| A couple of years ago as one of our family | | | | charades, the game where you mime out the |
| parties wound down, one of my mother's | | | | title of a book, movie or television |
| friends said, "What a wonderful party - it's | | | | programme. Well, we find that they're a |
| so wonderful to laugh. We don't laugh enough | | | | little too easy...We play this with one |
| these days, don't you think? "Our family | | | | person setting the charades for two teams to |
| parties are, well, different than most other | | | | work their way through. We normally use the |
| parties. The main difference between our | | | | same list, jumbled up so that they aren't |
| parties and other parties is - party games. | | | | miming the same thing at the same time.As for |
| We have a large repetoire of partty games | | | | what we get our willing volunteers to mime - |
| that make us laugh. Here are some of my | | | | we pick item from a hardware catalogue. So |
| favourites.Plum plum plumPlum plum plum is | | | | instead of trying to mime "Wind in the |
| noisy and boistrous - the way a party game | | | | Willows", they are miming "Cordless power |
| should be. You need about ten people for | | | | screwdriver" or "Claw hammer with non-slip |
| this, sitting in a circle with one person in | | | | handle".For a more sedate version of this |
| the middle.Starting with the youngest player, | | | | game, you can play this with pen and paper |
| each player in the circle chooses a different | | | | instead of miming.Who am I?We quite often |
| fruit.The object of the game is for the | | | | play this one as an icebreaker.This game |
| person in the middle to point at one of the | | | | requires a little bit of preparation. First, |
| people sitting down and say the name of their | | | | get some stickers (Post-It notes aren't |
| fruit three times before that person says the | | | | really robust enough but sticky address |
| name of their fruit just once. It doesn't | | | | labels are ideal) and write the name of |
| matter who is being looked at - it's who is | | | | someone famous on each. The game is played |
| being pointed at that has to answer with | | | | with you putting a sticker on each player's |
| their fruit.If the person in the middle wins, | | | | back (or their forehad, if they are up for |
| they and the person they beat swap places - | | | | it). That player then tries to guess who they |
| but the name of the fruit stays attached to | | | | are by only asking yes/no questions of the |
| that position. (So after a while nobody will | | | | other players (for example, "Am I male?" "Am |
| be in their original positions and everyone | | | | I a politician?" "Am I Bill Clinton?").Lots |
| will have to remember new fruit.)Note - you | | | | of people can play this, and they can all |
| might want to ban really long (over three | | | | play it at once, with players taking it in |
| syllable) names; my father once chose | | | | turns to ask questions. Each time someone is |
| "pomegranite" and we never managed to shift | | | | successful, they come to you for another |
| him.The name gameThis one is a little more | | | | sticker.If you are playing this |
| sedate than Plm Plum Plum...To start this | | | | competitively, the person who guesses the |
| game ask everyone to think of a character or | | | | most is the winner.It is easy to theme this |
| person - it could be someone famous, it could | | | | game by choosing 1950's movie stars, or |
| even be someone in the room. Then you should | | | | characters from The Lord of the Rings, for |
| go outside, and each person should come to | | | | example.Chinese MimesChinese Mimes is a more |
| you one at a time and tell you the names they | | | | energetic version of Chinese whispers. It can |
| have chosen.Once you have made a note of all | | | | be played as a team, or just for fun.In |
| the names, read them out to everyone. Then | | | | Chinese whispers, the players line up all |
| read them out again - and then the game | | | | facing away from player #1. Player #1 then |
| begins. (By the way, you don't play the game | | | | taps player #2 on the shoulder, and player #2 |
| as you know who everyone is.)Pick someone to | | | | turns around. Player #1 mimes out an action |
| start. That person choose a player and says, | | | | to player #2. When they are finished, player |
| "Shirley, I think you are Darth Vader" (or | | | | #2 taps player #3 on the shoulder, and then |
| whichever name they think that Shirley has | | | | mimes out the actions. And so the mime |
| chosen). If that player is wrong and Shirley | | | | carries on down the line until at the end the |
| isn't Darth Vader, then it's Shirley's turn | | | | last player as to try and figure out what the |
| to try and guess who someone is.When someone | | | | action was.If you are playing in teams, the |
| is correctly guessed, that person is out, and | | | | first players in each team should agree to do |
| the person who guessed correctly gets another | | | | the same mime.The mimes should be slightly |
| go. The game ends when there is only one | | | | off-beat. For example: Filling a steam iron |
| person left - the winner!The trick to playing | | | | with water, trying on a wedding dress, |
| this game is first choosing an unexpected | | | | carrying out the safety instructions on an |
| name (one that isn't normally associated with | | | | aeroplane...As I hope you can see, you can |
| you) and then remembering the names on the | | | | drop these games into almost any party - so |
| list (as it is easy to forget after you've | | | | let your hair down, play a game and have a |
| been playing for a few minutes).Catalogue | | | | laugh! |
| CharadesI'm sure you have played traditional | | | | |