Picnic and Party Games

What is common to picnics and parties, apart from the fun factor, are games! Yes, games are a must-have for any kind of party or picnic. If you are planning to host a party this weekend or thinking of organizing a picnic with family and close friends, do not forget to arrange fun games for your guests. Be it a birthday party for kids, a carnival party for children in the family, a teen party for youthful party animals or a retirement party for celebrating the successful completion of work life, there is no substitute for party games. On similar lines, games add to the enjoyment of any picnic, be it a company gathering, team-outing or a family vacation. Take a look at the wide range of games for picnics and parties.

Picnic Games

Picnic Games for all Age Groups: Running and skipping races, balloon toss, scavenger hunt and lemon and spoon races are some of the very popular picnic games for children. Adults in the 'picnic mood' often enjoy participating in kids' games too. While organizing picnic games that suit all age groups, think of all those accompanying you to the picnic spot and think of their preferences. It is important to encourage active participation of all picnickers so that the picnic games you organize turn out to be hits. Picnic games for adults can include Frisbee, ball games, cricket and other sports activities. Arrange for playing cards and board games for those who may not be able to participate in active games.

Family Picnic Games: Family picnics are occasions for all the family members to get together and share some priceless moments with each other. When on a family picnic, spend quality time with your family members, chat with them and engage in long conversations about concerns you have not spoken about, due to your busy lives. Add a fun element to your family gathering by conducting interesting games. Playing together helps you rejuvenate yourself and your relationship with your near ones.

Company Picnic Games: Company picnics are team-building events, organized with the intent of nurturing team spirit in the company employees and developing in them a sense of belongingness towards the organization. If you are among the organizers for your next company picnic or team-outing, make sure your plan caters to the team members coming from diverse backgrounds and involves a wide participation from them. You can organize outdoor sports, team games and recreational activities for the team members. Make sure that the company picnic turns out to be a refreshing break from work for the team.

Party Games

Pool Party Games: A pool party is about 'diving' into the waters to 'drown' in the enjoyment. Pool party games include water sports and swimming contests. Sport-enthusiasts are sure to have a great time playing mini water polo, underwater treasure hunt and other interesting water sports. Have some toys floating in water; divide the group into two teams and ask each team to grab the maximum number of floating objects from the pool. You can have the teams play tug-of-war in water or even underwater football! Picking ice cubes from water is another fun activity for a pool party. Encourage your guests to invent some cool water games and give your pool party a refreshing touch!

Slumber Party Games: If you are planning a sleepover with your close friends, remember to add some excitement to your get-together by organizing some interesting games for a slumber party. Pillow fights, watching movies and playing video games are some of the common slumber party activities. Gossiping over popcorn and candies is fun! Supplement the joy with interesting games like dark room, hide and seek in the dark, dark room treasure hunt and activities like make-over contests and cooking-together endeavors.

Birthday Party Games: Birthday parties are about the big birthday cake, the balloons, the streamers and the festoons that make up the party decorations; the face masks, colorful costumes and clown caps that add to the fun-element of the party and the party gifts and favors. But that's not all. Birthday parties are also about funny and interesting games, which both the young and the old enjoy. Bingo, balloon fights and dress-up contests are some of the games children and teenagers enjoy. You can plan similar games and fun activities for adults and give them a chance to be children. It's good to be a kid, once in a while (when your kids are not around!).

Special Occasion Party Games: The party spirit becomes most evident during the festive months of the year. The party fever starts with Halloween and Thanksgiving and ends only after the grand celebrations for Christmas and New Year. Christmas parties are about getting together to cherish the spirit of Christmas and indulging in some exciting games such as the 'Christmas treasure hunt' and 'Passing the Christmas parcel'. Christmas carol picture puzzles and Christmas-related riddles are some of the other Christmas party games. For Halloween parties, choose or devise games that give your party a haunted feel, while also making it enjoyable for your guests. Involve ghost and monster elements (not in the literal sense!) in the party to add to the Halloween thrill. Halloween makeover contests for teens and adults and scary-costume competitions for kids are some of the other interesting Halloween party games. Parties for friends, family reunions for close relatives and get-togethers for our near and dear ones need no special occasion. But party games? They remain the same.

Office Party Games: Office parties are about celebrating organizational success or major accomplishments in business. They are also about fostering the team spirit by bringing all the employees together. If you are in-charge of planning your next office party or corporate event, remember to organize some interesting games and activities for your guests. You can include party icebreakers and team-building games or give the guests an opportunity to showcase their talents on a stage.

Other Party Games: Treasure hunt, musical chairs, passing the parcel and 'truth or dare' are some of the popular games for parties. Other party games and activities include solving riddles and questionnaires and playing word-building and memory games. They also include indoor and outdoor team games, depending on the party venue and availability of time and space.

Picnic and party games are about getting together and sharing some precious moments in the company of close relatives and friends. In case of company picnics and corporate parties, games and activities are about developing a feeling of togetherness among the team members. Games play a major role of bringing together individuals from different backgrounds and instilling in them the feelings of unity and teamwork. Team games that are a part of both parties and picnics can serve the very important purpose of bringing together, unknown individuals, distant relatives or even long-lost friends. Although, fun games appear to be just a small part of any gathering, they are worth being called the heart of picnics and parties.