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