How do you play a fill-in-the-blank story game?
Quick answer: One person is the reader and keeps the story hidden. The reader asks the group for each word type in brackets, such as a noun, a verb, a describing word, a place or a name, and writes the answers down in order. When every blank is filled, the reader reads the whole story aloud with the answers in place. Then someone else takes a turn as reader. Players can pass, and nobody needs to hear the story before giving a word. Nobody scores points and there is no winner. The group makes the story together.
How a round works
A fill-in-the-blank story is a short sentence or story with some words taken out. Each gap is labeled with the kind of word it needs, for example [noun], [verb], [adjective], [number], [place] or [person's name]. The joke is that players choose words without knowing where they will go.
To try it, pick a story and keep the sentences hidden while you read out only the bracketed word labels and collect an answer for each. These Mad Libs prompts include 40 clean stories and explain each label. A noun, for instance, is a person, place or thing, such as a baker, a park or a toaster.
The reader picks a story and keeps it out of sight. They go through the blanks in order and ask for the word type each time, without reading any of the sentence around it. They write each answer down as it comes. When all the gaps are filled, they read the finished story straight through, even the parts that sound odd.
After the last line, pass the reader role to someone else and start a new story. Anyone who can't think of a word, or doesn't want to answer, can pass.
There are no points and no winner. Everyone works on the same story, so nobody needs to keep score. The fun is hearing the finished story read out.
If your guests enjoy building one story together, they may like other games where everyone works toward the same result. These cooperative party games with one shared goal are optional follow-ons. Pick one only if the group wants to keep playing.
Should players hear the story before choosing words?
Quick answer: No. Ask only for the word types and keep the story hidden until every answer is written down.
If players know the sentence, they tend to pick every word to fit one joke, and the surprise disappears. Words chosen without the sentence produce combinations nobody planned, and that is where the laughs come from.
What makes a fill-in story funny?
Quick answer: A clear, ordinary setup gives the random answers somewhere to land. Reading the finished story seriously lets the odd combination do the work.
Leave the answers as they are, even when they clash with the rest of the sentence. A short answer is usually easier to read aloud, but you don't need to fix a strange combination. The gap between a normal setup and an unexpected word is the joke.
Example round, start to finish
This example uses one of the Funny Mad Libs story cards. The answers below are made up to show how a round goes. Your group's answers will be different.
The card says: The mayor announced that every [noun] must wear a [clothing item] while visiting [place]. The reader doesn't show the card and just asks: Can I have a noun? A clothing item? A place? One player says toaster, the next says rain boots and the next says the dentist. The reader writes them down in that order.
Then the reader reads it out in a serious voice: The mayor announced that every toaster must wear rain boots while visiting the dentist. Once the group has stopped laughing, the reader hands the role to the next person, who picks a new card.
| Step | Who does it | What happens in the example |
|---|---|---|
| Pick a story and keep it hidden | Reader | Mayor announcement card |
| Ask for each word type in order | Reader | Noun, clothing item, place |
| Give a word or pass | Players | toaster, rain boots, the dentist |
| Write each answer next to its blank | Reader | Three answers, in order |
| Read the finished story aloud | Reader | Read straight through, with no corrections |
| Hand over the reader role | Reader | The next player picks a new card |
Explaining word types and helping children who don't read yet
You don't need to teach grammar first. The cards use familiar labels such as noun, verb, adjective, number, place and name. If a player isn't sure what a label means, one quick example is usually enough. For instance, an adjective is a describing word like fluffy, and a verb is an action like jump.
Children who don't read yet, or who find writing slow, can still join in. They say a word or a sound, and an adult or older child writes it down. Children who want to read can help with the trickier blanks, such as adjectives and verb forms.
Rotate these jobs so older children help without taking over. One round they write, the next they read or give a word. Spoken answers count fully for children who don't read yet. Ideas for helping children of different ages play together suggest offering a simpler task or an extra challenge to whoever wants it.
What grammar words do children need to know?
Quick answer: Only familiar labels such as noun, verb, adjective, number, place and name. An adult can explain any of them with one quick example.
If a blank asks for a particular form, such as a verb ending in ed, show the form with an example (jumped, wobbled) instead of explaining the rule.
What ages can play?
Quick answer: It depends on the collection. The Party Whammy Mad Libs and Funny Mad Libs prompts are family-clean and work best for ages 8 and up. The Halloween Silly Story Sheets suggest ages 5 to 11 as a starting point.
Younger children can play any version if someone else reads and writes for them, or gives examples of each word type. For a younger group, the Mad Libs for Kids collection has simpler word prompts.
How do kids play this fill-in story game?
Quick answer: The same way as adults. One reader asks for the bracketed word types without revealing the sentence, fills in the answers and then reads the finished story aloud.
With young children, an adult can be the first reader to show how it works, then hand the role to a child who wants a turn.
