If you’ve ever needed a super simple group activity that works for basically any gathering – Easter brunch, a classroom party, a spring get-together with friends, a family game night – this one is for you.
A left-right game is one of those things that sounds almost too simple, and then you actually play it and everyone is laughing and leaning and jostling for the gift and having the BEST time. It’s been a tradition in a lot of families for years and years, and for good reason.
I put together two free printable spring left-right game stories – one with an Easter theme and one with a general spring theme that works any time from April through June. Both are included as free PDF downloads below.
Grab the one that fits your occasion, print it out, and you’re ready to go.
What Is a Left-Right Game?
In case you’ve never played before, here’s the quick rundown.
Everyone sits in a circle. One person starts with a small gift or prize – anything works, it doesn’t have to be fancy. A wrapped chocolate bar, a small candle, a spring treat, a silly little prize from the dollar store. Whatever feels fun.
Then someone reads the story out loud.
Every time the story says LEFT, the gift passes to the left. Every time the story says RIGHT, the gift passes to the right.
That’s the whole game.
It sounds so simple, but here’s the thing – when the story is moving fast and everyone is trying to keep track, it gets genuinely chaotic in the best way. Little kids love it. Adults get weirdly competitive about it. And whoever ends up holding the gift when the story ends gets to keep it.
Quick, easy, no supplies needed beyond the printable and one small prize. One of my favorite low-effort, high-fun activities for any group.
How to Play
Step 1: Gather your group. Sit everyone in a circle or around a table. It works with as few as 4-5 people or as many as 20+.
Step 2: Choose your prize. Pick something small and fun. A spring treat, a giant notebook, a little gift bag, a chocolate bunny, a pretty candle, a packet of flower seeds – anything works. Wrap it if you want to add a little mystery.
Step 3: Assign a reader. Hand the story to someone with good timing and a little dramatic flair. The reader makes or breaks the energy, so pick your most enthusiastic person.
Step 4: Play. The person to the reader’s left {or wherever you decide} starts with the gift. The reader reads the story, everyone passes left and right as directed, and whoever is holding the gift at the very last word wins.
Step 5: Play again. I’m telling you, one round is never enough. Have a second prize ready if you want to keep the fun going.
Download Your Free Printable Spring Left-Right Game
Click here to download Spring Left-Right Game #1 – The Easter Egg Mix-Up
Click here to download Spring Left-Right Game #2 – The Great Spring Adventure
Print one copy for the reader, or print multiple copies so everyone can follow along. Standard 8.5×11 paper works perfectly.
The Full Story Scripts
Here are both stories in full – you can read straight from here, but the printable makes game day a lot easier.
Gather everyone in a circle and give one person the gift to start. Read the story out loud and have players pass the gift LEFT or RIGHT every time they hear LEFT or RIGHT.
SPRING LEFT-RIGHT GAME #1: The Easter Egg Mix-Up
It was the morning of the big Easter egg hunt at the RIGHT family’s house, and things had already gone a little sideways.
Grandma had set all the Easter baskets on the LEFT side of the porch, but the dog had LEFT muddy paw prints all across the RIGHT side of the yard, and no one could agree on whether to start LEFT of the garden or RIGHT by the big oak tree.
“I LEFT the map right here!” said little Rosie, spinning LEFT and then RIGHT, clutching an Easter egg in each hand.
Her brother Max pointed RIGHT toward the kitchen. “Did you check in there? You’re always LEFT-ing things in the kitchen.”
Their dad came RIGHT around the corner carrying a basket so full of eggs it was tipping to the LEFT. “I found these RIGHT behind the rose bush,” he said proudly. “But I think I LEFT the big golden egg somewhere. Did anyone check RIGHT under the porch steps?”
Rosie ran LEFT. Max ran RIGHT. The dog ran RIGHT through the middle of everything and knocked three eggs clean off the table.
Grandma, who had been watching all of this from RIGHT beside the lemonade pitcher, burst out laughing so hard she had to sit down.
“We need a system,” said Dad, placing the basket RIGHT in the center of the yard. “Everyone start on the LEFT side of the fence and work your way RIGHT.”
They tried. They really did. But Rosie kept drifting LEFT, Max kept sneaking RIGHT, and the dog had strong opinions about where everyone should be looking.
