GAME #1: MAKING MONEY

Needed: mirror, in large juice or Gatorade bottles, tablespoons, popcorn

Players: two teams of four or more
Object: to spend popcorn into bottle
Each participant is given the juice bottle and a tablespoon. On a table in front of a big mirror is a
dish of buttered, air popped popcorn. Object is to spoon as much popcorn as possible into the
bottle in three tries -- holding the bottle upright on head with the right hand and, while looking
into the mirror, using left hand to spoon. The player then dumps out popcorn and counts the
kernels he or she was able to spoon into the bottle. Each kernel counts for one dollar. Teams total
up there take; side that "makes the most money" wins the game.
GAME #2: FEATHER HAT
Needed: paper plates, ribbon or string, feathers, timer or watch
Players: any number from two on
Object: Keith feathers in the plate
Each player must "wear a feather hat to the store." The hat is a paper plate tied on to the player's
head with ribbons or string. The leader places five loose, fluffy feathers on the plate after the
player has tied it on. Leader then times each player's trip from a starting line to end of room and
back. Winner makes trip in the least time, losing fewest feathers. Can be played by teams as a
relay race or individually.
GAME #3: MUSICAL PARTNERS
Needed: plenty of space, music or whistle
Players: any number of partners
Object: to outguess music
This is musical chairs without the chairs and, if necessary, without the music. It is a game young
children love. First they choose partners. Music is played if a piano, radio, or CD player is
available. When the music begins, children walk away from their partners. When the music stops,
each rushes back to partner, takes partners hands in his and both sit down. Both stand up and
move away again when the music starts. The last two partners to sit down each time must leave
the game until one pair is left -- the winners. Fun comes when musical intervals are shortened
and everybody bobs up and down furiously. In place of music you can use a whistle -- one blast as
signal to move away from partners, to blast as signal to return. You can also choose to alternate
the game by allowing children to squat rather than completely sit down.
GAME #4: GOOFY ART
Needed: paper, pencils, dice
Players: any number from four on
Object: to draw a composite "portrait"
Goofy art is just right for a "quiet down". After several lively games. Everybody gets a long sheet
of paper and a pencil. First, each player prints his or her name on the top of the paper, fold it out
of sight. An adult or leader rolls the dice, and children, and pass this paper to the right as many
times as the dice reveal. Next, every body draws a hat, fold it out of sight, passes paper along
again with the help of the dice. Thereafter, players add a neck, upper body parts, lower part with
legs and finally the feet, each time folding paper and passing along. Since the dice are rolled
before each new drawing is passed along, the number of spaces that each paper travels will vary.
Once all of the drawings have been completed, ask each child to look at the paper showing the
original child's name. The entire stack of drawings must then be returned to the named child,
who will then begin to piece together his or her "portrait." When the portraits are revealed to our
original owner of the paper, there will be shouts of laughter and very few "it -- looks -- just -- like
me's!"
GAME #5: SEVEN-LEAGUE BOOTS
Needed: four brown paper bags, chair
Players: two teams of six or more
Object: run without tearing or losing "boots"
Teams form lines behind their captains at a starting line. At opposite end of room is a chair with
space enough behind it for players to pass around. Capt. Of each team is given his or her "magic
boots" -- two paper bags big enough for them to wear over their shoes. At signal, captains put on
boots, as tried swiftly but carefully to chair, past behind it, returned to their lines. They must take
off the boots, handed them to the second player, who then puts them on and repeats the
performance. The first player retires to the end of the line. The first team with the captain back at
the head of the line, and who still have boots without holes or tears, is the winner.
GAME #6: NOAH'S ARK
Needed: two decks of cards
Players: any number from 3 to 10
Object: get rid of one's cards
Shuffle two decks of cards together. Deal into piles in front of players. ( some children may get an
extra card, but that is okay) all players must adopt an animal name like bear,, squirrel, etc.
Players turn cards face up in succession. Whenever a turned-up card matches one already
showing, the two owners of matching cards must shout aloud the opponent's animal name. The
one who first calls the right name adds his pile of face up cards to bottom of losers face up pile.
Game continues until one player gets rid of all his cards. During game, when all the cards a player
has art and his face up pile, he simply turns pile over and continues. Players who pick the longest
animal names have an advantage, since their names may be hard to recall in a hurry.
GAME #7: ORBIT
Needed: blindfolds, large table
Players: two ( with an audience)
Object: to catch opponent
No party is complete without a blindfold game. For this long-time favorite with an up-to-date
name, two players, designated as Earth man and spaceman, are blindfolded and led to opposite
sides of a table facing each other. Neither knows for sure whether the other is or in which the
action he will move. Earth man must try to catch spaceman and spaceman elude Earth man, but
each must keep one hand touching the "launching pad" ( the table) at all times. At a signal Earth
man stalks spaceman, who in turn, listening intently, tries to move away from his pursuers.
audience must keep as quiet as possible, which will be difficult in view of the leaps and dodges of
the players. If Earth man does not touch spaceman within two minutes, spaceman wins.
