3 Easy Party Games For Seniors

You’re never too old, or too young, to have a little fun. And what better way to let loose, laugh, and have a good time than in the company of friends and loved ones playing a good, old-fashioned party game? Only, there’s no rule that specifically says the game must be old-fashioned. In fact, there are plenty of fresh party game ideas out there that don’t require anything more than some paper, a timer, and a few willing participants. So, if bingo has lost its thrill, or the thought of another action-packed evening huddled around a puzzle doesn’t quite conjure a smile, you’ll want to break out one of these easy-to-play games at your next senior party.

 

Game #1 –  “HINT DROP”

Two teams battle to give fellow teammates hints at guessing the correct word. You get as many hints as time allows, but only one guess to get it right. This game is especially fun when the people providing the hints and the person guessing are not on the same page.

What you need: Prepare several slips of paper, each with a word of your choice written on it. The zanier the words, the more fun and challenging the game. You’ll also need a timer.

How to play: Split your group into two teams with at least three people on each team. Each round consists of each team taking a turn while the other team watches. Round one begins with the first team (team A) selecting a person to be the designated guesser. The other members of the team will then take one of the slips of paper and each offer a one-word hint for the guesser to guess the word written on it.

Example: If the word on the paper was “water,” teammate #2 might say: “liquid;” teammate #3 might say “clear.” Teammates take turns (in order) dropping one-word hints until the guesser makes a guess. The guesser only gets one try to get it right. If they guess the wrong word, no point is awarded, and the team moves on to the next slip of paper. Team A continues guessing words for two minutes (or however long you designate each round). Once time is up, team A takes a seat and team B begins their turn. After both teams have gone, the round is over, and points are tallied. Subsequent rounds are repeated in the same fashion with a new guesser each time.

How to win: Determine how many rounds you will play. Each team keeps track of the correct number of guesses in each round. The team with the most points at the end of all the rounds wins.

 

Game #2 – “MOVIE BIDNESS”

Two teams battle for a chance to name the movie. The challenge is: word count matters. This game is great for those who know their movies and are quick on their feet.

What you need: Prepare several slips of paper, each with a movie title written on it. If you’d prefer, you can also play this game with song titles or another topic of your choosing. You will also need a buzzer or bell. If you don’t have either, have each team come up with a noise or action to distinguish as their “official” buzzer.

How to play: Split your group into two teams and put the buzzer on a table at the front of the room. A representative from each team will come forward on either side of the buzzer. The two players will look at a paper containing a movie title and then come up with a clue to help their respective team members guess the movie. But wait, there’s a catch. Each representative will first have to go head-to-head with the other team representative to bid on who gets to share their clue with their team. The player who bids the least number of words gets the honors. Remember, none of the words in the movie’s title can be in your clue.

Example: Both representatives are shown the movie title at the same time. The player to hit the buzzer first will then give their number-of-words bid. So, if the movie was “Ghostbusters,” the player representative might say “six words,” referring to the number of words in their clue (e.g.: I collect spores, molds, and fungus). If the other player thinks they can do better, they can bid a number less than six words. Players will go back and forth, bidding until one team concedes. The player who wins the bid will then offer the clue to their team to guess the movie. If the final bid for “Ghostbusters” was two words (e.g.: Peter Venkman), the team would have one chance to guess the right movie. If the team fails to guess the movie, the opposing team has one chance to steal half the point value with a correct guess. The game continues with two new players from the opposing teams until everyone has had a chance — or until you have reached the predetermined number of rounds.

How to win: The team with the most points at the end of the game wins. Two points are given for each correctly guessed movie on a winning bid. One point is given for each correctly guessed movie on a steal.

 

Game #3 – “CELEBRITY”

Two teams try to guess celebrities using words and actions. The challenge is, there are three rounds, and the rules change each round.

What you need: Prepare several slips of paper (10 per player). You will also need a few pens, a hat or bowl to hold the slips of paper, and a timer.

How to play: Split players into two teams. Give each participating player 10 slips of paper and have them write the name of a celebrity on each one. The game is more fun if you think of celebrities everyone (or most everyone) will know. Place all the names into a hat or bowl.

There will be three rounds of play, each using the exact same celebrity names — so pay close attention. Set the timer for two minutes (or however long you want) and decide which team will go first.

The first team member comes to the front and picks a name from the bowl. Once the team makes a correct guess, the next team member in line will come up and do the same. This continues until the timer runs out. When that happens, the other team begins their timed turn. If, at any point, a player decides to pass on a particular name, place the paper back in the bowl, careful not to disclose who it was since it is still in play. The round continues, going back and forth between teams, until the bowl is empty — ending the round. Each round will be played the same way, except for one main difference.

Round 1 – Players must describe the celebrity using only words, no actions. You can say anything except the celebrity’s name.

Round 2 – Players must use actions to act out the celebrity. No words.

Round 3 – Players must say only one word to describe the celebrity. Once that word is selected, they’re stuck with it until the team makes a correct guess.

How to win: Keep track of how many celebrities each team guesses correctly in each round. The team that has the most correct after all three rounds wins.

 

Live your best retired life at Summit Vista. Enjoy delicious and nutritious meals in multiple dining venues, work up a sweat in our fitness center, engage in life-changing wellness programs, and more. Contact our retirement counselors online or call 801-758-3138 to learn how you can live life to the fullest in our award winning senior living community.