Throwing a Dinner Party - What's the Entertainment?
Now, I can see what you're thinking - I'm already planning a dinner party, and setting up menus, getting invitations out, handling reservations, planning the shopping, and oh my god, what do I wear? - and now I've got to plan out a dinner party game?
Relax. The focus of a dinner party game is three fold, and it doesn't have to be elaborate.
First, the game gives your dinner party guests a focus - it's an ice breaker. They'll talk about the game, and use that as an excuse to talk to each other. It's going to be fun, because it engages people. The real reason for a dinner party game is to get people out of wallflower mode and talking to each other.
Second, the game should be focused on the guests. It should be easy to teach (which puts most any board game right out) and should support a large number of players. Examples of commercial games that do this include How To Host A Murder Mystery, and Scavenger Hunt style games.
Third, the game should encourage player interaction, and have, at most, five minutes of explaining the rules. The larger the number of players you have, the more important this is. Now, there are plenty of games that fit this requirement, and we're going to describe one of them.
Make up a list of little known (and interesting) facts about your guests. Take the time to make them the clues in a scavenger hunt, and offer a prize; your guests will have to go and talk to one another to find out about what clues go with which names, and while they're playing that, you have an opportunity to do your hostessing routine.
You should avoid games that enhance competitiveness; this will mildly shut out the guys, and we're sorry about that. But our experience has shown that if you give guys an excuse to compete, they will - and that competition will suck the fun out of the game for anyone who loses. Look for games that you and your girlfriends would enjoy...and again, look for games that force player interaction.
Also, it may be worth while to cordon off a room that's for competitive games; the Victorian's used a drawing room or parlor for this (hence the name 'parlor games') so that the men could go have a competitive game of whist while the women were more sensible and talked to each other. This will require a careful assessment of your list of guests. Obviously, you don't want this to turn into "All the guys went into the bedroom and played Nintendo", but you do want to make sure that there's something for everyone to do - just try to make your big social event game one that will encourage other people to go into the 'game room' and talk to some of the people playing there to get their clues.
Kathy Baldwin is a master social entertainer who specializes her entertaining with the art of the Dinner Party. Kathy learned the secrets of planning, effective choices and how to do it all with no stress from her mother Lena Baldwin. Kathy has put together many resources that hosts or hostess' find invaluable.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kathy_Baldwin
Relax. The focus of a dinner party game is three fold, and it doesn't have to be elaborate.
First, the game gives your dinner party guests a focus - it's an ice breaker. They'll talk about the game, and use that as an excuse to talk to each other. It's going to be fun, because it engages people. The real reason for a dinner party game is to get people out of wallflower mode and talking to each other.
Second, the game should be focused on the guests. It should be easy to teach (which puts most any board game right out) and should support a large number of players. Examples of commercial games that do this include How To Host A Murder Mystery, and Scavenger Hunt style games.
Third, the game should encourage player interaction, and have, at most, five minutes of explaining the rules. The larger the number of players you have, the more important this is. Now, there are plenty of games that fit this requirement, and we're going to describe one of them.
Make up a list of little known (and interesting) facts about your guests. Take the time to make them the clues in a scavenger hunt, and offer a prize; your guests will have to go and talk to one another to find out about what clues go with which names, and while they're playing that, you have an opportunity to do your hostessing routine.
You should avoid games that enhance competitiveness; this will mildly shut out the guys, and we're sorry about that. But our experience has shown that if you give guys an excuse to compete, they will - and that competition will suck the fun out of the game for anyone who loses. Look for games that you and your girlfriends would enjoy...and again, look for games that force player interaction.
Also, it may be worth while to cordon off a room that's for competitive games; the Victorian's used a drawing room or parlor for this (hence the name 'parlor games') so that the men could go have a competitive game of whist while the women were more sensible and talked to each other. This will require a careful assessment of your list of guests. Obviously, you don't want this to turn into "All the guys went into the bedroom and played Nintendo", but you do want to make sure that there's something for everyone to do - just try to make your big social event game one that will encourage other people to go into the 'game room' and talk to some of the people playing there to get their clues.
Kathy Baldwin is a master social entertainer who specializes her entertaining with the art of the Dinner Party. Kathy learned the secrets of planning, effective choices and how to do it all with no stress from her mother Lena Baldwin. Kathy has put together many resources that hosts or hostess' find invaluable.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kathy_Baldwin
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