Plan some games to make a 40th birthday more fun.
An important element of a good party is for everybody to have fun, including the host. One way to do this is to break up the party with easy, entertaining games that will keep everybody laughing. A theme helps the party to flow. For a 40th birthday, a theme that ties in with the guest of honor's age is a natural choice. Does this Spark an idea?
Guess the Decade
This is a simple party game that will have everybody laughing and chatting in short order. Research each decade of the last 40 years and make a list of events that occurred during every decade. Try to find 30 or 40 items for each decade. Put them in individual slips of paper and drop them into a bowl. Let players draw them out one at a time and see if they can remember which decade the item was from. List such things as mood rings, leg warmers and big hair, as well as popular songs, television shows, movies and sports figures. Keep a list of the answers handy, because there is sure to be some lively discussion about when something really happened.
Trivia
Get a trivia game that covers the year the guest of honor was born. Trivial Pursuit has a '70s version and is readily available in toy stores and online, but any similar game will work as well. Gather the party-goers together to sit down and play a round of trivia. If you have a lot of people, divide them into teams or have more than one trivia game going at the same time, such as a '70s game and an '80s game. Award prizes for the person or team that wins the game. This is a good game if you do not have a large number of guests, or if you want to provide games for people to play instead if they are interested.
Apple of Discord
This game is a bit active, but not too much, and is sure to keep your guests laughing. It can be played indoors or out. One person serves as the caller, and everyone else is paired up. Two people place an apple between their foreheads and must hold it there throughout the game. If it drops, that couple is out. The caller yells out directions to the couples, such as "three steps left" or "turn in a circle." Couples will have to quickly decide whose left and right they will use, or they will be out immediately. The game is a good one to use near the beginning of the party, as it makes a good icebreaker and will get everyone laughing right away.
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