Games are great to make your parties more fun and enjoyable. If you have a group of guests where some of them don’t know each other icebreaker games are great to help ease the tension in the room. Make sure you choose the right games for the group. Some guests won’t like the more fun and childish games whereas younger groups will love them.
Icebreaker Games
- Hold That Pose
Ask everyone to respond to these questions by following directions, precisely. If you have a car and know how to drive hold up your right hand.
If you enjoy being around people, wiggle your fingers.
If you have a phone and love to talk, hold up your left hand.
If you have lot of (company) products, raise your left leg.
If you like money, and want more, raise your right leg.
Now pick one of the most enthusiastic people from those who have two hands and legs in the air. Have everyone else hold their position until guest comes up front. Then have the guest introduce themselves to the group and select a product you offer he or she wants to buy or has at home and have them demonstrate it. Tell them you have something special to talk to them about later. This is a great recruiting game. Give everyone a gift for being such a good sport.
- Name Game
This is a great game to break the ice at the beginning of a party and also for those parties where not everyone knows each other. This is very simple and requires no equipment.
Guests must introduce themselves using the letters of their names as the first letter of a descriptive word. For example: Hi may names Marie and I’m mysterious, amazing, rowdy, intelligent and eerie!
Prize Games
- Auctions
Have some small prizes available. During the presentation ask some questions to make sure everyone is listening. Give those that answer correctly some play money. Also give everyone play money for introducing themselves and if they book a party. At the end of the presentation auction off the prizes. Have a few so guests have something to choose. Those left with play money after the auction get a chocolate or something sweet!
- Pass The Prize
Have a prize wrapped up. Hand it to the hostess. Now read this poem and watch your guests go crazy!
“You thought all the gifts were meant for you. But I have other items too.So hold up this gift and look around, and give it to the one with eyes of brown.You think you are the lucky one, but let us all share in the fun!Look around with eyes discreet, and give it to the one with the smallest feet.
Your feet are tiny and very small. Now hand it to someone very tall.
Please, take your time and don’t be harried. Give it to the one who is longest married.
You must be proud of your married life, now pass this on to the newest wife.
Of this parcel you are bereft, give it to the one on your left.
The largest earring I’m looking for now, if you’re wearing them, step up with a bow.
Now to the person with buttons– big or small, any kind, the most you can find gets the gift at this time.
Now don’t get cross and please don’t fight, but pass it to the lady third on the right.
We should stop now, don’t you agree? The gift is yours to open and see.”
- Mystery Island
Give everyone a piece of paper, and tell your guests to close their eyes and imagine that you are on a Hawaiian Island.
Read this out:
“1. First, draw an island in the middle of your paper. 2. Then to the left of your island, draw a ship. 3. Your island is surrounded by water, so please put some fish in the sea. 4. This is Hawaii, so put a palm tree on the island. 5. Its a nice day, so put some birds in the air. 6. That ship didn’t get there by itself, so put a sailor in the ship. 7. He might get hungry, so draw some coconuts on the palm tree. 8. Sailors like to see where they are going, so put some portholes on the ship. 9. Sailors like entertainment, so draw a hula dancer on the island. 10. Its a sunny day, so put the sun in the sky. Now open your eyes and how does it look?”
Give points as follows:
If your island is in the middle – 10 points, If your ship is to the left of the island, but not touching – 10 points, If you have more than two fish – 15 points, If the base of the palm tree is on the island – 20 points, If you have more than two birds in the air – 20 points, If your sailor is on the ship, not swimming – 20 points, If there are any coconuts on the tree – 15 points, If your portholes are on the ship – 20 points, If your hula dancer is on the island and not touching water – 20 points, If the sun is to the left – 20 points, If the sun is to the right – 15 points, If your sun is in the middle – 10 points.”
Add up your points up offer little prizes to 1st & 2nd place and even last!
- Left Right
Have a prize wrapped up. Hand it to the hostess. Tell the guests that when they hear left or right, that is the way they have to pass the parcel. Now read this poem and watch your guests go crazy!
”I left the house right on time to get to _____________’s house. I had everything I needed to set up my display the right way, and place our wonderful products right before your eyes.
My first turn was to the right, and then I turned left. Then I had to turn right, right again, and then left. I hoped that I remembered the right way to get to here.
After I made the lefts and the rights, I found that my memory was right on target. I was right where I needed to be, here at __________’s house.
As I unloaded the car, I checked to make sure nothing was left behind. Putting one bag on my left shoulder and holding another with my right hand, I approached the door. Knocking with my right hand, I waited for ___________ to answer.
After I set my samples down on the left of the room and my display items on the right, I was ready to start passing the samples. I say, “Please sample these products on your left hand and arm.” As each item was introduced, I handed it to the person on my right, who passed it to the right and so on.
