My mother has decided that on Christmas we will play ‘Minute to Win it’ for little presents. Unfortunately, she’s been travelling for family stuff and hasn’t been able to come up with very many events. One she was telling me about, for example, is taping an empty kleenex box filled with jingle bells to your butt, and then shaking to see who can get the most bells out. As she was telling me this, it was very hard not to go 'What the literal fuck are you talking about, Mom?" but I’ve learned over the years to just go along with it. Usually, we end up having a lot of fun.
So, the point of this post, is that I am looking for ideas like this sort of thing. I’ve never been much of a party-planner or anything and I’ve come up totally blank for ideas. Maybe things like this that people have done at kid’s birthday parties or showers of some kind? Please help!
(I don’t think this belongs in Games, b/c it’s not really about gameplay, but 'tis up to the mods.)
For a team game, if you have enough people there, try Poop the Pear (although I’m sorry to say it’s in the same fecal catagory as the Jingleberries game you’ve described). It’s a team relay game my mom taught me.
Divide into teams. I normally suggest 3-6 people per team, 2-4 teams, depending upon how many are playing. The teams line up behind a start line; the goal (one per team) is a receptacle about 15-20’ away (adjust as seems right). The receptacles can be grocery bags or desk-size trash cans. Each team needs a “pear” – I’ve never done it with an actual pear, though we have used apples, oranges, and softballs. Tennis balls could work.
The first member of each team stuffs the “pear” into his crotch and then, holding it there, waddles towards the goal. If the pear falls out, he must stop and reinsert it. Upon reaching the goal, he positions his crotch over the top and drops the pear into it. The pear must be “pooped” into the goal. Having done that, he grabs the pear, runs back to the start line, and hands it to his next team member, who proceeds to insert, waddle, and poop, etc. The game is won by the team whose final pooper hits the goal first. It’s fun to try, and a hoot to watch.
I don’t know if we’ll have enough people, but we’ll see. You did just make me remember the game where you cut the leg off a pair of pantyhose, put an orange down it, tuck the top into the back of your pants and use the pendulum-y orange to knock a ball (or another orange) along the floor in a race.
So thanks! Please keep them coming. (This is a group of 14 to 65 year olds with all different levels of fitness too.)
We used to get some mileage out of “volleyball” with a balloon, hitting it back and forth over the living room sofa.
But if you’ve got the energy for this sort of thing…why not go outside for a nice walk? Then come back in, stamping and steaming, and play Scrabble? “Emphatic” play goes outside; inside is for quiet games.