Barbecue Party Games

The barbecue would not be complete without a few party games. Hundreds of games are available that are suitable for children and adults of all ages, although maybe not all at the same time. If you are planning to arrange a large party, then it may be worthwhile getting a professional company in to organise the events for you.

Pass The Parcel... For younger children pass the parcel is a tried and tested party game, although with a few modifications older players could participate quite easily.

Find a suitable present and then wrap it in as many different coloured layers of wrapping paper as required. This should be dictated by the number of players who will take part.

During this party game, the players sit down close to each other in a circle. The music starts, and the players pass the parcel around the circle. As soon as the music stops, the player holding the parcel stops and removes a layer of wrapping paper.

The music begins again, and the parcel is passed around the circle until the music stops again, the player holding the parcel agin removes a layer of paper this continues until all the wrappers have been removed The player who removes the last layer of wrapping paper keeps the present.

Simon Says...

One person is chosen to be "Simon" the others stand in a straight line.

The Simon then calls out an action for the children to follow.

It can be anything like....

Touch your toes

Jump in the air

'Simon' when giving an action can simply state the action by it self..."touch your ears"
and whoever does it is out and has to sit down.

Or the 'Simon' can say "Simon says, touch your nose" and them everyone must follow the instruction. You can vary the actions according to the age group of children that are playing. The last person who is standing can then be 'Simon'. This party game is very common and easy to play for all age groups.

Egg and Spoon Race

A party game would not be complete without the egg and spoon race. A classic game for a barbecue party. You need quite some room for this one, so it is ideal for anyone with a large garden.

Line up all the participants with eggs in spoons, preferably hard boiled other wise there could be a few splatterd eggs across the lawn

Then start the race and the first to cross the finish line without dropping the egg is the winner. If you use hard boiled eggs, then you can eat all the eggs after the race is over.

The Three Legged Sack Race

The three legged sack race is a fun party game and will create a lot of excitement for everyone. There will be plenty of energy expended in this one, and you will need to find plenty of space.

You will need a partner three legs and a sack or pillow case and you're ready to go....

Divide players into pairs. Determine a starting line and a line or marker from which to turn back. Each pair must keep at least one foot inside the sack or pillowcase at all times during the race. Otherwise they will be disqualified.

Each team must figure out the best method to keep the sack or pillowcase on and move quickly. The object is to run as a team to the turn back line and the first team back are the winners. You could also have a relay where you have several teams running.

Musical Chairs

Another fun party game, that will allways be a great ice breaker. With one fewer chairs than people, a short snippet of music is played while the people move around the chairs. When the music stops everyone tries to sit on a vacant chair, the person who doesn't find a chair is out. One chair is taken away and the game continues until only one person is left.

Pin the tail on the Donkey... A fun party game where players attempt to pin the tail on the donkey in the correct spot.

You will need two or more players, a blindfold, pins or sticky tape and a Donkey.The Donkey could be a stuffed animal or made from felt, cardboard or just a plain simple drawing.

The tail can be made from string, cardboard, felt or paper. Each player is blindfolded in turn, and spun around a couple of times before being let loose on the Donkey.They must try to pin or stick the tail on the donkey in the correct spot .The player who gets closest is the winner of this party game.

Bouncy Castles

If you're fortunate to have a large garden you could hire one of the entertaining bouncy castles. Great for the younger children and ideal for getting them to expend some of their energy. We had one at the last barbecue we held and it kept a dozen kids entertained for hours.