Party Games: Action games

Type: FC

Players: Any number.

Equipment: A blindfold.

Rules:
Of all the variations of Blind Man's Buff, this is one of the most entertaining.

All but two of the players stand in a large circle holding hands. Inside the circle are a boy and a girl, representing Adam and Eve, although fig leaves are optional. The boy, alias Adam, is blindfolded. The game starts with him calling out: 'Eve!' - to which she must reply: 'Over here, Adam!' He then gropes around in the dark, trying to catch her. Whenever he calls for her, she must answer, and she must remain within the circle.

There is a time limit of two minutes, and, if Adam fails to catch Eve within that period, he keeps his blindfold, and she changes places with another girl. If, on the other hand, Adam apprehends Eve in time, he hands his blindfold to her, and swaps places with another boy. Eve then has to try to catch the new Adam. With the right people, this game has been known to lead to deep and meaningful relationships.

Type: F

Players: Teams of 3.

Equipment: Plastic or paper cups, lengths of twine.

Rules:
Each team of three players is issued with a 15-foot length of twine and a plastic or paper cup, in the bottom of which has been cut a hole just large enough for the twine to pass through unhindered. Each team threads their length of twine through their cup. Two team members hold the ends of the twine, keeping it taut, while the third acts as blower.

Before the race begins, the cup is moved along to the end of the twine that faces the open top of the cup. With all of the cups in position, the starter gets the race underway, and the team blowers immediately start puffing into the open ends, so as to advance their cup along the twine course as rapidly as possible. The winner is the first to reach the other end. Anyone caught smearing lubricant on his twine, in order to achieve a faster passage, is liable to be excluded from the next game.

Type: ME

Players: 5 - 10.

Rules:
Excruciating embarrassment is never far away in an event that becomes increasingly unpredictable with each pint consumed. The competitors have to race, bent over with a hand on each ankle. As they set off along the course as quickly as possible, they must keep hold of their ankles at all times. Any runner who lets go, albeit momentarily, or who trips and falls, must suffer the added indignity of having to return to the start, and begin all over again. The first player to reach the finishing line in one piece is the winner. As even the most accomplished ankle racer can end up flat on his face at a moment's notice, it's essential to ensure that the course is cleared of all furniture...

Type: F

Players: Any number.

Equipment: Tubs of water, apples (one per player).

Rules:
This is another old favourite - the sort of revelry that one can imagine being played at the court of Henry VIII.

The rules are simple. One or more tubs of water are placed on the floor, and floating on the surface are several nice, juicy apples. Unless you are playing this game in the kitchen, it is wise to protect your carpet with some form of plastic covering.

The players then have to kneel down, and, without using their hands to steady the fruit, sink their heads into the water, bite into one of the bobbing apples, and lift it clear. If two players are competing at the same time (this is only possible, if you have a large tub), the first to emerge with an apple in his mouth is the winner. If players are competing individually, the contest could be decided on the basis of the fastest time.

Anybody with loose dentures is advised to give this game a miss. To make the contest even more challenging, try blindfolding the players. Or you could try filling the tub with beer instead of water, the only problem being that certain guests will spend an inordinately long time below the surface, and end up forgetting about the apples altogether.

Type: F

Players: Two plus onlookers.

Equipment: Rolled-up newspapers. blindfolds.

Rules:
This is definitely not a game for those of a nervous disposition. It takes its name from Sherlock Holmes' notorious adversary, Professor Moriarty, and purports to re-enact their life-and-death struggle at the Reichenbach Falls. There is, however, one major difference: Holmes and Moriarty did not set about each other with rolled-up copies of the Daily Star.

The contest takes place between two players, but there are sure to be plenty of enthusiastic spectators egging them on from the sidelines. Both participants are blindfolded, and told to lie face-down on the floor, each grasping the other's left wrist with the left hand, and clutching a rolled-up newspaper in the right hand. One then asks, 'Are you there, Moriarty?' to which the other replies, 'Yes', before slithering quickly away to another spot, as the rolled-up newspaper comes crashing down from on high.

If the newspaper scores a clean blow on the opponent's head, the game is won; If the strike misses, it is the other player's turn to ask the question, and take aim. As each battle ends, there should be no shortage of spectators only too willing to fill the breach. After all, a lightly-throbbing head is a small price to pay for such enjoyment.

Type: F

Players: Any even number.

Equipment: Large bowls or casserole dishes, a quantity of objects.

Rules:
Two teams, each with the same number of members, stand sideways in parallel lines. On the floor at one end of each team line are two large contaIners, such as a glass bowl, casserole dish or bucket. One of each pair of vessels is empty, but the other contains a number of diverse objects - ideally there should be at least three times as many objects in each container as there are members in each team.

On the command 'Go!', the first player picks an object from the vessel, and passes it to the next person and so on down the line. When it reaches the far end, it begins the return journey, but this time, instead of players handing it to one another in front of them, it is passed behind their backs. Meanwhile, other objects will be making the outward journey, thus forcing players to switch their hands hastily from front to back.

The game is over, when all of one team's objects have completed both the outward and return journeys, and have been deposited in the second container. The degree of difficulty can be compounded by the objects chosen. The best items are those which are tricky or particularly slippery to handle. Although the pet goldfish meets these criteria perfectly, he'll doubtless prefer it, if you leave him in his bowl, and use, say, a bar or wet soap instead. Other suitable objects include a hot potato, a peeled banana, a drawing pin and, depending on your circle of friends, a condom.

Type: FC

Players: Any even number.

Rules:
Players form pairs, and line up at one end of the room, back-to-back, with their arms linked. At the off, they must race to the far end of the room and back again, keeping their arms linked at all times. Any couple, who become untangled, must return to the start.

Where possible, it is always advisable for the front runner to be the heavier partner in each pair, as he or she will have to do any pulling. A slim girl dragging along a burly hod carrier could result in a fairly slow lap time.

Type: FNC

Players: Any number.

Equipment: Balloons, newspapers, pieces of string.

Rules:
Even at the height of Culloden, Waterloo or Bosworth Field, the ferocity ot combat did not match that of the average balloon fight.

Each player ties a balloon to his ankle with a piece of string, and, wielding a rolled-up newspaper, endeavours to defend the balloon against other players' attempts to burst it, while simultaneously trying to burst theirs. No balloons may be burst by hand, or by sharp implements. Any player who does suffer the ignominy of a burst balloon is eliminated, the last player left is declared the winner.

Type: F

Players: Any even number.

Equipment: Wire clothes-hangers, balloons, garden canes, chairs.

Rules:
Arrange two pairs of chairs in opposite corners of the room, one pair for each team. Over the back of each chair hook a coat-hanger, and wedge a balloon onto the horizontal rung of the hanger.

Using only a piece of garden cane (preferably without half the garden still attached to it), the players have to release the balloon from its resting place, guide it over to the opposite chair, and force it onto the shelf of the coat hanger there. Then the next player takes over, and so on, until every member of one team has successfully transported the balloon from one chair to the other. For once, there is no penalty, if the balloon hits the floor.

Type: F

Players: Any even number.

Equipment: Chairs,a cushion.

Rules:
The principal requirement to playing this game successfully is an ability not to betray your emotions through the expression on your face.

Players are split into two teams, who sit opposite each other. To one side of the room is a chair with a cushion on it. Each team writes the names of the opposing team members on separate slips of paper. Team A then places one of the slips beneath the cushion, and invites any member of team B to go and sit on that chair.

The aim of the game is to avoid sitting on your own name. If you do, the opposing team chorus loudly: 'Bang!' and you are effectively dead, and therefore out of the game. If it is not your name however, you return to your team unscathed. It is then team B's turn to select a name to be put under the cushion; and so the game continues, until one team has been completely wiped out.

