“Play is often talked about as relief from serious learning. But Play is serious learning”

-adapted from Fred Rogers

Why PLAY? Play can reduce stress. Play can increase joy. Play can help you learn. According to psychiatrist Stuart Brown “Play is a basic human need as essential to our well-being as sleep, so when we’re low on play, our minds and bodies notice.” Lynn Barnett, a professor of recreation, sports and tourism at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign notes that “At work, play has been found to speed up learning, enhance productivity and increase job satisfaction; and at home, playing together, like going to a movie or a concert, can enhance bonding and communication.”

How To Play Stuff was created to enable play.

Learn how to play a new game or re-discover a game you played with your grandma. Whether you want to learn how to play hearts, soccer, team building games, or board games, we’ve got something for everyone!

Check our our Top 10 Team Building Games. Whether you have a small group, large group, or limited supplies we’ve got a game for you that will increase communication and engage even the most stubborn team members.

Human Machine

Work together with a team to choose and act out a machine using only the people in your group Ideal for building: Teamwork, communication, creativity At least 10 people How to Play Human Machine Divide the group into teams of 5-7 people Tell the group that they are going to choose a machine for...

How to Play Risk

Risk is a war strategy game that allows players to compete against one another in attempting to take over the world. Since its introduction, Risk has gone through various changes, but has stayed mostly true to the original. Likewise there are several slight variations on the rules but all are very...

How to play Uno

Uno, Spanish for "one", is a card game that was invented in 1971 by Merle Robbins of Ohio.  When arguing with his son about the rules of Crazy Eights, Merle concluded to develop his own game as a settlement to that argument.  Uno was created and the first decks were constructed right on their own...

Puzzle Challenge

Work with your team to think outside of the box to solve multiple riddles, word problems, and other challenges. Ideal for building: Thinking outside of the box, teamwork, patience Puzzle questions for each team Answer sheet Match sticks Pencil for each team 2+ people 10 minutes Set Up: Print the...

How to Play Spoons

Learn how to play Spoons, a simple card game with an active twist.  It's simple to learn and can be played by children or adults. There's even a version of spoons that has become popular as a drinking game at parties.  It's a sneaky, fast-paced and involves bluffing, so if you have a good face for...

How to play 13

13 is a glorious card game that was invented in Vietnam and Southern China. It is also known as Tien len, Vietnamese cards, and American Killer. It is considered a "climbing" card game and is meant for 4 players.  The object of 13 is to be the first player to discard all of your cards. What you...

How to play Clue

Background Info: Clue is a board game that has been around since 1948.  The style of the game is murder mystery, deduction, and bluffing.  Clue is considered best when playing with 4 or 5 players, but can be played with 3-6.  If you want to learn how to play clue, know that the object of the game...

How to Play Backgammon

Backgammon is a very prestigious board game and has been around for a long time. It is highly enjoyable but most people are unaware of the rules. The general aim of the game is to clear the board of all your checkers. The first player to complete this task wins the game of Backgammon. Backgammon...

How to Play Soccer

Soccer Basics The object of soccer is to score on the opposing team's goal while preventing  them from scoring on your own team's goal. Soccer is played with 2 teams of 11 players.  The team that has scored the most goals after time expires, wins the game. The game is 90 minutes, split into 2...

How to Play War

War is an easy card game involving 2 or more players.  It is generally played with a standard deck of 52 cards with Jokers, but any number of decks or types of decks can be used.  The object is to win all of the cards.  Continue reading to learn exactly how to play war.The rank of card values for...