Party Games!

Looking for Party Games and Party Game Ideas for your next party? Let us help you plan the ultimate Birthday party, Wedding, Baby Shower or Reunion with the best Party Games online!

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Team Games

Outdoor Tag Games

Water Games

Halloween Party Games

Easter Party Games

Boy/Girl or Couple Party Games

Baby Shower Games

Christmas Party Games

Teen Games

Ice Breakers

Team Games

CROCODILE RACE - Form a team of 4 - 10 players. Stand in a straight line behind a designated leader. Each player then put their hands on the hips or shoulders of the person in front of them. Everyone then crouches down bending their knees down their heels. The newly formed "crocodile" then races against the other team(s). You could race one way to end or have them race down the field and return! If the leader goes too fast the team behind will break up.

DUCKS AND COWS - This is a great way to divide a group of kids into two teams. Players close their eyes while one person goes about tapping them on their shoulders and designating them either "duck" or "cow." On a given signal the players must make their animal sounds to gather into their two teams. The ducks "quack" and the cows "moo."

ALPHABET LETTERS - The object of this game is to get into groups of four players to form alphabet letters or words which a leader calls out.

LION AND MOUSE TAG - Gather everyone into a circle. Pass out two blindfolds. One player is the lion and the other player is the mouse. Whenever the lion roars the mouse must squeak. When the lion catches the mouse the game stops and the lion picks another mouse. The former mouse then becomes the lion.

BED SHEET PING PONG - Players stand and hold a bed sheet on opposite ends. A ping pong ball is placed onto the sheet. The sheet is then raised or lowered. The object of the game is to get the ping pong ball to fall off the other team's side.

BLOW PING PONG - Players form two teams and then kneel on their knees with their hands behind their backs on opposite sides of a table. The object is to blow the ping pong ball off the opponents side. Watch out you don't hyperventilate!

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Outdoor Tag Games

Hospital Tag - One person is "it." Where ever "it" tags a person that person must then hold the spot with one of their hands where ever he or she was tagged. This person is now "it" and must chase down the next person with the hand always holding the spot.

Copy Kat Tag - This is almost similar as above except that wherever IT holds one of his or her hands everyone else must hold their hands (for example - one hand on hip, one hand holding an ankle, one hand pinching a nose, etc.) The funnier the better!

Dirty Diaper Tag - One person is "it". When you get tagged you are frozen. The way to get unfrozen is to have somebody crawl under your legs!

Freeze Tag - "It" tags free players who then must freeze in their places. Frozen players may be unfrozen if a free player touches them.

Team Hug Tag - The object of this game is to tag people as a team. Two players start off as "it" holding hands and chasing to catch another player only with their "free hands." When a free player is tagged, he/she must then join the tag team. Only the end players can tag the free players. There are no safety areas for the free players, however, if they hug another player they are safe. But the hug can only last 10 seconds. The free players can immediately hug another free player for safety, but it has to be another free player. The game ends when everyone is tagged.

Tree Tag - "It" chases free players. Free players are safe as long as they are touching a tree. "It" must freeze and count up to ten. The free player must move.

Sunny Day Tag - You will need a sunny day for this game. "It" chases free players and when "it" steps on their shadow the free player becomes "it."

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Water Games

Balloon Toss - Have the kids wait in a designated space (in or out of the water) and toss water balloons for them to catch. After throwing a couple, tell them that they don't get anymore unless they sing a song (can be anything like twinkle twinkle little star, row, row, row your boat, or humpty dumpty...) Every time they sing a song, throw in a few more balloons and try a different song or make them say something like: "I love swimming!" or "Happy Birthday!". Keep doing this until you are out of balloons.

Penny Hunt - Throw a large amount of pennies (depending on the number of kids) into a good size pool. Cover about a third of the pennies with white out and send the children in to dive for them. If a child find a penny with white out, that child gets a prize. Great for all ages! Shallow for the youngest and deeper for the older kids.

Cannonball Contest - Have two groups; one for the cannonballs and the other group a team of judges. The cannonball group line up behind a diving board and have to make the biggest splash to get the highest vote. The judges are the voters and give each person a vote out of ten. An adult is needed to decide what the majority of the judges want to give each person.

Frozen Tag - Preferably in a smaller pool; it's just like regular frozen tag, but once tagged, a person has to swim under your legs to free you.

Bop! - This game works better in the pool, but you can do it outside with water balloons.
Get About 10 squishy soft balls. Divide the pool in half and mark where you divided it (we use a volley ball net). You'll need at least six people. Divide a group of people in half. Give the teams an equal amount of balloons. Start trying to hit the opposite team. You cannot cross over your half. Be sure the balloons are not to hard or someone could get hurt. If someone gets hit they have to sit out-side for 60 seconds. Then they can come back into the game. Its very fun. No one wins, so the game never gets ruined for anyone. Have an adult supervise for safety!

LEAKING RELAY - Items needed: Bucket of water, Two cups with holes in the bottom and sides (equally), and two containers about half gallon size. Divide into two teams. First player on each team fills his cup with water from the bucket, then places the leaking cup over his head and runs around a previously marked course. When he gets back to the beginning he pours into the empty container, whatever water is left in his cup then hands the empty cup to the next player. The team that fills their container first wins.

