Fun Games to Play With Middle Age People

When hosting a party or event for middle aged people, plan games that take advantage of the life experiences of players. Whether you play drinking games or just score points for prizes, every participant will enjoy the laughter these party games evoke. Provide a mix of conversation style games with backyard games of silly fun and friendly competition.

Have players sit in a circle. Give ten toothpicks to each player. Have the first player state something she has never done. Every player who has done the thing she hasn’t must give her one of their toothpicks. Continue play around the circle until each player has made their statement. The winner is the player with the most toothpicks. Eliminate the toothpicks and turn this into a drinking game. Instruct everyone who has done the thing the speaker hasn’t to take a drink.

Instruct players to write down the wildest thing they have ever done. Once all players have folded their papers and placed them in a hat, pass it around and have each player pick one out and read it aloud. Everyone has to guess who wrote it. This leads to interesting and humorous discussion, at the end of which the person who wrote it must confess. When all papers have been read the players vote on whose experience is wildest, and the winner is crowned “Wild Thing.” You can make a sash or paper crown for the winner to wear.

Play the question game for a fun twist on ordinary conversation. Someone must start a conversation by asking a question (How about this weather?) Participants can only respond in the form of a question (Isn’t it lovely? Do you think it will last? Did you hear about the East Coast flooding?). The conversation continues until someone fails to contribute in the form of a question. That player is eliminated and it is time to change the subject, which someone must do by asking the question, “Shall we change the subject?”

Each person makes three statements about himself. Two are true, one is a lie. Everyone then guesses which statement is a lie. Players who guess correctly score points or players who are wrong take a drink.

Play this game like the traditional tug of war, while sparing players from having to land in a pit of mud. Place a sprinkler in the middle of the yard and turn it on. Divide into two teams and have stand on opposite sides of the sprinkler, holding the rope. At the word, “Go!” both teams pull until one team drags the other into the sprinkler, causing them to get wet.

Set up a piñata, play Pin the Tail on the Donkey or run relay races. Players will love getting silly and feeling like a kid again while competing in these childhood activities.