Party plan for teenagers

For: 8 to 20 teenagers
Length: About two hours
Games: 6

Teenagers will tell you games are for children, and then play for three hours if the games are right. The right games for this age are ones where nobody is singled out against their will, where wit counts for more than speed, and where they can make the content themselves. Let them choose the music and write the cards, and stay out of the room as much as you safely can.

The running order

Time	Game	Notes for the host
0 to 15 min	Human Knot	An ice-breaker that gets a mixed group laughing. Offer the rope version freely.
15 to 40 min	Don't Say It	They write the cards themselves: ten minutes of writing is part of the game.
40 to 60 min	Hum That Tune	Their own playlist. Add a lip-sync round.
60 to 75 min	Newspaper Tower	Teams of four, fifteen minutes, a prize for height and one for style.
75 to 95 min	Break or activity	Food and a break. Let the music run.
95 to 110 min	Wink Detective	Quiet, tense, and they will ask for another round.
110 to 120 min	Newspaper Dance	Pairs of friends, or play it singly on one sheet each.

Timings are a guide. Stop any game while people still want more, and drop one if you are running late.

What to get ready

Blank slips and pens
A bowl and a one-minute timer
Song titles, or let guests write them on arrival
Old newspapers and tape
Chits for Wink Detective
A speaker for music

What matters at this age

Choice. Announce each game as optional. Those who sit out one round usually join the next.
No forfeits that embarrass. Nothing involving crushes, bodies, or phones being read aloud.
Mixed groups. Make teams by drawing chits, not by picking, so that nobody is chosen last.
Phones. A basket for phones during the games, with a break for photographs, works better than a ban.
An adult nearby, not hovering.

The games in this plan

On the day

Keep the party timer and the scoreboard open on your phone, and prepare chits with the chit maker. First time as host? Read how to host party games. See all party plans.