With so much forced time at home because of coronavirus, we find ourselves with plenty of free hours — sometimes too many. Here are games we've collected over the years through the experience of Fede e Luce. We've chosen ones you can play indoors, hoping they'll help you get through this difficult period with a smile. If you'd like, tell us your own tricks for passing the days in a different way. Leave a comment or send us an email.
Guess Who
Players: 1 to 10
One player leaves the room while the others think of a person everyone knows. The player returns and, by asking questions one at a time, must figure out who it is. The game leader can disallow questions that give away the answer too easily.
Pretty Statues
Players: 3 to 10 children
One player faces the wall or positions themselves so they can't see the others. They announce loudly: "to pretty statues that dance" or "that sing" or something else — or "to beautiful hunters" or "cooks" or "painters" — anything that can be acted out in pantomime. When they turn back to face the group, all the players must freeze in a pose that matches the theme. The first player picks the statue that best represents what they called for, and the game starts again.
Water and Fire
Players: 3 to 8
Space: a room with no fragile or valuable objects
One player hides a handkerchief carefully in an easy-to-reach corner. Everyone else enters and searches. The hider guides them by saying "water" when they move away from the hiding spot and "fire" or "warm" as they get closer. Whoever finds the handkerchief hides it next.
Everyone to the Square
Players: about 3 to 10
Materials: one table, chairs
Players sit around the table with their index fingers touching the center. The leader chants — fast or slow, loud or soft — "everyone to the square!" and all fingers must touch the table's center. Then "everyone home!" and all fingers go back to the edge. The leader can move their finger however they like and call out commands in irregular order to make it harder. Anyone who makes a mistake sits out or pays a forfeit.
Fashion Show
Players: unlimited
Materials: a suitcase or large bag filled with old clothes — the more out of style, the better. (Invite everyone to bring one or more items in advance.)
Stand in a circle. While the organizer sings a song, pass the suitcase hand to hand. When the organizer stops, whoever holds it pulls out a piece of clothing and puts it on. Keep going until everyone is dressed. Then the organizer can parade each person around, presenting "the latest fashions of the season!"
Marina – "Immacolata Concezione" (Bari)
Two's Better Than One
Players: two or more pairs
Materials per pair: one old newspaper, string, tape, scissors, and an object or box to wrap
Tie one person's right arm to their partner's left arm. On the signal, each pair must wrap a package, tie it, and seal it with tape using only their two free arms. The pair that makes the most progress before time runs out wins — or, if there's no time limit, the pair with the best-wrapped package wins.
Marina – "Immacolata Concezione" (Bari)
Journey to Jerusalem
Players: unlimited
Materials: one fewer chair than players
Arrange chairs in a line facing alternate directions so players can sit on either side. On the leader's signal, everyone walks around the chairs singing a verse. When the leader shouts "stop," everyone sits. Remove one chair each round. By the end, all the remaining players will be sitting on each other's laps on the final chair.
Marina – Community "Immacolata Concezione" (Bari)
Balloon Dance
Players: unlimited
Materials: one inflated balloon per player, string, music player or cassette recorder
Form couples, ready for the "tile dance." The women have two balloons tied to their ankles. Music starts and dancing begins. While dancing, the men try to burst the other couples' balloons with their feet. When a couple loses both balloons, they're out. The last couple still dancing wins.
Marina – "Immacolata Concezione" (Bari)
Ribbons
Materials for 3 teams: three rolls of ribbon, about 30 meters each, in different colors; three sets of numbered cards (matching ribbon colors) numbered 1 to 10
Everyone sits in a circle. Hand out the cards randomly, creating three teams (each person stays in their seat). Player number 1 from each team ties one end of their team's ribbon to their chair. On the signal, number 1 runs toward number 2 of the same color, letting the ribbon slide through their hands. At number 2, they pass the ribbon and head toward number 3, and so on until reaching number 10. The team that connects all its members with the ribbon first wins.
Claudio (Milan)
Goose Game
Space: indoors
Play the classic game everyone knows, but each square requires a different skill challenge, a song to sing or make up, or a dare for the other players. Plan the activities ahead of time. Organize players into teams to make the game flow better.
Fede e Luce (Carugate)
Charades
Players: the more the better, though it works with just a few
Space: indoors
Materials: optional — crepe paper, scissors, stapler, etc., as long as there's enough for everyone
Each group picks a director who receives a title from the organizer — a well-known fairy tale, a Gospel parable, a scene, a profession, etc. Each group gets a different title. The groups leave for half an hour and prepare a silent mime. All groups return to the main room and take turns performing while the others wait until the mime ends before guessing the title. It's challenging, but it lets everyone show their acting ability. Players can portray characters, animals, objects, buildings — whatever they choose. Friends who have difficulty speaking often join in readily and, over time, discover they're natural actors.
Mariangela – S. Silvia (Rome)
Silent Game
Space: indoors or a quiet place
Materials: a ring of keys — at least 5 or 6
Sit in a circle with the key ring in the middle. Choose one person to retrieve the keys and bring them back to their seat without making any noise. Everyone else must listen intently for even the smallest jingle. Whoever makes noise loses.
Mariangela – S. Silvia (Rome)
What's in the Bag?
Space: any
Materials: one black plastic or thick cloth bag containing 10–12 objects of different shapes and sizes (a glass, pen, watch, spoon, funnel, etc.)
The organizer calls players one at a time to put their hand in the bag without looking. Using only touch, they must identify an object and whisper the name to the organizer, who writes it down. The team with the most correct identifications wins. This is a tactile recognition game suited to people with mild to moderate difficulty.
Mariangela – S. Silvia (Rome)
The Orchestra
Players: 8 to 20
Space: indoors or outdoors, seated on chairs or the ground
Materials: none
Sit in a circle. One person leaves the room. The group chooses an orchestra conductor. The person who left returns and stands at the center. Everyone starts singing a familiar, rhythmic tune — something simple with a few repeated words like "La la la la" — while copying the gestures the conductor makes, constantly changing them. The conductor changes gestures whenever the center person turns away. The center person must figure out who the conductor is. Once caught, the conductor leaves and becomes the new center person. Great for learning to copy and change gestures quickly. It's fun and puts everyone in a happy mood.
Mariangela – S. Silvia (Rome)