Otherwise, Earth man is victor and considers himself in orbit.
GAME #8: ORANGE ANKLES
Needed: two oranges
Players: two teams of six or more
Object: to keep orange moving
Let every body sit side-by-side in chairs, facing each other into equal lines. Leader places and
orange between the outstretched ankles of each team captain. The captain must then transfer the
orange to the outstretched ankles of the next player without using his or her hands. Player two
passes the orange along to player three in the same manner. Game ends when one side gets the
orange safely down the entire line. Leader replaces orange when it rolls off an ankle and drops to
the floor. A different version of this game requires the leader to start over at the beginning of the
line anytime the orange hits the ground.

Tips for Successful Game Leader
Get attention of the group.
Stand where everyone can see you.
Use the other adults as helpers.
Groups will cooperate better if they know what is going to happen.
Plan your activities to move easily from game to game. For instance, if everyone is
seated, then play two or three "sitting" games.
Stop the game before interest lags.
Arrange competing teams so they are equal in strength and skill.
Change the activity before the group gets bored.
Change the rules to meet the situation.
If there is something missing, improvise.
Learn to use whatever materials are available.
Treasure Hunt
Divide kids into teams 1through 4 depending on how many are at the party. Make up clues
and scatter them all over the house (and outside, too, if weather permits). Each clue leads to
the next and at the end of the trail is a treasure for the team, for example, food, party
favors, or prizes.
Hint: Color code clues so teams only find their own clues. Time the hunt and see which team
gets done first.
String Treasure Hunt
Take colored strings and wind them all over your property, inside and outside. Up the stairs
and then back down. Over and under furniture, beds and chairs. Teams must wind up their
roll of string to find the treasure at the end of the roll.
Scavenger Hunts
Scavenger hunts are a lot of fun, there are many variations on the idea. The key to a
successful scavenger hunt is to think about who the players will be and make clues and items
that will appeal to them. After you decide what type of scavenger hunt you will have, you
need to spend some time coming up with a list of items to collect or activities to complete.
Here are some fun ideas:
Video Scavenger Hunt - Players use video recorders to record themselves doing the silly
things on their list. When all the groups get back together, they watch the tapes.
Picture Scavenger Hunt - Players use Polaroid cameras to photograph the crazy things on
their list.
Neighborhood Scavenger Hunt - Players go out on foot in your immediate neighborhood to
follow the instructions on their list.
Mall Scavenger Hunt - Players are set loose in the mall to follow the instructions on their list.
(This works well with the camera!)
Mail Call
This game is usually played as an icebreaker. Have your group sit in a circle so there are no
gaps. (It may be helpful to use chairs if possible.) Someone stands in the center of the circle
and says, "Mail Call for everyone who is wearing red." Then all the people who have red on
get up and switch chairs with someone else who had red on. Players cannot sit in a chair
immediately beside them or in their own chair. The object is for the person in the middle to
get a chair before someone else can. It's similar to musical chairs.
Note: The person in the middle does not have to be wearing red. Be creative, some other
examples you can use are: "Mail Call for everyone who ... has a dog, has a sister, likes to eat
pizza, drove in a car to get here, wears braces, hates math." The list is endless!
Honey I Love You
Honey I Love You, is another icebreaker that's fun to play. Your group should be sitting in a
circle again with one person in the middle. The person in the middle can go to anyone in the
circle and say "Honey I love you, won't you give me a smile?" The person who was asked the
question has to answer back "Honey I love you, but I just can't smile" (without smiling.) The
person in the middle can do anything to the other person to make them smile except touch
them. You have to be the judge as to what you call smiling.
Back to Back
Have youth start in groups of two or three people. Have the pair (or trio) sit on the floor back
to back. The youth need to bend their knees and link elbows. On the count of three they try
to stand up. It may take a few tries before the group is successful!
Next have the individual groups combine to make a larger circle. Combine circles until you
have everyone work together to stand at the same time.
Guess What?
This is another relay game. Divide the group evenly. Have the first person from each team
run across the room to a paper sack (each team has a sack.) In the bag are a bunch of
different foods wrapped in tin foil. Each person has to take a food article and eat it - no
matter what it is! Then run back to their team and let the next person go. Some food ideas:
candy, liverwurst, pizza, or onions. Warn everyone that they may be in for a surprise! Check
with the youth about food allergies before playing this game.
Head to Toe
This is also played as an icebreaker. Have your group split itself into pairs of twos. Have one
partner be "A" and one partner be "B." Group "A" forms an inner circle and walks clockwise.
Group "B" would make an outer circle walking counter-clockwise. The leader would put some
music on and when he turns it off, the group would stop and have to do what he/she says.
