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Twenty Questions

One of you thinks of something. The other has twenty yes-or-no questions.

Twenty Questions
For ages5y - 12y
Time available15 min
Prep0 min
Mess
Noise
YouYes, I will join in

Needs absolutely nothing, works in a car, a queue or a waiting room, and is genuinely good thinking practice.

What you need

Nothing at all.

How to do it

  1. One person thinks of an object and says whether it is an animal, a thing, or a place.
  2. The others ask questions that can only be answered yes or no.
  3. Count the questions out loud so the limit feels real.
  4. If they guess within twenty, they win and take a turn thinking.
  5. Afterwards, talk about which question narrowed it down most.

Most activity lists ignore the things that actually decide it

A good question eliminates half the possibilities. Children start by guessing specific objects and gradually learn to ask categorising questions instead, which is a real and transferable shift in how they think.

Adapting by age

5 to 6 yearsTen questions, and only things in the room.
10 to 12 yearsAllow abstract answers such as an emotion or an event.

Keep it safe

None needed.

Cleanup tip

None.

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