By the time they found the golden egg – tucked RIGHT inside the flower pot that had been sitting LEFT on the porch steps all morning – everyone was laughing too hard to care who found it.
Rosie held it up with both hands. “I knew it was RIGHT there!” she said.
Max looked at her. “You were looking LEFT the whole time.”
“And it was still RIGHT there,” she said.
And that was that. They sat down RIGHT there in the yard, ate every piece of chocolate LEFT in the basket, and decided it had been the best Easter egg hunt yet – even if no one had LEFT anything exactly where it was supposed to be.
SPRING LEFT-RIGHT GAME #2: The Great Spring Adventure
It was the first truly warm Saturday of spring, and the Peterson family had big plans. They had LEFT their cozy house by nine o’clock and headed RIGHT toward Meadow Park, where the annual Spring Festival was already in full swing.
“Did you LEFT the sunscreen at home?” Mom asked, turning RIGHT to look at Dad.
“It’s RIGHT in the bag,” he said. “RIGHT side, outer pocket. I put it there before you were even out of bed.”
Their daughter Lily had already run RIGHT ahead to the flower stand, and their son Owen had veered left toward the food trucks. Nobody was going RIGHT where anyone expected.
“Owen! Stay RIGHT with us!” Mom called.
Owen turned LEFT, gave a wave, and somehow ended up even further RIGHT than before.
By the time they pulled everyone LEFT back together, Lily had bought a small pot of lavender, Owen had a funnel cake, and Dad had wandered RIGHT into a birdhouse demonstration and was asking very serious questions.
“This is supposed to be a relaxing Saturday,” Mom said to no one in particular, shifting her bag from her LEFT shoulder to her RIGHT.
They found a patch of grass RIGHT next to a row of flowering trees and spread out their blanket. Lily placed her lavender pot RIGHT in the center like a centerpiece. Owen sat LEFT of it and immediately got powdered sugar on it.
“Owen.”
“It’s RIGHT there, it’ll be fine.”
A butterfly drifted RIGHT past Mom’s head, and she smiled despite herself.
They stayed for hours. They wandered LEFT toward the pond, then RIGHT toward the music stage, then LEFT again when Lily spotted a craft booth selling pressed flower bookmarks.
By the time they LEFT the park that evening, everyone was a little tired, a little sun-pink, and completely, quietly happy.
“Same time next year?” Dad asked, throwing his LEFT arm around Mom’s shoulders.
She looked RIGHT at him. “We never even made it to the birdhouses.”
“RIGHT,” he said. “So we LEFT something to look forward to.”
And just like that, spring had done exactly what spring always does. It had pulled them RIGHT out of the ordinary and LEFT them with something worth remembering.
Ways to Use These Printables
These games work for so many different occasions – here are a few ideas:
- Easter morning with family before the egg hunt
- A spring classroom party or homeschool co-op
- Easter brunch with friends or extended family
- A spring book club or ladies’ gathering
- Office spring party or team get-together
- Church groups or youth events
- A cozy family game night any time in spring
- A rainy spring afternoon when you need something fun to do
Tips for Making It Extra Fun
Use a themed prize. A small Easter basket, a spring candle, a potted succulent, a box of fancy chocolates, a gift card – anything that fits the season and feels like a treat.
Let the kids pick the prize. They get weirdly invested in the outcome when they had a hand in choosing it.
Have a second round ready. One game always leads to “can we play again?” Have a backup prize and the second story ready to go.
Let the kids be the reader. Older kids love the drama of reading, and it’s genuinely adorable to watch them build suspense.
Add it to a bigger activity bundle. Pair this with the free Spring Bucket List printable for a whole afternoon of low-key spring fun – the bucket list gives everyone something to look forward to after the game.
More Party Game Printable Fun
For more printable party fun, the Christmas Left-Right Game has two holiday stories that go over brilliantly at Christmas gatherings – bookmark it now so you’re ready when December rolls around.
And if you want another crowd-pleaser for your spring party lineup, the Christmas Bingo printable has a format you can easily adapt – watch this space for a spring bingo version coming soon. Best to be on our email list for updates.
I hope this adds a little extra magic to whatever spring gathering you’re planning. These little games are so simple but they always create the kind of laughter and chaos that everyone talks about afterward.
If you play it, I’d love to hear how it went – drop a comment and tell me who ended up with the prize!
Save this on Pinterest so you can find it again when you need it!
