Children are not the only ones who enjoy birthday party games. By planning games specifically designed to appeal to the over-50 crowd, you can give your grown-up guests a chance to have some playful fun at your next birthday celebration. Take into account the interests of the age group, as well as specific skills the individuals have acquired in their lives, and use this information to hand-pick games that will fully engage the players.
Name That Classic Tune
While your over-50 party guests may not be familiar with some of the top 40 hits that currently wash over the airwaves, they're likely knowledgeable about an assortment of songs from decades past. Put this knowledge to the test by playing "Name That Classic Tune." Gather songs from the decade in which your party guests were teens and burn them to a CD to simplify play. To play, start a track but stop it before the chorus begins. Challenge guests to guess the tune with the limited musical piece you presented. Keep track of correct answers, rewarding the player who gets the most tunes correct.
Birthday Bingo
Create custom bingo cards by making a grid of boxes five across and five down, then filling each box with a term that is particularly relevant to the birthday girl, such as her favorite color, activities she enjoys and places she's visited. Mix them up on each card. Write down the words you placed on all the cards on slips of paper, fold the papers and place them in a basket. Hand out the custom bingo cards to your guests, then draw out the slips of paper one at a time, calling the words like bingo numbers. Reward the guest who fills in her card first.
I Remember When...
Share good memories and challenge the birthday "boy's" memory with an "I Remember When..." game. As guests arrive at your event, present them with index cards. Ask each guest to write a short account of an experience he shared with the birthday celebrant. Encourage them to recount positive and humorous events to keep the mood upbeat, then collect the cards as they're completed. When everyone gathers together to share cake or just talk, pull out the cards and read them aloud one at a time. Challenge the guest of honor to remember which party guest he shared each experience with. Ask old friends to write memories from long ago to enhance the nostalgic possibilities of this game and make it more challenging for the celebrant to match the memory with the friend who wrote it.