Bluey is such a fantastic TV show.
It’s one of the best kids shows on TV and there’s plenty there for adults to enjoy. I genuinely love watching it with my daughter and, to be honest, I’d probably watch it without her!
Bandit Heeler is also an all-time best TV dad, though he sets the bar pretty high for the rest of us.
If you’re feeling inspired by Bandit and how silly and fun he is with the kids, you’re in luck.
You can play a lot of the Bluey games at home right now, and here’s how!
Let’s learn about the best and most iconic Bluey games and the rules of how they’re played in the show by Bluey, Bingo, Bandit, and Chilli.
1. Magic Xylophone
This is the Bluey game that started it all — the very first game in the very first episode!
The rules are simple, all you need is a xylophone (or really any object will do, especially if it’s musical!). When the kids play the right note, they magically freeze their dad in place.
Shenanigans ensue! You’ll only want to play this one if you’re a really good sport!
2. Hospital
In Season 1, Episode 2 we have hospital — still one of the funniest episodes of Bluey to date.
The game is simple, like most of the Bluey games. Bandit lies down on a “hospital bed” and the girls (Bluey and Bingo) are his medical team. They diagnose his ailment and take him in for surgery, with hand-drawn x-rays and lots of complications along the way.
This is a great one for parents who just want to lie down! But watch out for those “shots”.
3. Keepy Uppy
Probably the most famous game from Bluey, Keepy Uppy is an absolute blast.
All you need is a balloon and at least two people. There’s only one rule:
Don’t let the balloon touch the ground, no matter what!
4. Shadowlands
Here’s a great one you can play outside or in a park on a sunny day.
Let the kids loose in the grass and tell them there’s just one catch: They can only walk on shadows!
As the sun shifts and clouds pass by, this makes for an extremely fun and imaginative game if you have lots of trees nearby.
5. Hotel
Another iconic Bluey game.
This one requires a bit of role-play so you better buckle up.
The kids act as hotel managers, and you are the guest. They’ll show you to your room and wait on your every whim, but don’t get cozy, as they’ll surely be back to bother you!
6. The Claw
In this episode, Bandit volunteers to become a human claw machine.
The girls control his arm with some chopsticks (or whatever you have that can be used as a joystick!) and position him over a pile of stuffed animals.
The suspense will have your kids squealing with laughter!
7. Taxi
Here’s another simple Bluey game that requires just a little bit of role-play.
Bandit is a busy traveler and the girls are his tax driver, hustling him to the airport. For an added touch of fun, mom Chilli plays the voice of the GPS navigation!
There are so many possibilities with this one so make it your own!
8. Pirates
In this episode, some of the kids at school turn a hammock into a makeshift pirate ship.
They really let their imaginations go wild with rough seas, whale attacks, and more!
You and your kids can use a hammock, sofa, bed, etc.
9. Work
Work’s no fun, right? Well it is when Bluey does it!
In this game, dad (Bandit) is the boss of the company, and the girls (Bluey and Bingo) must successfully ace their interviews, get hired, and fulfill a day of work.
Of course, things can get as silly and off-the-rails as your kids want them to!
10. Restaurant & Fancy Restaurant & Cafe
Bluey and Bingo have invented plenty of variations of the restaurant game. In any case, the main ingredients are usually the same.
Dad and sometimes Mom sit down at a table, where they are provided menus. They place their order, and the girls bring them their drinks, food, and sometimes, things they haven’t asked for!
It’s a blast for everyone.
11. Neighbors
In this pretend game from Bluey, the girls both make a house and yard for themselves, separating by a makeshift fence. They then role-play being neighbors — both good and bad!
It’s a great lesson for the kids about how to get along and share space with others.
12. Featherwand
This one takes a lot of commitment from the parent (in this case, Bandit). You ready!
In featherwand, the girls discover a “magical feather” that has the ability to make any object impossibly heavy, including Dad!
They use it to great comic effect, making their parents drop extremely “heavy” items all over the house.
13. Queens
In this game from Bluey, one girl is the queen and the other her royal butler.
The queen sits on the throne and gives orders to the butler. But they have to remember to take turns!
If you try this one, don’t be surprised if, just like in the show, your kids prefer being the butler.
14. Mum School
An extremely cute and heartwarming episode, this one sees Bluey practicing her Mom Skills with a group of helium balloons.
Real mom, Chilli, acts as the teacher, providing encouragement and instruction.
Taking care of balloons isn’t as easy as it looks!
15. Library
Get all those books off the shelf!
This is a great role-play where the girls design library cards, check books in and out, restock the shelves, and talk quietly the whole time.
What parent wouldn’t love this game?!
16. Born Yesterday
This one is all Dad.
In Born Yesterday, Bandit must act like he was, well, born yesterday! Simple concepts are extremely confusing to him and the girls find endless laughter in his misunderstandings of how things work and the silly questions he asks as someone who doesn’t understand the world yet.
17. Pass the Parcel
I remember loving this idea when I saw it and thinking it would be so cool to use at a birthday party!
It’s Hot Potato meets Birthday Presents, where one gift is wrapped in many layers of wrapping paper. Kids sit in a circle and pass it around while music plays. When the music stops, that child gets to unwrap a layer.
Whoever unwraps the last layer keeps the present!
18. Phones
In this game, cardboard or pretend phones create hours of entertainment.
Bluey and Bingo use their phones to open up an UberEats-like operation, delivering food to their bewildered grandpa.
But your kids can make their phones do anything they want! It’s all pretend, after all.
19. Whale Watching
Here’s another one for the parents that love to lie down.
In this game, Bandit is the whale watching boat while Chilli is the whale. The girls ride on Bandit, through rough seas and storms, while Chilli does whale things — the girls watch it all through a cardboard tube for a telescope.
In the episode, Chilli and Bandit have had a, uh, long night, and struggle to summon enthusiasm for this game.
20. Ragdoll
Here’s another one that features Bandit’s iconic commitment.
In Ragdoll, Dad goes fully limp and the girls must maneuver him by working together. They need to get him out of the house and into the car so he’ll take them for ice cream.
For the most part, the parent involved here doesn’t have to do much! But you’ll have to put up with being poked, pulled, and prodded as your kids laugh and laugh and laugh.
21. Statues
In Statues, Bandit buys a “statue” of one of the girls from a store. When the statue seems to change places every time he turns around, he tries to return it to the statue store.
But he has to catch it first!
Wrapping Up
The best games from Bluey are basic role-plays of every day adult situations. Being neighbors, eating at a restaurant, staying at a hotel.
This kind of thing is incredibly fun for kids, but we also know that it’s extremely important in how they learn about the world.
It might seem like Bandit and Chilli are impossibly to live up to, but that’s not really the case. Whenever you’re stuck and out of ideas with young kids, just remember a few of these games or make your own! Any kind of pretend will do!