There are all sorts of fun games for a summer party that can make a weekend house that much more diverting. We’ve done a roundup of four categories with designed options that could become the new standards: cards, volley, lawn, and board games.
Summertime often includes a certain type of togetherness: friends sharing a house, family coming together, and treks to strange lands. In case of inclement weather or a use for extra energy, it’s best to plan to have some games on the agenda. HOBNOB prepares a roster of ideas for you to include on your adventures.
CARDS ON THE TABLE.
The most compact and versatile choice of gaming is a pack of cards. We love the incredible design of the sets of cards from Misc. Goods Co.
This is also a good opportunity to learn a new game to add to your existing repertoire. My Brazilian friend Shirlei taught me how to play Canasta, a popular game from her homeland, which is played with 2 decks, 4 people in teams of 2, and a fierce competitive strategy. The game is similar to 500 Rummy, except the team works together to accumulate points. Seven sequential cards or seven of a kind is a “Canasta”. Once someone uses all their cards to make points, a round is ended, points added up and deducted from any remaining cards in players’ hands. Rules vary according to region and preferences of players, so determine your standards at the beginning of the game. Hours of fun! And do check this link for rules on a bunch of other classic card games.
WACK.
For those who cannot sit still, it’s good to include a session of back and forth volleying—with paddles. Paddle ball, in a cool pattern by Sunnylife, on the beach/lawn or off a nearby wall is a good place to start.
Stuck inside? Make any table a ping pong table with a portable table tennis set.
Venture on with badminton or a game of Slammo.
LAWN GAMES.
Bocce ball can be a civilized, somewhat chill game of skill—as long as you have an area that is flat and open. Watch this video to learn how it’s played.
Horseshoes also works in the same arena, if you are willing to tote the iron shoes and posts.
Feeling competitive and willing to get messy? Set up a game of egg toss, where a raw egg is thrown back and forth between competing two-somes, who take a step back in between each toss.
ABOVE BOARD.
If you’ve got the weekend house, then stashing an array of board games is mandatory. For simple fun, here is your must-have list of the classics: Scrabble, Monopoly, Yahtzee, Backgammon, Chess/Checkers, and Parcheesi. Bonus points for original vintage versions or retro-style games.
Make sure to also include an edition of Trivial Pursuit, for the fact-collectors and Pictionary for the iconographers.
If you have not prepared a game, Charades is always a good default activity to keep things interactive.
See more game ideas from our LAZY PIZZA PARTY at this link.
This post is part of our summery party plan inspired by the flavors of Greece in 17 Greek Food & Wine
