Games You Shouldn't Play

Sandman Game

Sandman is a scary game kids play at sleepovers. You tell someone a story about having their body filled with sand and they feel much heavier. This game is also known as Sandbags.

To play the Sandman game, you need at least two people.

Step 1: One person lies down on the floor, on their back. Everyone else sits in a circle around them.

Step 2: You tell the person to close their eyes and relax. Then you tell them a scary story about how they were injured or died and then they were cut open and filled with sand.

You can make up your own story and have it be as elaborate and scary as possible. Tell the person to concentrate only on the story. Whenever you are talking about a body part in the story, such as the arm, leg or stomach, you run your finger lightly up and down the person's body part.

Step 3: Tell the person to open their eyes and get up. When they try to stand up, they will feel very heavy, as if their body is filled with sand.

Example scary story 1:

There was a mother who had a young son.
He was sleeping one night
His mother walked into the room quietly.
She cut open her son's arms.
Then she put sand inside.
She cut her son's legs open.
Then she put sand inside.
She cut open her son's stomach.
Then she put sand inside.
when her son woke up in the morning...
He couldn't move.

Example scary story 2:

You go to the store and knock down a bunch of cans
(Pound on the person's face, arms, legs and stomach.)
You go to the hospital and they open you up.
(Run your finger lightly along their face, arms, legs and stomach.)
They put sand inside you. They fill you up with sand.
(Tap your fingers quickly along their face, arms, legs and stomach.)
Then they close you up. They sew you up with thread.
(Run your finger lightly along their face, arms, legs and stomach.)
Now sit up slowly... You feel 50 pounds heavier.

Example scary story 3:

You tell the person they died in a horrible way. Then they were taken to the cenetery and buried. "The sandman came to your grave and dug up your body. He slit open your arm and filled it with sand. Then he stitched it back shut. He cut open your leg and filled it with sand. Then he stitched it back shut etc." As you narrates the story, your friend lightly touches the person with their finger to simulate the sensations of being cut open, filled with sand and sewn back up. Slice down their arm, pat it like you are packing it with sand, then zig-zag back up as if you are sewing them up. After the person is completely filled with sand, tell them the sandman finished his job and now he's gone.

I found another variation of this game where you are filled with grass, dirt and rocks.

"A long time ago me and my friend played a creepy sleepover game. It was kind of like cat scratch. There's a story about a man that goes into a shed and does this stuff to you or something... and you lay on the ground with your eyes closed while someone tells you the story. There's something about filling you with grass, then dirt, then rocks. The person laying on the ground is supposed to feel heavier when they try to stand up, like you filled them with dirt."