Party Games For Any Size Group!
I have been doing various combinations of party games, magic, and dance since I was in high school. This works well with 15 down to 4-year-olds. Soooo, if you don’t want magic, or to have more than the magic show, I can be a Game Master and/or DJ as well. These are some of the games I offer. Most party games work well with large groups, many also work well with small groups. I have a huge selection of music, clean edit, as well as children’s music. Does your baby like to disco?
1. Freeze Dance – Nothing is needed here but some fast music. I start the music; the children start dancing. When the music stops, so should the kids. Those who move a muscle are out, and this includes those who blink. Once the kids are out, a fun thing to do is to let them try to get the other children out by making funny faces at them (just as long as they don’t touch or push them).
2. Dance Contest – Just as the name suggests, this contest works best when you have volunteers in advance. Because they tend to be the most unbiased, the adults judge the competition by their applause. This could be done using the Soul Train line approach, to give groups or individuals their turn in the spotlight and make it much easier for the audience to judge.
3. Name That Tune – It is a lot of fun to pit the children against the adults in this one. Usually, the kids know more about current tunes than the adults do, so its rare that the adults win the game. Usually, Its 3 adults vs. 3 kids.
4. Lip Sync Contest – Individuals or groups are judged for creativity and artistic expression by the adults and the winners get a prize.
5. Trivia Contest – Collect trivia about the guest of honor and ask the guests the questions. Whichever guest has the most correct answers wins. I have a “buzzer system” for this and 4 groups can compete. I also have ALOT of trivia, much is theme orientated.
6. Musical Chairs – This is my favorite game party game; it can be played with children and adults. The more guests, the better! Everybody brings out his or her chair, and I take one away. I start the music, and everyone goes around in a circle. As the music stops, everyone grabs a chair. The person left standing is out, and he/she takes a chair back to his/her seat. The person remaining is the winner. Really a lot of fun, and the adults love it!
7. Limbo – Let’s Limbo! Two folks hold each end of the stick (I use a long balloon); the others try to go underneath without falling or touching the stick. If they succeed, they go to the back of the line. If they don’t, they’re out. Every 5 minutes, the limbo bar is lowered to increase the difficulty. This game is nice, because usually the smallest kids have the advantage, and it never hurts to have your 4-year-old brother win!
8. Scavenger Hunt – This is an old party favorite! I choose a few items that one or more of the adult guests might have. For example, lipstick, a credit card ending in “9, î a wintergreen LifeSaver, etc. Choose at least 10 items, and make them difficult, yet not impossible. Whoever gathers the most items in a preset amount of time wins.
9. Hula Hoop – Hula Hoop is pretty straightforward. Bring about eight to a party and place them on the dance floor. The girls especially love to play with them. The adults will join in because this is such a nostalgic toy for them. Hula Hoop is yet another elimination game. Have all the kids who want to play line up against the wall and have four kids compete at a time. Once the music starts, they can begin.
The last person still going in each group of four will then go into the semifinals. The semifinalists will then start competing against each other until there is a winner. If they are skilled at this game, you can make it more difficult by having them tap their hand to their head, lift their left foot up in the air, or twirl around in a circle. Most likely you will have to do this as you get towards the end of the game. Again, you may have some adults participate, which always makes for a more exciting event.
10. Pass the Hula Hoop – Pass the Hula Hoop is a more recent game and one that works great for every large party. Ask all the people to get into a big circle and hold hands. Place two Hula Hoops in the circle by having two sets of kids put their hands through the Hula Hoops and hold hands again. The object of the game is to pass the Hula-Hoop around their bodies and onto the next person as fast as they can without letting go of hands while the music is playing. Whoever has a hula hoop around his/her body when the music stops will go to the center and dance. As the circle gets smaller, the center gets bigger. I will play an up-tempo song like “The Twist” for about 15 seconds at a time so that the game won’t go on too long. This game is exciting and no one gets eliminated.
