Party Whammy

40 story cards

Family CleanBest for ages 7 and upSilly, kind, and easy to follow

How to play

  1. One reader chooses a story card and asks for each bracketed word without reading the sentence aloud.
  2. A second player supplies the requested noun, verb, adjective, number, place, or name.
  3. The reader fills every blank, reads the finished story, and passes the reader role clockwise.
Random story card

Draw one when the room is ready

Our [adjective] teacher rolled into class on a [noun] and announced a lesson about [plural noun].

School day surprises

  1. Our [adjective] teacher rolled into class on a [noun] and announced a lesson about [plural noun].
  2. At lunch, my [food] stood up, shouted [exclamation], and ran toward the [place].
  3. The class pet [animal] finished my homework by writing every answer with a [color] [object].
  4. During recess, [person's name] invented a game called [silly game name] using one [noun] and two [plural noun].
  5. The principal wore [number] [clothing items] because the school heater was making [silly sound].
  6. My backpack opened by itself and released a [adjective] cloud of [plural noun] across the hallway.
  7. The school bus took a wrong turn and parked beside a [place] filled with dancing [animals].
  8. For show-and-tell, I brought a [noun] that could [verb] whenever someone said [silly word].
  9. Our science experiment mixed [liquid] with [food] and produced a tiny [color] [animal].
  10. The library book whispered [silly phrase] each time [person's name] turned a page.

Animal mix-ups

  1. A [adjective] penguin borrowed my [clothing item] before skating to the [place].
  2. The neighborhood [animal] opened a bakery that sold [food] shaped like [plural noun].
  3. My pet [animal] learned to [verb] after watching [number] videos about [hobby].
  4. At the zoo, a [color] giraffe traded its lunch for a [noun] and a jar of [liquid].
  5. A tiny [animal] became mayor after promising free [plural noun] for every family.
  6. The farm woke up when a [adjective] rooster sang a song called [silly song title].
  7. A dolphin mailed me a [noun] with a note that said [short message].
  8. The hamster built a rocket from [plural noun] and launched toward [imaginary place].
  9. A sleepy [animal] used my [object] as a pillow and dreamed about [food].
  10. The aquarium octopus painted [number] pictures using [liquid] and a very small [noun].

Wild adventures

  1. We crossed the [adjective] jungle by riding a [animal] and carrying a map made of [food].
  2. The pirate captain buried [number] [plural noun] beneath the oldest [object] on [imaginary island].
  3. Our spaceship landed on a planet where everyone wore [clothing item] and spoke in [silly sound].
  4. The castle door opened only after [person's name] performed a [adjective] [dance move].
  5. A friendly dragon traded one [noun] for a basket of [plural noun] and directions to [place].
  6. Deep under the sea, we found a [color] city powered by [food] and [liquid].
  7. The treasure chest contained [number] [plural noun] and a note from [fictional name].
  8. Our superhero saved the parade by using the power to [verb] every [noun] in town.
  9. The time machine sent us to a year when [animals] ruled and people collected [plural noun].
  10. At the top of the mountain, a [adjective] wizard offered us [food] before teaching us to [verb].

Party problems

  1. The birthday cake began to [verb] when [person's name] placed [number] candles on top.
  2. Our balloon artist made a [adjective] [animal] that floated away carrying the [noun].
  3. The DJ played a song about [food], so every guest started doing the [silly dance].
  4. A gift box sneezed [plural noun] across the room when someone yelled [exclamation].
  5. The photo booth sent each guest to [imaginary place] for exactly [number] seconds.
  6. We replaced the missing plates with [plural noun] and served everyone [adjective] [food].
  7. The pinata opened and dropped [number] tiny [animals] wearing [clothing items].
  8. A party hat gave [person's name] the surprising power to [verb] any [noun].
  9. The candles would not go out until the whole room whispered [silly phrase].
  10. Cleanup ended quickly when a [color] robot vacuumed the floor while singing about [food].

Mad Libs for Kids: 40 Funny Fill-In Stories

Ask children for a few words, keep the sentence secret, then read their silly story aloud. These 40 original story cards cover school days, animals, adventures and parties, with family-clean humor and blanks labelled by word type. They’re best for ages 7 and up; an adult or older child can read for anyone who needs help.

What would you like to do? Learn the rules Explain the word types

How to play with kids

You need two to 20 players, a reader, and paper and a pencil to record the answers. Allow about five minutes to get ready. Play indoors, in a classroom or while traveling. With two people, one reads and the other supplies words. With a larger group, sit in a circle; for more than eight children, try teams that take turns answering.

These are suggested house rules for a cooperative game. The aim is to finish a funny sentence together, with no points, winners or tie-breakers. Before starting, agree to play three cards, or another small number your group wants to try.

