Let’s face it—keeping tweens entertained at home can sometimes feel like trying to herd cats. Too old for little kid games but not quite ready for teen activities, tweens occupy that unique space where they crave excitement, friendly competition, and activities that make them feel grown-up. And let’s not forget their seemingly endless energy and competitive spirit!
Whether you’re looking for rainy day activities, planning a tween birthday party, or just trying to pry them away from screens for a few hours, this collection of 20 competitive games will save the day. I’ve included classic favorites like typing challenges and cup stacking alongside creative new ideas that will have the whole family laughing, strategizing, and maybe even breaking a sweat. The best part? Most of these games require minimal setup and use items you probably already have around the house.
So grab your tweens, clear some space, and get ready for some serious fun and friendly competition!
Speed Typing Challenges
In our digital age, typing skills are more important than ever, but who says practicing has to be boring? Set up typing races using free online typing test websites like TypeTest.io or MonkeyType. These sites let tweens compete to see who can type the fastest and most accurately.
For an extra challenge, create silly sentences or use song lyrics they know. You can also download typing games like Nitro Type that let players race cars by typing quickly. Award points for both speed and accuracy, and keep a running leaderboard over multiple sessions to see who improves the most.
For tweens who love a good story, try TypeRacer which uses quotes from books and movies as typing material—this might even inspire them to check out new books they haven’t read yet!
Artistic Showdowns
Drawing contests are perfect for creative tweens. Set a timer for 5-10 minutes and announce a theme like “animals in space” or “food with superpowers.” Everyone draws their interpretation, and then you can vote on categories like “most creative,” “funniest,” or “most detailed.”
To make it more challenging, try Pictionary-style games where they must draw with their non-dominant hand or while blindfolded. Another fun variation is “art telephone,” where each person starts a drawing, then passes it to the next player who has 30 seconds to add to it before passing it again.
For digital art fans, free apps like Skribbl.io let tweens draw and guess pictures in a group setting. The laughter that erupts from these artistic attempts is worth its weight in gold!
Cup Stacking Competitions
Cup stacking (also called sport stacking) is not just satisfying—it’s also great for hand-eye coordination and concentration. You don’t need special equipment to start; any plastic cups will do, though official stacking cups are inexpensive if they get really into it.
Time your tweens as they stack cups in predetermined patterns. The standard 3-3-3 pattern (three stacks of three cups) is good for beginners, while the 3-6-3 (three cups, then six, then three) offers more challenge. For advanced stackers, the cycle stack combines multiple patterns.
Make it more exciting by creating relay races where teams must run to a table, complete a stack, then run back and tag the next teammate. Keep track of personal bests so everyone can see their improvement over time.
Minute-to-Win-It Challenges
These quick, often silly challenges are perfect for tweens’ energy levels and short attention spans. Set a one-minute timer for each challenge and award points to the winner. Some favorites include:
- Cookie Face: Place a cookie on your forehead and try to move it to your mouth without using hands
- Penny Stack: Stack pennies using only one hand
- Chopstick Challenge: Transfer small objects from one bowl to another using chopsticks
- Tissue Box Empty: Empty a box of tissues using only one hand
- Bottle Flip: Flip a partially filled water bottle to land upright
The beauty of these games is they require minimal setup but provide maximum entertainment. You can find hundreds of ideas online to keep the competition fresh and exciting.
Word Association Races
This fast-paced vocabulary game starts with one person saying a word. The next player must immediately respond with a related word, and play continues with no hesitation allowed. If someone hesitates too long (use a 3-second count) or repeats a word, they’re out.
For a more competitive version, time how long a pair can keep a streak going. Or try “Categories” where you name a category (sports, foods, movies) and players must take turns naming items in that category until someone gets stumped.
“Word Ladder” is another challenging variation where each new word must change only one letter from the previous word (cat → hat → hot → dot). See who can create the longest ladder without breaking the chain.
Indoor Obstacle Courses
Transform your living room into an adventure zone with a timed obstacle course. Use cushions to jump over, tables to crawl under, tape lines for balance beams, and stuffed animals to zigzag around.
