Home Party Games

Types of Home Parties

In the most basic sense, any type of party held in an individual’s home, no matter what the purpose, can be classified as a “home party.” In general, however, there are two types of home parties – entertainment and business events.

Entertainment Parties

An entertainment home party is purely a fun, good time shared between friends. It may be a birthday party, dinner party, holiday gathering, reunion, or any other themed event held in the home. While some people prefer to rent restaurants, halls, or more exciting venues for special occasions, holding a party at home can be easier to arrange as well as more affordable.

Business Parties

Business home parties revolve around sales pitches for specific types of products such as cookware, makeup or skin care items, scrapbooking supplies, or fashion accessories. More unique home parties may include personal defense items such as personal tasers or alarms, or even specialized supplies such as homeschooling curriculum materials. Regardless of the products, however, a home business party is intended to be a carefully crafted sales pitch for the sales representative (typically the party host) to persuade friends, neighbors, and other guests to purchase items in a more welcoming environment than a store. Games can help keep the sales pressure low and make guests more willing to try different items they may be interested in purchasing.

Tips for Home Party Games

Depending on whether the event is planned for entertainment and socializing or business and sales, the party planner’s approach to games will be significantly different.

For Entertainment

Entertaining games can be fun and exciting, intellectually stimulating, or just plain crazy. Ideas for entertaining games include:

• Talent Games: Karaoke contests, drawing-based games, acting-style games, and other talent-oriented games let every guest shine.
• Trivia Games: From movie facts to literature quotes to science tidbits, trivia games are a fun way to get guests involved in the party’s activities.
• Board Games: Many board games are designed for large groups or teams and can provide hours of party fun.

When playing games at a home party, hosts must be certain that the games are safe and enjoyable for everyone. These tips can help:

• If the game is physically active, remove all fragile items from the room and eliminate any trip hazards or other obstacles.
• Do not force anyone to play who isn’t comfortable doing so.
• Arrange small prizes for winners (and losers!) to give everyone an incentive to play.
• Choose games that are suitable for all the ages and ability levels of the party guests.
• For children’s parties, opt for outdoor games with more space and fewer breakable items if possible.
• Supervise children’s party games carefully to ensure that everyone follows the guidelines and participates fairly.

For Business

Games for a sales pitch party are altogether different from entertainment games. The key to a successful business party is to make sales of the available merchandise, and there is no better way to do so than to demonstrate the different products in a fun and interactive way. By allowing party guests to participate in games and activities using the products, they can see just how useful and valuable the products are, which will in turn encourage more sales.

Demonstrate products for sale.

Ideas for games and activities to encourage sales include:

• A baking contest to demonstrate cookware.
• Makeovers with new makeup and skin care products.
• Fashion shows with new lingerie, shoes, or other clothing items.
• A purse scavenger hunt to show how easy it is to find items in a new line of handbags.
• Creating sample scrapbook pages with new types of supplies.

To make home party games even more effective for a business and sales-oriented event, consider the following:

• Party Themes: Adding a specialized theme can make the party more appealing and may attract more guests interested in buying the products. For example, a “Prom Makeover” party could encourage teen guests to attend a party where new makeup products will be demonstrated, while a “Crazy Cookies” party can be a sweet theme for a cookware or bakeware party.
• Refreshments: Treats are an essential part of any party, and adding a delicious party menu to the event can help make it seem like more of a fun gathering rather than a sales pitch.
• Hosting: While the party host typically is the sales person for the event or at least has volunteered their home for the party, it is important to be a proper host first and a sales agent second. Be sure guests feel comfortable and encourage socializing during the party rather than launching directly into a pressuring sales talk.

Home party games, whether purely for entertainment purposes or to help sell products for a home business, can be a fun way to get guests excited about an event and involved in different activities. That involvement will help them relax and have a good time at any special occasion, and may help generate better sales and referrals than a standard sales pitch at a business party.