Play Truth or Dare at a Sleepover

If you're hosting a slumber party (or going to one) Truth or Dare is always a fun, classic game. It can be a fun way to giggle a bit at each other and get to know each other better. If you've never played it, it's pretty easy to get started.

Steps

Laying Out the Ground Rules

  1. Pick a good location. Truth or dare can get a little loud, so pick an area where you won't disturb the rest of your family. A room with a door or even a basement is a great place. Also, your friends might be more willing to open up if the place you choose is semi-private.
  2. Lay out the rules. Many of your friends have probably played this game before, but you can't be sure if all of them have. Plus, different people may play it a little differently, so say exactly how you want to play it at your house. That way, everyone is clear.[1]
    • Also, you can add your own rules if you need to do so, such as "No dares that make you go outside," or "No dares that make a person eat something." Also, a "nothing dangerous" rule is a good one.
    • If you prefer, you can print out rules ahead of time, so that you can point to them if someone tries to break a rule.
  3. Consider printing out questions. While some play the game where each person gets to come up with truth questions and dares, you can also print questions ahead of time. Use an online resource, or come up with your own questions.[2]
    • Once you print out the questions, cut them into little strips, and fold them. Add them to a bowl, and have people draw questions out. Have a different bowl for dares.
    • Sometimes, truth or dare can turn mean when someone starts targeting one person with super embarrassing questions, trying to embarrass him or her more than anyone else. If you use this method, you can cut down on the possibility of it turning mean, since everyone draws from the same questions.
    • You can also use a smartphone app to come up with questions.

Playing the Game

  1. Pick someone to ask first. How you pick is up to you. You could pick the oldest, the tallest, or the person who's birthday is nearest, for instance. Another alternative is for the host to go first.
    • You could also do the finger on nose trick. People need to be in on this bit for it to work, though. Basically, one person puts their finger on their nose without saying anything. When someone else sees a person with a finger on their nose, they follow suit. The last person to catch on goes first.[3]
  2. Decide who that person will ask. In truth or dare, you can just let the asker choose who they're going to ask. However, it can be more fair to go in circle or a specified pattern, is that everyone gets an equal number of turns.
  3. Have the person ask "Truth or Dare?" To start the game, the person who's going first asks another person "Truth or Dare?" Then, the person being asked gets to choose which one they want to do.[1]
  4. Come up with a truth or dare. Once the person being asked chooses, the person who's asking must come up with a truth or dare for the person to do.[1] If you printed out questions ahead of time, then the person being asked can draw one out to do. Have someone read the question out loud.
    • As the host, you may need to enforce the rules here. For instance, if a dare seems to dangerous, you may need to nix it. That can be hard if you're standing up to friends, but you could use a parent as an excuse, such as "If my mom found out someone did that, you'd all have to go home. Let's pick something else."
    • Some appropriate dares might be "Walk like a model," "Do 5 cartwheels in a row," "Pour a cup of ice-cold water on yourself (in the shower with your clothes on)," or "Dance silly for 1 minute."[4]
    • Some appropriate questions might be "What's the worst present you've ever gotten from your parents?" "What famous person would you switch places with?" "What's the grossest or most bizarre thing you've eaten?" or "What's the most embarrassed you've ever been?"[5]
  5. Have the person answer the question or complete the dare. Once a question has been asked or a dare established, it's the job of the person being asked to complete it.[1] If you allowed it in the rules, sometimes the person can switch to the other category if they don't like the question they were asked or the dare they were given.
    • In theory, the person has to do one or another, but of course, sometimes people refuse. You could have a one-time do over for each person. That is, if they don't like either option, they can say, "do over," and get a different question or dare.[6]
  6. Move on. Once the person has completed the question or dare, it's that person's turn to ask someone else. If you're moving in a circle, it will be the person next to them.[7]
  7. Continue on. Keep going until everyone has had an equal number of turns. There's no limit to how long you can play truth or dare, as long as people keep coming up with questions.[6]
    • Alternatively, you could play until your bowls run out of questions or dares. That way, everyone can see when the game is going to end.

Dealing With the Aftermath

  1. Diffuse a situation through humor. You may find you or someone else is embarrassed by a question or answer they have to give. If you're embarrassed, try playing it off by using humor to downplay the embarrassment. Everyone will laugh and hopefully move on from the awkward situation.[8]
    • For instance, if you answered "I drank breast milk from a bottle when I was six" to the question "What's the weirdest thing you've ever ate?" your friends may giggle. If they find it odd, you could say, "Well, I had to make sure it wasn't going to poison my baby brother. My mom ate anchovies the night before!" Hopefully, your friends will laugh, and you can move on.
    • You can also use the same technique if someone else gets embarrassed. However, don't make it at their expense. Rather, try to deflect the embarrassment by changing the subject or even pulling the embarrassment on yourself.
  2. Confront the haters. If you find one person is being intentionally mean to another, you may need to confront that person. That is, say one of your friends keeps asking really mean questions to another person she doesn't like that much or giving her really embarrassing dares. Try confronting the person.[8]
    • One way you could confront her is to take her aside and say something about it. Ask her to help you get snacks from the kitchen, and say, "I know you're being mean to Alisha on purpose. Would you stop, please? I want people to have fun, not end up in tears. Can you just call a truce for tonight?"
    • You can also playfully call her out in front of the group, but be aware you may hurt her feelings. You could try something like, "Hey, Jess, that was kind of a mean question. Maybe Alisha doesn't want to talk about that."
  3. Stop the game. If necessary, you may need to call an end to the game. If it's devolving into drama and tears, that's no fun for anyone. If you notice that happening, try suggesting something else to do instead, such as watching a movie or baking a cake together. Pick something light-hearted and fun that you can all do together, working with each other rather than against each other. Doing something that will make you giggly is always a safe bet.
    • Look for signs people are getting embarrassed. If someone gets up suddenly and leaves the room after a question, she's likely embarrassed.
    • Also, if anyone is close to tears, that's definitely a good time to end the game.

Warnings

  • Don't do any dare that seems unsafe. This game is supposed to be fun, remember?
  • Try not to pick dares that are too loud. You don't want to wake your parents up!
  • If things get weird, don't be afraid to call in an adult.
  • If your friends are unhappy with the rules of the game, explain why you chose those rules or tweak the rules to fit everybody.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 http://www.gettoknowu.com/Questions_Games/Truth_Or_Dare.php
  2. ↑ http://momof6.com/at-home-birthday-parties/100-truth-or-dare-questions-for-tweens/
  3. ↑ https://opinionatedgamers.com/2014/02/17/dale-yu-ways-of-choosing-who-goes-first/
  4. ↑ http://www.birthdaypartyideas4kids.com/dare-ideas.htm
  5. ↑ http://momof6.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Truth-Questions-for-Tweens-Page-1.pdf
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 http://conversationstartersworld.com/truth-dare-questions/
  7. ↑ http://www.gettoknowu.com/Questions_Games/Truth_Or_Dare.php
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/fulfillment-any-age/201412/the-best-way-deal-embarrassment
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