The important thing is not to appear too excited, when you know that any of your opponents is about to sit on his own name, for seasoned performers will be on the lookout for tell-tale signs, even as they lower their bottom into position. If they suspect that something is amiss, they can pull out at the last moment, and return to their team, as long as buttocks and cushion have not actually come into contact.

Type: FN

Players: Any number.

Equipment: A balloon, a blindfold, a newspaper.

Rules:
In this vigorous pastime, blindfolded players take turns to wield a rolled-up newspaper, and vent their frustrations on a balloon.

All the players stand in a circle, with the exception of the one whose turn it is to be blindfolded. He stands in the centre of the circle, with rolled-up newspaper in hand. A balloon is then lobbed into the circle, and, amidst cries of 'Bash the Balloon!', the player has three attempts to deliver a blow. If the balloon is hit on the first strike, three points are scored; a second-strike hit earns two points and a third-strike success one point. Bursting the balloon with any blow earns a fivepoint bonus - a rule that can lead to scenes of excessive violence and complaints from half the street. Failure to hit the balloon at all means no points are scored. When everyone has competed, the points are added up and the player with the highest score is the winner. In the event of a tie, there is a play-off.

Type: FC

Players: Any number.

Equipment: Blindfolds, rolled-up newspapers, bells.

Rules:
Another faintly ridiculous game, this sees sensible adults, pillars of the community perhaps, trying to swat someone with rolled-up newspapers, while wearing blindfolds. To add to the sense of folly, their victim has bells on.

The game begins with all players being blindfolded, except one, and given a rolled-up newspaper. The player who is not blindfolded has a string of small bells hanging around his neck. As the action gets under way, the blindfolded players listen carefully, to ascertain the precise whereabouts of the bells, and endeavour to bash the jingling one with their newspapers, while the latter attempts to dodge their blows. In the event of a direct hit, the successful assailant takes over the bells, and the victim joins the blindfolded attackers. Note: any morris dancers present may take offence at this game.

Type: F

Players: 5 - 10.

Equipment: Feathers, plates.

Rules:
Each player is given a plate with a feather on it. On the command 'Go!', they have to race to the finish line, while taking care not to lose their feather. The plate must be held at the side, so that the hands have no contact with the feather. The use of glue to stick the feather to the plate is also forbidden.

The game is definitely a case of more haste, less speed, because, if the feather drifts away during the race, that player has to return to the start. The winner is the first person to cross the finish line, with the feather still on the plate.

Type: FC

Players: Any number.

Equipment: A blindfold.

Rules:
Arguably the oldest party game of all, Blind Man's Buff remains a firm favourite with players of all ages.

One player is blindfolded, and staggers around the room, trying to lay hands on any of the other participants. If someone is caught, the blindfolded person has to guess who it is. A correct guess results in the two exchanging places.

Type: FNHC

Players: 8 - 12.

Equipment: Two brooms, a rag, four chairs.

Rules:
Bring all the excitement of Olympic ice hockey into your own home with this robust team game. Although shoulder padding is not essential, matters can get out of hand, and happily there is every potential for the sort of mass brawl that epitomises the sport.

As will be gathered from the title, the sticks in this game are brooms, and the puck is an old rag. The goals are marked by a pairs of chairs at each end of the room. Players divide into two teams, and stand between their goalposts, the width of the goals thus dependent on the number of players.

Before the match begins, each player is given a number. If there are ten players, they'll be numbered 1 to 5 on each team. Play starts with the host placing the rag and the two brooms in the middle of the 'rink', and then calling out number 1. At that point, the two number 1 players rush forward, seize their brooms, and begin sweeping the rag frantically towards their opponent's goal. There, the other defending team members use their feet, to try to prevent the rag from being forced between the chairs, and this is where things can get a shade physical, as bare ankles come into contact with solid broom handles. It has been known for defenders to stand on the broom head in a bid to immobilise the attacker.

Whenever a goal is scored, the rag and brooms are returned to the centre, and the next player numbers are called out. Fifteen minutes is probably quite long enough for this game, by which time a couple of your guests might already have been taken to Casualty.

Type: F

Players: 3 - 6.

Equipment: Oven gloves (one pair per player), milk bottle tops, cardboard boxes with lids.

Rules:
Any man, who has ever fumbled with a recalcitrant bra strap, will know only too well the sensation of helplessness that can be experienced during this game.

The competitors line up at one end of the room, all wearing oven gloves, ideally the sort that are joined together. They run to the other end, and try to pick up a milk bottle top, which they then carry back to the start line, where a row of cardboard boxes fitted with ballot-box style slots have been arranged. After posting the bottle top (no easy feat in oven gloves!), they go back for another one.

The winner is the player with the most bottle tops successfully posted in three minutes. As a prize, he gets to keep the oven gloves.

Type: FC

Players: 2.

Equipment: Blindfolds.

Rules:
Even though it is for only two players, this is the perfect way to round off a dinner party, as the spectators will have as much fun as the participants.

It is played around the table, with a male guest chosen to be the cat, and a girl to be the mouse. If any guests think that this is sexist or rodentist, feel free to reverse the roles. Both players are blindfolded, spun around three times, and steered towards the table, but neither is told where the other is. The game itself should be played in total silence, with the cat listening intently for any hint of mouse, and vice-versa. When the cat does finally catch its prey, another pair of Tom and Jerrys will be only too keen to take over.

Type: F

Players: 5 - 10.

Equipment: Lemons, tablespoons, two lengths of string.

Rules:
The two pieces of string are placed at opposite ends of the room, one acting as the start line, the other as a turning line. Each player is given a lemon and a tablespoon, and, touching the lemon only with his spoon, must roll the fruit from the start to the turning line, and back again, the first to do so being the winner.

As an alternative to an individual race, this noble sport can be staged as a team relay.

Type: A

Players: Any number.

Equipment: Pieces of card, pencils and paper.

Rules:
Write out a selection of a dozen or more riddles, such as: 'When is a door not a door? - When it's ajar' or 'Why don't elephants like penguins? - Because they can't get the wrappers off'. Give each question a number, and each answer a letter, and then scatter them on separate pieces of card around the house. Next, give the players 20 minutes to pair off the correct combinations, by writing down the relevant number and letter. There are no short cuts, for, even if they know the answer to the riddle, they still have to find the letter of the card on which it is written.

Type: FC

Players: 10 or more.

Rules:
Players divide into teams of equal numbers, and form lines at one end of the room. They then squat on their heels, and place their hands on the shoulders or waist of the person in front, to form a stunningly realistic crocodile.

When the signal is given to start the race, the crocodiles move forward in jumps and bounces, until they reach the far end of the room. There they must turn, and head back to the start/finish line. If, at any time in the race, a player loses contact with the person in front, that team must stop and regroup. To do this, the tail end of the crocodile must stay where it is, while the front end goes back to join it.

The reputation of the crocodile as a mean, efficient speed machine can be severely damaged by this game.

Type: F

Players: 10 or more.

Equipment: A supply of hats, umbrellas and children's spades, a tennis ball or cabbage.

Rules:
The list of requirements suggests immediately that Crummock is no ordinary game. Played in a garden or large room, it is a cross between hockey, lacrosse, hurling and The Clothes Show.

The basic premise is conventional enough. There are two teams, a goal at each end of the pitch, and the objective is to put the ball into the opposing goal. The implement for hitting the ball, however, is decidedly unorthodox, and is basically anything that comes to hand. Devices have included umbrellas, children's spades and cricket stumps. Garden spades should be avoided for safety reasons. Although the game is usually played with a ball, the more avant-garde may prefer to use a cabbage or firm, rounded lettuce.