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SALT and PEPPER - This is a simple relay and best played in a swimming pool. Gather into two equal teams on opposite sides of the pool facing each other. One team is named SALT and the other team is PEPPER. SALT team members swim on the top when passing a PEPPER team member. PEPPER team members must swim under SALT when passing. The first people get into the water and hang onto the pool sides. On "GO" they swim to the opposite side and the first there gets a point for his or her team. When both players get out of the water the next two opponents can get in, but they must first wait for the GO signal.

KILLER WHALE - This game is best played in a swimming pool. One person is IT, the KILLER WHALE. He/she stands outside the pool. Everyone else jumps in and can swim to any location except they cannot touch any of the sides of the pool. In fact, they must stay three feet away from the sides. The KILLER WHALE jumps in and swims leisurely. The KILLER WHALE cannot tag anyone yet until he or she yells, "KILLER WHALE" in which everyone should swim to the sides for safety. If anyone is touching the sides then the KILLER WHALE cannot tag them. If the KILLER WHALE tags anyone, then that person becomes the new KILLER WHALE. If the KILLER WHALE is not able to touch anyone then he or she must get out of the pool and start all over.

WATER TAG - Materials Needed: white 4 x 6 blank index cards, duct tape, watercolor markers (be sure that it is the type that does not stain clothing!) and water guns. This game is similar to Laser Tag (except that it doesn't cost as much!) Divide the group into 2 to 4 teams. Depending on how many teams you have you will be drawing a solid colored circle
on with a single color marker. Red for red team, Green for green team, Blue for blue
team, etc. Tape the colored card onto each team mate back shirt (note: do not tape to the front side of your shirt - inappropriate for girls)

WATER RELAY - Divide into two teams. Give each team the same amount of water balloons and water soaked sponges. Have a certain place designated to race to. The two teams then race to the place, but if anyone is hit with a water object they become OUT. The team whose player gets to the place first or the team with the most players left wins

MARCO POLO - In Marco Polo you need at least 3 people. one of them is IT. Whoever is chosen to be IT has to close his/her eyes (cover with hands) and then count out loud numbers from 1 to 10. After IT has counted to 10, then IT begins to search for the other players with his or hers remaining closed. If the person that is IT wants to he/she can call out "Marco" the other players then must say "Polo" The Person who is IT searches for people and if IT tags someone then he/she becomes the new IT

SEAHORSES AND MERMAIDS - This game is played in the shallow end of a swimming pool. You need at least 5 people- 2 seahorses, 2 mermaids, and one caller, but the more people you have, the better. he seahorses make a circle in the water and the mermaids stand behind the seahorses. The caller calls out "Mermaids", or "Seahorses". If the caller says "Mermaids", the mermaids must swim like a mermaid with legs together, clockwise around the circle and take their place behind the seahorse. The last mermaid in her place is out and so is her partner. If the caller says "Seahorses", the seahorse must back out between the mermaid's fluke (legs), underwater. The seahorse must them swim clockwise around the circle, back under the fluke and stand up. The last seahorse in her place is out and her partner is out too. The last couple standing is the winner.

SHARKS AND MINNOWS - This swimming pool game is fun for a large group of kids to play. One person is chosen to be the "shark" and starts in the middle of the pool. All the other players are "minnows" and start out of the water on one side of the pool . The shark calls out "Minnows", and the minnows jump or dive into the water and try to swim to the other side without being tagged by the shark before they get out of the water. If they are tagged, they become sharks and stay in the water. The sharks call out "Minnows", and the game is played again until there is only one minnow left. This minnow is the winner and starts as the shark in the next game.

SEAHORSE RACE - This game needs at least 3 people. One person is the judge and the others are seahorse jockeys. Each Jockey has an inner tube on and starts at one end of the pool. The judge says "go" and the seahorse jockeys race to the other end of the pool. The first one there is the winner. Variations: This is a fun game to play using "noodle" type floating toys. Sit on them like you would sit on a horse. This game can also be played as a relay race if you have a lot of kids. Make two teams and stand at one end of the pool. When the judge says "go", one player from each team must jump into the water, get on the "seahorse" and race to the other end of the pool and back again. The jockey must get out of the water and hand his "seahorse" to the next player, who then jumps in and swims to the end and back. This continues until all the players on one team has a turn. The first team done is the winner.

BALLOON SQUAT - This is a relay race which needs 2 teams with an equal amount of players. You also need enough water balloons for one for each player-and a few extra for mistakes. Make start and finish lines about 20 feet apart. Place the water balloons in two piles at the starting line. Call out "go" and the first person on each team picks up their balloon and runs to the finish line. There, they must sit on their balloon and pop it and then run back to the start line. Then the next player grabs their balloon and does the same thing. If a player drops his balloon, or pops it on the way, he must go back to the start line and take a new balloon and start again. The first team to finish popping all their balloons is the winning team.

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Halloween Games

Pass the Present - it can be adapted to suit any kind of party you are having. You get a prize and wrap in newspaper, colored paper, wrapping paper or any other kind you have. You put as many layers of wrapping as you want but you must wrap each layer individually. As you wrap each layer, put a sticker on each layer with instructions for the person to do something silly (best if this thing suits the occasion). To start the game, everyone sits in a circle and one persons has the parcel, one person controls the music. Once the music starts you must pass the parcel around the circle, making sure everyone in the circle gets to pass it on to the next person. Whenever the person controlling the music stops the music, the person who has the parcel must unwrap just one layer, read the instructions and carry it out. It's a lot of fun and you can be very imaginative with it, you can put one that says "pick out a partner and do the Charleston" or "Tell a scary story".

