10–20 people who know each other well
Space: Indoors or outdoors (minimal space needed)
Materials: 10–20 slips of paper with names
Everyone draws a slip (folded) and keeps it. You can only swap if you read your own name on it. Now everyone has someone else's name. The leader calls on a player, who must describe the qualities, habits, and skills of the person named on their slip—in a positive and humorous way. The group guesses who it is, then the next player goes. This is psychologically interesting: it shows us how others see and value us.
Mariangela - S. Silvia (Rome)
14. Mime Game
Players: 20–30, divided into groups of 5–6
Space: Indoors, with access to additional rooms
Materials: Optional—crepe paper, scissors, stapler, etc., if available
Each group picks a director who receives the title of a famous fairy tale (or Gospel parable, skit, profession, etc.) from the leader. Every group gets a different title. Groups go to separate rooms for half an hour to prepare a mime—no words, just gestures. Everyone returns and takes turns performing. The audience guesses the title only after the mime ends. It's challenging but brings out each person's creative and interpretive gifts. People can play characters, animals, objects, buildings, anything. Our friends with speech difficulties often happily join in, and over time they discover they're real actors!
Mariangela - S. Silvia (Rome)
15. Explore with a Coin
Players: One or more groups
Materials: One coin per group
Before setting out on a walk, flip a coin: heads means turn right, tails means turn left. Keep flipping whenever you reach a fork in the path. At a four-way intersection, assign heads to one direction and tails to the other two (if you get tails, flip again). Following the coin's guidance, you'll discover unexpected sights and may meet people happy to chat. If multiple groups go, each will explore differently and can compare notes afterward. Everyone gets a turn flipping the coin and experiencing the suspense. For the return trip, use your sense of direction or ask locals for help. We've done this game and found wonderful things without ever getting lost.
F.L. Belgium
16. Ships and the Lighthouse
Players: Variable, depending on space (works best with many people)
Space: Open, spacious area; quiet preferred
Materials: a) Cardboard cutouts of ships, rocks, and a lighthouse; b) Blindfolds for each ship; c) A whistle for the lighthouse
Set up ships in a line on one side of the playing field, the lighthouse at the opposite center, and rocks scattered throughout (see diagram). Show the ships their goal (the lighthouse) and point out where the rocks are (which don't move and must be numerous enough to be real obstacles). Blindfold each ship. They must calmly reach port by following the lighthouse's whistle. Ships avoid hitting rocks—the rocks announce themselves by making wave sounds ("splash, splash…"). Ships also avoid crashing into each other and call out ("red ship, attention, red ship!"). If a ship hits a rock, another ship, or goes out of bounds, referees guide it back to start. The first ship to touch the lighthouse wins. You can adjust difficulty by adding or removing ships and rocks. The audience must stay as quiet as possible. This game was tested successfully at a "Festival of Light" with about 30 people. You can add crew members to guide a ship better or make navigation harder with larger crews or multi-person rocks. Making the materials can be a craft activity beforehand. The game helps develop spatial awareness and the ability to recognize and locate sounds. Tip: Ships shouldn't run—move cautiously through fog and rocks. Bon voyage!
Nanni - S. Gregorio (Rome)
17. Blow Out the Candle (Summer Outdoor Game)
Divide into two or more teams. One team plays while the others "interfere." A player from the playing team carries a lit candle and must walk through a corridor of players from the other teams (standing at least 3 meters away). The corridor players try to splash water from cups to blow out the candle. All players from the playing team take turns trying to keep their flames alive. You score one point per candle saved. Then the next team plays.
Faith and Light (Carugate)
18. Getting to Know Each Other
Players: 10–20–30 people
Space: Indoors or outdoors
Materials: Slips of paper (one per person), pencils or markers
Do this at the start of a gathering, especially if there are new faces. With a leader's help, each person says their first name aloud, writes it on a slip, folds it, and places it in the center circle. (Use nicknames if there are name duplicates.) The leader mixes up all the slips and spreads them out. Each person picks one, reads the name (with help if needed), and hands it to that person. If you pick your own name, fold it back up and return it to the pile. Great for breaking the ice and learning names.
19. Silence Game
Players: Up to 30–40
Space: Indoors or a quiet area
Materials: A keychain with at least 5 or 6 keys
Sit in a circle with a keychain in the middle. Pick one person to grab the keys and return to their seat without making a sound. Everyone else must listen intently for even the tiniest jingle. Anyone who makes noise with the keys loses.
Mariangela - S. Silvia (Rome)
20. What's in the Bag?
Players: 10–20 or more, divided into 2–3 teams
Space: Indoors or outdoors
Materials: A black plastic bag (or thick fabric) containing 10–12 different objects of varying shapes and sizes (e.g., a cup, pen, watch, spoon, funnel)
The leader calls up players one at a time from each team. They put a hand in the bag—no peeking—and try to identify an object by touch alone. They whisper the name to the leader, who writes it down. The team with the most correct guesses wins. It's a tactile recognition game, good for people with mild to moderate learning disabilities.
Mariangela - S. Silvia (Rome)
21. The Orchestra
Players: 8–20 people
Space: Indoors or outdoors, seated on chairs or on the ground
Materials: None
Sit in a circle. One person leaves the room or steps away. Choose a conductor together. The person returns and stands in the center. Everyone sings a catchy tune in unison (a marching song with simple words like "pin piripin pinpin…") while making the gestures the conductor shows. The conductor keeps changing the gestures—touching head, scratching chin, slapping a knee—and switches movements whenever the person in the center looks away. The center player must figure out who the conductor is. Once caught, the conductor steps out and the game repeats. Good for learning to copy and change gestures quickly. It's fun and brings everyone great joy.
Mariangela - S. Silvia (Rome)
22. Headball
Materials: 1 ball per team
Teammates line up single file. The first person holds the ball. At the signal, they pass it over their head to the next person, who passes it to the next, and so on down the line. When the last person gets the ball, they run to the front of the line and pass it over their head to the second person. The game continues. The first team back in original order wins. Variation: If many players have mobility issues, just one person per team runs the ball from back to front each time and goes back to the end of the line. In this version, the team that completes 5 runs first wins.
Claudio (Milan)