There is one more rule - players must wear a hat at all times. If you lose your headgear at any stage of the match, you are not allowed to continue, until you have, somehow, managed to acquire a replacement. Consequently, some players spend the whole game knocking off opponent's hats, rather than pursuing the ball. It can surely only be a matter of time before Sky acquires the TV rights to Crummock.

Type: F

Players: 3 - 6.

Equipment: Lengths of ribbon, pairs of scissors, drawing pins.

Rules:
Cut a roll of ribbon into roughly identical lengths, one length per player, and then pin one end of each length firmly to the wall. Arm each player with a pair of scissors, and position them at the other ends of the ribbons. Their task is simply to cut their piece of ribbon into two lengths all the way along. The first to reach the end wins.

Anyone who veers from a true line, and accidentally cuts a piece off is disqualified. This may sound easy, but it is quite a challenge, especially after a few drinks, and you have to face the very real prospect that there will be no winner, in which case you can either bestow victory upon the player who made the furthest progress, or spare yourself having to give anybody a prize.

Type: FN

Players: 4 - 8.

Equipment: Newspapers and magazines, string.

Rules:
This deceptively violent game is another where the decks have to be cleared, to allow for an obstacle-free course.

Cut a page from a newspaper or magazine into the rough shape of a large kipper (you need one kipper per player), and drape lengths of string across opposite ends of the room, one acting as the start line, the other as the finish. Then give each player a kipper and a magazine, the aim being to propel one's kipper along the course by wafting the magazine behind it. Be warned, some players resort to thrashing the magazine at the floor, creating more of a hurricane than a gentle breeze, giving the neighbours the distinct impression that the Horse of the Year Show is taking place in your lounge.

There are rules governing the amount of force that can be used to speed up the kipper's progress. Kicking or molesting the aforementioned fish, or prodding it with the magazine are all strictly forbidden, and will result in instant disqualification, as will deliberately obstructing a fellow competitor. The winner is the first player to coerce his kipper across the finish line without cheating.

Type: AB

Players: Any number.

Equipment: Old newspapers, pieces of card.

Rules:
Cut a dozen or so headlines from old newspapers. Each headline should be between six and nine words long, and, most importantly, should be in a different typeface. If your choice is so restricted that you have to include two headlines with the same typeface, at least ensure that one is in block capitals, while the other is in upper and lower case.

Now cut each headline into four or five parts, leaving minor words such as 'the' or 'an' attached to the more significant ones. For example: 'CITY MAGISTRATES TO ACT ON INDECENT SHOWS' would be divided up thus: CITY / MAGISTRATES / TO ACT ON / INDECENT / SHOWS. These sections should then be pasted onto separate pieces of card. Words from more than one headline can be fixed to the same card, but be careful not to put two words from the same headline on the same card.

In front of the first word in each headline, write an identifying letter (A, B, C, etc.) together with the total number of words in the headline, so that the players know the extent of their search. Then distribute the various pieces of card around the house.

By remembering the type faces and the subject matter, players have to reassemble the headlines in full, and with the words in the correct order. The one with the most correct solutions in 20 minutes wins the game.

Type: FC

Players: Any number.

Rules:
After removing their shoes and putting them in the middle of the room, players plunge into the pile in an unseemly melée, and mix up the footwear. Then everyone retreats to the corners of the room, to wait for the lights to be switched off. Once the room is in total darkness, the scrum begins again, as the players have just two minutes in which to find their shoes, and put them on the correct feet. This game can get a little rough, and is therefore not ideal for spinsters of the parish and maiden aunts, unless they happen to be black belts in karate.

Type: FCE

Players: Teams of 3.

Equipment: Lengths of rope or strong twine.

Rules:
A step up from the traditional three-legged race, the 'four-legged race' features teams of three. This means that the right leg of the centre member of the team is strapped to the left leg of the team-mate on the right, and the centre player's left leg is tied to the right leg of the team-mate on the left.

The teams limp along the course (which should either be the length of a room, or in the garden), and the first to cross the finishing line with their legs still strapped are the winners, regardless of whether they are standing, crawling on all fours, or writhing along on their stomachs like demented snakes.

Type: FC

Players: Any number.

Rules:
This game is energetic to the point of rowdiness, and is therefore much loved by rugby players. It can be played either in a large room or out in the garden.

One person is selected to be the mother goose, and another, usually a man, to be the fox. The remainder of the players parade behind the mother goose, and pretend to be little fluffy goslings, putting their arms around each other's waists to form a line. Obeying his instincts, the fox sets out to snatch as many goslings as possible, but this act of carnage can only be done from the back of the line. In order to get to the back, the fox must use speed and cunning to evade the mother goose - he is not allowed to use physical force to push her out of the way.

Once captured, each gosling is taken to one side (probably in preparation for the Paxo), and the ever-hungry fox tries to snatch another offspring. The more successful he gets, the harder his task becomes, for it is much more difficult to avoid the mother's beak, when the line behind her is short. This game is not suitable for vegans.

Type: FC

Players: Any number.

Equipment: A blindfold, chairs.

Rules:
All of the players, except one, sit in a circle, and call out the name of a town, which is written down by you, the postmaster. The other person is placed in the middle of the circle, and blindfolded.

The postmaster then chooses two towns, and announces: 'The post is going from Chipping Sodbury to Arbroath,' or wherever. At that point, the two players, whose towns are Chipping Sodbury and Arbroath, must rush to change places, without being caught by the person in the blindfold. Anyone who is caught takes a turn in the middle. But the greatest pandemonium occurs when the postmaster suddenly calls out: 'General Post!', for then every player must find a new seat without being caught, and the country's post ends up in a bigger mess than it is anyway.

Type: F

Players: 6 or more.

Equipment: Potatoes, brooms, paper plates, chairs, a length of string.

Rules:
This is a silly relay game in which teams have to ride a broomstick to a turning line and back, while balancing a potato on a plate on their heads.

Players are allowed to grip the plate with one hand, but must not hold down the potato. If the potato falls off, they must pick it up, before they can continue.

To make things even more interesting for spectators, tie a length of string between two chairs, about a foot off the ground, to form a fence half-way round the course. This obstacle must be jumped by the competitors.

As they complete the course, the racers hand their broomstick, potato and plate over to the next member of their team.

The game continues in this fashion until all the members of one team have negotiated the course completely and successfully. With three or more 'horses' racing around at the same time, there are frequent fallers, refusals, and even stewards' inquiries.

Type: F

Players: Teams of 4.

Equipment: 4 feathers, 4 small tables.

Rules:
Clear away the valuable furniture, and choose four teams, each comprising any number up to six members. They position themselves in the four corners of the room. Each team is issued with a small feather, the aim being to be the first to blow the feather across the room, and land it on a table that is situated in the opposite corner.

The four teams all start at the same time; so, there is the prospect of 24 people converging on the centre of the room, all frantically trying to keep their team's feathers airborne.

If a feather falls to the floor, it must be picked up and re-started from the same spot. If any player is seen transporting the feather illegally - by hand, head, shoulder, mouth or any other part of the anatomy - that team will automatically be disqualified. Any one player, who inadvertently swallows a feather, will be treated more leniently, probably in hospital.

Type: FC

Players: Any number.

Rules:
As if proof were ever needed that many adults are really just big kids, just watch them enjoy playing this long-standing children's favourite. The game can be played either inside in a large room, or outside in the garden.

The Limpopo River is marked with string across the centre of the room, or lawn, from one side to the other, its imaginary banks being about eight feet apart. One player is then chosen for the coveted role of the crocodile, while the other players are explorers who try to run back and forth across the river without being caught. If the crocodile manages to touch any of them, they are automatically tagged, and obliged to join the crocodile in the river, with a view to catching passers-by.