PIN THE FACE ON THE PUMPKIN (all ages) - Using a large piece of orange poster board draw a pumpkin as big as the poster board. Draw triangle eyes and nose with a black magic marker. Using material as a template draw a pumpkin mouth with teeth. Use the template to trace on construction paper as many mouths as you think you will need.Blindfold the person playing giving them a pumpkin mouth with tape on the back. Then spin him or her around but facing the pumpkin at the end. Have them try to stick the mouth onto the pumpkin where they think it should be. Have a big X marked where it should go. The person with the mouth closest to the X is the winner.

Air Balloons - Use black and orange balloons. Get into a circle and start the balloon going around from player to player keeping the balloon in the air at all times. The youngest will enjoy seeing if they can keep the balloon moving for the time it takes to sing a song or listen to a piece of music. Older guests can try this variation. Before he can bat the balloon each player must call out a word (no repetitions, please) to fit an agreed upon theme. The theme could be Halloween words, kinds of Halloween treats, creepy creatures, or... well, you get the idea. And don't be too particular. If I yell "ladybug" in time to bat the balloon, it counts as a creepy creature!

Bobbity Balloon Relay - This can get noisy! Divide up into teams with one balloon for each team. Half of each team is at opposite ends of the room. The first player of each team must keep the balloon in the air while racing down to the other end. She passes the balloon off to the first player of her team at that end who races back, and passes it off to the next, etc. To be declared the winning team, all members of the team must have successfully raced with the balloon in the air.

Pin the Nose on Humphrey - A variation of Pin the Tail on the Donkey. First you will need to make the game. Draw and color a large Jack o' lantern on poster board or a large sheet of paper. Give him only a small circle for a nose. Cut out several circles from blue construction paper. These will be Humphrey's nose; that will help you decide how big the circles should be -- don't make them too small. To the back of each circle place some double-sided tape or regular tape you have formed into a small ring with the sticky-side out. Now let's play. One at a time, each player is blindfolded and given a blue circle, turned around three times, and then turned facing the direction of poor noseless Humphrey. The player walks forward and still blindfolded places Humphrey's blue nose on the drawing. The one getting the nose closest to where it should be is declared the winner.

Reverse Apple Bobbing - Tie strings around apples, enough for each child or person participating in the game, and suspend from the ceiling or a tree branch. You may need to adjust the length of these so they are at least mouth high or lower. Then, instruct everyone they must eat the entire apple and the first to do this wins the game. But, there is one last rule to the game, they can not touch the apple with their hands. The first to get a bite out of the apple, wins. This is really hard to do, but is great fun to watch and capture on film! Another version of this idea, is to string donuts up instead of apples

MAKE YOUR OWN MONSTER - Divide group into teams of 4,5 or 6 (depending on number present) make sure each group has there own space to work in. Give each group several articles of clothing and objects (ex. shirt, paper towel roll, ball of yarn, tin foil, apple, popsicle sticks, leaves, spoon, lamp shade etc.). Use as many or as little as you want. At the call of go the teams must create their own Halloween monster using ALL of the objects. Some teams have even used themselves in this creation. Give out prizes to the teams who finished fastest, the best monster, the scariest monster, the weirdest monster etc. This is great for all ages

HARVEST DRAW - Each child is given a piece of paper and a pencil. If there is not room at a table for each child, each child needs a book or other hard surface to draw on. Each child is blindfolded or asked to close their eyes. The leader tells the children to draw the eyes of a jack-o-lantern, the round pumpkin part, the nose mouth and then stem. This is not easy with the eyes closed and the results can be very funny.

Blacklight Body Painting - This is fun! Be sure to use water soluble fluorescent paint in lots of different colors. In the light have kids paint each other with symbols, words, lines, etc. After everyone is ready - turn off the lights and turn on some black lights. The kids will love it!

Halloween Bowl (All ages) - Gather four 2-liter plastic bottles. Fill with a little water at the bottom to add some weight. You will use these bottles as bowling pins. Now use a small pumpkin as the bowling ball. Players can roll the pumpkin and see how many bottles they can knock over on each roll. Points awarded to the person who can knock over the most.

Halloween Caroling (All ages) - Similar to Christmas caroling - take a bunch of kids and go visit a children's ward in a hospital or adults in a hospital or nursing home. You must check with nurses ahead of time. For instance, you could pass out trick-or-treat bags which you may have decorated ahead of time. In the bags you could put different kinds of treats: i.e. crayons, stickers, games, puzzles, balloons, etc. Be sure to check with the hospital as to what is most appropriate in terms of candy and treats. Be sure not to wear scary costumes or medical garb

Halloween Toilet Paper Fashion Contest - Have two or more teams of players. The object is to design the best looking mummy with a roll or two (or more depending on brand) of toilet paper. Each team picks someone to be the mummy. On the word "go" each team then wraps the person with the toilet paper (adults be sure they do not cover their mouth, nose, or eyes!). Be sure the mummy sticks their hands out in front so their hands do not get wrapped to their bodies. Give them a time limit (5 minutes max) to do this. Take pictures

Pumpkin Relay (All ages) - Have one pumpkin for every four to five kids. Carve a face into each pumpkin saving the pieces that make up the eyes, nose, and mouth. Mix up these pieces from the different pumpkins in one pile. Have relay teams send one person at a time to obtain one piece to take back to their assigned pumpkin. If the piece of pumpkin they choose fits then the next person on their team can go to the table, otherwise they have to go back and get another piece. Game is over when the first team has all the right parts!

