Musical Chairs: Rules & Fun Variations for Kids

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Follow our step-by-step guide to play this classic party game

Co-authored by Aly Rusciano

Last Updated: March 20, 2024 Fact Checked

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Setting Up

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Playing the Game

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Fun Variations to Try

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Video

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Q&A

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Tips

Musical chairs is a fun and exciting game for kids (and adults) to play. Not only is the game perfect for energetic kiddos, but it can also help larger groups of any age interact and have fun together. In this article, we’ll teach you how to play or host a rousing game of musical chairs. Plus, we’ll even show you some variations and alternate rules to make the game even more fun. So, grab some chairs and put on a rocking playlist to get started!

Playing Musical Chairs

Count how many players you have and subtract 1. Then, group that many chairs together in a circle in a large space with the seats facing outward.
Play music and have the players move around the chairs. When the music stops, players must sit in a chair and the player left standing is out.
Continue playing music and removing a chair each round until only 1 player remains.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Setting Up for Musical Chairs

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1
Choose music to play. Pick music that’s upbeat and fun to dance to. The object of musical chairs is to walk around chairs to the beat of the music until it stops, so choose something you and your guests will love to move to. Keep in mind that the game will likely last more than 1 song.
- Make a playlist of songs that match the theme of your event or get-together.
- Have someone pick a favorite artist or album to play.
- Enlist someone to be in charge of the music. This person will start and stop the music throughout the game.
2
Arrange the chairs in a circle in a large, open space. Count how many people are playing, then subtract 1. This is how many chairs you’ll need to begin. Set up the chairs with the seat of the chair facing the outside of the circle.^{[1]
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- For example, if 5 people are playing, you should have 4 chairs in a circle.
- Arrange your chairs in an area with lots of space, like a large living room or outside patio.
- If you don’t have chairs, try using stools, carpet squares, pillows, or markers on the floor instead.

Part 2

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Playing the Game

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Have the person in control of the music hit “play” once everyone’s ready. As soon as the music starts playing, walk around the chairs in a circle in the same direction. Follow the beat of the music and walk at whatever pace feels the most comfortable.^{[2]
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After some time, have the person in charge of the music hit “pause.” When the music stops, each player needs to find a chair to sit down in. There will be 1 player left without a chair to sit in because there is 1 less chair than players.^{[3]
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The player left standing when the music stops is out of the game. Have them stand outside the circle and watch the game until it ends.^{[4]
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4
Remove another chair and play the music again. After the person who didn’t find a chair leaves the game, remove 1 chair from the circle. Have the music controller press “play” to repeat the process for round two.^{[5]
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- How long the music plays is entirely up to the person in charge of the music! A round can be 5 seconds or even a minute long!
After each round of musical chairs, remove a chair, keeping 1 less chair than players in the circle. The last round will be 2 players and 1 chair. The player who sits in the chair this round is the winner.^{[6]
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Part 3

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Adding Variations for Musical Chairs

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1
Specify who can sit in which chair. A fun way to spice up a regular game of musical chairs is to play “musical chair ownership.” In this version, each player has a designated seat. Before playing, have each player put a nametag with their name on a chair. Like traditional musical chairs, they’ll walk around the chairs when the music plays, but when it stops, the players have to try and sit on the chair with their name on it. The last person to find and sit in their chair is out. Remove their chair and start again to play the next round.
- For this version, you will have the same number of chairs as players for each round.
2
Add new rules to each round. Make regular musical chairs more interesting by adding different rules to each round you play. For example, you might have the person who gets out become the music player after round 1, and then after round 2, the person who doesn’t find a chair gets to call out a color, and anyone wearing it has to be out.
- This is a fun way to have a game go more quickly when you have a lot of players.
3
Travel around the chair in a different way each round. Have players skip, crawl, dance, or shimmy around the chairs—making the movement different each round! Simply have the person in control of the music call out a fun movement before playing the music. Not sure which movement to use? Try these:
- Run
- Skip
- Hop on 1 foot
- Dance
- Gallop
- Walk on tippy toes

Community Q&A

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Question

What if two people sit in the same chair? How would I determine possession?

Community Answer

You could try to see who has less space in the chair; otherwise, you'll have to do the round over.

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Question

How long should the music be played before stopping it?

Community Answer

You should probably stop the music at different times between 30 seconds and 1 minute. If you always stop it after the same amount of time, the players will be able to predict it.

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What are the rules for playing musical chairs during a marathon?

Community Answer

The rules won't change during a marathon.

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