The leader, when the music is stopped, would then have to put his/her head to his/her
partner's toe. You eliminate couples when they are the last ones to do what you told them to
do.
Note: Do different things like "nose to knee" and "cheek to cheek."
Oranges 1
Each team is lined up with one orange per team. The object is to pass the orange to the end
of the line by using only your neck and chin. If you drop the orange, you have to start back
at the beginning.
Oranges 2
This is a fun race game. You will need two oranges and one pair of old pantyhose for each
racer. Place one orange into the leg of the pantyhose and then tie the pantyhose around the
waist of the racer. The orange leg should hang down towards the ground and swing between
their legs. Using the "third leg" players tap the second orange on the floor in front of them
and race to the finish line. The first player and orange to cross the finish line wins.
Note.- This is a great game for a tournament. Hold practice runs, then elimination races, and
finally a championship race.
Guess the Phrase
You need two teams for this game with an adult serving as referee. Before the party, think of
phrases, TV shows, movies, etc. that your group would easily guess and put them on index
cards. You may want to follow a theme (example: Christmas or summer vacation) or just say
"anything goes!" Team members take a turn drawing and guessing. Everyone on the team
must take a turn drawing! The team that draws has an opportunity to guess the phrase and
receives a point if guessed correctly within 1 1/2 minutes. (You may want to use a kitchen
timer or use a timer from another game you already have.) The other team does the same.
Drawings must be completed without any words or gestures. Teams alternate back and forth
guessing and drawing.
If the phrase isn't guessed within the time limit; the other team gets a free guess and can
steal the point.
Note: A fun twist on this game is to allow your teams to think up the words or phrases to be
drawn. Each team makes up the clues that the other team has to draw and guess.
Wink'Um
Have your group sit in a circle. With a deck of cards, have each player take a card until
everyone has one. If there are seven players, take seven cards from the deck then pass
those around. Make sure one of the cards is an ace of spades. The person who receives that
ace secretly winks at the other players. If you are winked at, you say, "I'm dead" and throw
your card in the middle. The object is to guess who has the ace of spades. If you think you
know, state that you want to guess. If you're wrong, you forfeit and die - if you are right, you
win.
Around the Table Ping Pong
For this game you need a ping pong table, two paddles, one ball, and from 5-15 people.
Everyone is spread out around the table, and the two people on either end have the paddles.
One person serves, drops the paddle on the table and moves in a clockwise direction around
the table. The person on his left moves in and picks up the paddle to return the ball.
Everyone gets a chance to hit the ball, and really has to move fast! Everyone is allowed two
misses and then they are out. When there are two people remaining, they must hit the ball,
place the paddle down, turn around, pick up the paddle, and return the ball, until one of them
misses and is out.
King Elephant
This is a game of memory and laughter! Here's how it works. Players sit in a circle and
everyone decides what animal they will be and what hand signal they will use to reflect that
animal. For example; someone may be a worm and wiggle their finger or be a duck and bend
their arms and "flap them" like wings. One person is King Elephant and their signal is holding
their arm out in front of their face like an elephant trunk. King Elephant is the "head" of the
circle and there should be an empty chair or empty space between him/her and the next
player, who is the back of the circle.
When play begins King Elephant starts. King Elephant makes his/her signal and then another
player's animal signal. That player then has to make their signal and another player's animal
signal. Play continues uninterrupted until someone goofs! The player who goofs goes to the
back of the play circle and all other players move up.
The goal of each player is to become King Elephant. This can happen when King Elephant
makes a mistake and has to go to the end of the line. King Elephant then has to become
whatever animal the new King Elephant was and use this new signal. The new King Elephant
has to remember that they are now the King Elephant signal. It gets confusing and that is
part of the fun!
Note: It may be a good idea to set a time limit on play or just let the group keep playing until
you see that the interest and enthusiasm is lagging.
Hand Pat
Players form a circle, cross arms, and lay their hands flat on the table or floor. Someone is
picked to start the pat and each hand pats the table in its turn. If someone pats their hand
twice, then the direction changes and the patting goes the other way. Remember, your arms
are crossed so you have to watch carefully and wait your turn to pat! If someone lifts their
hand to pat when it is not their turn, or does not pat when it is their turn, that hand is out.
Play continues until there is only one hand that has not made a mistake left in the circle.
Hi, Larry
Players sit in a circle and say the following to one another: Player A, "Hi, Larry." Player B,
"What, Larry?" Player A, "Tell, Larry."
This short dialogue goes around and around the circle and only changes if someone makes a
mistake. After a player makes one mistake they become "One Dot." After the player makes a
second mistake, they become "Two Dot." A third mistake and the player is out. Players must
remember what level everyone is so they can call them the right name. For example, your
dialogue might be, "Hi, Larry. What, One dot? Tell, Two Dot." Or any variation! The game
gets going fast and is very fun!