Make it competitive by timing each participant and keeping leaderboards. Add fun twists like carrying a spoonful of water through the course or balancing a book on their head. For an extra challenge, have them complete a small task at each station—three jumping jacks here, a math problem there.
The beauty of obstacle courses is they can be completely customized to your space and the abilities of your tweens. Plus, they’ll burn off energy while improving coordination and problem-solving skills.
Memory Challenges
Test your tweens’ observation skills with memory games that go beyond the classic matching card game. Try “Tray Memory” where you place 15-20 small objects on a tray, give everyone 30 seconds to memorize them, then cover the tray and have players write down as many items as they can remember.
“What’s Missing?” is a variation where you show the objects, then remove one while players close their eyes. First person to identify the missing item wins a point.
For an active version, create a “memory obstacle course” where players must complete physical challenges while remembering a growing list of movements or words. These games are not only competitive but help improve concentration and recall skills.
Paper Airplane Contests
Paper airplane competitions combine creativity with physics for the perfect tween activity. Have everyone create their own plane designs, then compete in multiple categories:
- Distance: Measure how far each plane flies
- Accuracy: Set up targets or landing zones with point values
- Hang Time: Time how long planes stay airborne
- Tricks: Award points for loops, spins, or other impressive maneuvers
- Design: Vote on the most creative or best-looking planes
Provide different types of paper for experimentation and encourage tweens to research aerodynamic designs online before the competition. This activity sneaks in some STEM learning while still being incredibly fun.
Balloon Volleyball
Create an impromptu volleyball court in your living room using string or painter’s tape as a “net.” Teams (or individuals) compete to keep a balloon from touching the ground on their side while trying to make it touch the floor on the opponent’s side.
Unlike regular volleyball, players can hit the balloon as many times as needed before sending it over the “net.” This slower pace makes it accessible for all skill levels while still being surprisingly competitive and active.
For an extra challenge, players can use only their non-dominant hands, or add multiple balloons to increase the chaos and laughter. This game gets tweens moving while being gentle enough for indoor play.
Nerf Target Shooting
Set up targets around a room using cups, paper targets, or stuffed animals at various distances. Assign different point values based on difficulty. Players take turns shooting at targets with Nerf guns or similar foam dart blasters.
Create different challenges like timed rounds (who can hit the most targets in 30 seconds?) or precision challenges (hit targets in a specific order). For added difficulty, include moving targets or have players shoot from different positions (kneeling, standing on one foot).
Always establish clear safety rules before starting, such as no shooting at people or pets, and make sure everyone wears eye protection if you’re using the more powerful Nerf models.
Board Game Olympics
Turn traditional board games into an exciting tournament by creating a “Board Game Olympics.” Select 4-5 different games and have tweens compete in each one, earning points based on their placement. Keep a running tally to determine the ultimate Board Game Champion.
Choose games with different skill sets—strategy games like Chess or Ticket to Ride, word games like Scrabble, chance-based games like Sorry, and party games like Apples to Apples. This variety ensures that different strengths are recognized and celebrated.
To keep things moving, set time limits for each game or use shorter versions. Award medals or small prizes for overall winners and for individual game champions.
Mummy Wrap Race
This hilarious game requires nothing more than toilet paper rolls. Divide into teams of two, where one person is the “wrapper” and the other is the “mummy.” Set a timer for two minutes, and see which wrapper can most completely cover their teammate in toilet paper.
When time’s up, the mummies must do a catwalk or complete an obstacle course without breaking their toilet paper wrapping. Award points for most complete coverage, strongest wrapping job, and most creative mummy design.
This game inevitably leads to giggles and makes for great photo opportunities. Plus, the cleanup is easy—just have everyone jump into trash bags when you’re done!
Dance Freeze Competitions
This updated version of musical chairs requires only music and space to move. Play music and have everyone dance. When the music stops, dancers must freeze immediately in whatever position they’re in. Anyone who moves or falls over is out.