Straw Face (Middle school and up) - This is a fun to watch 4 - 6 people sitting in chairs facing an audience. Give them each a plastic straw. Facing the audience they put the straws in their mouths holding from the right side. On "go" they must move the straws to its left side by only using their mouths and tongues. This is hilarious with kids making the funniest facial expressions as they move the straws.

Tongue Twisters! (All ages) - See who can say these words fast ten times in a row each without messing up! Bad Blood

GHOST BINGO - Make Bingo cards with the letters GHOST instead of BINGO at the top. Leave the squares that the numbers would be in blank. Buy some small halloween stickers that have 6 different objects (e.g. one sticker has a black cat, another has a bat etc.) on each sheet (make sure you have a sheet for each child). Take two small cardboard boxes and cover with freezer paper (or other type of white paper); these will be the dice. On the one put one letter in the word GHOST on each side of the box (you will have an extra side which you can leave blank or put an extra T). Cover with contact paper. On the other die draw a picture of each of the objects on the stickers on each side of the box. Cover with contact paper. Give each child a GHOST card and a sheet of stickers to make their own card. There is a "free" space in the middle and they can put the stickers in any box (some
children can put as many objects in a row they want e.g. there may be 3 cats under the G, that's OK). Then roll the dice, if "G" "bat" comes up, the kids with a bat sticker under the G can cover it up (only cover up one bat). Keep rolling until someone yells "GHOST". Make sure you have someone keeping track of what is rolled so the cards can be checked.

SPIDER WEB - In an enclosed area, take numerous, separate and very long pieces of yarn to create a giant spider web. Put a piece of tape on the beginning of each piece and tie a number to the end. Criss cross the pieces of yarn throughout the room to create a "web." Each child grabs a taped end of yarn and rolls it up until the end is found. Each number corresponds to a special prize or treat. The kids will have fun working there way through the web and trying to stay untangled

Yarn Spider Web Game (Elementary School Children) - Roll up a small ball of black yarn, one for each child, the size of a golf ball. Have the children stand in a circle holding their ball. A parent or helper can then tie the yarn around each child's waist and give that child the rest of the ball to hold. Each child, taking turns around the circle, tosses the ball of yarn to someone across from him. That child then wraps the yarn once around him and tosses it to another child and so on and so on. When they are done tossing and wrapping they must now get themselves out of the spider web they have made.

EYEBALL RELAY – Before the party you will need to purchase at least 12 Ping-Pong balls. Using permanent markers, draw irises, pupils, and bloodshot veins on the balls. Divide your group into two teams. Players race around a specific course with a heaping pile of "eyeballs" (at least six), before handing them off to a teammate. Dropped balls must be retrieved before the handoff. The first team to complete the course wins. (Ages 5 and up—you may want to give players over the age of 12 more eyeballs to carry)

BOBBING FOR APPLES – This simple game, involving a water-filled tub brimming with floating apples, is a timeless, but forgotten favorite. Most of us enjoyed this game as children at school and church functions, and it will still delight children today, as does any game involving water. (Ages 4-12)

PIN THE WART ON THE WITCH – Borrowing from the concept of the tried and true game of Pin the Tail on the Donkey, we suggest a fun game of Pin the Wart on the Witch. Draw a witch's face on a piece of poster board, or use our Witch Corner Creep. Use little balls of green Play-Doh ™ or paper cutouts as the warts. Blindfold each participant as his/her turn arrives, spin, point in the right direction, and watch your wicked witch become even more wartful! (All ages)

WHICH WITCH WILL WIN? – Divide the guests into two equal teams. Create two starting lines with masking tape, and place two pumpkins about 10-15 yards away. Line the teams up with the "witch's wardrobe" at the starting line. At the signal to begin, the first player on each team quickly dresses up, runs the course, and then returns the wardrobe to the next player. The first team to complete the course wins. A witch's cape, black hat, broomstick, and fake wart will lead to some bone shakin' fun. (Ages 4-10)

PUMPKIN PINATA – The biggest hit of any party involving children…a party piñata. Check out our pumpkin!