11. Balloon Stomp –This is a very high energy game. Everybody gets a balloon attached to a string that is tied to their ankle. The object is to pop other peoples balloon’s while protecting yours. Players must stay within arranged areas. You can spice this up by adding a freeze portion. When the music stops, all must stop.
12. Balloon T-Shirt Game – This game is really fun and all the kids can participate throughout the entire game. This is the beauty of the game because you are not eliminating kids and will have their full attention at all times. Supply five XXXL T-shirts and at least 150 nine-inch balloons. Have the kids get into 5 groups of 6. Have each group pick the smallest person to be the balloon person. At that time the person chosen will put on the oversized T-shirt. The object of the game is to blow up as many balloons as they possibly can and stuff them under the T-shirt while I play a song. The group with the most balloons stuffed will be the winners. I have everyone gather around as I count the balloons by having them pulled out of the T-shirt. DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT pop them but save them for the Balloon Pop Game.
13. Balloon Pop Game – This party game uses a large number of balloons and the same teams as the T-Shirt Game for this game. The children get in lines with their teams and run back and forth to the chairs (20-30 feet in front of them) with a balloon and pop each balloon one at a time. by sitting on them. After they pop the balloon they place it in a bag by each chair. The balloons are kept in a common pool behind the teams. The game is over when all balloons are gone. Count the balloons in each bag to determine the winning team.
14. Musical Chairs & Scavenger Hunt – This game is quickly becoming the most popular game at Mitzvahs all over the country; all the kids dig it. This game is a must. Musical Chairs Scavenger Hunt is Musical Chairs with a twist. It is played just like regular Musical Chairs but when the music stops, I will shout out an object; for instance, “a tie.” The kids then have to go out into the audience, find a tie and get back to a seat before they are all taken. This will continue with other objects that I shout out. A couple of examples of items you can use are ties, shoes, sunglasses, a spoon, lipstick, a comb, etc. This game gets everyone involved.
15. The Human Puzzle -The Human Puzzle is a problem-solving game. Two people play the actual game, but it also attracts attention and you will find all the other kids gathering around to watch. It involves two ropes that the players have wrapped around their wrists in the shape of bracelets. The contestants are connected together by the two ropes and the object of the game is for them to separate from each other. It is a very easy task, but the kids tend to make it more difficult than it really is. As a result, it takes a long time to figure out. When this is the case, after about 10 minutes of trying to undo themselves, I will start giving them clues. The first couple to get out of the human puzzle will get a prize.
16. Balloon Pass #1 – In this party gam, teams are made, two lines facing each other for each team. 1st two people put balloons between them where ever the DJ calls, i.e.: hips, shoulders, stomach and they hold the balloon at between that point on their bodies and go to the end of the line where the balloon is passed back to the head of the line and the next couple goes.
17. Balloon Pass #2 – For this fast and fun game, you make long lines of people. For example, three lines of ten people each. The first person in line passes a balloon over their head to the person behind them, who in turn passes the balloon between their legs to the person behind them, who passes the balloon over their head and so on. When the balloon gets to the end of the line, that person runs to the front of the line and then starts all over. The line that gets the starting person all the way to the back wins! 20. Balloon Pop – Four people per team, two poppers, and two blowers. The object is simple, two people blow up the balloons and two people pop them. But they must be popped by holding the balloon between the two people and not using the hands.
18. Musical Men / Women – Have as many men or women sit on chairs in a circle. Then, have 1 less person going around the circle as people that are sitting. When the music stops, all must find a lap to sit on, the odd person is out, Remove 1 Chair and continue. The last couple wins!
20. Unwrap the Gift – In this party game, a gift is wrapped over and over and over with paper and tape and more tape. Players roll fuzzy dice until they get doubles when they do they go in the middle and put on big gloves, hat, shirt or whatever and try to unwrap the gift. While this is happening, other players are still rolling the dice so when the next person gets doubles, they go to the middle and have to put on all the stuff and try to open the gift. The person who gets the gift wins!
