We all need to have a laugh, and funny Zoom games are not only possible but really beneficial in so many ways.
I have been a teacher for the last decade, and the following Zoom games have all come about through trying out a range of different activities to add life and enjoyment to online learning.
I find funny Zoom games are good for:
-Breaking up periods of learning
-Good for mindfulness and mental health
-Good team-builders
-Can be used for a range of sessions – staff meetings, parties, family catch-ups, and so many more
One of my favorite games ended up with me looking like this:
There has been research done about the mental stresses of learning online (Source) I believe that any way of breaking up online interaction with fun games and laughter is really important for our mental wellbeing.
All of these following games are fantastic for children between the ages of 3-10, but will definitely work for older kids and also adults as well.
So, let’s dive into the ultimate 14 funny Zoom games.
1. Joey Tribbiani Games
This is an episode in the sitcom ‘Friends’ where Joey (the character played by Matt Le Blanc) puts on all of Chandler’s clothes (like, literally every single one).
That’s the idea behind this game!
Starting with whatever clothes they already have on, players must add as many clothes as they can.
You could do it using a timer, and there is a specific time, such as two minutes, to put on as many clothes as possible.
The game is best done in a space where the players have access to as many clothes as they have available.
It makes it even funnier if you have access to a few silly hats, sunglasses, interesting jackets, and all the rest of it.
2. Figures of Eight
It’s a nice simple idea behind this one, making it suitable for all ages.
The players are going to stand in front of their screen and make a figure of eight with different parts of their bodies.
Start simple, for example using your finger. But then expand to more difficult options, such as using your elbow or your foot.
More ridiculous body parts really get everyone laughing and enjoying the experience.
Some good body parts to try for this include:
-Eye
-Head
-Belly
-Butt
-Tongue
-Knee
If the players are fantastic at this, you can extend this game in a variety of ways.
Players could try and form other numbers or letters with their different body parts, or even write secret messages that the others have to try to interpret.
3. Lizard Game
This one really gets everyone giggling.
The idea in this game is that one person is going to be the ‘detective’. That person will close their eyes.
Then select someone else to be the ‘lizard’. It is important that the detective doesn’t know who the lizard is, so a good way to do it is to hold up a card with the name of the person who is to be the ‘lizard.’
The role of the lizard is pretty straightforward! They are going to stick their tongue out really quickly once every few seconds (like a lizard).
Just quickly in and out. That’s it!
The detective will now open their eyes, and try to guess who the lizard is. Everyone else will be trying to stare dead-pan at the screen, and the lizard will be subtly flicking out their tongue every once in a while.
Who is the lizard!?
When they find out, the lizard becomes the detective and repeats the process.
4. No Mat Twister
If you try just one game from this list, then I would definitely recommend this one.
One person is going to give the instructions in this game.
Everyone else is going to try to do what they say.
The idea is of course a bit like the game Twister, but you don’t have a mat. Instead, you are trying to tangle everyone up by giving them instructions, one after the other.
Say things like…
‘Put one hand in the air.’
‘Put the other hand on your foot.’
‘Put one foot up.’
‘Right hand on your hip.’
Keep going until everyone is tangled in knots, or are falling about all over the place.
Another more complex way of doing this is to create a series of Twister cards with instructions (similar to those instructions above).
The leader selects one at a time and reads what the others should do.
You could play the competitive version, where if you fall over you are out, and at the end you will have a champion.
Or just keep it friendly, and everyone carries on, however much they are falling over.
5. Can’t Laugh Challenge
This is a big game on Tik Tok and youtube, and you can easily play this over Zoom.
The way I do it is that one person is the leader. They are going to try everything they can to make everyone else laugh.
All the other players will just be starting deadpan at their screens. If you laugh, you are out!
The leader can try whatever they like, but some good ways of making people laugh include:
-Doing silly impressions
-Pulling funny faces
-Making silly noises
-Doing your best jokes
And of course, anything else you can think of that might do the trick will probably work well also.
6. Draw Something On Your Head
It’s a simple idea behind this one.
Everyone puts a piece of paper on their head, and tries to draw something. Then one at a time, show the group, and everyone tries to guess what it is.
To make the game easier, especially for younger kids, have a theme. So you might be all trying to draw:
-A type of animal
-A vehicle
-Something you have in your house
This gives them a fighting chance when they are all guessing.
