Try one of these easy-to-play games that are fun for everyone.
If there’s no room in yourparty-planning checklistfor game time, that’s fine.
(Sometimes, great conversations and catching up with distant friends are all a successful gathering needs.)
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Most can work for adults or kids, depending on what rules you play by.
Pick a few party games that work for you, and keep them in mind for any gathering.
(Packs of gum, dollar bills, lottery tickets, and the like all work.)
Pick one item to place at the center of your saran wrap ball.
(To make the game more challenging, tear the wrap into smaller sheets as you go.)
Gather in a circle or around a table.
Give one person the wrapped bundle; give the person next to them a pair of dice.
(Any prizes that fall out during your turn are yours to keep.)
Once the person with the dice rolls doubles, they pass the dice down and receive the bundle.
Repeat until the ball is completely unwound.
Post It Note Game
You’ll need a stack of sticky notes and a pen.
Without looking, each person should stick their note on their forehead or back.
(“Am I living?”
is a great place to start.)
Play until everyone has correctly guessed their identity, or pass out prizes to those who guess correctly.
How’s Yours?
Pick one person to be “It” and send them from the room.
When the person returns, they’ll ask someone, “How’s yours?”
That person should then give a one-word adjective to describe theirs.
(Itchy, thick, and stretchy all work for shirts, for example.)
Repeat until the person asking guesses the attribute being discussed.
Never Have I Ever
Sit in a circle.
(Traveled to Africa, eaten escargot, and the like all work.)
Continue around the circle until one person has three fingers up: They’re out.
Would You Rather?
Gather in a circle.
Ask the person next to you, “Would you rather…” and include two challenging situations.
(“Would you rather not shower for a year or not brush your teeth for a year?”
After their response, it’s their turn to ask the person next to them.
Continue until you’ve got the option to’t think of any more scenarios.
Heads Up!
This game requires an app: The Heads Up!
(In-app purchases are also available.)
One person will hold a phone to their forehead, facing out.
Everyone else will act out or describe whatever appears on the screen while the person with the phone guesses.
Categories include animals, movies, public figures and celebrities, and more.
I’m Hosting a Party…
For a more cognitive game, play this brain teaser.
Say you’re hosting a party, and only people who bring the right contributions are given an invitation.
Don’t tell anyone else your rule.
Continue until everyone figures out the rule.
Two should be true; one should be a lie.
Everyone else must guess which is the lie, and then the next person goes.
Sticker Stalker
Purchase a pack of stickers.
If they get caught stickering someone, they must accept a sticker.
Mail Call
Place chairs in a circle, using one less than needed.
(There’s a lot of room for creativity here.)
Spoons
Find a deck of cards and a set of spoons.
(Pieces of candy also work.)
Have enough for each player, minus one.
Deal four cards to each person playing.
The goal is to collect four of the same card; when that happens, reach for a spoon.
Remove one more spoon and play again.
Alternatively, play by sticking out your tongue when you’ve collected four of a kind.
If others notice, they can stick out their tongues, too; whoever notices last loses.
Camera Hot Potato
Pick a phone to pass around the group.
Set it to self-timer mode10 seconds is bestand use regular photo mode, not selfie mode.
Pass until the photo is taken, then repeat.
At the end, take a look at the (probably undignified) photos.
Crossed, Uncrossed
This is a trickier take on I’m Hosting a Party.
Sit in a circle and designate yourself as the host.
(Just don’t tell everyone the name of the game.)
Say you are hosting a party but will only invite people bringing the right items.
Continue until everyone figures it out.
Have the next person describe what might be in your perfect world.
If someone gets it right, say, “Yes, that would be in my perfect world.”
If they don’t, say so.
Continue around the circle until everyone figures it out.
Thumper
Have everyone sit or stand in a circle.
Each person should select a hand motion (or leg motion, if you’re standing).
Go around the circle and have everyone present their motion.
There are no passbacks and no hesitations.
Whoever messes up first is out; continue indefinitely.
Straight Face
Find a pad of paper and writing tools.
Have everyone write an outrageous phrase on a slip of paper, and collect everything in a hat.
Gather in a circle.
Give one person the hat.
They must draw a piece of paper and read the statement aloud to the group.
The goal is to keep a straight face.
Whoever laughs or smiles loses.
Pass the hat around until everything has been read.
Medusa
Have everyone sit around a table.
If you make eye contact with someone else, you’re out.
If the person you’re looking at is looking at someone else, you’re safe.
Repeat until everyone is out.
Freeze
Pick one person to be Mr. Have everyone playing the game move around the party as usual.
Freeze freezes, though, everyone else must freeze too.
Whoever freezes last is out.
Repeat for the duration of the party.
So, if only one person says “two,” then you’ll keep counting to three.
See how high your group can count without saying a number at the same time.
Whoever in the group guesses the correct song first wins and gets to hum the next one.
When the music starts, walk around the seats; everyone must find a seat when the music ends.
Whoever doesn’t is out.
Remove one more chair and begin again, until two people are fighting for one seat.
To make musical chairs more interesting, add your own rules.
Charades
This tried-and-true party game can be as simple or as complicated as you make it.
One person will act out something drawn from the assortment while their team members guess what it is.
When time is up, switch teams and repeat.
Add time limits, scoring systems, silence rules, and more as desired.
Telephone
Gather in a circle.
Pick one phrase to whisper in the ear of the person next to youno repeats.
Prepare to laugh at how distorted it gets.
To make it more difficult, play music in the background.
20 Questions
Pick one person to go first.
That person will think of an item, animal, movie, public figure, etc.
Whoever guesses correctly can win a prize, or be the next to answer questions.
Get a group together and stand in a circle.
Everyone looks down, then someone will count down from three.
On “one” everyone will quickly look up at one person in the group.
Keep going until everyone is out of their drink.
Whoever has the most fingers pointed at them drinks.
In games involving rule-making (Kings, Cheers to the Governor, etc.
If you are introducing drinking games to your gathering, drink responsibly, and stay safe.
(And don’t forget to offernon-alcoholic mocktail optionsfor designated drivers and people who are staying sober.)
Without letting anyone else see, write a word or phrase on the first piece of paper.
Everyone should pass their stack of papers or notepad clockwise.
Once everyone is finished, pass clockwise again.
Continue passing, alternating between drawings and words, until the stacks have gone full circle.
Flip through the results, and prepare to roar with laughter.
Mafia
This game is also known as Assassin, Werewolf, or Village.
); others are villagers, and still more are police officers.
One is the game moderator.
The police officers are trying to guess who the bad guys are before they can kill all the villagers.
Everyone else will guess what it is, asking only yes or no questions.
Whoever guesses correctly first can win acool prize, or be the next Spyer.
Find a ball of string or yarn.
Have everyone stand in a circle.
Pick one child to go first; give them the yarn and have them begin describing their life.
The first child will toss them the yarn, and the second child will begin describing their life.
Repeat until everyone has gone, and the yarn has created a web between all the children.
Limbo
This time-honored party game lets kids take a stab at see how low they can go.
(All you need is a broom and some calypso music to make limbo happen!)
