Waiting room games

Waiting rooms need a different sort of game: quiet, no equipment, and easy to stop the second a name is called. Most of these can be played with a whisper.

There is also a section for the harder waits, where the point is distraction rather than fun.

Completely silent games

• Silent I Spy - point instead of speaking, the other player guesses in a whisper.
• Copy Me - one player makes a small hand movement, the other copies the whole sequence.
• Thumb wars, still undefeated.
• Noughts and crosses on a receipt.
• Hangman, same receipt.
• Rock paper scissors, best of twenty one.

Whisper games

• Twenty Questions about something in the room.
• Guess the Job - pick someone across the room, invent their entire life story.
• Alphabet Categories - animals, then foods, then places, one letter at a time.
• Whispered Word Association.
• Story Swap - one sentence each, building something ridiculous.

Games using what is already there

• Poster Bingo - find five specific words on the notices around you.
• Count how many of one colour you can see without moving your head.
• Magazine Hunt - who can find a photo of a dog first.
• Spot the Difference between two similar posters.
• Read the leaflet and turn it into a quiz for the other person.

For an anxious or difficult wait

• Five things you can see, four you can hear, three you can touch - the grounding exercise works and takes two minutes.
• Plan a meal together, dish by dish, in detail.
• Plan a holiday you have no intention of booking.
• List favourite things - films, meals, days out - alternating turns.
• Say nothing at all and hold a hand. Some waits are not for games.

Practical kit worth having

• A pen and a small notepad covers half of the above.
• A pack of cards fits in any bag.
• One charged device, saved for the end rather than the start.
• A snack. Most waiting room meltdowns are hunger.

Browse thinking of you cards

How to write it so it lands

• Keep the screen in reserve. Once it comes out, nothing else works.
• A pen and any scrap of paper covers most of these games.

Where to shop next

• Car journey games
• Waiting room games
• Games for a pub table
• Kids' party games by age
• Games for older relatives
• Best board games for families
• Charades word lists
• Pictionary word lists
• Old fashioned party games
• Rainy day activities for families
• What to write for a hospital stay
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• All guides

Frequently asked questions

How do you entertain a child in a waiting room?

Short, quiet, no-equipment games work best - silent I Spy, copy-me hand games, noughts and crosses on a receipt. Save any screen for the last stretch.

What can you do during a stressful hospital wait?

Grounding exercises like naming five things you can see help more than games. Planning something mundane together - a meal, a trip - is a good middle ground.