15 Group Games for Kids With No Equipment: Running, Word and Pen-and-Paper Games

A birthday, a family visit, the club, or a day off with bored children? You don't need expensive toys or phones. Here are 15 group games for kids that need no equipment — most of them games we played as children — sorted into running games, quiet word games and games that need only a pen and paper. Each comes with the right age and number of players.

Running games (for the garden or a big room)

1. Hide and seek

Age 4+ · 3 or more players. One player closes their eyes and counts to 20 while the others hide. The first one found is the seeker next round. Agree on the no-go places before you start.

2. Tag

Age 4+ · 4 or more players. One player chases the others, and whoever they touch becomes "it". In the Egyptian variation, kika 'ala el-'aly, you can't be caught while standing on something high — a step, a kerb — but you can't stay up there forever.

3. Cops and robbers

Age 5+ · 6 or more players. Two teams: the cops catch the robbers and take them to "jail" (a marked spot). A robber who is still free can release teammates by touching them. The game ends when every robber is caught; then swap sides.

4. Statues

Age 3+ · any number. Everyone dances or moves, and when someone shouts "Statue!" (or the music stops), everyone freezes. Whoever moves is out — or, for little ones, does a silly move and rejoins.

5. Red light, green light

Age 4+ · 3 or more players. One player stands at the far end with their back turned. On "green" everyone runs towards them; on "red" they turn around and everyone must freeze. Anyone caught moving goes back to the start, and the first to arrive wins.

6. Cat and mouse

Age 4+ · 8 or more players. Children hold hands in a circle, with the mouse inside and the cat outside. The circle raises its arms to let the mouse through and lowers them to block the cat. When the cat catches the mouse, pick two new players.

7. Simon says

Age 3+ · any number. The leader gives orders: "Simon says touch your nose!" and everyone obeys. But if the order comes without "Simon says", anyone who follows it is out. Brilliant for listening and focus.

Quiet word games (at home, in the car, before bed)

8. I spy

Age 3+ · 2 or more. "I spy with my little eye something red" — and the others guess. For older children: "something beginning with B".

9. Animal, vegetable or mineral (20 questions)

Age 5+ · 2 or more. One player thinks of something, and the others ask yes-or-no questions, always starting with "animal, vegetable or mineral?". They have 20 questions to get the answer.

10. Word chain

Age 6+ · 2 or more. Someone says a word, and the next player says a word starting with its last letter: "pen → nest → tiger → …". Hesitate too long or repeat a word and you're out. You can set a theme: only animals, or only countries.

11. Story chain

Age 4+ · 2 or more. Someone starts a story with one sentence — "There was once a rabbit who wanted to fly…" — and each player adds a sentence. The story gets funny and wild, and children learn to listen to each other.

12. Charades

Age 6+ · 4 or more players in two teams. One player acts out a film, a cartoon or a proverb without a word, and their team guesses. For younger children, act out animals or jobs instead.

13. The quiet game

Age 4+ · any number. Everyone goes silent, and the first to speak or laugh loses. The best game for when the house gets too loud — try it before bed.

Pen-and-paper games

14. Name, place, animal, thing

Age 7+ · 2 or more. In Egypt it's called otobees complete. Everyone draws a table: name, animal, plant, object, country. Someone picks a letter and everyone writes a word starting with it in each column. The first to finish shouts "Complete!" and everyone stops. A word nobody else wrote scores 10; a shared one scores 5.

15. Noughts and crosses, and dots and boxes

Age 5+ · 2 players. Everyone knows noughts and crosses. For dots and boxes, draw a grid of dots; each turn, join two neighbouring dots with a line. Whoever closes a box writes their initial in it and goes again, and the most boxes wins.

Keeping it fun, with no tears

• Explain the rules before you start, and ask "does everyone understand?".
• With little ones, don't knock anyone out — let the loser do a silly move and come back in.
• Rotate roles so every child gets a turn as leader.
• Teach good losing: "Well done!" — and play again.

Want a game in a box?

Target and racing games gather the whole family round the table: the Monkey Coconut Launcher for parties, Catapult Cup Battle for two, and Block Pattern Duel for up to four. For the garden: the Ring Toss Set and the Kids Racket Set. See all our family and group games, active play and brain teasers.

Frequently asked questions

What's the best group game for a birthday party at home?

Statues and Simon says for little ones; charades and cat and mouse for older children. Start with a running game and finish with a quiet one.

Which group games work in the car?

I spy, animal-vegetable-mineral, word chain and story chain — all they need is talking.

Games for adults and children together?

Charades and name-place-animal-thing make adults laugh as much as children. If you have games in a box, see our best family board games.

Read next: kids' birthday party ideas at home; Eid gifts and activities for kids.