Dueling Whistlers

It’s a musical showdown! Teams compete to guess familiar tunes as their designated whistlers whistle—sometimes with a mouthful of crackers. Fast-paced, funny, and great for large groups.

Gameplay

  • 6+ Players 👥

  • 3-7 Minutes ⏱️

What You’ll Need

  • A bowl

  • Slips of paper with familiar songs (nursery rhymes, hymns, theme songs, etc.)

  • Crackers (optional for the twist)

Setup

  • Write familiar tunes on slips of paper and fold them. Place all in the bowl.

  • Divide the group into two teams.

  • Designate a scorekeeper and a timer.

How to Play

  • Pick your whistlers. Have each team choose one person to be their whistler.

  • Draw the songs. Each whistler draws a song prompt from the bowl.

  • Start the timer. On “Go,” both whistlers begin to whistle their tunes simultaneously.

  • Guess your tune. Each team tries to guess what their own whistler is whistling—ignore the other team’s chaos!

  • Score it. Each correct guess within 30 seconds earns one point.

  • Rotate and repeat. Choose new whistlers and repeat for as many rounds as you’d like. The team with the most points at the end wins!

Say Something Like
“Here we go teams—time to put your whistling skills to the test. Each team has a whistler, and you’ll both start at the same time. The goal? Guess what tune your whistler is trying to play. Just be careful not to listen to the other team—they’re playing a different song! And if you're brave, grab a cracker and add some crumb chaos. Ready, set, whistle!”

Variations

  • Cracker Challenge. Before whistling, each whistler crunches up a dry cracker and holds it in their mouth (no swallowing!). Now try to whistle and guess!

  • Silent Hum: Instead of whistling, use closed-mouth humming. Trickier to identify!

  • Speed Round: Only 15 seconds per round instead of 30.

  • Battle Royale: More than two teams compete at once, creating total whistle chaos.

Teaching Points
This game is all about tuning in and staying focused—reminding us that even in a noisy world, it’s important to listen for the right voice.

This game idea was sent in by Josh Barriger. If you want to support him, head over and buy him a coffee!

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Keywords: music game, whistling, guessing game, youth group, party game, focus, teamwork, loud, fun

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