All the parts of the crocodile must be linked physically at all times, usually with hands around the waist, and at least one part of the reptile's body must remain in the water. The winner is the last person to remain uncaptured, by which time everybody will be ready for another drink... but not from the waters of the great grey-green greasy Limpopo!

Type: FC

Players: Any number.

Rules:
Depending on the personnel involved, Guess the Leader can be either a gentle, sedate game, or decidedly raucous and unruly.

It begins with one player being sent out of the room - this player becomes the guesser. Meanwhile, the others gather round, and choose a leader, who explains that, from then on, they must follow precisely whatever the leader does.

When the guesser returns, he must observe the various actions performed by the group, and decide which of them is the leader. At first the leader's movements will probably be relatively simple - a spot of hand clapping and arm waving - but they may become increasingly strange, incorporating rolling around on the floor, with legs in the air, impersonating Long John Silver, or rubbing bottoms with the person next in line. Unless you all happen to be particularly close friends, anything stronger than nibbling ear lobes is inadvisable.

The key to success is for the leader to switch actions, when the guesser is studying the other players. When the leader is identified, he assumes the role of guessing.

Type: MCD

Players: Any even number.

Rules:
Few people of sound mind would attempt this game, but, if sufficient alcohol has been consumed beforehand, that is unlikely to disqualify any of your company from taking part.

It sounds simple enough - players must carry their fellow team members across the room one by one - but the catch is that the same method of transportation must not be employed twice by the same team. So, whilst the first carriers will probably play reasonably safe with fireman's lifts and piggy backs, the last to go must come up with something infinitely more imaginative.

Styles such as piggy-back front-to-front suggest that mating is imminent, and could lead to disquiet in some quarters, as could the sight of collapsed couples writhing around on the floor. Those with hernias should opt to be baggage.

Type: F

Players: 6 or more.

Rules:
This game is an admirable test of players' ingenuity... as well as making them look remarkably silly.

The participants line up, elbow to elbow, and the first in the line moves forward a few yards in a distinctive manner - maybe a John Cleese silly walk, or by hopping, crawling, walking backwards, bottom shuffling, or, for the particularly athletic, walking on his hands. Each of the other players in turn must then move forward the same distance, but by a different method to any previous competitor. And so the game continues in rotation, with every player trying to think of some new form of motion. Anyone who fails to come up with something new is eliminated. The last player left in is the winner.

Type: A

Players: Any number.

Equipment: A thimble.

Rules:
A classic party game in which all of the players, except one, leave the room, while the remaining one hides a thimble. Whilst the thimble shouldn't stick out like a sore thumb, it shouldn't be too heavily concealed, either.

The other players return, to search for the thimble. When they locate it, they don't say anything, but just sit down quietly. The last player to find the thimble is the loser, and has to hide it for the next round.

There are no winners in this game. If your household is a thimble-free zone, you can use any small object in its place... as long as you remember to tell your guests what they are looking for.

Type: A

Players: Any number.

Equipment: Two packs of playing cards.

Rules:
This is a team game in which players have to search the house for hidden playing cards. Before the party, you should place all 52 cards from one pack in various places around the house. They should not, however, be concealed to the extent that guests have to set about demolishing your home in order to reach the Ace of Spades. Instead, have one card protruding slightly from the pages of a book, or another resting beneath an ornament - but not a valuable family heirloom.

The game starts with each player being given a playing card, and told to find its identical twin. When a card is found and returned to you, make a note of that person's team, and give him another card to locate. At the end of the time limit (around 20 minutes is ideal) total the points, to find out which team is the winner.

Players will soon learn to make a mental note of any other card they stumble across, while searching for their own, just in case they have to look for that one later. And, of course, they can help their team mates by telling them where a certain card is hidden. It might be best to whisper such information, lest the enemy be listening in.

Type: A

Players: Any number.

Equipment: Magazines or colour supplements, pieces of card, sticky tape, pencils and paper.

Rules:
Cut out large portrait-sized photographs of the faces of 10 famous people from magazines or colour supplements. If possible, use cover shots from the same magazine, so that the paper will be of uniform texture, and therefore offer fewer clues. Next, cut each photo into four sections - hair, eyes, nose and mouth - and paste or stick each one on to a separate piece of numbered card. So, with 10 subjects, there will be 40 cards. Finally, place the cards in strategic positions around the house, supply the players with pencils and paper, and tell them that they have 15 minutes in which to piece the faces together by writing down the correct four card numbers that bear the features of each individual celebrity. If somebody produces an identikit that turns out to have Michelle Pfeiffer's hair, Sean Bean's eyes, Anthea Turner's nose and Jimmy Hill's chin, suggest they see an optician immediately.

Type: AB

Players: Any number.

Equipment: Pencils and paper.

Rules:
This game tests your guests' powers of observation. Prepare for the game by placing familiar objects in strange places around the house - such as a razor on the mantelpiece, or a mustard dish in the bathroom. All objects must be in full view.

Give each player a pencil and paper, and send them around the house in search of as many incongruities as they can find in 10 minutes. The one to spot the most things out of place is the winner. This game does not work well in a naturally untidy house...

Type: F

Players: Any even number.

Equipment: Oranges.

Rules:
What better way of running off that fourth sausage roll, than by waddling up and down the lounge as fast as you can, with an orange wedged between the head of you and your partner? Although yet to acquire Olympic status (surely this is just an oversight by the IOC), The Jaffa Relay is a long-standing party favourite.

Players are split into two teams, and then sub-divided into pairs. Bearing in mind that the orange has to be held between the foreheads, it is advisable that those paired off are of similar height. Pairing off a six-foot lad with a girl of barely five feet in her heels is a recipe for disaster... and sore necks in the morning?

The game starts with the first pairs from each team poised behind the starting line, facing each other with the orange held between their foreheads. When the starter shouts 'Go!', they set off for a line five yards away, then turn for home where their places are taken by the next pair in the team.

If the orange is dropped at any time, the players must stop, and replace it between their foreheads, before carrying on with the race. They must not use their hands to hold the fruit in place, although they can put it in position manually, when handing over to their team mates.

The relay continues until one team finishes. In case of accidents with exceptionally squashy oranges, it's a good idea to have a couple of spares on standby.

Type: MN

Players: Any number.

Equipment: Balloons.

Rules:
Not a game for the faint hearted, Kangaroo Racing is just one of 101 silly things to do with balloons.

Players line up at the start, each with a balloon between the knees, and, on the command 'Go!', bound off down the course like kangaroos. Any racer, who drops his balloon, must reclaim it, replace it between his knees, and start again from the spot where balloon and 'Skippy' parted company. A burst balloon results in instant disqualification. The winner is the first player to reach the finish with his balloon intact.

Type: FUC

Players: 6 or more.

Equipment: A biscuit tin or can.

Rules:
This hectic game is best played in the garden, although a large room, cleared of furniture, would also suffice. A biscuit tin, or a can, is placed in the middle of the lawn (or room) and one player is elected to guard It. Given the physical nature of this game, it is best if that person is muscular, fearless and rugged. Or you could choose a man.

It is the guard's job to prevent any of the other players from kicking the tin, by touching them in a tag-like fashion. Anyone tagged is temporarily eliminated, and must stand by the tin. But when another player manages to force his way past the guard to kick the tin, all captured players are released immediately.

The game continues in this vein, until either everyone has been captured, or sheer exhaustion has set in. If there are more than eight players, two guards are chosen to protect the tin.

Type: F

Players: 4 - 8.

Equipment: Pencils, marbles, blindfolds.

Rules:
Blindfolded players have to carry a marble balanced on two pencils along an indoor course with at least one bend in it. The pencils must be held with arms outstretched. Onlookers may assist in steering the players verbally in the right direction, and can also replace any dropped marbles on to the pencils. This event works best as a knock-out competition, with two players racing against each other, the winner progressing to the next round.

