Past Continuous vs Past Simple

When I called my friends, they ________________ (play) Monopoly.

Yesterday at six o'clock I __________________(prepare) dinner.

The children ------------(rest) in the garden when it suddenly began to rain.

We -----------------(not ride) our bicycles all day.

While Aaron __________(to work) in his room, his friends ___________(to swim) in the pool.

I was _______________ (watch) a thriller on television when the electricity ____________(go out). Now I will never know how the movie ends.

I ____________ (call) you last night after dinner, but you weren't there. Where were you? B: I ___________ (exercise) at the gym.

What ------------------(do) when you heard that noise?

B: I ______________(try) to change a light bulb.

They ----------------- (drink) and ----------(eat) while they ------------ (wait) to play.