Once you have sampled the high quality products, please open your catalogs right away. There are so many awesome products on each page….make sure you look on the left side AND the right so you don’t miss a single one!I am going to begin passing around products to sample right now.
Please feel free to ask me any questions you may have at any time.
Now, let’s congratulate the winner. She is patiently waiting to the left of whoever is holding the prize. I know you are all envious, because YOU wanted to win that prize, right?”
Booking Games
- At Least 2
Give all guests a piece of paper and pencil. Give them 2 minutes to write at least 2 of the following:
2 of their favorite snack/nibble foods
2 favorite drinks
2 Friends
2 Relatives
2 Associates/co-workers
2 Neighbours
2 Kids contacts (or someone they’d like to get to Know)
Give a prize to the person sharing your favorite drink, and one for your favorite food. Give a larger prize to the person with the most names on their list. Then, tell them all they just planned their own party/show/demo in two minutes! Wasn’t that easy? Give a gift to anyone who decides to book date right then!
- Dice Gamble
Grab some dice. The bigger the better! Ask if anyone wants to take a chance and roll. The outcome of the dice roll is as follows:
1 – Cough up a dollar! (I put them in a jar and when it’s full donate it to charity)
2 – Receive a free gift (choose something small)
3 – Receive a 20% off voucher
4 – Come to a consultant meeting (or something that your company does to recruit others)
5 – Book a party in the next month
6 – Receive double hostess rewards at your party
* You can also use free shipping or $5 extra hostess rewards or $50 free if you feel like being adventurous
- Lucky Envelopes
Buy 10 small envelopes. Grab 10 Business cards and on the back write a special offer such as Double Hostess Rewards, Free Shipping, $20 Free, 10% off, Free product and so on. Put a business card into each envelope and write Booking Special on the front in funky writing. You now have 2 options!
Option 1. As the customers come in give them the envelope and say don’t open it. Wait until the end of the party when you do your booking bid. If anyone asks what the envelopes are for just say it’s a surprise and move on! Now say to the guests that anyone who books a party gets to open their envelope. The suspense will make people book just to know what it in it.
Or Option 2. Fan the envelopes out in your hand and when you go around to each of the guests to take their orders ask if they would like to book at party and pick a lucky envelope. After you have asked all the guests who have ordered, ask if anyone else would be interested in getting a lucky envelope for booking a party.
Hostess Games
You give these games to your hostess when giving the hostess packs. Great for encouraging guest numbers and before orders.
- Guest Bingo
Make a grid of say 16 squares and write different guest types in each square. The ones I used was someone with blonde hair, someone who lives in a two story house, someone from work, family member and so on. Tell the hostess that if she can get all of them marked off you’ll give her a prize. This is great to get the attendance up and also makes the hostess invite people that they probably wouldn’t have.
Christmas Games
Similar to other games but reworded for the Christmas season.
- Santa Clause
Read this out:
“Close your eyes and no peeking. 1. Draw a nice fat body to keep him warm. 2. Upon it put a head 3. Give him a left leg 4. And what about a his right arm 5. Draw his nose on the head 6. Santa’s left foot is cold-give him a boot 7. Now give him a right leg 8. He needs to see, so give him some eyes 9. Now draw a sack beside Santa 10. Now draw his beard 11. Draw his boot on his right leg, then draw his left arm 12. Now draw some presents in the sack 13. Its very cold outside, Santa needs his gloves on his hands and a hat on his head.”
Give points as follows:
10 points if Santa’s legs are in the right place – 10 points, if Santa’s nose is on his head – 15 points, if Santa’s boots are on his legs – 15 points, if you put eyes on the head – 25 points, for Santa’s sack – 30 points, if Santa’s gloves are on his hands – 35 points, if the presents are in his sack – 40 points, for both arms attached – 40 points, if Santa’s beard is on his face – 50 points, if Santa’s hat is in its proper place – 75 points.
The one with the most poitns wins the prize.
- Snowman Game
Read this out:
“1. Close your eyes – and no peaking! 2. Draw the head of a snowman 3. Now draw the middle circle 4. Now draw the bottom circle 5. Give your snowman 2 eyes 6. He needs a nose 7. Now give him 2 arms 8. And 5 buttons marching down his front 9. Oh – he has to have a mouth 10. And you’d better give him a hat before he melts.”
Give points as follows:
If the head and middle section are touching or overlapping – 5 points. If the middle and bottom section are touching or overlapping – 5 points. For each eye inside his head – 5 points. If his nose is inside his head – 5 points. If his mouth is inside his head – 5 points. For each button that’s in the middle or bottom section – 5 points. If his arms are connected to his body, 5 points for each one. If his hat is touching his head – 5 points.
Give the person with the highest points a prize!