Twenty Questions
One player thinks of something; others narrow it down with up to twenty yes-or-no questions.
- Age5 to 8 years
- Time5 to 15 minutes
- EnergyCalm
- CostFree
- WhereIndoors
- PrepNone
A guessing game where one player thinks of something and the others ask up to twenty yes-or-no questions to work out what it is. Practises asking questions that narrow down the possibilities.
How to do it
- One player secretly thinks of a person, animal, or object and tells the others which of those broad groups it is.
- The other players take turns asking questions that can be answered only with yes or no.
- The thinker answers honestly with yes or no each time.
- Players use the answers to narrow down what it could be, guessing the final answer when they feel sure.
- Count the questions as you go; if the group reaches twenty without guessing, the thinker reveals the answer and a new player takes a turn.
Signs it is working
Your child asks questions that rule out whole groups (such as asking whether it is an animal) rather than only single guesses. They use earlier answers to shape later questions. They stay patient across several rounds
If it is not quite clicking
Your child only makes wild single guesses: Model a wide question first such as asking whether it is bigger than a car. They pick something too obscure for others to guess: Suggest they choose something everyone in the room would know. They lose track of what has been asked: Help by repeating the yes answers so far
Make it yours
Younger (5y): Narrow to one category such as animals only, and allow ten questions instead of twenty. Older (7-8y): Keep the full twenty and encourage grouping questions such as living or not, indoors or outdoors. Group: Let players confer before asking, or go around in a fixed order
Try this with your child.
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