Games for going away parties

Now that graduation season is upon us, it may be time to host a going away party or two.  Recent grads may be heading off to new locations to begin jobs, continue their schooling, or go exploring.  Read on for some games that will fit in with a Bon Voyage theme.

Packing game

Arrange a pile of clothes, toiletries and other traveling items (camera, small umbrella, etc.) on the ground. Make sure you have a few of everything available. Then, set up two suitcases and have people race to put together the best suitcase in a short amount of time. You can even put out a bunch of seasonal or regional items (bathing suit, mittens, French language dictionary, guidebooks, etc.) and have different “destinations” each time. For instance, the first pair might pack for a trip to the Bahamas, the second pair might pack for a week of backpacking through Europe, the third pair could pack for a ski vacation in the mountains, etc.

Pin the flag on your destination

Who needs a donkey when you have a map?  Hang a map on the wall that depicts your guest of honor's destination.  Then, print out small versions of the state or country's flag.  Affix a circle of tape to the back of each flag, and have blindfolded participants try to stick the flag on the right spot on the map.  To make it harder, spin participants around once or twice before they try to place their flags. 

Alternatively, you can print out something thematic – mini Big Ben cutouts for a trip to London, a college logo or mascot for a trip to a new university – and pin that on the map instead. 

Guest-of-honor Trivia

Create a page of questions about the guest of honor and have people answer the questions. Questions can be about the person's likes and dislikes, memorable moments with party guests, or anything else you can think of.  Consider throwing in a few questions about the honored guest's destination or trying Newlywed Game-style questions about the guest's travel, packing, or tourist preferences.


You may also enjoy...

• Simple momentos you can create at a going away party
• How to make overnight guests feel welcome
• 15-minutes to a party-perfect living room

 

Baby shower entertainment: the Famous Name Game

If you're getting ready to host a baby shower, try playing the Famous Name Game. It's a great game to play if the mother-to-be has already picked out a name for the baby.

How do you play? As the party's host, create a list of famous people with the same first name as the baby. Then, describe those people and let people guess who you're describing.  If you'd like, you can give a prize to the person who gets the most right, or give prizes to the first person to answer each question.

 

Since the Social Security Administration recently released its list of the most popular baby names of 2010, we'll use some popular names for our examples.

Sample Famous Name Game clues:

Jacob

1. Business partner of Ebenezer Scrooge.  (Jacob Marley)
2. Popular werewolf of the Twilight series.  (Jacob Black)
3. Actor of October Sky and Brokeback Mountain fame.  (Jacob "Jake" Gyllenhaal)

Isabella

1. Woman who established a Boston art museum from which 13 works were infamously stolen in the 1990s (Isabella Stewart Gardener)
2. Protagonist of the Twilight series (Isabella "Bella" Swan)
3. Third wife of Juan Perón, whose second wife was immortalized in the musical Evita (Isabella Perón)

Ethan

1. Title of a famous Edith Wharton novel (Ethan Frome)
2. American actor of Dead Poet's Society and Training Day fame (Ethan Hawke)
3. North American furniture chain (Ethan Allen)

Sophia

1. American actress staring in pop television drama One Tree Hill (Sophia Bush)
2. Prolific Italian actress with more than 50 years worth of films (Sophia Loren)
3. Police officer character on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (Sofia Curtis)

If the mom-to-be hasn't chosen a baby name yet, consider playing the Famous Name Game using the baby's last name instead.

For more unique baby shower games, read 3 easy baby shower games that require little or no prep work.