Taking turns in small and large groups
With two players, take turns: one reads while the other gives the words, then swap. In a bigger group, go around the circle so each person gives the next word, or split into teams that give words in turn. The Party Whammy Mad Libs prompts suggest 2 to 20 players.
Teams help when more than eight children want to answer, because each child gets a chance to speak without long waits.
Form teams ahead of time with a prepared list or a simple draw, so nobody is chosen in front of the group. For mixed ages, you can spread older children across teams without asking anyone to rate each other. These tips on choosing teams without hurt feelings explain both. Then rotate which child gives each word.
For the Halloween Silly Story Sheets, one set of prompts works for a table of 4 to 6. Each story asks for 12 words, so with 12 players everyone gives one word per story. For up to 24 guests, set up several tables, each with its own prompts, story, answer sheet and reader. In each of these numbers, count the readers and the birthday child if they are playing. Add only people who aren't already counted.
Can a large group play together?
Quick answer: Yes. Go around the group for each word or let teams take turns, and pass the reader role on after each story.
If one table gets too big for everyone to have a turn, split into smaller tables, each with its own reader and story.
How do the Halloween silly story sheets work at a party?
Quick answer: Use a story's answer sheet to collect its 12 words before anyone hears the plot. Write each answer next to its number, then read the story aloud, using the numbered answers in place of the blanks.
Some blanks ask for sound effects, and the guest who suggested a sound can perform it when the story reaches that line.
Not every guest wants to perform a sound effect. For those who prefer a quieter written activity, the Halloween word games pack offers puzzle sheets. Prepare it ahead: the word-search grid needs setting up in advance, and you'll want one pencil per player, a timer and a clipboard for the host keys.
Printing cards or playing from a screen
You can play without printing anything. Read a card from a phone or computer screen and write the answers on scrap paper.
No scrap paper or device? One-Sentence Story works with nothing at all. It's a different game: players take turns adding a sentence aloud instead of giving words for blanks they can't see. It's one of these no-supplies party games you can play together. Say how many turns you'll play before you start.
If you'd like paper copies, the Mad Libs page has a Print all 40 button beside the story picker, and the Funny Mad Libs page has a print button for the visible cards. Your browser's print command works on these pages too. These are web pages you print yourself, not an official downloadable product.
Before printing the full set, check the print preview, then print one test copy and look over the printed page to confirm nothing is cut off. Only then print the copies players will hold, or keep a single copy for the reader. There's no separate PDF to download. The guide on preparing and using printable party games explains these checks and the print controls.
Can I reuse the same stories with the same group?
Quick answer: Yes. Keep a blank copy and use a fresh answer sheet each time. New words change the result even if guests remember the plot.
Switch to a different story whenever the group wants something new.
If the group wants a different kind of word challenge, the same paper and pencils work for a category game. Unlike the story, it uses a timer and scoring. Everyone writes answers for the same categories using one shared letter. Our guide to playing a category word game explains the steps.
Handling odd answers and deciding when to stop
Unexpected answers are part of the game. If a word doesn't match the label, help the player find a word of the right type or the right verb form instead of rejecting the idea.
If you want to rule out toilet jokes or other topics, say so before you start collecting words. If an answer breaks that rule, ask for a different one.
Agree on how the round will end before you start. You could try 10 to 15 minutes, or stop once every reader who wants a turn has had one. Count skipped sentences as turns, so the round can still finish if nobody offers a word. Because nobody is keeping score, you don't need to name a winner at the end.
A few passes are normal and simply count as turns. If most players keep passing, though, you can end the round early or try a simpler version instead of pressing on. Our advice on what to do if a party game is not working covers stopping a game without fuss and offering a quieter activity, food or a break.
What if a guest gives a word that throws the story off?
Quick answer: Usually leave it in, because surprises are the point. Help if the word doesn't fit the word type, ask for another word if it breaks a rule you announced, and always replace an answer that makes fun of another child or upsets someone in the group.
Set any topic rules before the round starts. That is fairer than rejecting a word after everyone has heard it. You don't need to announce a rule in advance before stopping an answer that targets another player, though. Just ask for a different word and carry on.
Who wrote these stories?
Party Whammy wrote the stories and prompts in these collections itself.
Are these stories official Mad Libs products?
Quick answer: No. They are unofficial and not affiliated with or endorsed by the owner of the Mad Libs brand or its publisher.
This applies to the Funny Mad Libs, Mad Libs and Mad Libs for Kids collections, which Party Whammy wrote independently.
Checklist before you play
- Pick a collection that suits the group's ages, or plan for an adult to read and write for younger players.
- Decide whether to play from a screen with scrap paper or print the cards.
- Choose the first reader and agree on any topics that are off limits.
- Choose how turns will go: around the circle, in teams or at separate tables.
- Agree on when the round ends and that players can pass. There's no need to keep score.
- Keep a blank copy of each story if you want to play it again.