CHAIN GHOST STORY – Have everyone sit in a circle. Have the first participant make up a few lines of a scary ghost tale, and then "pass" the story along to the next person. The next person adds a few lines, and then passes the story along, until all guests have participated. You might want to start this one yourself, give some examples ("It was a dark, blustery night. The moon was hidden behind some threatening storm clouds. The only sound you could hear was the wind howling through the trees."), or choose the most confident child to start. The kids will warm up quickly to the idea and surprise you with their creativity. Without the participants knowing, tape the telling of the story and then play it back for them right away. They'll laugh even harder and enjoy it more the second time around. For older children, provide a flashlight, turn off the lights, and have the storyteller shine the flashlight under his/her face as they tell their portion of the ghost story. Spine tingling fun! (Ages 7-12)

REVERSE TRICK OR TREAT GAME – Give each player a bag or goodie box with 10 pieces of candy in it. Have bags labeled with players' names, so they don't get mixed up. Let players know at the start of the game exactly when the game will be ending—this game can be played throughout an entire party if you so choose. The object of the game is to catch fellow players saying one of the following words:
Halloween, Candy, Witch, Party, Ghost, Pumpkin
To help players, post the words prominently on a board where they can be seen often. If someone is caught saying one of the words on the list, that person has to give up a piece of candy from their stash. The player with the biggest haul of candy at the end of the game is the winner! (Ages 7 – 12)

DANGLING DONUTS – Another old favorite. Simply attach donuts to long pieces of string, and hang them down from a clothesline, so the donuts are dangling at about chin height to the average participant. The object of the game is to see who can consume their swinging donut in the shortest amount of time. A little messy, but fun and delicious. (Ages 5-12)

RING AROUND THE PUMPKIN – In this version of ring-toss, paint point values on 3 to 4 pumpkins of varying sizes. Arrange them with the highest score farthest from the starting line. Players stand on the line and try to toss a hula-hoop around a pumpkin. Each player is given three to four tries depending on the amount of time available, and the player with the highest score wins. (Ages 4-10)

WITCH'S BREW – Cut ten pieces of paper in Halloween related shapes, such as ghosts, bats, pumpkins, or spiders. The shapes need to be about the size of a Ritz™ cracker. Place the shapes in a pile beside a small bowl or witch's cauldron. Have straws available for each player, along with a stopwatch, or a watch with a second hand. Using the straw as a vacuum, each contestant tries to pick up the shapes and drop them into the cauldron. The player with the fastest time wins. (Ages 6-12)

OOZING EYEBALL – Using a peeled hard-boiled egg as your "oozing eyeball", play this Halloween variation on the classic Hot Potato game. Have players sit in a circle, and pass the oozing eyeball until the music or menacing howls stop. The player left holding the eyeball when the music stops is out. Keep passing the egg until only one player is left. (Ages 4-9)

MUMMY WRAP – Divide guests into teams of two and give each team a roll of toilet paper. Signal the start of the game, and have one person wrap the other with the toilet paper. The team that finishes wrapping the mummy first wins, but remember that the entire roll must be used! (Ages 6-Adult)

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Easter Party Games

EASTER SCAVENGER HUNT - The materials needed are as follows: any number of plastic eggs, paper, pen, yard (which everyone has), and a lively group of kids that are ready to play a fun and exciting Easter game. This game is played like the old yet still fun game scavenger hunt. All you do is hide all the eggs in various places in the yard. You put a different message is each egg. To start the game out you give the kids a starting point. You give them the color of the egg they need to find and a little description of the place where it is hidden. Then you just sit back and enjoy watching the kids entertain themselves. To make the game even funner, the last egg will say where a prize is. This is a option, but some good prize ideas are: stuffed bunny , money, toys, chocolate egg or bunny (my personal favorite), or easter basket full of different goodies

Pass the Eggs, Please! - This is a fun game similar to passing the BANANA. Ideal for sleepover parties. Everyone sits on the floor in a circle. Then only using their feet pass each person must past an egg around the circle. If anyone drops the egg they have to eat it!

Nosey Egg Roll - Line kids up on a clean floor. Have a relay race with kids rolling eggs only with their noses.

Flashlight Egg Hunt - This is really fun. Have each kid bring their own flashlight. Have them have an egg hunt in the dark.

Capture the EGG - Instead of playing the old favorite "capture the flag" try "capture the egg!" Give each team an equal amount of eggs 4 - 6.

Find your Name Egg Hunt - Before your party write each person's name on one egg. For the NAME EGG HUNT they have to find the egg with their name on it.

Easter Fashion Show - Pick up plain white hats or t-shirts and then have the children decorate them with crayola fabric crayons, paint, ribbons, etec. with an Easter theme. Then put on some music and have the kids model their creations for a video camera. You can also do this with plain white socks and have a sock fashion show!

Bunny Hop - Play this game the same way you do DUCK DUCK GOOSE except that you hop instead of run. When the person who is it walks around the circle and taps kids on their heads they would say "bunny. . .bunny. . ." and when they tap someone on the head and say "hop" that person is the new IT who must hop to catch the person.

Duck Pond for Pre-teens and Teens - Write numbers with corresponding prizes (or gag prizes) on the bottom of rubber ducks. Throw into a swimming pool. And then have each person one-at-a-time jump in to get a rubber duck. When they get a duck they come out and call out the number. They are then given the corresponding prize

Easter Concentration - Paint a number or symbol on each egg and then place it about a yard. Each child would then find the eggs look at the number or symbol and then put it back. When you get everyone assembled you call out a number and have each person (or team) tell you where that particular egg is hidden. If they get it right they get a point!

Ducky Walky Relay Race - Have the kids line up on a start line. On GO they must squat down and grasp their ankles with each hand from behind. They then waddle to a designated END LINE. They cannot let go of their ankles or they must start over.

