How to Play Hot and Cold With a Twist
Hot and Cold is a great game to not only spend time bonding with your children, but to also keep them busy! There are two versions, and we’ll explain both.
What is Hot and Cold?
Hot and Cold is a mystery solving game that requires two randomly selected players to be chosen to solve the mystery. Whether it’s an object around the house they must find, or an action they must demonstrate, the other players have to tell them how close (hot) they are to solving it, or far off (cold) they are from solving the mystery.
How to Play Hot and Cold With Objects:
The first version of Hot and Cold uses objects around the house. Randomly select two players to be it. You can draw names from a hat if need be. Send the two selected players out of the room, where they cannot hear what the rest of the players discuss. It is important to keep this secret from the chosen players. Think of an item around the house that the players must find. For instance, you may think of a spoon in the silverware drawer. The two selected players will enter the room again and begin venturing around trying to find the item they are looking for. Whether you want to give a hint, that is up to you, but it may make the game a little too easy. The whole point of this game is to know nothing as you confusedly search around the house for an item by listening for hot or cold. As the selected players search around, the rest of the players who aren’t searching must tell the players if they are close to the item by shouting “warm” or “hot” when they are right next to it. If they are far from it, tell them “cold”. First player to find the item wins.
How to Play Hot and Cold With Actions:
This version is very similar to the one above, but instead of finding objects, players are trying to complete an action people are thinking of.
Similar to above, gather group members together in one room and select the 1 or 2 people that are the “chosen players” for the first round. Once they are out, have the group come up with an action they must perform when they come back into the room. Moderate this process to make sure an appropriate and safe action is chosen.
Bring the players back into the room and instruct them to try to figure out and do the mystery action. Other group members should be observing the chosen players and cheering or encouraging them when they are getting closer to doing the action (“hot”) and booing when they are getting farther from doing the action (“cold”). No words should be spoken by the group about the mystery action and no gestures should be used to indicate what needs to be done.
The game is over once one of the chosen players perform the mystery action. You may choose the next players by who was the most encouraging, who came up with the final action ideas, or any other criteria you see fit.
