They’d also be great for a go for the gold party with kids or even adults, just a fun way to get everyone involved in some healthy competition with a very sweet prize!
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Go for the gold party!
I like winter sports but I love summer ones, kind of like how Alex Mack liked her Skechers but loved her Prada backpack in 10 Things I Hate About You. You know, that kind of love. If you’re looking for Winter Olympic themed party games, you can find those (and a free printable scorecard) here. I remember watching the Magnificent 7 perform back in 1996 when I was just 11 and thinking that I wanted to be a gymnast someday. I wasn’t in gymnastics nor could I touch my toes (still can’t), but I just remember thinking I wanted to be that awesome. Now, I know better. I know that I’ll never reach that level of international competition and that the people I’m watching really are amazing at what they do. And even though I don’t have a poster of Gabby Douglas or Simone Biles on the ceiling of my bedroom, I am still really looking forward to watching the USA gymnastics team compete in Rio next month. My dad’s a huge fan as well. In fact, he actually took us all out of school for two weeks to take a family trip to watch all of the festivities in Salt Lake City in 2002. Watching the Canadian pair figure skating team get awarded the second gold medal because of the controversy with the Russians judging was something I’ll likely never forget. So many emotions at that moment, and I’m not even Canadian.
So it’s safe to say I love everything about them.
As part of my parent’s big farewell this week, I thought it would be fun to put on a little competition of our own since my mom and dad will be on their LDS mission by the time the festivities get started next week. I put together eight different competitions inspired by some of our favorite events. Each player was on their own (no teams), and I kept a running scorecard for everyone to keep track of scores from our go for the gold party games! And at the end, the top three received their own type of medal – a jar full of chocolate. Bronze colored Rolos for the third place finisher, silver covered Hershey Kisses for the second place, and gold Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Minis for the gold medal winner. I used the same prizes for our Winter Olympic themed party too!
Olympic Party Games
#1 – Bouncing Basket Ball
Everyone is given ten ping pong balls, all a different color. Place a bathroom sized trash basket in the center of a room with bounceable (so not carpet) floors and then have all players stand in a circle perimeter around the trash cans. Players have ten chances (their 10 ping pong balls) to bounce a ping pong ball into the trash can in the center of the circle. Players get one point for each ball in the basket at the end of the round.
#2 – Balance Book
Before the game, tape a 10 foot line on the floor and gather together a bunch of books, trying to stick to the same size if possible. Players have to walk from one end of the tape to the other (without falling off) while balancing a book on their head. If the book falls off or they step off the line, they receive no points. If they make it across with one book, they receive one point and can try again with more books. They can continue walking back and forth until the books fall off their head, up to a total of three books (for 5 points). Points do not accumulate, so if they eventually can do three books, they receive a total of five points, not nine. Scoring:
One book – 1 point Two books – 3 points Three books – 5 points
#3 – Cool in the Pool
Before the game, gather together a bunch of small pool toys (like 25). They can be anything from pool noodles to puddle jumpers to splash balls. Put them all in a big bucket at one end of a room or field and put a line of tape or spray paint on the other end. For this game, players have to race from the starting line to the bucket at the other end of the room. They can use their hands to get items out of the bucket but cannot use their hands to hold the pool toys to return back to the starting line. Players have one minute to go back and forth collecting as many pool toys as possible, carrying as many toys back from the bucket on each turn as possible. Players get one point for each item they get back before the minute runs out.
#4 – Table Tennis Toppling
Setup plastic cups at the end of a table about 2 inches apart. At the other side of the table, place a basket of ping pong balls. Players have to roll (not bounce or throw) the ping pong balls from the basket on the end of the table to knock the cups off the other side of the table. Players have a minute to see how many cups they can knock off and receive a point for each cup knocked completely off the table.
#5- Household Triathlon
Setup three different stations that players will have to compete as quickly as possible to finish their household triathlon. Players can either go all at once (if you have enough supplies for that) or can go one at a time and just time them. Fastest player gets five points, next fastest gets three points, and third fastest gets three. Event #1 – Rug Run Players have to sit on a bath mat (rug) and scootch their way from a starting line to finish line and back again. This also works with towels if you have more of those available. Event #2 – Swim Like a Fish Players have to use just their mouth to pull three plastic toys (preferably fish) out of a bucket of water. Event #3 – Spin Cycle Players have to search through a basket of unmatched socks to find five mates, then must mate the socks and place them on the ground to finish.
#6 – Giant Golf
Tape two long horizontal parallel lines on one end of the room, spaced about a foot apart from one another. Tape another long horizontal line about twenty feet from the first two lines, on the other side of the room. Players will each be given five golf balls and a broom (or mop). Using just the mop/broom as the putter, players have to try to putt the golf balls to land in between the two lines. They can’t be touching the line, they have to be in between the two lines. Players receive one point for any golf ball that lands in between the two lines.
#7 – Ball on the Wall
Place two large baskets or buckets near an empty wall. Players have 10 tries to toss a crumbled up piece of paper ball off the wall and into the basket from a designated spot across the room. Players receive one point for every ball that lands in the bucket. If you’re going to do multiple people at once, give them different colors. #8 – Plate Toss Before the game, tape down three paper plates on one side of the room, one with a 1, one with a 2, and one with a 3. Then give players five paper plates and standing on the other side of the room, players have to toss the paper plates toward the taped down ones to try and get them to land touching the point plates. If the plate they toss lands touching a plate with a number on it, they receive that number of points. Count up the total number of points at the end for their total number of points.
I’ve created a free printable scorecard (click here to download) you can use to keep track of points. At the end of the competition, give the player with the most points the gold “medal,” second place the silver, and third place the bronze. My brother was not too excited that my sister-in-law beat him.
More Hilarious Party Games