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Couples or Boy/Girl Parties

HONEY DO YOU LOVE ME? - Here's a fun game that I've played many times, it's called, "Honey, do you love me?" This is a boy girl game. All of the girls sit in a large circle and then each of the boys draws a name out of the hat with one of the girl's names on it. Say there was three girls and their names were Julie, Jennifer, and Dawn. The boy that picks Julie will go over to Julie and sit on her lap and say, "Honey, I love you." Then the girl has to reply, "Honey, I love you, but you can't make me smile." She has to say this without smiling or laughing otherwise they are both out

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Baby Shower Games

Baby Name Game - Ask each guest to pick out a baby name for a boy and girl (if baby sex is known, have guests pick a first and middle name). Have them write the names down on a piece of paper. Now instruct them that they are to try to find words that can be made from the names. Then give them a certain amount of time (you can decide on time) to write down as many words as they can think of. At the end of the time people total up the number of words they have and the one who came up with the most combinations wins. Important: do not tell them what the names are for until *after* they have chosen the names. This will give the game an added twist as those with short names will be begging to choose again and long names will have more to choose from. If the guests want, you can play this game again after they know how it works and see just how long the names are the second time.
Example: Susan - Alexander (deer . dear . sand . land . sale )

Feeding Time - Place a bunch of cotton balls in a large bowl. Set an empty bowl in front of it. The object of the game is to transfer cotton balls from one to the other while blindfolded. Blindfold the guests, one at a time, and hand them a large wooden spoon from the kitchen. Give them 30 seconds to scoop up as many cotton balls as possible and place them in the second bowl. This is harder than you think because the balls are almost weightless on the spoon and the blindfolded person has no idea how many cotton balls they've gotten, if any! The balls are counted after each guest. The guest who transferred the most wins!

Baby Guest - Make a note in the invitations asking guests to bring a baby photo of themselves. If you forget to make a note in the invitation, you can always call the guests to let them know. Have zip baggies at your home (large & medium size) and place the photos in these when the guests arrive. Place sequentially numbered labels on the outside of each baggie. Keep a list and write down the name of the guest next to the number their photo is. Remember baby pictures are a precious thing to people and the picture that a guest brings may be one of the only ones they have so take good care of it. If a name is written on the back, simply place a blank piece of paper behind the photo. Then seal it. Don't write or tape anything on the photo itself. Anytime after introductions you can play this game. Give each guest a piece of paper and a photo. Have them write down their guesses as to who they think the baby picture is of. Some guests may not have brought pictures for one reason or another, but they should (of course!) still be able to participate in the game portion. After everyone has seen all the photos, the hostess can read who was who and hold up the photo at the same time. Guests mark those that they get correct. The one who gets the most right, wins.

How big is she? - Buy a ball of yarn or string before the shower. Pass the ball of yarn to each guest and let them cut off the amount that they think best represents the waistline of the mother-to-be. After each guest has their string, have the mother to be go around the room and try out each string by wrapping it around her waist. The one that comes closest to her actual size wins. This may have to be a judgment call by the mother-to-be. This game is always a lot of fun even if a guest has played before. A new mommy-to-be makes the game a whole new guess! Important: There are some mothers-to-be who might be uncomfortable having their tummies measured. Always take their feelings into account when planning.

Off limits - Each guest is handed a diaper pin when they arrive. After everyone arrives, but before introductions, briefly explain to everyone what the pins are for. Usually there is a certain word or action, such as crossing the legs or ankles, that are off limits. If a guest catching another guest doing something off limits, then they take that person's diaper pin. If the person has more than one pin (from catching another person(s), then all of the pins are handed-over. Later in the party, usually just after the mother-to-be has opened her gifts, each guest is asked how many pins she has. The guest with the most pins wins.

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Christmas Party Games

HO, HO, HOLD YOUR TONGUE! – Give each player a bag or stocking with 10 small treasures in it (candy, chocolates, little favors). Have bags labeled with players' names, so they don't get mixed up. Let players know at the start of the game exactly when the game will be ending—this game can be played throughout an entire party if you so choose. The object of the game is to catch fellow players saying one of the following words or phrases:
SANTA, REINDEER, SNOW, CHRISTMAS, ORNAMENT, PRESENTS
To help players, post the words prominently on a board where they can be seen often. If someone is caught saying one of the words on the list, that person has to give up a treasure from their stash. The player with the biggest haul of goodies at the end of the game is the winner! This game is always a big hit. (Ages 7-adult)

CHARADES – Go with a Holiday related theme. Use titles of Christmas songs, Christmas movies (cartoon or real!), or Christmas traditions that everyone would be familiar with. A few ideas to get you started…"Chestnuts roasting on a open fire", "The Grinch who stole Christmas", "Miracle on 34th Street", "Jack Frost nipping at your nose", "Frosty the Snowman", "Turkey with all the trimmings", etc. A winner every time! (Ages 5-Adult)

CHRISTMAS STAR SCAVENGER HUNT - Make or purchase plastic or card stock star ornaments. Hide them around the party room prior to the party. Divide the large group into teams (or play individually if a smaller crowd) and have them find the stars. The winner is whomever finds the most. Candy canes can be given to all the "runner ups".