Type: A

Players: Any even number.

Equipment: Matchboxes.

Rules:
Those who somehow manage to cram every conceivable item into their case, when going on holiday - including three hairdryers, a dozen paperback novels and the microwave oven, just in case the food isn't up to much - will surely relish the opportunity to take part in a packing contest on a considerably smaller scale. Players pair off for this game, each duo being given a matchbox, and orders to fill it with as many different articles as they can. They are permitted to search the house and garden, but must not include more than one specimen of the same object - for example, 48 blades of grass. The winning pair are the ones who have managed to squeeze the most items into the box... as long as they've not made off with the host's jewellery.

Type: F

Players: Any even number.

Equipment: Bananas, balloons, potatoes, chairs.

Rules:
In this crazy relay, couples compete against each other in a series of strange tasks. The race starts with the men and women lined up on opposite sides of the room. A row of chairs (one per couple) is arranged on the men's side.

First, each man has to devour a banana, run to his female partner, kneel before her, and hum a pre-designated tune. When the girl guesses the tune, she blows up a balloon, knots it, runs over to the chair, and bursts the balloon by sitting on it. She then runs back to join her partner, and, with a potato wedged between their foreheads, they shuffle across the floor together back to the chair. If the potato falls, they have to start that activity again.

The race is over, when the girl is seated in the chair, with her man standing beside her.

Type: FC

Players: Any even number.

Rules:
Two teams sit in rows, facing each other, with their legs outstretched, so that their feet are touching. (This game can be played barefoot if desired.) Each player is given the name of an ingredient in a cake recipe. The host then tells a story about how the cake was made, in the course of which the various ingredients are referred to. Whenever players hear the name of their ingredient, they must run up between the two lines, vaulting over the outstretched legs, before running back down behind their team, to return to their original place.

The fun really starts, when there are two or three ingredients mentioned in quick succession, and the players race around at the same time, or when a player sits down breathlessly, only to be forced into action again immediately.

Type: AB

Players: Any number.

Equipment: Newspapers or magazines, sticky tape, pieces of card, pencils and paper.

Rules:
This game also involves cutting out photographs of people from newspapers or magazines, but here it works better, if the subjects aren't famous. Therefore, a local paper may be your best source of material. Select around 20 photos, and stick each one onto a separate piece of numbered card. Below each picture attach a slip of paper bearing a first name. This does not have to be the real name of the person in the photo - it can be any name you fancy. It's a good idea to choose a few similar names - Ralph and Rolf, Graham and Graeme, Anne, Anna and Annabel - just to confuse the players.

Distribute the cards around the house, and then give the players seven or eight minutes to try to memorise which name goes with which face. At the end of the time limit, collect the cards, remove the name slips, and give each player a pencil and paper. Then hold up each card in turn, and ask the players to write down the name that goes with it.

Type: F

Players: 5 - 10.

Equipment: Table tennis balls, pieces of string.

Rules:
If you've suffered all your life from having a big nose, this is where you finally come into your own. In this game a sizeable snout is definitely an advantage over a cute little snub nose.

Lengths of string are stretched across each end of the room, to denote the start and finish lines, and each player places a table tennis ball on the start line. Kneeling behind their balls, they then have to nuzzle it along the course, the winner being the first to cross the finish line. If competitors are caught using any part of their anatomy other than their nose, they will have to return to the start. Sneezing is also forbidden.

Type: F

Players: Any number.

Equipment: Nuts, apples, teaspoons, knives.

Rules:
Give each player a teaspoon and a blunt knife, and ask them to stand at the opposite end of the room to a large table laden with assorted nuts and small apples. On the command 'Go!', they run over to the table with the spoon in their left hand, and the knife in their right, and attempt to scoop a nut onto the knife, and an apple into the teaspoon. Obviously, with a mighty Granny Smith this is nigh on impossible; so, smaller varieties should be provided.

With both foodstuffs in place, the players must then dash back to the start/finish line, the first to cross it with nut and apple intact being the winner. Anyone who drops either item must get down on their hands and knees, and try to recover it. This has been known to take some time. In fact, if you come downstairs the following morning, and find any hapless guests still on all fours, struggling to retrieve their nut and apple, It is kindest to put them out of their misery, and allow them to go home.

Type: FE

Players: Any number.

Equipment: Blindfolds.

Rules:
A great favourite with practical jokers, this game can be played only once with the same group of people, because it's an experience they're unlikely ever to forget. An obstacle course is laid out in the lounge, complete with tipped-up chairs, glassware, the best china tea service, marbles and drawing pins. Volunteers are enlisted, and are led around the course once, before being taken away to another room, and blindfolded. In their absence, all the obstacles are cleared away. Blissfully unaware of the subterfuge, the first blindfolded volunteer is brought in, and taken gingerly around the non-existent course by one of the devious party-goers. After stepping delicately over thin air, and ducking under imaginary dangers, the poor victim is finally told that the ordeal is over. Only when the blindfold is removed does acute embarrassment sink in. When composure has been regained, the victim derives enormous pleasure from leading in the next unsuspecting performer. The game continues until the novelty wears off.

Type: F

Players: 5 - 10.

Equipment: Spoons, oranges, two lengths of string, chairs.

Rules:
Construct a circular racecourse, featuring two fences made from a length of string, tied about 18 inches (45 - 50 cm) off the ground between two chairs.

The runners line up at the start on one leg, with each one carrying a spoon in his left hand. On the floor, in front of them, are a line of oranges. At a signal, they pick up their orange with the spoon, without touching the ground with their hands or their non-standing foot. They then set off, hopping around the course, orange and spoon in hand.

If any oranges are dropped, they must be picked up with the spoon. The winner is the first to complete two circuits.

Type: A

Players: 5 - 10.

Equipment: Various matching items.

Rules:
Before the party, hide one item of a pair somewhere around the house. The pairs can either be identIcal ornaments or associated articles, such as knife and fork, pepper and salt pots, pen and pencil. At the start, give each player one half of a pair, and instruct him to find the other half.

If, in the course of their travels, players stumble across someone else's quarry, they are advised to keep quiet. Nobody cares about the winner in this game (after all, it could be over in a matter of seconds), but the loser is the last person to find his pair, and is consequently subjected to a forfeit.

Type: F

Players: 6 - 12.

Equipment: Squares of newspaper, garden canes.

Rules:
For this ingenious re-enactment of Shrove Tuesday, you will need two pieces of newspaper, about a foot square, and four garden canes, each around three feet long. Each square of paper represents a pancake, and two canes, held one in each hand, represent a frying pan.

The players are divided into two teams, and their aim is to pick up a 'pancake' from the floor at one end of the room with the 'frying pan', and carry it as quickly as they can to a table at the other end of the room. They then have to pick up the 'pancake' again, transfer it back to its origInal place on the floor, and hand over to the next team member... and so on, until one team has finished.

Patience is definitely a virtue in this game, as any hurried movement will result in your 'pancake' floating out of the 'pan'. So, steady progress is the order of the day.

Type: FE

Players: Any even number.

Equipment: Two large bonnets, two large pairs of bedsocks.

Rules:
This is another dressing-up game that can cause a certain amount of embarrassment to the more staid members of the male community. To ensure the maximum unease, you need to prepare two outrageous bonnets with ribbons, the sort of headgear that Mrs. Shilling used to wear at Royal Ascot. Instead of the traditional fruit, why not go for a bonnet laden with vegetables? How about parsnips, beetroot and carrots, with the odd cucumber thrown in for good effect, and topped by a huge model wheelbarrow? Whatever you come up with, divide the players into two teams, and line them up in rows for an exciting contest.