  1. Choose a reader and a card. Keep the card facing the reader so the other players cannot see the sentence. Choose from the four story groups or use the random picker.
  2. Ask for the words in order. Read each bracketed label aloud, without revealing the surrounding sentence. Start with the player to the reader’s left and move clockwise, giving each child one blank at a time. With two people, the other player answers every blank. Write down the answers in order.
  3. Help or pass when someone gets stuck. Give a quick example of the requested word type. A child can pass, and the next player can answer. If everyone passes on the same blank, the reader supplies a word. If nobody wants to continue, stop that card and count it toward the agreed number; you don’t have to finish it.
  4. Read the completed story. Put each answer into its blank and read the sentence straight through. Keep the unusual combinations rather than changing them to make the scene sensible. Keep jokes kind, and replace an answer that makes fun of another child.
  5. Pass the reader role and finish the game. Move the reader role clockwise after each card; an adult can keep reading if the children prefer. Stop after the agreed number of cards, including any you abandoned. To play again, clear the old answers, choose a fresh card and agree on a new number of rounds.

For team play, move clockwise from team to team for each blank. Each team agrees on one word and has a different child say it aloud each time. Pass the reader role to the next team after the card, or let an adult keep reading.

The general Mad Libs guide has more advice for a family word-game round. Children do not need to compete to come up with the funniest answer; one ordinary word can make the finished sentence surprising.

Help kids with the word types

Before the first card, ask for a person, an action and a describing word. Give one example of any label the children don’t know, then let them suggest their own answer.

The card asks forExplain it this wayExample answers
Noun or objectA person, place or thing; for an object, name a thingteacher, park, spoon
Plural nounMore than one person or thingpirates, socks
VerbAn action wordjump, dance
AdjectiveA word that describes somethingsleepy, purple
Animal or animalsName one animal, or more than one if the label says animalspenguin, cats
Number, color, food or liquidName something from that groupseven, blue, noodles, water
Place or imaginary placeSomewhere real or somewhere you inventlibrary, Jellybean Planet
Person’s name or fictional nameUse a name, including a made-up oneSam, Captain Wobble
Clothing item or clothing itemsName one piece of clothing, or severalhat, mittens
Hobby or dance moveSomething people do for fun, or a movementdrawing, twirl
Silly word, sound, phrase, message or titleInvent a short answer that fits the labelblorpo, squeak, “The Socks Are Singing”
ExclamationSomething someone might shoutHooray!

For example, the first school card asks for an adjective, a noun and a plural noun. If children say sleepy, skateboard and pickles, the finished story reads: “Our sleepy teacher rolled into class on a skateboard and announced a lesson about pickles.” The reader asks for the words first; everyone hears the sentence afterward.

If an answer has the right word type but makes no sense in the story, keep it. You can change “a” to “an” when reading if the chosen word needs it. The funny fill-in story collection offers more unusual scenes when children want another set.

Use the story cards on screen or on paper

The story pack has ten cards in each group: School day surprises, Animal mix-ups, Wild adventures and Party problems. Choose a familiar school scene for the first round, or let the children request an animal or adventure story.

Use Pick another fill-in story to draw a card, keeping the screen turned toward the reader. The picker chooses from all 40 cards; it isn’t a way to select a particular theme. Use the grouped list when you want a specific kind of story.

Use Print all 40 in the story pack for paper play, or open your browser’s print command. Keep the printed sentences with the reader and use scrap paper for the answers. There is no need to print when one person can read from the screen. For other activities to prepare on paper, browse printable party games and check the supplies each game needs.

When kids want a different game

Let children supply answers aloud, point to a written word or tell a helper quietly. A child who doesn’t want to read can keep suggesting words while someone else reads. Before a mixed-ability party, ask parents about accommodations so you can arrange a reader, a quieter table or another way to answer without asking a child to explain their needs in front of everyone.

If naming word types becomes frustrating, This or That for kids lets each child choose between two short options. Would You Rather for kids offers longer imaginary choices, with explanations optional.

For children who would rather draw, use Pictionary prompts. For those who want to act, try charades for kids. Explain the new game’s rules and let children pass. Older children who enjoy finding words can try Scattergories lists for a category game using paper instead of calling over each other.

If this is one activity in a longer gathering, party games can help you pick the next game for the space and group. For an overnight visit, browse sleepover games for other activities to alternate with the story round. The games and question packs hub groups more drawing, acting and question games by format.

Mad Libs for kids questions

How do kids play this fill-in story game?

One reader asks for the bracketed word types without revealing the sentence. The reader adds the answers and reads the finished story aloud.

What grammar words do children need to know?

The cards use familiar labels such as noun, verb, adjective, number, place, and name. An adult can explain a label with one quick example.

Can children play without printing the cards?

Yes. Read a card from the screen and write the supplied words on scrap paper. The browser print button also creates a paper set.

How many children can play together?

Two children can trade reader roles, while a larger group can rotate around a circle. Teams help when more than eight children want to answer.

Are these stories official Mad Libs products?

No. Party Whammy wrote this independent, unofficial word-game collection and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the owner of the Mad Libs brand.

About these unofficial story cards

Party Whammy created every story card on this page independently. This unofficial word-game collection is not affiliated with or endorsed by the owner of the Mad Libs brand.