JINGLE BELL RELAY – Before the party you will need to purchase at least 12-1" Jingle Bells (available at craft and discount stores). Divide your group into two teams. Players race around a specific course with a heaping pile of jingling bells (at least six), before handing them off to a teammate. Dropped bells must be retrieved before the handoff. The first team to complete the course wins. (Ages 5 to adult—you may want to give players over the age of 12 lots of additional jingle bells to carry to make the game more challenging)

RUDOLPH WITH YOUR NOSE SO BRIGHT - Borrowing from the concept of the tried and true game of Pin the Tail on the Donkey, we suggest a fun game of "Rudolph with your nose so bright"! Draw an outline of a reindeer on a brown piece of poster board. Use a 2" ball of red Play-Doh ™, a construction paper cutout, or a red foam clown nose as Rudolph's nose. Blindfold each participate as his/her turn arrives, spin, point in the right direction, and watch your reindeer light up a wintry night! (Ages 3-10)

SANTA SCRAMBLE – Divide the guests into two equal teams. Create two starting lines with masking tape, and place two wrapped packages about 10-15 yards away. Line the teams up with the "Santa's wardrobe" at the starting line. At the signal to begin, the first player on each team quickly dresses up, runs the course, and then returns the wardrobe to the next player. The first team to complete the course wins. A Santa hat, oversized T-shirt, pillow for stuffing the tummy, big black boots, and a sack full of toys will lead to holly jolly fun. (Ages 4-12)

RING AROUND THE SNOWMAN – In this version of ring-toss, paint or tape point values on 3 to 4 snowmen of varying sizes. Use stuffed snowmen, or if the weather cooperates, take the game outside and use the real thing! Arrange them with the highest score farthest from the starting line. Players stand on the line and try to toss a hula-hoop around a snowman. Each player is given three to four tries depending on the amount of time available, and the player with the highest score wins. (Ages 4-12)

SANTA'S HELPERS – Cut ten pieces of paper in Christmas or Toy related shapes, such as drums, dolls, bicycles, candy canes, Christmas Trees, cars, snowmen, etc. The shapes need to be about the size of a Ritz™ cracker. Place the shapes in a pile beside a small bowl or "Santa Sack". Have straws available for each player, along with a stopwatch, or a watch with a second hand. Using the straw as a vacuum, each contestant tries to pick up the Christmas goodies and drop them into the sack. The player with the fastest time wins. (Ages 5-10)

FROSTY FUMBLE! – Using a stuffed snowman as your melting Frosty the Snowman, play this Christmas variation on the classic Hot Potato game. Have players sit in a circle, and pass the snowman until the music or jingle bells stop. The player left holding the snowman when the music stops is out. Keep passing Frosty until only one player is left. (Ages 4-9)

PINATA FUN – Piñatas can do double duty—They'll hang as decorations until you are ready to use them. A universal favorite! (Ages 3 to 12)

NAME THAT TUNE – You'll need a CD player and some compact discs with compilations of Christmas songs. Play the first few bars, and see which guest can name that tune the fastest. Keep track of points and award the winner a Christmas music CD. If your group is large, play a variation on this game. Using famous Christmas and holiday songs, list song titles on one side of a page, and the original Artists or songwriters on the other side. Make enough copies for all guests. Challenge guests to match as many as possible. A challenging but fun adventure! (Ages 9-Adult)

BALLOON POPPING CONTEST – Divide the children into two equal groups. About 25 yards away place two bags of inflated red and green balloons. These balloons should be over inflated to make popping easier. At the sound of a ringing bell, the first two relay contestants, one from each team, run to the bag, and remove one balloon. Each must sit on it until it pops. Once the balloon pops, the players run back to the starting line, and tag the next player in line. The first team to complete the course wins. If you have children who are afraid of the sound of popping balloons, offer a grown-up stand-in. Not a quiet game…but a guaranteed favorite! (Ages 4-adult)

LET IT SNOW! – We all dream of a white Christmas…using the same concept as an Easter Egg hunt, play a game of find the snowflakes to create your own winter wonderland. Either make little tiny snowflakes out of white paper, or use purchased snowflake confetti (use larger snowflakes if the children are younger). Hide the snow around the house or classroom before the party starts-and make sure the hiding places are appropriate for the age group you are entertaining. (Ages 2-9)

PUT THE GIFT UNDER THE TREE! – Wrap two boxes to look like beautiful gifts (approximately shoe box size). Divide the children into two teams and have them form two lines. At the signal to "go", the gift is to be passed from child to child. The catch is that they can use any part of their bodies except their hands. If the gift touches the ground at any time, it must go back to the beginning of the line again. Whichever team manages to get the gift to the end of the line first wins the game. You may want to fill each box with little prizes (enough for all the children), so that both teams can open the gift and be rewarded for their efforts. We have several very inexpensive prizes in our Party Favor Store. (Ages 5-adult)

Christmas Quiz (Christmas Quiz Answers)

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Teen Games

Balloon Popping Contest - Divide guests into two equal groups. About 25 yards away place two bags of inflated balloons in colors to match your theme colors. These balloons should be overinflated to make popping easier. At the sound of a ringing bell or whistle, the first two relay contestants, one from each team, run to the bag, and remove one balloon. Each must sit on it until it pops. Once the balloon pops, the players run back to the starting line, and tag the next player in line. The first team to complete the course wins. Not a quiet game…but a guaranteed favorite! This one may sound like it is just for kids, but your party will live on in your guest's memories forever if you play this game!

