21 Tried and Tested Waiting Games for Kids to Pass the Time

Being in a waiting situation is never fun with kids, especially when you have no idea how long it’s going to take. I’ve been in hospital waiting rooms, at airports, or even at the Post Office and started to feel the stress of the situation. So here are 21 Tried and Tested Waiting Games for Kids to Pass the Time:

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#1. I Spy

The classic game, I Spy is where you take it in turns to guess what the other person spies. You start your turn by saying “I Spy with My Little Eye something beginning with (letter)”

For a variation for younger kids, instead of “I Spy something beginning with T” try the colour version “I spy something coloured red”.

#2. Guess Who

Take it in turns to think of a person and the others have to guess who it is asking only questions that can be answered Yes or No.

We always start with Is it a boy? and Do we know them personally? to help narrow down the options.

#3. Animal Vegetable Mineral

Also known as “Twenty Questions”, the first person thinks of something that’s either Animal, Vegetable or Mineral and the others have 20 questions to guess what it is. Questions must only have a Yes or No answer.

#4. Rock Paper Scissors

On the count of 3 each person shows their hand in the shape of either scissors (snipping fingers), paper (flat hand) or stone (fist).

Scissors beats paper as they cut paper, paper beats stone as paper can wrap the stone up and stone beats scissors as the stone can blunt the scissors.

#5. Would You Rather

Take it in turns to give the other players a choice of two horrible (or nice) options. For example,

• Would you rather live in a Haunted Mansion or a Creepy Castle?
• Would you rather pat a tiger or tickle a lion?
• Would you rather eat a slug or eat a snail?

#6. Alphabet Zoo

Another family favourite, in Alphabet Zoo each player takes it in turn to come up with an animal, bird, insect or reptile name in order of the alphabet.

So, for example, Armadillo, Bear, Cat, etc.

Tip: for X we allow Fox or any other animals that have an X in the name.

#7. Stop the Bus

You will need a piece of paper and a pen for each player.

• Each person has a piece of paper and draws on columns for these headings Girls Name, Boys Name, Animal, Food/Drink, Place.
• One person says the alphabet silently in their head, then another says “Stop the Bus” and that letter is the initial for the words in each category. e.g. Say the letter is D –  Categories could be Dora, David, Dog, Dates, Denmark.
• When everyone has finished you add up their scores for that round, awarding 10 points for a unique answer (one no one else has), and 5 points for a duplicate answer.
• You can come up with new categories as well to play against.

#8. Dots and Boxes

You’ll need a piece of paper and at least one pen for Dots and Boxes. Start with an empty grid of dots. Players take turn adding a single line between two unjoined dots next to each other.

The player who completes the fourth side of the 1×1 box puts their initial into the middle of that box. The player with the most boxes at the end of hte game wins.

#9. Mini Scavenger Hunt

If you are in a waiting room with lots of magazines, use a magazine for a mini scavenger hunt and instruct your child to find certain items, for example, “Find something red that starts with a P,” or “find a yellow car.”

#10. Memory Game

Take 10 things from your handbag or your child’s bag and lay them out on a seat or table. Give each person 1 minute to memorise the items then either have them recite as many back as they can or take one item away and see if they can say which item is missing.