Party Games on a Budget

You’ve put all of the money for your party budget into the food and beverages. There’s still the entertainment to think about. You don’t have to spend a fortune to keep your guests happy and enjoying themselves. And you don’t have to.

Here are some ideas for party games on a budget.

Charades
It’s a traditional favorite, but charades never fails to entertain. Young and old alike can participate in this classic guessing game. Guests play the game by acting out or miming the secret clue to their team for them to guess what it is. Either way, plan ahead by writing down a variety of clues and having them available in a bowl or a box for guests to choose randomly. Clues can be from: movies, televisions shows, songs, quotes, sayings, food, sports, poem, animal, location, event, etc. Just make sure everyone knows your house rules before the game gets started.

Twister
Twister is another fun party game where people will get to interact with others. You can play this with kids or make it an all-adult game. It’s a great way to get singles out of the corner and participating. The game is played on a mat that you place on the floor. You can make one with a plain white sheet and colored magic markets. There are four rows of colored circles in yellow, red, blue, and green. A spinner comes with the game to give you action and direction for your left and right foot, as well as your left and right hand. It also has the four colors on it. A player spins and acts out what is directed by the spinner, for example: “left foot blue.” The more people on the board, the funnier and crazier the results. There’s no limit to how many people can play. You’re the host…you make the rules.

Win, Lose, or Draw
This game is very much like a mix of Charades and Pictionary, only it’s a do-it-yourself home version. A secret clue is given to each team for them to guess. Just have an easel, an oversized pad of paper (from local office supply store), and several magic markers. However, this game is all about drawing out the clue, which can make for some raw hilarity. Have an egg time handy so that each team has the same fair amount of time to guess their clues. Topics should come from the following categories: people/places/animals, object, action, difficult words. You can write these out ahead of time and keep them in separate bowls for your teams to choose from. Set a limit to how long you’ll play the game and the team with the most correct answers win.

Balderdash
If you’re good at bluffing and using your imagination, then this is the game for you. You can also construct a homemade version, as well, which is explained here. Before your guests arrive, use your dictionary to formulate uncommon or hard to spell words. Have the correct definition written out for each one. To play, all players roll a die and the highest roll gets to be the “dasher.” The dasher chooses a word and reads it out loud to everyone. Players write down what they believe the definition is of the word. This is your chance to get creative if you don’t know what the word means. Everyone passes their definition to the dasher who then reads all of the definitions, including the real one. Players vote on what they think is the real meaning. Anyone who submits the correct answer gets three points. If a player guesses the correct definition, it’s two points. Players get one point for each player who chooses the wrong definition that they wrote. The dasher gets three points if no one gets the correct answer at all. Think of the side-splitting laughs you’ll get from this fun game.





Criss White writes about entertainment and party topics. To check out some more party games and baby shower game ideas, visit Baby Shower Ideas.

Board Games that are Good for Playing at Parties

You’re having a party and you want everyone to interact. What’s better than pulling out a board game so everyone can have fun together? Sure, you could stick to traditional favorites like Yahtzee, Monopoly, or Sorry, but why not mix things up with some modern board games made especially for party crowds. These games not only enhance socialization, but they’re entertaining, fun, and can have your guests laughing long after the party is over.

Here are some board games that are great for playing at parties.

Scene It
This is actually a series of games on DVDs that you plan on your television that offers visual and challenging trivia questions for your guests to answer on television shows, movies, sports, music, and other pop-culture related issues. Fun for all ages.

Apples to Apples
This popular card-based—Mensa approved—game is best for four to ten players and can last up to an hour. It is all about word matches and comparisons. The board game comes in many varieties from Kids edition, to Disney edition, to Bible and Spanish editions. Watch out, though, because Apples to Apples can pit grandmother against grandchild, husband against wife and even best friends against neighbors.

Pictionary
This game has been around since the mid 80s and is perfect party pleaser. Much like Charades, Pictionary is based on a secret clue that each team has to guess. However, this game is all about drawing out the clue, which can make for some unabashed hilarity.

Family Feud
This board game is based on the long-running television game show that pits families against each others for the top answers to a question. Divide your guests into competing teams for this family fun.

Trivial Pursuit
This game always proves to be a crowd pleaser. Available in several versions, pick the one most appropriate to your audiences, whether it includes the kids or is for adults-only. This is perfect for guests to show off their “useless” knowledge of pop culture and other categories.

Balderdash
This board game is all about trivial knowledge and the ability to bluff your way out of a situation. Guests guess the definition of obscure words and then try to get points for either knowing the right answer, or convincing others that their incorrect answer is the best.

Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?
Just like the television show, this board games gives you the chance to prove if you are or aren’t indeed able to answer fifth grade level trivia questions. Play this one with your younger guests or simply make it all-adult to see who’s the smartest in the bunch

Dirty Minds
For your all-adult crowd, this game is a revealing look at what people will or won’t tell. Questions are asked and you’re asked for the answer. The dirtier your mind, the funnier the game will be as this board game is billed to be “the cleanest dirty game."

Twister
If you’re looking for an ice breaker, there’s nothing better than the classic game of Twister to get people out of their seats and meeting each other. This game guarantees laughter and even a little exercise and is appropriate for all ages.





Criss White writes about entertainment and party topics. To check out some more party games and baby shower game ideas, visit Baby Shower Ideas.