Hula Hoopla - Hula hooping isn't just for kids or 50's Sock Hops…but it will make grown-ups feel young again! Purchase or borrow a couple of hula-hoops. They are available at discount chains for about $3.99 each. Let guests know that at a specified time there will be a "hula" contest, and encourage them to practice during the party if the mood strikes.

Limbo - The young and the young at heart always enjoy the classic beach game of "limbo". Try using a string of twinkle lights, a strand of sparkly garland, a bamboo pole, a flashlight (lights out), or any item to match your theme for your limbo stick. For a fun variation on the game, make it a little more challenging by adding a "Super Stomach" to guests as they take their turn. Have a couple of oversized shirts, and some fluffy pillows on hand. Get ready for some howling laughter!

Name Game - Provide each guest with 5 small pieces of paper, and a pencil. Ask them to write down the names of 5 famous people…leaders, movie stars, authors, sports figures, politicians, artists, inventors, scientists, etc. Fold the papers, and put them into a hat. Seat guests in a large circle. Each round is limited to 30 seconds, so have a watch with a second hand available. The first player pulls out a name, and tries to get the person beside them to guess the name. After the name is guessed, the clue giver can continue pulling names out of the hat for the full 30 seconds. Here are the rules: They can talk, but can't point to items. They can't spell out the name, but can say the letter the name starts with. They can reference just about anything, but the person's name. As an example, if the name is "Sammy Sosa", the clue giver might say…"The guy who had almost as many homeruns as Mark McGuire in the 1998 baseball season." "He plays for the Chicago Cubs", etc. Both the clue "giver" and the clue "guesser" get points for as many names as they guess in the 30-second time frame. Have each participant track his/her own points. The turn then passes to the guesser, who now becomes the clue giver, and his/her neighbor becomes the new guesser. This game is a blast to play, and really is not as difficult as these instructions would make it seem! Give it a try!

Name That Tune - You'll need a CD player and some compact discs with compilations of songs related to your theme (Luau, 50's, retro) or just some good favorites of an era appropriate for your party guests. Play the first few bars, and see which guest can name that tune the fastest. Keep track of points and award the winner a music CD. If your group is large, play a variation on this game. Using famous songs, list song titles on one side of a page, and the original Artists or songwriters on the other side. Make enough copies for all guests. Challenge guests to match as many as possible. A challenging but fun adventure!

To Speak or Not to Speak? - Give each player a bag or goodie box with 10 small treasures in it (candy, chocolates, little favors). Have bags labeled with players' names, so they don't get mixed up. Let players know at the start of the game exactly when the game will be ending—this game can be played throughout an entire party if you so choose. The object of the game is to catch fellow players saying one of the forbidden words or phrases:
Choose 5 or 6 words or phrases related to the theme of your party.
For example, for a New Year's party, you might select: MILLENNIUM, NEW YEAR, TWELVE, CENTURY, TIMES SQUARE
For a luau, you might select: PALM TREE, LEI, COCONUT, BEACH, TROPICAL
For a Retro Party, you might select: GROOVY, DISCO, FAR OUT, SMILEY FACE, PEACE, YEAH BABY
(Select words or phrases that would be natural for guests to say considering the occasion.)
To help players, post the words prominently on a board where they can be seen often. If someone is caught saying one of the words on the list, that person has to give up a treasure from their stash. The player with the biggest haul of goodies at the end of the game is the winner! Lots of fun!

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Icebreakers

Silly Sue - Can be used for a meeting, company party or any event where there are people who don't know each other well. Can be played with a whiteboard and dry erase markers, or even using nametags. Each person takes their turn coming up to the whiteboard and writing a nickname for them using an adjective that starts with the same letter as their first name (example Silly Sue)... then they have to explain why this adjective fits them. This makes the introductions less formal and more memorable. Once an adjective has been used, it cannot be repeated! If using nametags, or going for a more casual icebreaker, have everyone write their new nickname on their nametag and get up and mingle with others.

I've Done Something That You Haven't Done - Have each person introduce themselves and then state something they have done that they think no one else in the class has done. If someone else has also done it, the person must state something else until he/she finds something that no one else has done.
Variations-Give everyone 10 pieces of candy. They state something that they have done that they think no one else has done. Anyone else who has not done this, gives that person a piece of their candy. You can either let each person have a turn and then whomever has the most candy wins, or keep going til only one person has all the candy (much longer game).

Introduce Another - Divide the group into pairs. Each person talks about him or herself to the other person, sometimes with specific instructions to share a certain piece of information. For example, "The one thing I am particularly proud of is..." After five minutes, the participants introduce the other person to the rest of the group.

We're Kind of Alike - Split the group into pairs. Each pair will have 3 minutes to find 5 things they have in common. At the end of the 3 minutes, put two pairs together and give the foursome 3 minutes to find something all 4 people have in common. Finally, each group can present the list of things they have in common.

Who? Me? - Give each person in your group a sheet of paper and a pen. Ask them to write down four questions that they would ask someone they just met in an atypical situation. Tell them to steer way clear of the most obvious questions i.e. "What's your name?" After a few minutes for them to write their questions, ask the group to start moving around in no particular order while exchanging answers and questions with as many new people as possible. After ten minutes, get each person to stand up and say his or her name aloud. When this happens, everyone else shouts out something they found about him or her during the question time. Allow as many as five facts to surface about each person. Encourage everyone to chip in with 'facts' and make sure everyone gets a turn at saying his or her name.

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