For extra challenge, the last person remaining each round gets to choose a dance move that everyone must incorporate in the next round. Or try “Dance Copycat” where one player leads a sequence of moves and others must replicate it exactly.
This game gets everyone moving and laughing while encouraging creativity. For tweens who love TikTok dances, let them showcase their skills by teaching one move to everyone each round.
Charades Relay
Take the classic game of charades and add a relay element for extra excitement. Divide into teams and create a stack of charade prompts related to movies, books, or TV shows tweens know.
The first player from each team acts out a prompt while their team guesses. As soon as they guess correctly, the next player draws a prompt and begins acting. See which team can get through the most prompts in a set time limit.
To make it more challenging for tweens, add categories like “historical figures,” “science concepts,” or “emotions and feelings” alongside the more traditional categories.
Indoor Scavenger Hunt
Create an epic scavenger hunt with competitive elements by dividing tweens into teams. Instead of just finding items, include challenges that must be completed at each station. For example:
- Find a blue item and use it to create a 30-second commercial
- Locate something cold and use it in a science experiment
- Find something that starts with the letter P and write a poem about it
Time the teams and award points both for speed and creativity in completing challenges. This game combines problem-solving, creativity, and teamwork while being easily adaptable to your home’s layout and available items.
Rock Paper Scissors Tournament
Elevate the simple hand game into a full-fledged tournament with brackets and championship rounds. Make it more physical by adding movements: players must jump three times while saying “rock, paper, scissors” and then reveal their choice.
Create variations like “Rock Paper Scissors Extreme” where players add additional moves like “water” (beats rock but loses to paper) or “lightning” (beats scissors but loses to rock). Or try team-based RPS where teams must coordinate to throw the same sign.
This game requires zero equipment but can become surprisingly strategic and exciting with tournament-style elimination and creative variations.
Trivia Battles
Create age-appropriate trivia competitions covering topics tweens care about: their favorite TV shows, sports stats, music, science facts, or current events. You can use prepared trivia cards from games like Trivial Pursuit or create your own questions.
Make it more interactive by using formats inspired by game shows. Try “Trivia Relay” where teams must pass a baton after answering correctly, or “Risk It All” where players can wager points on how sure they are of their answers.
For tech-savvy families, free apps like Kahoot! let you create custom quiz games where players use their phones or tablets to answer questions while competing against each other.
Balloon Stomp
This active game requires only balloons and string. Tie an inflated balloon to each player’s ankle with about a foot of string. When the game starts, players try to pop everyone else’s balloons while protecting their own.
Last person with an intact balloon wins. For a team version, divide into groups with different colored balloons and see which team has the most survivors after a set time.
This game gets tweens moving and strategizing simultaneously. For an extra challenge, make certain areas of the room “safe zones” where no stomping is allowed, forcing players to venture into dangerous territory.
Taste Test Challenge
This sensory game tests both taste buds and descriptive abilities. Blindfold players and have them taste various foods or drinks, then compete in different challenges:
- Simple identification: Name the food or drink
- Ingredient detective: List as many ingredients as possible
- Flavor ranking: Rate samples from most to least favorite
- Brand challenge: Identify different brands of the same product (different chocolate chip cookies, various orange juices)
Award points for accuracy and descriptive language. This game can be educational about food science while still being highly entertaining. Just be sure to check for food allergies before playing!
Blindfolded Makeover
This hilarious game pairs tweens up and gives one person a makeup kit while the other is the “canvas.” The twist? The makeup artist is completely blindfolded! Set a 5-minute timer and see which team can create the most impressive (or hilariously disastrous) makeover.
You can use actual makeup if parents approve, or opt for face paint, stickers, or even sticky notes and washable markers for a less messy alternative. Have categories for judging like “most colorful,” “most symmetrical,” or “best attempt at a theme.”
Make sure to take plenty of before and after photos – these often become treasured memories that tweens will laugh about for years. Just be sure to have makeup remover wipes ready for quick cleanup afterward!