Note – Be careful with very young children that they don’t draw on their head!
7. Eyes Closed Pictionary
One person is going to be doing the drawing in this game, and everyone else is on the team.
Have some kind of surface to draw on that everyone else can see, like a big paper pad that you can hold up.
The player that is drawing is going to first decide what they will draw, and then begin drawing with their eyes closed. The others will try to guess what it is.
For younger children, pick a theme beforehand, such as animals, vehicles, or superheroes.
For older players, you could try more challenging pictures like films, TV shows, books, or whatever else.
8. Grandma’s Underpants
This is a good game for young children, who really enjoy the silliness of this one.
One person is chosen to be ‘on’.
Everyone else will be asking this person questions, one at a time.
The person who is ‘on’ can only reply, ‘My grandma’s underpants’, whatever the question is.
Some questions you can model (if they’re not sure to start with), are things like:
-What is your favorite color?
-What is your name?
-What do you like to wear?
The sillier the better. Sounds truly ridiculous, but kids find it absolutely hilarious beyond belief.
9. Staring Laugh Murder
It’s a very simple and silly game this one.
It’s a virtual version of the classic staring game.
Everyone just stares in silence at the screen. If you laugh you are out!
Sometimes players will start laughing just by doing this version of the game.
The next step up is that you are allowed to do anything you want with your face to make others laugh (but you’re not allowed to speak). You can pull all sorts of silly faces.
10. Detective Game
You need to select one player to be the ‘detective’ in this game. Pick that person, and then they will close their eyes.
Then the group will silently select a ‘leader’. You have to do this in a way that the ‘detective’ doesn’t hear because they can’t know who it is.
One way might be to hold up the name of one player on a card.
That ‘leader’ is going to lead the rest of the group in simple actions.
For example, they might start clapping, and the others copy.
When the players are all doing an action, the ‘detective’ opens their eyes.
The ‘leader’ is going to shift to a different action at some point (maybe patting their head), and everyone else will immediately copy. The leader keeps on changing actions with everyone copying.
The ‘detective’ quite simply has to work out who the ‘leader’ is. You could do it so that you only have 3 guesses to make it a bit trickier.
Young children, in particular, find this game absolutely hilarious.
11. Silent Animal Charades
This is the absolute easiest version of charades that I have ever tried, and it is ideal for all ages.
One player is ‘on’ and pretends to be an animal. I help it finds if they keep their mute button on, especially with the younger ones, as they often like to add a few sounds effects that really give the game away!
Everyone else has to guess what they are.
As an example, if the child was an elephant, they might pretend to have a long trunk, big floppy ears, and be stamping round their room. You get the idea!
12. Mystery Song
Pick one person to go first.
They are going to put their mute button on, and then they are going to sing a song.
They could have the music on in their room and sing along, or they could just sing a song unaccompanied.
Everyone else is going to try to guess what song they are singing.
13. 1,2,3, Look! Emotions
This is a great game for young children to explore emotions, and for older people just to have a good laugh.
Select one player to be ‘on’ in this game. They are going to be the leader.
The simplest way of doing it is to pick two emotions – sad and happy.
Everyone will close their eyes, and do either a happy or sad face.
The leader is going to also do either a happy or sad face.
Then the leader will say, ‘1, 2, 3, Look!’
Everyone opens their eyes. If you have got the same emotion on your face as the leader, then well done!
You can do the competitive version of this game, where if you get it wrong you are out. Keep going round after round until you have a champion.
Alternatively, just do the non-competitive version, where everyone keeps going even if they get it wrong.
You can extend this game by adding more emotions. So you could try ‘happy face’, ‘sad’, ‘cross’, ‘shocked.’
14. Do As I Say, Not As I Do
This is a really well-known listening game that works really well in the virtual world.
Select one person to be ‘it’. They will lead everyone else.
This person is going to say one action but then do another. For example, they might say ‘Pat your head’, while clapping their hands.
Everyone else has got to do what they say, not what they do. So, in this case, they would pat their heads, not clap their hands.
The leader keeps changing the action they are doing, and the one they say.
High-speed changes make this game even more supercharged and funny to watch.
Summing Up
Good luck if you play any of these funny zoom games! A bit of laughter and high spirits is good for us all, whatever our age.