Memorial Day Games

Imagine a fun-filled long weekend consisting of an outdoor barbeque, friends and family and exciting Memorial Day activities to get the party started (and keep it going)! Plan an assortment of Memorial Day games to suit a variety of different age groups and audiences. Award a prize to the winners of each game!

• Adult Activities: Plan a combination of Memorial Day activities for adults that are both relaxing and active. For a relaxing activity, plan a game of cards such as Poker, Blackjack and Bridge. Play outside on the porch while sitting at a patio table and sipping on a refreshing summer drink such as strawberry lemonade with a splash of tequila. For a game that is active, plan a volleyball tournament! Be sure to keep guests hydrated by supplying sports drinks.

• Kids Activities: Plan Memorial Day activities for kids based on the different age groups of the children attending the party:

• Ages 0-3: Plan simple activities such as playing in a sandbox filled with toys like shovels, pails, sandcastles and sand sifters. Another idea is a water table filled with mini boats, a water wheel and small buckets.

• Ages 4-8: Encourage this age group to play on a swingset. If a swingset is unavailable, play "Red Light, Green Light." Choose a child to play the stop light. All of the other children involved in the game should stand 15 feet away from the stop light. When the child playing the stop light says, “green light,” the other children move towards him or her. When the child says red light, the children must stop and turn around. Any child who continues to move is considered to be out of the game. Another way to play so that feelings are not hurt is to direct children who continue to walk to move further back. The child who reaches the stop light first, wins.

• Ages 8+: Set up a net for volleyball and badminton. Make sure to supply badminton rackets and birdies and a volleyball. Another easy Memorial Day game to play is dodgeball. All you need is a supply of multiple bouncy balls (depending on the number of children playing the game) and a few adults to referee.

• All Ages: Other Memorial Day kids activities for those of all ages are face-painting or hiring a local balloon vendor to make balloon animals for the kids.

• Prizes: Award a prize to the winner of each game as an incentive for players to continue to participate throughout the day. For adults, award prizes such as a gift card to a local coffee shop, a gift card to a restaurant, a mixed drink kit, or a beach bag filled with a towel, sunscreen, inflatable beach ball and flip flops. For the kids, award prizes such as sidewalk chalk, board games and books.