Hobbies And Interests
Icebreaker Games
Often you need a good game to break the ice at the beginning of a birthday party. Hand out sheets of stickers to all your guests. The players all have to try to get rid of all the stickers on their sheets by placing them on each other without getting caught. If someone catches a player giving him a sticker, the sticker gets returned to the one who placed it. The person with the lfewest stickers on his sheet after 10 minutes wins the game.
For another game, gather the guests into a circle. They throw a ball around the circle. Every time a player receives the ball, she has to say her name and add a word. Everyone has to recite the pattern of names and words, otherwise they have to leave the circle. The game continues until only one player remains and wins.
Water Games
Head outside for some water games if you have a summer party. Play water limbo by having all your guests line up and move under a limbo stick held by two volunteers. Lower the stick after every revolution. Every time a player touches the limbo stick, she gets sprayed with water and leaves the line. The last person remaining wins.
For another game, give the guests some water guns and have them all play tag. Instead of "It" tagging the players to get them out, he squirts them with his gun.
Relay Games
Try relay games to get everyone's blood flowing. Wrap several food items--both tasty and not-so-tasty--until you have as many wrapped foods as you have players. Place the items in two paper bags so you have equal amounts of food in each. Place the two paper bags about two feet apart from each other at one end of the play area. Divide the players into two teams and stand them parallel to each other, at the other end of the room from the bags. When you say "Go," the first players in each team race to their respective bags, choose and unwrap an item and eat it, no matter what it is. The first team to have its bag empty wins the game.
Try another relay game that involves players holding uncooked eggs on spoons as they race against each other to a finish line and back. If a player's egg breaks, he has to start over from the beginning. The first player back wins. This game is best played outdoors.
Balloon Games
Use up your leftover balloons with these two games. Divide all the players into pairs. Hand each pair a balloon and have them place the balloon between their backs. Once all of the pairs have their balloons ready, start the game. The pairs all squeeze their backs together to pop their balloons. The first pair to do this wins the game.
For more of a challenge, have individual players race against each other to a finish line with balloons in between their legs. The first player to the finish line wins.