Age guide: 4 to 10 years. Adjust the clues to the children’s knowledge.
Guessing games are a godsend in queues, waiting rooms and long car journeys. You may already know the classic yes-or-no game, which has its own page on this site, and a simple clue game based on what you can see. Here are six different ways to play the detective.
1. Pack the bag, guess the trip
Time: 5 to 10 minutes. You need: a bag and a handful of objects.
Pack a small bag as if you were going somewhere: a bucket, a towel and a sun hat for the beach, or a recipe, a whisk and an apron for baking. Pull items out one at a time and ask your child where you might be heading. Let them change their mind as more clues appear. Later, hand over the packing job and see whether you can work out their destination.
2. Mystery place
Time: 10 minutes. You need: nothing.
Tell them you went somewhere yesterday. Think of a place but keep it secret, such as the pharmacy or the market. Your child asks questions: What did you carry? How long were you there? What did you do? Answer honestly and consistently. When they guess it, swap roles. It is a good way to notice details of the places you visit every week.
3. Layers of clues
Time: 10 minutes. You need: four stacking items such as blocks, books or cups, and four small pictures or words.
Put a picture of the mystery thing at the bottom, then a block, then a clue picture, another block and so on. For a cow, the clues might be “milk”, “farm” and “four legs”. Lift off one layer at a time and ask your child what they think after each clue. Let them say why.
4. A photo in pieces
Time: 10 minutes. You need: a printed photograph, scissors and paper.
Cut a family photo into nine pieces and turn them over, leaving one or two showing. Ask who or what the picture will show, and ask for a reason with every guess: “I think it is Grandpa because that bit looks like his hat.” Reveal more pieces, and ask whether anyone wants to change their guess. Use family photos that you are happy to handle at home and keep them private.
5. Hum and find
Time: 10 minutes. You need: three or more people and one large, soft object such as a cuddly toy.
Everyone sits in a circle with hands behind their backs. One player leaves the room (or covers their eyes), and someone secretly holds the toy. The seeker returns and tries to find who has it. Everyone hums, louder as the seeker gets closer and softer when they move away. Choose a toy too big to swallow if little ones are playing.
6. How many clues?
Time: 10 minutes. You need: a few objects in a box.
One person chooses an object and gives clues, saying one word at a time. The guesser predicts how many words they will need before guessing correctly, then guesses after each clue. Count together and compare with the prediction. Swap roles after each round.
Keeping it fun
Don’t hurry to the answer. A wrong guess that fits the clues deserves a “that could be right, here is one more clue.” The goal is to enjoy the thinking.
