The festive season is back in force after a year of muted celebrations, so it's time to refresh our hosting skills and make sure everyone has a good time. These dinner party games are perfectly suitable for six people or fewer, and if you've forgotten how have fun over a dinner table, they're sure to liven things up.
1. The Water Game
You will need
- A small glass of water
Directions
- Sit guests in a circle.
- Choose one person and give them the small glass of water.
- The person with the water determines a category (e.g. types of fabric) and shares the category with the group. They then secretly choose an item (e.g. velvet) from that category and do not share it.
- All other players then take turns to guess what the person has chosen, taking it in turns until someone correctly guesses.
- The person who correctly guesses then has the glass of water thrown in their face.
- The game continues with a new person, category and glass of water.
2. Spoons
You will need
- Spoons, one less than the number of players
- Standard deck of 52 playing cards
Directions
- Place spoons in the middle of the table.
- Deal four cards to each player.
- The dealer takes the top card from the deck which should be placed on their right and discards a card from their hand to the player on their left.
- All other players then hand a card to their left in a cyclical motion.
- Play continues until a player has four of a kind.
- The first player to have four of a kind picks up a spoon.
- Everyone must then also grab a spoon.
- Whoever is left spoonless is eliminated from the game.
- Continue with the next round, removing a spoon each time a player is eliminated until only two players remain.
Aim of the game
- The first to get four of a kind and grab the last spoon, is the winner.
Top tip
- Clear any precious glassware from the table. This game becomes rowdy very quickly.
3. Salad Bowl
You will need
- A bowl
- Paper
- Pens
Directions
- Each player puts five names on bits of paper in a bowl; celebrities, fictional characters, mutual acquaintances etc.
- Split into partners or small groups, depending on party size.
- Round one: players have one minute to describe as many of the names in the bowl to the rest of their teammates. Continue this round until all the names are gone. Note down your total at the end of the round and put names back in the bowl. If you want to add a secondary challenge, you can opt to not say pronouns within your description.
- Round two: repeat round one but with Charades.
- Round three: you must describe your names using one word only.
Aim of the game
- Once all three rounds are complete, tot up your total. The team with the most points wins.
Top tip
- Keep a close eye and ear on how other players describe their names- it'll come in useful on round three.
4. The sticky note Game
You will need
- A pack of sticky notes
- Pens
Directions
- Write a name of a person (famous or otherwise) on your paper and stick on your chosen player's forehead making sure they don't see.
- Each player takes a turn in asking the group a 'yes, no' question in order to guess the name on their head.
- Eg. Am I a fictional character? Am I still alive?
- If you get a 'yes', you can ask another question. If you get a 'no', it's the next player's turn.
Aim of the game
- The first to guess, wins. The circle continues until everyone has guessed their name.
Top tip
- Beware of mirrors and reflective surfaces.
5. The Letter Game
You will need
- Pieces of paper
- Pens
Directions
- Each player picks a letter and a subject and tells the group.
- Write everyone's letters in a column down the left-hand side of their page and the subjects along a row at the top. Players must think of the most obscure option for each. Eg. the letter is 'S' and the subject is 'Artists', so you could write 'Walter Sickert'.
- Once you have completed your table, each person goes around saying what they wrote for each subject. For each person that says the same as you, you get a point.
Aim of the game
- The player with the least amount of points wins the game.
Top tip
- If you're playing with younger ones, keep the subjects broad. No ten year old wants to guess wines beginning with A.
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