Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Sleepover Game Spinner: Free Printable Game for Year 5
- ForYear 5
- StageKey Stage 2
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Sleepover Game Spinner is a free printable game for Year 5 (ages 9 to 10). Children pick a challenge card and do what it says. Some cards ask them to act, draw, hum or move. Others ask for quick answers against the clock. It is made for 3 to 8 players and takes about 20 minutes.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, use page 1 for play and keep page 2 for the grown up. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
Children take turns to pick a challenge card and carry it out in front of the group. Some challenges are quick quiz tasks, some are drawing tasks and some are acting or humming tasks where the others guess. A few ask for a little movement. There are no right scores to chase, so the focus is on fun, fair turns and good humour.
- Act out an animal. Others guess
- Draw a house in 20 seconds
- Name 5 fruits in 10 seconds
- Say the alphabet backwards from F to A
- Hum a tune. Others guess it
- Tell a joke
- Stand on one leg and count to 20
- Name 4 countries
- Make a face. Hold it for 10 seconds
- Draw a cat with your eyes shut
- Spell your full name aloud
- Do 5 star jumps
How to build a game that feels fair
Agree the rules first
Read the rules aloud before anyone picks a card. Decide whether you will keep score or just play for fun. Everyone then knows the game they are in.
Choose a timekeeper
Some challenges have a time limit. One player watches a clock or phone timer and says when time is up. Swap the job each round so nobody misses their turn.
Allow one pass
Let each player pass a card back once and pick again. It keeps shy players comfortable and the game moving.
Cheer, do not tease
Set one kind rule: laugh with people, never at them. A silly drawing or a wobbly tune is part of the fun.
Why short challenge games suit sleepovers
Sleepover games work best when they are quick, silly and fair. Children at a sleepover are often tired, excited and sometimes shy with new friends. Short challenges let everyone join in without long rules to learn. Each turn is over fast, so nobody waits long. Acting, drawing and humming need no special skill to enjoy, which keeps the mood friendly.
Games like this also build social skills that matter in school. Taking turns, listening to rules, cheering for others and coping when a challenge goes wrong are all worth practising. Year 5 children often enjoy a little competition, so you can play for fun, or agree a simple scoring system before you begin.
Clear a space before anyone does star jumps or stands on one leg. Move furniture and anything with sharp corners out of the way. On hard floors, bare feet or grippy socks are safer than slippy socks.
Skills and curriculum link
- Taking turns
- Teamwork
- Quick thinking
- Following instructions
- Speaking and listening
What children will be able to do
- I can take turns and follow the rules.
- I can answer a quiz challenge.
- I can draw or act out a clue for others.
Ideas to help the game run smoothly
- Keep turns shortA turn should take well under a minute. Short turns keep everyone watching and stop the game dragging.
- Mix the card typesTry not to pick several drawing cards in a row. A mix of moving, drawing, thinking and talking keeps different children happy.
- Make guessing a team jobWhen the others guess a clue, let them shout ideas together. It builds teamwork and takes the pressure off the performer.
- Stop while it is still funTwo short games are better than one long one. End before anyone gets bored and play again another day.
Key words
- ChallengeA task that asks you to try something a bit tricky or silly.
- TurnYour go. Everyone gets one before anyone gets a second.
- ClueA hint, shown by acting, drawing or humming, that helps others guess.
- Time limitThe amount of time you are allowed for a task.
- TeamworkWorking together so everyone helps and everyone counts.
- SpinnerA turning pointer that lands on a section and picks a challenge for you.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for the players. Keep page 2 for the grown up, as it has notes, help and a stretch idea.
- Cut out the challenge cards and place them face down. Read the rules aloud and agree who will keep time.
- Take turns to pick a card and do the challenge. This game is for 3 to 8 players and takes about 20 minutes.
- If a card feels too hard, let a helper whisper ideas or let the team work on it together.
- Talk about the game afterwards. Which card was best? Then play again another day, perhaps with your own cards.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Let a helper whisper ideas, or let the whole team work together on harder cards. Allow a child to pass a card back and pick another. Start with the acting and movement cards, and keep time limits gentle so nobody feels rushed.
To stretch confident children
Write your own six challenge cards on the blank backs. Make them a mix of acting, drawing, quiz and movement tasks. Swap cards with another player, try each other's challenges and decide together which one was the funniest.
Make it a game
Draw a circle and split it into 12 sections. Write a challenge in each one. Rest a paperclip on the circle, hold a pencil point at the centre through the paperclip and flick it round. Do the challenge it stops on.
Talk about it
- How did you make sure everyone had a fair turn?
- Which challenge did you enjoy most, and why?
- Which card was hardest for you? What helped?
- How would you change the game for younger children?
- What makes a good clue when you cannot use words?
- What new challenge would you add to the game?
Take it off the page
Own challenge deck
Write more challenge cards on scrap paper. Aim for a mix of acting, drawing, quiz and movement. Fold them and keep them in a bowl for the next game night.
Silent charades
Take turns to act out a film, a job or an animal without speaking. The others guess. Notice which actions make the clearest clues.
Quick draw
One player calls out an object and everyone draws it in a short time. Compare drawings and laugh together. No one needs to be good at art.
Who it is for
Parents
Read the rules together, then join in for the first round. Your child can lead after that. Keep the mood light, and let shy children pass a card or ask a helper for ideas.
Teachers
Use it as a reward activity, a team building starter, a wet play option or a table game. It needs no preparation beyond printing and cutting. It supports speaking and listening, as children take turns, listen to others and respond.
Home educators
Print it for a family evening, a party or a day when you need a calm, screen free activity. Brothers and sisters of different ages can play together, and you can write new cards to refresh the game.
Where this fits in a child's play and learning
Earlier on, children learn to wait for a turn, follow a simple rule and join in a group game. Games such as guessing and acting clues help them speak and listen in a relaxed way.
After this, children can design their own games with clear rules, run them for others and talk about what made them fair and fun. Team games with more thinking and planning build on these same habits.
Check it worked
Ask these when the sheet is finished. Listen for the reasoning, not just the answer.
- How did you make sure everyone had a fair turn?
- Which challenge did you enjoy most, and why?
- How would you change the game for younger children?
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Sleepover Game Spinner for?
It is written for Year 5 (ages 9 to 10) in Key Stage 2. Younger or older children can still enjoy it, and you can change the challenges to suit the group.
- How many people can play, and how long does it take?
It is made for 3 to 8 players and takes about 20 minutes. You can play two quick rounds rather than one long one if the group starts to lose interest.
- Do I need to make a spinner?
No. You can simply pick a challenge card. If you want a spinner, draw a circle with 12 sections, then use a pencil and a paperclip to spin it. It is an optional extra.
- What if a child feels shy about performing?
Let them pass a card back and pick another, or have a helper whisper ideas. Team work on harder cards can also help. Keep the mood kind, and remind everyone to laugh with each other, not at each other.
- Can teachers use it in class?
Yes. It works as a starter, a reward, a team building activity or a table game. It needs only printing and cutting. It also gives children practice in speaking, listening and taking turns.
- Is this a screen free activity?
Yes. It needs only paper, scissors and a pencil, plus a paperclip if you add a spinner. It suits sleepovers, rainy days, quiet time and school holidays when you want children away from screens.
- Do I need to print in colour?
No. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper. Children can add colour to the cards if they like, but the game works perfectly without it.
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Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.