help! got any party mixer ideas?
We had an email request the other day from Malina that said: I recently moved to Texas and wanted to have a big “Hey, we’re back!” party. I need some sort of activity or theme that would get people to interact with strangers. I have asked around, with no luck. We have tons of outdoor space that can utilize….. Any ideas? Thanks.
Great question! It’s been ages since we’ve thrown a party (for adults anyway) and this reminds us how much fun it can be. We spotted these fun napkins (above) while browsing around Up To You, an online boutique from Toronto. (You can order them by clicking here and then scrolling down the page a bit). It reminded us of one party mixer game that has always been a hit for us. Not sure what you would call it (officially) but maybe one of you knows?
1) Buy a bunch of “hello my name is” stickers and write celebrity names on them. We always like to use pop cultural references of the moment (hello K’Fed!) but you could use historic figures, tv characters, whatever floats your boat.
2) As your guests walk into your party, slap one of those stickers randomly on their backs.
3) Instruct them that they must ask other guests a series of “yes” or “no” questions that will help them figure out who “they are.” Like, “Am I a blonde woman?” “Do I have any children?” “Do I make a living singing?” etc. To make it a little tougher you could have a time limit. Or limit the number of questions people are allowed to ask.
4) Once the guests guess who they are correctly, they can move their names from their backs to their fronts and relax! You could give prizes to first three people who accomplish this task.
Goofy? Yes. But it is fun (especially if a bit of alcohol is distributed as well). Click here to download some free “hello my name is” templates that you can print at home.
What about you? Got any fun mixer ideas to share? Please do!
November 9th, 2006 at 8:53 am
I know some friends of mine had a “Worlds Collide” party (a la George Costanza and Seinfeld – “A George divided against himself cannot stand!”) — it worked really well as a theme for mixing together a bunch of friends from different areas of life (school friends, work friends, family friends, etc.) It also broke the ice for attendees who could mingle and ask others how they knew the couple.
November 9th, 2006 at 9:28 am
We like getting a big stack of those red Solo cups and then pre-labeling them. Can be anything from Star Wars characters to TV Show cast members to B-list celebrities. Then we mix them all up so Han and Leia aren’t together and let people pick them as they need them. If you can remember your name you know which cup is yours all night. And, for some reason, people always seem to comment on the names on other’s cups. Also, as in the case of Han and Leis (or Chewie for that matter), we make people go find their buddy or buddies to get acquainted.
November 9th, 2006 at 11:14 am
The Star Wars geek in me is loving your idea, peel.