Mad Libs is the most underrated game of all time. The official slogan for the brand is, “The World’s Greatest Word Game.” I would argue that it’s not just the greatest word game; it’s the greatest game, period.
Here are five reasons why Mad Libs is my all-time favorite game to play with friends and family — and why it’s especially great for kids.
1. It’s hilarious.
It really is hilarious. Especially if you loosen up and throw out the most random, wacky words and phrases. My sister Natalie is always a scream to play with for this reason.
For example, If you ask “Aunt Nad” for a plural noun, she’s not just going to say something basic like “tables” or “trees.” She’s going to give you the most bang for your buck and throw out something like “hot, buttered flapjacks” or “old ladies named Gladys.”
Or, she’ll straight-up invent a word, like “squaggly-squoonched” for an adjective. I cry laughing whenever we play with her. Every single time.
My personal style? I like potty humor, and I’m not ashamed. Sorry, not sorry. I’ll be giving you adjectives like “silent-but-deadly,” body parts like “left butt cheek,” and nouns like “great big rumbling fart.” I know that’s not for everyone. But, if that made you laugh, we’d probably get along just fine.
If you’re gonna play Mad Libs, trust me: don’t be afraid to get weird and silly. Makes for the best outcome when you read the final result!
2. It requires (pretty much) NO setup.
Grab the Mad Libs book (or use the app or a free printable) and a pen. That’s it. If your kiddo is at the age where they can write — even better. They can sit at the table and call out “I need an adjective!” while you get the dishes done.
OR, even better: YOU sit on the couch with the Mad Libs and pen and call out for words while your spouse and kids clean up. (Hmm… I’m gonna try this later).
3. It’s good for kids’ brains (and ours, too)!
Mad Libs is the reason my stepdaughter knew the difference between “noun,” “adjective,” “verb,” and “adverb” at age THREE!
Do you remember what an adverb is? Don’t worry if you don’t. The only reason I remember is because I have been steadily playing Mad Libs all my life. (By the way, an adverb is a word that describes how you do something, like “quietly,” “suddenly,” “ferociously,” etc.!)
But, Mad Libs does so much more for our brains than teaching or reminding us of the parts of speech. It can also:
- Build vocabulary
- Enhance grammar and reading comprehension skills
- Challenge us to be imaginative and creative
- Stimulate visualization*
*For example, here’s a 100% real sentence from a Mad Libs I recently did with my stepdaughter:
“This Super Chicken can yodel and shoot onions from its throat.”
It’s hilarious, because it’s stimulating the part of the brain that’s responsible for visualizing imagery. When you read that sentence, you were likely picturing it in your head, like a video clip, right? That’s actually a really important skill!**
** I’m no scientist or expert, but this was something really fascinating I learned from my time as a clinician for Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes. Their Visualizing and Verbalizing program centers around this skill of concept imagery.
Tips for explaining the most basic parts of speech for young children:
- Noun: A person, place, or thing. (teacher, zoo, popsicle)
- Adjective: How something looks, smells, sounds, tastes, feels. (big, stinky, loud, sour, bumpy)
- Verb: Something you do. (swim, jump, run)
- Adverb: How you do something (quickly, slowly, forcefully)
4. The low cost (if any).
The official Mad Libs books are so affordable, and they last for such a long time.
They also make great gifts (hint-hint to my friends, family, and husband).
For obvious reasons, I love to have several Mad Libs books on hand at all time. Here are three of my current favorites:
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(I only recommend products I actually find useful. These are all currently in my house)!
2. The Muppets Mad Libs (where are my other Muppets fans at?)
There’s also a free Mad Libs app!
In fact, there are quite a few different Mad Libs app you can download and play on your phone!
Go ahead and download one now at the app store.
Next time you’re out to dinner and there’s a 30-minute wait, you’ll be so excited to pull out your phone, open up the app, and get the family involved in a few great rounds of Mad Libs. It’ll make the time go by so quickly!
Unless you’re super hangry. That will still be rough. But Mad Libs will help, at least a little. Maybe keep snacks in your bag, too.
Mad Libs offers free printables, too!
Want to play the old-fashioned way with some pen and paper, but you don’t have a Mad Libs book handy? Download and print some of these free printables from the Mad Libs site!
5. You can make up your own Mad Libs!
Here’s where your extra-creative side can come out. Next time you’re trying to think of a fun, creative project to do with your kids, why not try to make up your own custom Mad Libs?
In fact, I made up my own Mad Libs while my son napped. I was so excited to try it out that I immediately texted my husband. I asked if he and his coworkers could take a break from their work meeting and help me test it out over FaceTime.
(They couldn’t. But, don’t worry! I made him play with me after work, and we were cracking up)!
So then I tried my mom. (She was hiking).
Finally, I got a hold of my college buddy, Gregg, who is literally so goofy that he used to play Goofy at Disneyland (pic below for proof). I knew he’d come through!
We had so much fun laughing and playing, and I had such a sense of fulfillment that my own original Mad Libs was a hilarious success!
Here’s how to write your own Mad Libs with your kids:
1. Make up a short story together, either by playing a quick round of “Popcorn” or by using this simple story-writing template.
2. Write down a synopsis of your story. This should be about five short paragraphs, at most. Typing on the phone or computer is going to be easiest for the purpose of this project, but you could also hand-write it out with pencil and paper (make sure to leave space between the lines!).
3. Erase/replace specific key words and phrases with a blank space. Think main character names, descriptive words.
4. If you’ve typed your story, make sure to double-space it, so that once you print, you’ll be able to write the parts of speech under the blank spaces.
5. Print your story, if you’ve typed it. Underneath each blank space, write in the part of speech that’s missing (noun, adjective, verb, adverb, expression, animal, number, color, part of body… etc.).
6. Test it out on another family member! Nobody else home? Do like I did and just keep calling people ’til someone answers!
Want to play the Mad Libs story I wrote? Here’s a free download/printable for you! ⬇️
Let me know in the comments if you get a good laugh from it, like we did!
Hi! I’m Mia.
Mom, stepmom, wife, songwriter, performer, and theater educator.
I love sharing ideas, tips, and templates for connecting with kids through low-to-no budget, waste-free, creative play.
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