The first player in each team dons the bonnet, tying it beneath the chin, and, after removing shoes, puts on an outsize pair of bedsocks. The second player then undoes the ribbons, puts on the bonnet, ties the ribbons, removes his or her shoes and player one's bedsocks, and puts on the bedsocks. It carries on like this along the line, until every team member has worn the bonnet and bedsocks, at which point that team is declared the winner.

Type: FC

Players: Any even number.

Equipment: Asupply of paper clips.

Rules:
Players are divided into two teams that stand facing each other, about a yard apart. The members of each team stand with their wrists crossed in front of them, so that they're clasping the opposite hands of the people on each side. At one end of each line is a small table on which are scattered a number of paper clips (one per team member). At the other end is another small table, this time empty.

The game begins with the first player in line taking the hand of the player next to him, and using it to pick up a paper clip. The second player passes it to the third player in similar fashion, and it continues down the line, until the last player, who has one hand free, deposits it on the table at the other end. Meanwhile, more paper clips have begun their journey from the top table.

Players must keep their hands clasped to their team mates at all times, and are not allowed to move their feet - although they may twist, bend and squirm their arms, legs and bodies where necessary. If a clip is dropped at any stage, the umpire picks it up, and puts it back on the top table.

The first team to transfer all its clips to the bottom table wins the game. Similar games can be played with oranges, apples or tennis balls.

Type: FC

Players: Any number.

Equipment: Peanuts, paper bags, blindfolds.

Rules:
Pigs at feeding time pale in comparison to the undignified sight of adults scrambling about the floor, hunting for peanuts.

The players are blindfolded, given a paper bag, and told to search for the peanuts, which are scattered around the room. After five minutes of frantic activity, the blindfolds are removed, and a count is made to see who has collected the most peanuts. The game works best with large numbers of people, particularly when five or six converge on the same stray peanut.

Type: F

Players: 5 - 10.

Equipment: Peanuts, cocktail sticks, paper bags.

Rules:
This game requires concentration, composure and unerring accuracy, and is therefore much more entertaining, when played by people who are in the early stages of inebriation. Each player is handed two cocktail sticks and a small paper bag, and is told to use the sticks to pick up the collection of peanuts, which have been strewn across the floor. At some parties the host will find it necessary to scatter the peanuts on the carpet personally, at others he can just let events take their natural course, and rely on the general untidiness of the guests.

Using the cocktail sticks like chopsticks, the players crawl about the floor, lifting the peanuts into the paper bag. Naturally, you are not allowed to use your hands to pick up the nuts directly. When all of the peanuts have been gathered, the player with the most bulging bag is declared the winner.

Type: F

Players: 4 or more.

Equipment: Dried peas, straws, saucers.

Rules:
Three saucers are set out in the room, one at each end, and one in the middle. One of the end ones contains a number of dried peas. On the command 'Go!', the first member of each team lifts a pea from the full saucer by sucking it through a straw. With the pea held like that, the team member runs over to the saucer in the middle of the room, and drops the pea there. At the middle saucer a team-mate takes over, and, in the same fashion, completes the transfer to the far end of the room.

The team that switches most peas from one end of the room to the other in five minutes wins the game. Anyone caught blowing through the straw, instead of sucking, is liable to a stern reprimand and a bill for any damage.

Type: A

Players: Any number.

Equipment: Clothes pegs, empty milk bottles.

Rules:
A game of undoubted skill, this is eminently suitable for the less athletic among your guests.

Divide the players onto teams of four, and supply each team with an empty milk bottle (a jam-jar will do) and 12 clothes pegs. In turn, each player stands with his feet together a couple of inches behind his team's bottle, and tries to drop the clothes pegs into the bottle from the height of his nose. He must keep their feet together, and hold his body up straight.

Each player is allowed three attempts, and any peg that misses may not be used again. When each of the players has had a turn, the victorious team is calculated by adding up the total number of pegs in each bottle.

Type: A

Players: Any number.

Equipment: A bucket of water, 50p and a supply of two-pence coins.

Rules:
This familiar activity, a favourite at summer fetes, can serve as a welcome interlude during some of the more exhausting party games. A 50-pence piece is dropped into the bottom of a bucket of water, and, from a standing position, each player attempts to drop a two-pence coin, so that it comes to rest on top of the 50 pence. Whoever manages to do so experiences the additional satisfaction of winning the money.

Type: F

Players: 6 - 12.

Equipment: Table tennis balls.

Rules:
This game is guaranteed to take your breath away. Played on a long table with a table tennis ball, it's just like the real thing, except that there's no net, and, instead of using bats, the players rely on sheer lung power.

Players are divided into two teams, who position themselves on opposite sides of the table. A table tennis ball is dropped into the middle of the table, and the players have to try to blow the ball over the opposite edge, which their opponents are defending. Each time they do so they score a point, the first team to reach 21 points being the winner. After each point, the ball is replaced in the centre of the table. Players must keep their hands behind their backs at all times. In a more refined version of the game, the players blow through straws to propel the ball.

Type: F

Players: 5 - 10.

Equipment: Potatoes, bowls, table knives, chairs.

Rules:
Place up to five chairs, facing inwards at each end of the room. On each of the chairs at one end, put three large potatoes, and on each of the opposite chairs, place a bowl. Each player is assigned a chair with the potatoes and a table knife, and, on the command 'Go!', must pick up a potato on the flat end of the knife, and carry it across to the bowl on the other side of the room. If a potato falls to the floor en route, it must be picked up with the knife. No hands are allowed to touch the potatoes, once the race is under way. The first player to deposit all three potatoes in the bowl is the winner. To accommodate more players, potato racing can be staged over two heats and a final, the fastest two from each heat going through to the eliminator. If you're contemplating buying a new carpet, you can play this game with eggs.

Type: F

Players: 2 - 6.

Equipment: Cardboard, chairs, lengths of string.

Rules:
There is nothing like a fast, all-action race, to bring the party to fever pitch, even if the participants are nothing more than cardboard rabbits.

The first thing you need to do to prepare for this game is to cut out the rabbits. There must be one rabbit per player, and they should be identical in every respect - no sticking a fluffy cotton wool bobtail onto one, because it will slow it down. Lastly pierce a hole in the centre of each bunny's head - it may sound cruel, but remember they are only cardboard.

Once you have made your racing rabbits, line up a row of chairs - one for for each rabbit - and tie a length of string, about twelve feet long, to the back of each chair. Thread the strings through the holes in the rabbits' heads, and place the animals at the start line. Now the players take over.

At the off, they seize the loose end of the string, and, by relaxing and tightening the string, the rabbit is inched forward towards the chair. For swifter progress, it is important that the rabbit should be inclined slightly towards the chair.

Having reached the chair, the rabbits must turn for home. To make the rabbits change direction, the players need to waggle the string, and tighten and relax it quickly. Again ensure that the rabbit is leaning towards the direction in which it is supposed to be heading. The first player to get his rabbit back to the start line wins a Fatal Attraction video.

Type: FC

Players: Any number.

Rules:
If you need to recharge your batteries at any point in the party, what better than a quiet lie down somewhere private, particularly when it can be played within the framework of a game such as Sardines? Apparently, this was once played by Queen Victoria, who may or not have been amused by the prospect of a dozen subjects secreting themselves beneath her voluminous dress.

Sardines is a proven favourite with all age groups. The rules are straightforward enough. One person is allowed three minutes to hide somewhere in the house, after which all of the lights are switched off, and the others grope around in the dark in search of the missing player.

Whenever someone finds him, he has to join him in that place - be it under a bed (or in it), in the larder or even the coal cellar (the oven is not recommended, especially if it's on at the time) - whilst doing their utmost to make sure that they're not seen by any of the others. As each person discovers the hiding place, they too join the fugitives. The game continues until there's only one searcher left.

