How to Play 20 Questions

When I was a kid we often whiled away long road trips by playing "20 Questions". Since I am now grown, with three children of my own, I have enjoyed passing this family tradition down to my own kids.

Twenty Questions is a word game that involves guessing what someone else is thinking by process of elimination. It can be played by both children and adults, and any number of players may participate. It might take just a few minutes to play or a whole lot longer depending on the skill of the players. Playing "20 Questions" is an excellent way for children to develop critical thinking skills.

Here is how to play:

First, one person selects an item that the others have to guess. That person must then declare to the guessers if the object to be guessed is "animal, vegetable, or mineral".

Animal encompasses not only animals, but anything make from animal products - for example food from animals (bacon) and products made from leather (belts, shoes, purses) or other animal parts. Vegetable includes not only fruits and vegetables, but anything made from plants - for example, wicker furniture, corn oil, or cigarettes (made from paper and tobacco). Mineral encompasses pretty much everything else and most manufactured items, since it includes metals, stones, and fossil fuels. So, an automobile would fall into the mineral category, even though it may have leather seats and rubber tires (both vegetable), because it is mostly made of steel.

When playing with younger children, it is better to start with simple items.

Next, the other participants take turns guessing what the item is by asking "yes or no" questions. For example, you are not allowed to ask how large the item in question is, but you might start off by asking if the object is larger than a sofa (or smaller than a sofa).

The askers are allowed a maximum of twenty questions to guess what the "thinker" is thinking of. If they figure it out before they get to 20, they win. If they don't, then the "thinker" wins. The trick is to ask broad questions and then gradually try and narrow down the clues.

That's all there is to it. Once a round is complete, whoever made the correct guess gets to be the "thinker" for the next round.

This game is a wonderful way for parents and their children to bond intellectually, have fun together, and pass the time doing somthing educational with no apparatus necessary!