21. Pass and Guess – This is a good game for the dinner hour. A jar is filled with Jelly Beans and is passed around the table. Each person must write on a piece of paper their guess and their name. They then hand it to the DJ. The person who gets the closest wins the jar and beans!
22. Human Ring Toss – This high energy game can be done many times to get everyone involved. One person wears a toilet plunger and is the catcher, the other is the tosser of the hula hoop.
23. Marshmallow Sculpting – Each team is given a bag of marshmallows and toothpicks. The object is to make something as a team in a certain amount of time. It can be spiced up by making it a theme, i.e. Football, Horses, work related, etc…
24. Marshmallow Run – This is a team game. Each person has a straw, they need to suck up 1 marshmallow and carry it across the dance floor and put it into a glass and run back and slap the hand of the next person in line. 1st team to get one marshmallow for each player wins. Suggested Music: Rock ‘n Roll Part 2
25. Huggy Bear – Everyone is on the dance floor. Play a song and have everyone dance. I yell out a number and the people must get into groups of that number. Anyone not in a group of that number is out. Everyone can play this, young and old!
26. Game Show – Always a big hit, I can simulate a TV Game show with buzzers, lights, and wacky trivia. It can be played in teams or individuals . . . and if you miss a question you may have to go to the “Karaoke Challenge”!
27. Mummy Wrap – This party game is a potentially messy one, but I have a way around that! Kids team up in pairs, and each team is given a roll of toilet paper to use as a wrap around their partner. One child is the “mummy”. The object is for the other child to wrap up the “mummy” as fast as they can, and not break the toilet paper! If they break it, the team is out. The first team to successfully be wrapped up in unbroken paper is the winner. If no team successfully does this, the last remaining team is the winner. As for cleanup, we can let the kids play the game, and at the end of the game, offer a small prize to everyone who helps clean up. Bring a large trash bag with you to the game; the resort/hotel will love you for it!
28. Simon Says – For those unfamiliar with the game, the kids or adults are on the floor facing me. The guests react to my commands; for instance, “Simon Says, right hand up”. Guests continue reacting to commands when I preface them with “Simon Says.” To disqualify guests, effectively removing them from the dance floor, I issue a command without prefacing it with “Simon Says”. If they react, they are disqualified. For example, if I said, “right hand down” and anyone obeys my command, they are out. The winner is the last guest remaining, and a prize can be given to this individual. This game works well after dinner, because there is not a lot of physicalities, and it will not interrupt the adults still eating.
29. Coke & Pepsi – This is a relay race, mainly for kids, and usually goes throughout the length of the dance floor. It is suggested that this game be played on a surface that is not smooth to avoid slipping. The object of the game is for the kids to choose partners, with each partner going to opposite sides of the floor. One side is nicknamed “Coke;” the other is called “Pepsi.” Similar to “Simon Says,” it is a command-oriented game. I alternate calling out either “Coke” or “Pepsi,î, and the children on that side of the dance floor run to the other side, ultimately sitting on their partner’s knee.
For instance, if I called “Coke”, the children on the “Coke” side would run across the floor, and sit on their “Pepsi” partners knee. The last child to successfully do this is out. That duo leaves the dance floor, and the game continues in this manner.
I can call out Seven-Up and Both Lines run to the middle and high 5 their partner, say Star Trek and everyone raises their right hand up and yells “BEAM ME UP SCOTTY”, or you can call out the name of the guest of honor and everyone points at them and yells out “YOU ARE THE GREATEST!” To mix things up, I will occasionally call out another soft drink, such as “root beer” or “Sprite” If any children move, they are out (similar to Simon Says). The last duo remaining is the winner, and prizes can be given to these children.
There is also one more soft drink involved and that is Dr. Pepper. If I say “Dr. Pepper, all the kids have to run to the center of the dance floor. For instance, if I play the song “Staying Alive,” then they will have to dance like John Travolta. If it is a country tune, then they might two-step. If it is a classical song, I may have them dance like ballerinas. The kids will really ham it up!