Parties are for celebrations and to break up the monotony of every day. It gives us something to look forward to. Here are some great party themes and games to try out.

Birthday parties are great since everyone has one! But there are many other kinds of parties to get everyone involved too. Tea parties can bring out the more sophisticated side of the otherwise silly or despondent. Christmas is an uplifting season of love and sharing and these parties are great for tradition, memories and sentiment. Other seasonal parties to consider are Thanksgiving, Easter, Spring, and Autumn.

Senior’s can participate in the making of the party decorations and even some of the party games.

Here are some more party theme ideas:

• • Valentine’s party
  • St. Patrick’s Day party
  • Luau party
  • Halloween party
  • Thanksgiving party
  • Western party
  • Era party (20’s, 30’s, 40’s, 50’s, 60’s, 70’s or 80’s!)
  • Slumber party (everyone in their jammies!)
  • Canada Day party
  • 4th of July party
  • Tea party
  • Pirate party
  • Superbowl party
  • Easter party
  • Costume party
  • Cruise party

Here are some party game ideas:

Hot Potato Game

Play the hot potato game with a bean bag or ball, something that won’t break or injure someone who is trying to catch it. Start passing the bean bag when the music starts and when the music stops the person caught holding the ‘hot potato’ sits out and the game keeps going until there is only one winner.

Much like “hot potato” try to keep a balloon (or as many balloons as you like) in the air for the length of a whole song or while the music plays. Someone not involved in the game would have to be in charge of the music. There are many varieties you can do for this game.

Balloon Drawing
Using permanent markers, everyone can draw whatever they like on the balloons (faces are the most popular).

Name That Tune
Self explanatory, isn’t it? Someone in control of the music plays clips of different music pieces and the party guests have to try to guess the name of the tune.

Sing Along’s
These are a great party activity for everyone to join in and sing together some of their favorites like Christmas songs, hymns or old classics.

Bean Bag Toss (also called the Cornhole game)
This can be a packaged game or a self made game. Toss the bean bags into different holes in the game board such as a clown. The holes for the mouth or eyes may have different point values than a hole at the feet or in the middle of the game board. You could also assign point values to the distance of the toss.

•  To make your own bean bag toss game you can use a large, but sturdy, cardboard or plywood with holes cut out. You may wish to draw a figure such a snowman, clown or something else on the game board to go with the theme of your party.
• To make your own bean bags just cut pieces of cloth or felt about 5 inches square. Using two pieces together sew three of the sides, turn inside out and fill with dry beans or rice, then sew the remaining side closed. Be careful not to overfill the bags.

Pin the Tail on the Donkey (or nose on the reindeer, or egg in the basket, etc).

This is a game sure to make everyone laugh. It is also modifiable to any party theme or holiday.

Secret Stocking

Fill a stocking with items such as a brooch, egg slicer, tape dispenser, and things that may be only a little difficult to tell what they are as felt through the outside of the stocking. Pass the stocking around to everyone and let them feel through to try to tell what the items inside are. The person who can guess the most items correctly wins.

Who Are You

(You could be Christmas or Halloween Characters, or even other senior residents)

Prepare name tags of character names and stick one on the back of every party guest or senior. They must go around asking others questions about their own character to find out who they are, but the person they ask may only answer ‘yes’ and ‘no’.

These are just some of the fun party activities and games you could use at parties you are planning. More party games will be added over time. We’d also love for you to submit your own party game suggestions. Please go to the contact page and send us your idea!

 

Minute to Win It is a prime time NBC game show hosted by Guy Fieri. Contestants take part in a series of 60-second challenges that use objects that are commonly available around the house.
– Wikipedia

The contestant is presented with the blueprint for the first game and must successfully complete a game within 60 seconds to win $1,000 and advance to the next level. After successfully completing the first, fifth, eighth, and recently ninth level games, the contestant is guaranteed to leave with no less than the cash award for those levels.

Obviously the games and time limits can (and should) be modified for seniors and their abilities to perform various challenges.

---

Here are some videos to other party games!

Don’t Say Turkey (A Thanksgiving Game)