It’s party season and we’re getting in the spirit with a few of favourite classic party games that are both plastic-free and fun for children and adults alike:
Dangling Doughnut Eating Race
You will need: Ring doughnuts (enough for one per person), string, a beam/banister/branch
How to play: Dangling Doughnuts is a fun party game for young and old. It’s super simple – all you need to do is hang some ring doughnuts just above mouth level from a beam or banister (or a branch if you’re playing outdoors). Each player then has to eat their doughnut without using their hands and without letting the doughnut fall. The first to finish wins.
Apple bobbing
You will need: A suitable tub/large bowl, water, apples (with stalks removed).
How to play: For this is traditional Halloween party game, fill a bowl or tub with cool (not cold) water to about ¾ full. Place on the ground on a towel and float several apples in the water – the less densely packed the apples the bigger the challenge.
Each player then takes a turn to kneel down see how many apples they can remove from the bowl using just their mouth (keeping hands behind their back).
There are several variations of this game but here are two simple versions –
- Time each player to see how long it takes for them to get one apple – quickest time wins
- Take it in turns to see how many apples you can remove in one minute – highest number wins.
After the game is over everyone gets to eat their apples (and compost any apple cores).
Twist – Remove the apple stalks to make it more of a challenge!
Flour Face Game
You will need: Pudding basin, some flour, a square of chocolate or another small edible treat like a piece of dried fruit, a dinner knife.
How to play: This messy game is a hit with children, particularly if you warn them in advance that somebody will end up with a face full of flour as they will love to watch the action unfold.Fill a pudding basin (or a deep bowl or teacup) with flour and press down so it is tightly packed. Put a place on top and flip upside down, remove the basin to leave a mound of flour on the plate (hopefully).
Balance a square of chocolate (or small treat of your choice) on top of the flour tower. Players then take it in turns to slice off a piece of the flour without letting the treat fall. The player who lets the treat topple has to retrieve it with their teeth only (no hands) – getting a face full of flour in the process!
Musical Chairs
You will need: Enough chairs for one per person, a music player.
How to play: For this traditional party game you will need one dedicated music master to be in control of the music. Set the chairs up in a circle shape, with the seats facing outwards. When the music plays, players must walk around the chairs in a single-file circle in the same direction. When the music master presses pause, players must find a seat and sit down. Remove one chair each round, so that there is one less chair than there is players. The player that cannot sit down is out.
The last round will have two players and one chair. The winner is player that sits in the chair when the music stops.
See our ideas for how to have a plastic-free Halloween and how to plan a plastic-free wedding.
Read Melissa Hemsley’s 10 simple swaps for reducing plastic at home.