Party Games. Before the Party Games

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Before the Party Games

What do you do while your guests are arriving? They don't all show up at the same time, and you don't want to start opening presents or eating food or playing anything major when several guests are still expected. The games in this section can help you to keep the party going when the party isn't quite ready to get going.

Odd Bean (Ages 9-12, 13-18, Adult)
Feather Up! (Ages 6-8, 9-12, 13-18, Adult)
Balloon Head (Ages 6-8, 9-12)
Card Flip (Ages 6-8, 9-12, 13-18, Adult)
Blind Card Flip (Ages 9-12, 13-18, Adult)
Umbrella Bounce (Ages 6-8, 9-12, 13-18, Adult)
Nut Pitching (Ages 6-8, 9-12, 13-18, Adult)

Odd Bean up

Players: Unlimited

Equipment: 12 beans for every player, plus same extras for beans that get lost;
Small bags (plastic sandwich bags are fine), one for each player

Preparation: Measure out the beans, putting 12 in each plastic bag,
so you can hand sets to the players as they arrive

This game is a great one to play before a party starts. People can join it as they arrive, and it can go on as long as you want.
Opening his bag of 12 beans, one player - let's say Gregory - puts a few beans in one fist, stretches it out toward another player and asks, "Odds or evens?" If the other player - Connie - guesses correctly that Gregory's closed fist has an odd number of beans in it, she collects those beans. If she guesses wrong, she has to turn over that many beans to Gregory. The object, of course, is to collect all the beans. When you want to stop playing, the winner is the one with the most beans.
Print version

Feather Up! up

Players: Unlimited

Equipment: A feather for each group;
Watch with a second hand or a stop watch

Preparation: None

How long can you keep a feather up in the air, just by blowing it? Here's your chance to find out. Keep a stop watch or check the second hand of your watch as players try. The one who manages to keep the feather up longest wins.
You can make a full game of this, if you want. Divide the group into 2 or 3 smaller groups. Everyone in each group joins hands while the leaders throw the fathers up in the air. The group that keeps its feather up longest wins.
Print version

Balloon Head up

Players: Unlimited - one at a time

Equipment: Balloons;
Paper and pencil for recording scores

Preparation: None

How long can you keep a feather up in the air, just by blowing it? Here's your chance to find out. Keep a stop watch or check the second hand of your watch as players try. The one who manages to keep the feather up longest wins.
Print version

Card Flip up

Players: Unlimited - one at a time

Equipment: A shoe box or man's hat;
An old desk of cards

Preparation: None

Set the open hat (or shoe box) on the floor from 6 to 10 feet (2 to 3 m) from the door. The door sill is the starting line, and each player must stand on the far side of it. You may not step over the door sill, and if you lean so far over that you lose your balance, you automatically lose.
Each player then flips, snaps, tosses or sails 5 cards, one at a time, trying to get them into the hat. When all the cards have been flipped, count one for each card that got in.
Print version

Blind Card Flip up

Players: Unlimited - one at a time

Equipment: A shoe box or man's hat;
An old desk of cards;
A chair

Preparation: None

Place the open hat (or shoe box) on the floor behind the chair. Then have each player flip, toss or sail a dozen cards, one at a time, over the back of the chair in an attempt to get them in the hat.
Winner is the player who manages to sail the most cards into the hat.
Print version

Umbrella Bounce up

Players: Unlimited - one at a time

Equipment: An umbrella;
A ball (a rubber ball, a tennis ball, or a Ping Pong ball will do)

Preparation: Set up the bowls, one inside the other, and place both in the dishpan

Open the umbrella and set it upside down on the ground. Mark a starting line about 10 to 15 (3 to 5 m) away and use a "live" ball that bounces well.
The object is to bounce the ball into the umbrella so that it stays in. You can't toss it in directly - the ball must bounce once.
Each player gets 5 or 10 turns, depending on how many players you have and how much time you want to spend playing this game. Each ball that stays in the umbrella scores one point.
Print version

Nut Pitching up

Players: Unlimited - one at a time

Equipment: A bag of nuts (peanuts in the shell are fine);
A dishpan;
2 bowls or pans of widely different sizes that will fit into the dishpan

Preparation: Set up the bowls, one inside the other, and place both in the dishpan

Let players take turns to throw three nuts into the center (the smallest) bowl. Putting some water in the larger pans will make the target float, which is interesting! Score 5 points for nuts that are thrown (and stay) in the center bowl, 3 for the lager bowl, 1 for the dishpan. Player with the highest score wins.
Print version