Besides being an enjoyable way of filling half an hour (all the more so, depending on whom you're pressed up against), Sardines is also an excellent way of getting rid of the party bore for a while. All you have to do is send him off to hide, and then forget about him for an hour or three.

Type: F

Players: 10 or more.

Equipment: Pencils and paper.

Rules:
Short of calling a fire drill, there is no easier way of getting your guests out of the house for half an hour than by staging a Scavenger Hunt. Before the party, you need to compile a list of 20 or so articles - the more unusual the better - that can be found in your house, garden or immediate environs. You must be specific in your descriptions, so that there is no room for misconception; It is not enough to say a 'leaf', for example, you must say an 'oak leaf'.

The players are divided into teams, and each is given a list of the items to be found. They are then given 30 minutes, to bring back as many things on the list as possible, the usual tactic being for the teams to split up, and search for individual items. The sort of things you could include are: a blonde hair, a photograph of your family, a Boyzone poster, a book about Genghis Khan, a garden gnome, a bra, a Peter Rabbit alarm clock, a table mat depicting Ye Olde Fighting Cocks inn at St. Albans, and a Cuddly hippo. If you're conducting a running feud with your neighbour, you may of course be tempted to include his prize-winning chrysanthemums on the list of items to be retrieved.

Type: M

Players: Teams of 4.

Equipment: Pickled onions, teaspoons.

Rules:
This hardly bears thinking about. Players are divided into equal teams, each member of which is given a teaspoon. The first player in each team holds a bowl replete with pickled onions, and, on the signal to start, feeds two onions to the next player in line. When both onions have been eaten, and there is positively no sign of munching, player two takes the bowl, and feeds player three with a pair of pickles. And so it continues, slowly and painfully, until player one has devoured the two offerings from player four.

When deciding whether to include this game, it is important to take two matters into consideration - firstly, that none of the players has an in-built aversion to pickled onions, and secondly, that there are no more close contact games planned for the rest of the evening.

Type: A

Players: 6 or more.

Equipment: Long socks, a variety of small objects.

Rules:
The objective of this team game is straightforward enough - to be the first to remove a series of small items, in the correct order, from a man's sock, preferably one that has been washed within the last six months. Having sought out one sock per team, fill it with small objects, about a dozen in all. The range could include buttons, pebbles, beans (not baked in tomato sauce), hairpins, paper clips and coins of different sizes. To confuse the players, try to find items that feel similar.

Play begins with each team leader holding a filled sock. The host calls out the first object to be found, and the first players on each team rummage in the sock. They are allowed to pull out only one item at a time. If it's the right one, they take it to the host; If they are wrong, they must try again. When the first object has been handed in, the host calls out the second article, and the next player goes for a lucky dip. The game continues like this until the last item has been successfully located.

Type: FC

Players: 5 - 10.

Equipment: Pairs of socks, pairs of thick gloves, blindfolds.

Rules:
Before you play this game, you will need to provide an assortment of old socks and thick gloves, one pair of gloves per player. These should be unwieldy garments, such as gardening gloves or oven gloves. The socks are piled up in the middle of the room, and players are told to put a glove on each hand, but not a matching pair.

The players are then blindfolded. On the command 'Go!', they must locate the pile of socks, and, still gloved, put on as many pairs of socks as they can in a time limit of 10 minutes. The player wearing the most socks at the end of the 10 minutes wins the game. If any blindfolded competitor has difficulty finding the pile in the first place, he can be pointed discreetly in the right direction.

Type: F

Players: 8 or more.

Equipment: Shoeboxes.

Rules:
This is a team game, where half the members of each team stand at one end of the room, and the other half at the opposite end. The first player in each team is given two lidless shoeboxes, and the race gets under way with him tossing one of the boxes on the floor a short distance in front.

Stepping into the box with the left foot, he then raises the right foot off the ground, and, balancing on the left, places the second box on the floor a little further forward. He then steps into that second box with the right foot, and then balances on the right, while turning to pick up the first box, and lobbing that a little further up the course. And so it continues, until he reaches the far end, and hands over to the second member of the team.

The game is over when all the members of one team have stepped gingerly from end to end. If any player loses balance, and touches the floor with either hand or with the foot that is supposed to be off the floor, he must pick up both boxes, and go back to start that leg of the race all over again.

If you haven't any shoeboxes, or if you're a secret hula-hoop champion, this game can be played equally well with cardboard squares or plastic hoops.

Type: A

Players: Any number.

Equipment: Streamers, sticky-backed paper.

Rules:
There's no need to worry about any of your guests' blood pressure - this game is by no means as risqué as it sounds, as becomes clear, when you realise that the strips in question are strips of streamer.

Prior to the party, cut the streamers into various lengths, from about two to eight inches (5 to 20 cm), and hide them around the house in such a way that only the ends are visible. Next, cut some sticky-backed paper into small squares, and put them in a dish.

All the players have to do is scour the house for pieces of streamer, and then stick them together with the adhesive paper. Whoever manages to assemble the longest streamer in 10 minutes is the winner.

Type: FE

Players: 12 or more.

Equipment: A supply of eggs.

Rules:
Unless you are either in the throes of moving or redecorating, this is definitely a game best played in the garden, and, preferably, in old clothes. Two marker lines are laid out with string, about 10 feet apart, and the players are divided into teams of six or more people. Half the members of each team station themselves on one side of one marker line, with the other half on the other side of the second marker line. The members of both halves of each team stand in single file, facing each other. Then comes the messy part. The respective team leaders are each given an egg and, on the shout of 'Go!', have to toss their egg to their waiting team mate opposite, who has to catch it one-handed.

Two-handed catches are strictly illegal, and a broken egg results in elimination. As soon as a player tosses an egg, he steps out of the line, to make way for his next team mate.

The game continues in this manner, until every team member has had a turn. When the team leader steps up to the marker line once more, and successfully catches the egg, the game is over, and that team is the winner. For a less hazardous encounter, you could always use hard-boiled eggs.

Type: A

Players: Any number.

Equipment: An assortment of small items, pencils and paper.

Rules:
Treasure Hunt is the classic party game for enabling guests to stretch their legs in a few minutes' gentle exercise. Before the party you need to scour cupboards, the larder, even, if you are particularly brave, your teenage son's bedroom, and produce a dozen or more small items that can be secreted somewhere about the house. These could include a shoe lace, a bus ticket, a clothes peg, a pencil sharpener, a sock, a small screwdriver, a comb, a nail file, a stamp, a cork, a milk bottle top and a key.

Once you have your items, it is time to hide them in suitable places. Whilst you don't want the players to find them immediately, each object must be visible - it is unreasonable to expect even Poirot to find a paper clip that has been stuffed beneath a pile of magazines. Underneath shelves or mantelpieces are always good locations, in which case you will probably need some sticky tape, to make sure the item doesn't drop off. And don't hide objects in places that are too inaccessible, especially if your guests are elderly or somewhat on the rotund side. There is nothing more embarrassing than having to call out the fire brigade, because one of your guests has become wedged between the fireplace and the wall, while searching for that elusive milk bottle top in Treasure Hunt. As you find a home for each item, don't forget to make a note of where it is - It is really frustrating, if, at the end of the game, nobody, not even the host, has a clue where the bus ticket is.

At the start of the game, call out the list of items, and, having given the players pencils and paper, tell them that they have to write down each location alongside the relevant item. A tip for players is not to get too excited when discovering an object. Frantic jumping up and down, punching the air in celebration, and cries of 'Eureka!' merely tend to alert your fellow competitors - Far better to move away from the object, and then note its location down quietly.

The first player to find every item on the list wins the game, or, alternatively, a limit of 20 minutes can be imposed - the one with the most correct answers in that time being declared the victor. Of course, if all of your guests happen to be myopic, you may need larger objects - a gas cooker for example. Better still, you could try playing a different game.

