Children’s parties
Choose age-appropriate activities that don’t last too long and keep every child engaged.
Duck duck goose
Ring around the rosie
Scavenger hunts
Balloon burst
Origami boat races
Musical chairs
Relay races
Slip ‘n slide
Freeze dance
Egg and spoon race
Pin the tail on the donkey
Bounce house
Face painting
Simon says
Egg hunt (for Easter/Spring)
Mummy wraps (for Halloween)
Turkey sock-puppet crafting (for Thanksgiving)
Santa visit (for Christmas)
Casual small parties with friends
Choose activities that only require a few players.
Horseshoe
Card and board games
Tabletop role playing games
Fantasy sports
Ping pong
Pool
Backyard putt-putt
Mafia (requires game leader)
Pumpkin carving (for Halloween)
Potluck lunch/dinner (for Thanksgiving)
Secret santa gift exchange (for Christmas)
Casual large parties with friends
Choose activities and games that can accomodate large groups (or teams) and don’t necessarily require a game-leader.
Dancing (with live band or DJ)
Ping pong tournament
Scavenger hunt
Themed attire (and costume contest)
Flippy cup (tournament style with teams)
Backyard sports (volleyball, soccer, touch football, capture the flag)
Dunking booth
Raffle (with prizes)
Photo booth (or photographer with backdrop)
Small family gatherings
Choose activities friendly for all ages.
Board games (Monopoly, Jenga, Uno, Sorry)
Card games (Poker, Gin, Hearts)
Dice games (Yahtzee, Farkle)
Taboo
Charades
Heads up! (phone app game)
Family trivia
Scary movie night (for Halloween)
White elephant (gift exchange for Christmas)
Family photo captioning
Large family gatherings
Plan to hold activities and games friendly for all ages that can accommodate many people (as singles or in teams).
Dancing (with live band or DJ)
Family talent show
Cook or bake-off competitions
Cutest pet competition
Raffle (with prizes)
Karaoke
Family trivia (Jeopardy style in teams)
Adult birthdays
Choose activities that focus on the person having a birthday or correspond to their interests.
Birthday hot seat (trivia)
Wine tasting
Mixology class
Boozy painting
Murder mystery
Outdoor barbeque
Pool party
Karaoke
Film screening
Themed attire (e.g., Roaring 20s, Lord of the Rings, Hawaiian Luau)
Cake swap (potluck)
Casino games
Weddings
Choose activities that interest people of both families and all ages.
Dancing (with live band or DJ)
Captioning photos of the couple
Casino games
Board games
Giant jenga
Giant checkers
Ring toss
Corn hole
Dance-off
Photo booth (or selfie backdrop)
Bride and groom trivia
Scavenger hunt
DIY dessert station
Caricature art
Bride and groom doodles (art contest)
Baby showers
Choose baby and/or parent-focused activities that are thoughtful, humorous, and/or creative.
Decorate a onesie
Make alphabet books
Make/decorate baby toys (e.g., wooden blocks, shapes, rattles)
Make nursery dreamcatchers
Write letters to future child
New parent-themed mad libs
Dirty-diaper chocolate bar (guessing game)
Guess the gender
Guess the name (or help name the baby if undecided)
Predict baby’s facial features game (with cut-up photos of parents’ features)
DIY cupcake bar
