When it comes to the 4th of July, people like to be around friends and family to have a good time. Part of the fun of 4th of July parties and picnics are the games that people play. Party games can really bring life to a party and, of course, kids are especially fond of party games. It is hard to say what the best 4th of July party games are for your family. But below are suggestions for party games that may become your next family favorites.
Word searches and word scrambles — word searches and word scramble type games are the most versatile of the games. You can create a word game that is easier for children and another that is challenging for adults. Word games are a good way to calm children down and to get them to sit still for a little while. Adults who may not be as interested in games that are physically demanding can leisurely enjoy this type of mental activity. You are also able to use a great deal of creativity when writing up your own word games. You can ask trivia questions, have your guests try to unscramble words, have them fill in the blanks, etc.
Patriotic balloon toss — You just have to spend time outside on the 4th of July, and what better way to do so and provide a fun way of cooling off, than by playing a water balloon toss. Begin by filling up red, white and blue water balloons. Next you create two parallel lines of equal numbers of party guests an equal distance apart. Start relatively close together and have one line of people throw their balloon to their partner across from them in the other line. If the balloon is caught successfully, have both team members take one step backward and throw the balloon again. Continue to back up until all but one team has dropped (or popped) their water balloon.
Obstacle courses and relay races — In keeping with the outside theme of the 4th of July holiday, there are lots of fun ideas that you can incorporate into an obstacle course or a relay race. For example, you can have an Uncle Sam dress-up relay where team mates must race back and forth across the yard and stopping to put on things such as a top hat, white shirt, whipped cream beard, etc. The team who can go back and forth the fastest while successfully finishing as a dressed Abe Lincoln or Uncle Sam, wins the game.
You can organize relay races to fit as many or as few people as necessary. Obstacle courses can be even more personalized as you can do just about anything to incorporate the 4th of July theme into your game. Use buckets, rings, a tricycle, a beach ball, some sidewalk chalk, a small wading pool, some bubbles, pennies, a stop watch, etc. Before beginning, demonstrate to your guests how the obstacle course is to be run. You may want to have your course run in alternating directions. Have two teams compete at the same time or stop the stop watch when the last player of the first team finishes and record the time. Then the next team repeats the process and is timed with the stop watch. The team that completes the obstacle course in the shortest amount of time is the winner.
Fun with food — A big part of the 4th of July is the food. So why not incorporate some 4th of July treats into a game? One example involves a cookie with a hole in the middle or a donut, some string and a pole or tree branch. Hang the string down from the branch or stick so that there are enough perpendicular strings for each person who wants to participate. String the cookie or donut onto the string so it is hanging above the ground. The person who is able to eat their entire treat without letting it fall to the ground wins.
Remember to keep all of your guests in mind when you are thinking of what types of party games to play. You will want to coordinate active games for the children and less physically active games for the older guests at your party. Having a good balance is important if you want all of your guests to feel like they are able to participate in and enjoy the games that you have planned.