Coin Toss/Hand Squeeze Race
Players form two teams. The teams sit on the floor in lines, facing each other. At the head of
the lines, the "referee" sits between the two players with a coin. At the end of the line, a
small ball or other item sits in the middle of the last two players. All the team members hold
hands and close their eyes. The only team members who can keep their eyes open are the
two at the head of the lines. They watch as the referee flips the coin. If it lands tails, nothing
happens. If it lands heads, the hand squeezing begins! It is a race to squeeze hands quick
enough so that your team member at the end of the line can be the first to grab the ball or
other item in the middle. The winning team gets to rotate their players down one. The game
is over when a team has rotated all their players through the line.
All Tied Up
The group is going to get "all tied up" and try to get untied. Stand in a circle close to each
other and have the youth place their hands in the center of the group. Grab the hand of
someone across the circle. Make sure that youth are not holding both hands of the same
person. It might take some time to do some hand switching to make this work right.
Without letting go of each other's hands try to untie the mess they created. Be careful not to
let youth twist someone's arm too much. Allow youth to let go long enough to keep from
hurting each other. When they are all untied you will end up with one large circle or two
smaller circles.
Airplane Bonko
Any number can play. Have 4-6 kids per table. Designate a head table and number the rest
2, 3, 4, etc. Materials: pair of dice for every table, wrapped packages that will be given away
at the end of the game, a bell, buzzer or whistle to get attention, and pads of paper and
pencils for every player.
Play begins with a player rolling dice (2) at each table. Each player tries to roll "1's" - a
player earns 1 point for every "1" that he rolls on either dice. If the player rolls double "1's"
on the first round, he receives 25 points and gets to pick a package from the prize table. If
he rolls doubles of any other number, he receives 5 points. If he rolls double "3's" at any
time, he loses all points and his turn. Player one keeps rolling until he has rolled no points or
counters on the dice. Play continues with each player taking his/her turn and adding up
points until a player at the head table reaches 50 points, blows a whistle, and stops the
round.
The two top scoring players at all tables (except the head table) rotate up a table - the 2 low
players stay at the table. The top scores at the head table stay there and the losing 2 players
go down to a lower table.
Top table signals when ready to begin Round 2.
Second Round-All players try to roll "2's."
Third Round - All players try to roll "4's." (Skip "3's" because three's cause a player to lose a
turn and all their points.)
Continue to go up to "6's" and back down to "1's" to the end of the game.
As play continues, packages will be removed from the prize table so players will be taking
gifts away from players who have already taken a prize earlier. Whoever has a package at
the end of the last round unwraps the prize and gets to keep it.

Party Food - Snacks
Carmel Corn
6-8 qt. popped corn (no salt)
2 sticks margarine
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup white corn syrup
1 tsp. salt (optional)
Cook to soft ball stage at 245F.
After syrup is cooked, remove from heat. Add 1/2 tsp. baking soda, 1-1/2 tsp. vanilla and
stir. It will become foamy. Dribble over popcorn and mix. Put in oven at 250F. Bake 40
minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Enjoy!
Makes 20 to 24 one cup servings.
Gorp
1 box unfrosted cereal
1 large box raisins
1 jar dry roasted peanuts
1 large package candy-coated chocolate pieces
Mix in large bowl. Serve.
Makes 20 one cup servings.
Yummy Fruit Dip
1 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp orange juice
1 jar marshmallow creme
Soften cream cheese. Cream ingredients together. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve
with fresh fruit.
Makes 15 one tablespoon servings.

Pumpkin/Peanut Butter Dip
3/4 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Combine all of the ingredients above. Cut apples, bananas and other fruit into bite-sized
pieces to serve with the dip. Serve as a snack or with the meal.
Makes 20 to 24 one tablespoon servings.
Taco Wings
Whisk together 1/4 cup catsup, 2 tsp. cider vinegar, 2 tsp. brown sugar and 1 package taco
seasoning mix. Pour over 3 lbs. of chicken wings (remove tip portion and cut remainder into
2 pieces.) Microwave on high for 12 minutes.
Makes 10 two-piece servings.
Taco Dip
8 oz. cream cheese
8 oz. sour cream
1 pkg. Taco seasoning mix
Mix all ingredients with hand mixer. Spread on plate or cookie sheet. Top with shredded
lettuce, diced tomatoes, diced green onions and shredded cheddar cheese. Serve with nacho
chips. This can be doubled easily - assemble near party time to prevent a soggy dip!
Makes 16 one tablespoon servings.

OTHER EASY TO PLAY GAMES:-
1. "Pin The Head On The Dolly,"
2. "Stick The Ice Cream On The Cone,"
3. "Put The Spoon In The Babies Mouth,"
4. "Put Key In The Lock."
5. "Treasure HUNT