Group Game Idea For A Fun Group Activity For Youth or Adults
It’s no secret that I love a good group game! They just make me so happy! I’m so excited to share one of my very favorite fun party games for groups and teach you how to play Four On The Couch.
Four On The Couch is the perfect group game for youth groups, family reunions, or game nights because it’s easy to learn, requires very little prep, and all ages/skill level can play! It’s always a hit!
What is Four On A Couch?
Four On A Couch is a fun group game where two teams compete to get four of their team members sitting together on the same “couch.” It’s involves strategy, some thinking, and a little bit of chaos, but the result is a very fun party game for groups!
What You’ll Need
- One seat for each person, plus one extra chair. Seating could be couches, chairs, or any type of seating you have available. Just make sure each person playing has a seat, plus one more.
- Slips of paper for each person.
- Pens or pencils
- A bowl.
That’s it! This fun group game is so easy to put together!
Setting Up the Game
Setting up Four On The Couch is super quick and easy to do!
First, arrange the chairs in a circle. Put four of the seats together at the top of the circle, this will be designated as the “couch”.
Next, hand out one slip of paper to each player and have everyone write their name on it.
Once the names are all written down, put each slip of paper into the bowl.
Pass the bowl back around and have every person draw out a slip of paper. This will be their name for the game. Most people won’t get their own name-and that is what makes the game even more fun! Don’t tell anyone what name you drew. This must be kept a secret.
- Related: Best Family Games Under $20
How To Play Four On A Couch
Remember, that the end goal of this game is to get four of your team members to be sitting together on the designated “couch”.
To begin playing Four On A Couch separate all players into two teams. It might work best to separate teams as boys verses girls. But, if that isn’t possible, just separate however you would like.
Have everyone sit every other team in the circle of chairs. If you are playing boys verses girls, the seating will be boy-girl-boy-girl, etc. It is completely ok and normal to have people sitting on the “couch.”
The player sitting to the left of the empty chair will go first.
Play begins with the player to the left of the empty chair calling out a name of someone in the circle. (At this point nobody knows what name people drew, so we won’t know who will stand up when that first name is called.)
The player whose slip of paper name was called will stand up and move to the empty chair.
Once that player takes their new seat, the spot they came from will be the new empty chair. The person to the left of the new empty chair will then call out a name. One important rule to remember is that the same name can not be called twice in a row. There must be a different name called in between.
Play continues until one team has filled the four “couch” spots with their team members.
Things To Remember
Communicating to your teammates is not allowed. You can not communicate to them in any way about whose name is whose, or give hints about which name to call. Every person on the team is responsible for calling out their own names without any help.
Don’t forget to protect the couch. If you have team members sitting on the couch, avoid calling the names that will cause them to move off.
Nobody knows who is holding which slip of paper at first. Make sure to remember who moves when each name is called. Remembering the names people are holding are key to winning this game.
Four On A Couch Example
Here’s an example of how the game would work:
Let’s say Jim, Alan, Betty, Doug, LuAnn, and Holly are playing the game. They separate the teams boy verses girl, so are sitting boy-girl-boy-girl, etc.
Jim is sitting to the left of the empty chair so he calls a name out first.
Jim calls out the name “Alan.” Betty had drawn the name Alan, so she moves to the empty chair.
Now, LuAnn is sitting next to the empty chair. She calls out the name LuAnn. Doug has the slip of paper that says “LuAnn”, so he moves to the empty chair.
Doug was sitting on the “couch.” This is a big deal, because there is now an empty seat on the “couch” that can be filled if the right name is said.
Holly is sitting to the left of the empty seat. Knowing that she wants one of her teammates, a girl, on the “couch” she makes a strategic move and calls out the name “Alan.” From a previous turn Holly had remembered that Betty’s name was Alan.
Betty now moves to the empty chair on the “couch” and the girl team takes the lead.
Play continues until one team has all team members on the “couch.”
- Related: Fun Activities For Teens
The Perfect Group Game
If you are looking for a party game for groups, Four On The Couch is it! It’s inclusive, everyone gets an even amount of playing time. And it is the perfect mix of fun and strategy, without being to difficult!
I hope this article helped you learn How To Play Four On The Couch. You and your friends and family will love it!
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