Type: AB

Players: Any even number.

Equipment: Plenty of chairs.

Rules:
Two teams sit on chairs, facing each other. At each end of the room, between the two rows, is an empty chair. One is the 'true' chair, the other the 'false' chair.

The host makes a statement to each pair of players in turn. If they think that the statement is true, they run to the 'true' chair; If they think that it's not, they run to the 'false' chair. Whoever sits on the correct seat wins a point for his team. When both players dash to the 'true' chair, the first to be seated wins the point.

The best statements to use are ones that are open to confusion, such as 'Harry H. Corbett operated Sooty'. (Harry Corbett operated Sooty, Harry H. Corbett starred in Steptoe and Son).

Type: AB

Players: 4 - 15.

Equipment: Pieces of card, pencils and paper.

Rules:
Compile a list of about 40 well-known television programmes (all with more than one-word titles), and split the titles in half, as in LAST OF THE / SUMMER WINE. Write all of the second halves on separate pieces of card, and distribute them in cunningly concealed places around the house.

Give each player the first half of a title, and send him away to find the slip bearing the second half. When the appropriate second section has been located, the player brings it back to you, and is issued with a new title to find. The winner is the player who has tracked down most titles, when you call time (a period of 20 minutes is reasonable).

Type: FE

Players: 3 - 8.

Equipment: Paper cups, paper plates.

Rules:
If you can excel at this game, it's a sure sign that you haven't had nearly enough to drink, for it is a contest that requires the lightest touch and perfect balance.

Set out a small table at each end of the room. On one table stack a pile of paper plates; on the other a pile of paper cups.

The object of the game is simple, but the execution is more difficult. Beginning with a plate, then a cup, then another plate, the players have to build the highest possible tower of alternate plates and cups, walking between the two tables to acquire fresh items. While on the move, their hands must hold only the bottom plate. If, at any point, their tower collapses, they have to go back to the plate table, and start all over again.

The player with the tallest tower at the end of five minutes wins the game.

Type: F

Players: Any number.

Equipment: Table tennis balls, paper plates.

Rules:
In this team game, the members stand in lines, with just enough space between each player to allow one of their number to weave in and out at speed. The first player carries a paper plate in the reverse palm of his hand - waiter-fashion. On the plate is a table tennis ball, denoting the breakfast egg. That player must run in and out of his team mates, announcing to each: 'Your breakfast is served, Sir (or Madam).'

When he completes the slalom course, and runs back to the starting point, the plate and table tennis ball are handed over to the second player, who sets off on a new run, with player one becoming the first person in the new line. If the ball is dropped at any stage (and no hands can be used to hold it down), the player must go back to the start of that run. The first team to have every player complete the run wins the game.

Type: FE

Players: Any number.

Equipment: Two overnight bags, four night-caps, four large nightdresses, four pairs of slippers, four dressing-gowns.

Rules:
Players are split up into two teams, which are then sub-divided into pairs. The first couple in each team are given an overnight bag containing two night-caps, two large nightdresses, two pairs of slippers and two dressing-gowns.

Starting from one end of the room, they have to carry their bags to two chairs situated at the opposite end, take off their shoes, put on the night-caps, nightdresses, slippers and dressing-gowns, run round their chair once, take all the nightclothes off again, put their own shoes back on, repack their bags, and race back to the start, where they hand over to the next couple. The relay continues until the final couple in one team cross the finish line, complete with repacked bag. The sight of grown men running around in nightdresses is more than enough justification for including this game in your party. The worrying time is when they appear to be enjoying it.

Type: F

Players: Any number.

Equipment: A wastepaper basket, a rubber ball.

Rules:
This innocuous diversion keeps your guests occupied, while you prepare the next big game. All you do is place a wastepaper basket next to a wall, and see how many people can bounce a spongy ball once on the floor, and then into the basket from a distance of around three yards. Each player is allowed three attempts, anyone who fails to score a single basket being eliminated from the competition.

Those, who succeed, move on to the next round, where the distance increases to four yards. The distance between player and basket continues to increase with each round, until there is either just one person left, or your guests are stopping traffic, in order to take aim from the middle of the street.

Type: FC

Players: 6 or more.

Rules:
This extremely silly game can be played either indoors or outside. One player is chosen to be Mr. Wolf, and stands at one end of the room or lawn, whilst the others, who are all rabbits, stand at the other end behind a marker line. The confrontation begins with the rabbits all calling out: 'What's the time, Mr. Wolf?' (Now you know why you need a few drinks to play this game.) Mr. Wolf replies: 'Two o'clock' or 'six o'clock', or any number up to 12. Whichever number the wolf calls out, the rabbits take the corresponding number of bunny hops forward. After a few goes, the rabbits will be quite close to Mr. Wolf, and it is then that his reply to the standard question might suddenly change to 'dinner time'. Hearing those dreaded words, the rabbits turn tail, and scurry back towards the safety of their line. Any caught by Mr. Wolf before reaching sanctuary are enlisted as trainee wolves, and thereafter may also devour rabbits on the call of 'dinner time'. The winner is the last rabbit left alive.

Type: F

Players: Any number.

Equipment: A supply of water biscuits, chairs.

Rules:
Players line up in equal-numbered teams on the opposite side of the room to a row of chairs (one per team).

The game starts with the first players in each team running over to the appropriate chair, sitting down on it, and eating a water biscuit as quickly as possible. Having devoured the whole biscuit, they must then try to whistle. The sound doesn't have to be as clear as a Roger Whittaker solo, but it must be a definite whistle, rather than just a blow. When the judge approves the whistling note, they race back to their line, and hand over to the next player. And so it continues, until one team has finished.

Type: F

Players: Any number.

Rules:
In truth, this is nothing more than an excuse for adults to play hide and seek, but what's wrong with that?

One player is chosen to be the witch, and, after turning off all of the lights, goes away to find a suitable place to hide. Five minutes later, the witch-hunters set off in pursuit, still in total darkness. As they stumble around the furniture, they are allowed two cries of 'Where are you, Witchy?' to which the witch must reply with an eerie cackle. But there is nothing to prevent the witch moving somewhere else after each cackle.

Whoever eventually succeeds in catching the witch dons the mantle for the next instalment. To add to the atmosphere, it is a nice touch to supply the witch with a pointed hat and a cloak. The authenticity should, however, stop there, and under no circumstances should any attempt be made to carry out Trial by Ordeal.

Type: ME

Players: Any number.

Equipment: Balloons filled with water.

Rules:
Unless you are prepared for a soaking, 'Wobbly Bosoms' calls for steady nerves and even steadier hands. Some homeowners would prefer to play this game outside, or at least on an easily mopped surface.

Fill a number of balloons with water, and seal them up carefully. Then gather all the players close together, and start a nice gentle game of catch. Anyone who flinches at the crucial moment of catching the water-filled balloon risks either dropping it or, worse still, having it explode on him. In either case the penalty is elimination from the game. The winner of the game is the driest at the end.

Type: AB

Players: Any number.

Equipment: Slips of paper.

Rules:
Before the party, think of a list of words of six letters, one word per player. Write the individual letters on separate slips of paper, and scatter them around the house. Each word should have its own identifying number, and this should be written on the pieces of paper. Thus, if 'CASUAL' is word number one, the slips of paper bearing C,A,S,U,A and L should all carry the number one.

Each player is handed a piece of paper giving details of the mystery word that he has to find. The information on the paper will also reveal the number of letters in the word, and that word's identifying number. The players then go off to find their letters, and work out their word. The first to do so wins the game.

From 'The Ultimate Party Games Book'.
© 1997 Carlton Books.