13 Games You Made Up With Whatever Was Around
A hilarious tribute to human boredom and ingenuity, these 13 made-up games prove you don’t need fancy gear—just a sock, a spoon, and a wild imagination to turn your space into a chaotic arena of joy.
- Alyana Aguja
- 4 min read
When boredom sets in, the most unforgettable games are created from whatever’s scattered around the house—socks, spoons, glow sticks, or even potatoes. This article with 13 real, made-up games is a celebration of the crazy creativity and resourcefulness that happen when enjoyment is created out of familiar mess. From glow-in-the-dark tag to spatula jousting, it’s a happy reminder that the best fun often has no price tag but imagination.
1. Sock Dodge
Image from www.sad-shop.com.ua
Children used balled-up socks as makeshift dodgeballs in a hallway, with couch cushions as shields. The rule was: one hit and you’re out, unless you deflect it with a cushion and yell “NOPE!” before it hits the floor. It got intense enough that we had to institute a no-face rule after a vicious ricochet.
2. Ceiling Fan Roulette
Image from RS Philippines
Children balanced colored plastic spoons on a ceiling fan, set it on low, and wagered which color would fall off first. It turned into a pseudo-game of gambling for candy and lunchtime privileges. The suspense of watching a green spoon wobble in slow motion was unreal.
3. Closet Maze
Image from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Children cleared a walk-in closet, tossed around furniture, laundry hampers, and rope in it, and blindfolded one another to make it through by sound directions alone. You lost if you bumped against a wall or knocked something over. It felt like a budgetless DIY escape room with mountains of laughter.
4. Spatula Jousting
Image from Ubuy Philippines
Two people stood on opposite couch cushions, both armed with spatulas and attempting to knock a pillow out of the other’s grip without getting off. If your foot so much as brushed the ground, you were “consumed by lava” and out of commission. Amusingly strategic, and a wonderful way to snap at least one spatula.
5. Glow Stick Tag
Image from The Para Shop Manila
During a blackout, children broke open glow sticks and played tag in the dark basement. The only source of light was the person who was “it,” which made them both hunter and prey. The creepy glow gave it a horror-movie feel.
6. Potato Sprint
Image from selal alhasad
Children created a course in the backyard where they had to sprint while holding a raw potato between their knees. Drop it, and you had to start over while shouting your entire name in embarrassment. It was ridiculously challenging and funny, particularly on uneven grass.
7. Paper Towel Tube Sword Fights
Image from Ebay PH
Children collected all the empty paper towel tubes in the house and used them as swords, with paper plate shields. The tubes were flimsy, so matches lasted all of ten seconds, but they’d declare dramatic victories. Bonus points were awarded for the best death scene.
8. Chair Kingdoms
Image from RS Philippines
Children set up dining chairs as “thrones” and claimed them as individual kingdoms, each ruled by one person and governed by laws. You could invade another kingdom by bribing them with snacks or pillaging their cushions. The game was over when one person flipped one of the chairs in a coup.
9. Laundry Basketball
Image from bXTRA PH
Using a laundry basket as the hoop and balled socks as balls, children made trick shot challenges across the room. They’d give each other instructions like “Behind the Head Swish” or “Couch Bounce Slam” and have a scorekeeping system. It got extremely competitive, complete with mock sports announcing.
10. Cereal Box Island
Image from eBay.ph
We spread cereal boxes out on the floor and imagined the carpet was the ocean. You only had to step on boxes, and every so often, one would “sink” and be taken away. This created ridiculous leaps and constant wipeouts—our own budget-friendly Floor is Lava.
11. Static Tag
Image from Ubuy Philippines
We rubbed balloons on our heads to create static and attempted to tag one another so the balloon stuck to their clothing or hair. We attempted to stick and run with the balloon not coming off. This activity is best done on dry days with a great deal of laughing.
12. Shoe Launch
Image from adidas PH
From the back porch, we took turns kicking shoes off our feet as far as we could into the yard. One point was closest to the birdbath, five over the fence, but if you hit a window, you were out. We quit once a shoe became lodged on the roof.
13. Cup Whispers
Image from Global Call Forwarding
We created a “telephone line” with plastic cups and string, threading them over doorways and hallways. The objective was to carry goofy sentences from one individual to the next without the line dipping or the words becoming muddled. We discovered quickly that “banana pants monkey jail” never quite survived.