20 party activities that will keep every guest entertained and engaged

Silent discos require a little bit of planning, but they’re fun for everyone involved. Tell your guests to bring their own headphones and a playlist of their choice, and let everybody dance to their own music. 

If your friends love to dance and all want to listen to the same music, host a dance-off. It can be done exactly how it’s done in the movies. While the dancing might not be as good as what you see in the movies, it’ll still be fun and a change of pace from regular party activities. 

Any sort of fountain is eye-catching and fun for people. Fondue fountains with different liquids and foods will be a huge hit with your party guests. It’s a non-activity activity that is simple to assemble and has a huge payoff. 

Honey tasting is also a great activity to have at a party, especially if it’s a more intimate group of guests. You can hire a professional to explain why the honeys taste different, or you can assemble your own offerings and read the labels to your guests. It’s a great-tasting alternative if you don’t want to taste alcohol. 

Any time guests get to assemble something on their own, it’s a hit. Have small pizza doughs and a bar of ingredients ready for guests, and allow them to make their own pizza. All you have to do (or someone you hire) is put them in the oven. It’s fun and ensures your guests are happy with their meal. 

You can also have a make-your-own cocktail bar. It’s basically just having everyone be their own bartender, but it’s made fun by offering unique cocktail ingredients, like interesting simple syrups and fun garnishes. Plus, who doesn’t like to use a cocktail shaker?

Hibachi is another non-activity activity that party guests will love. You can hire a hibachi chef for just a few hours or get your own hibachi table and impress everyone with your newfound skills. 

Oversized lawn games are always a blast. Whether you’re playing huge Jenga or live-sized chess, something about the games being oversized makes them that much more exciting for guests. 

Everybody loves to take a whack at a piñata, even grown-ups. When hosting a party for adults, make the insides of the piñata a little more exciting. Instead of candy, have scratch lottery tickets inside. Just don’t use anything that could actually hurt someone when it falls out. 

No matter how many trivia nights your guests have been to at bars, they’ll still have fun doing it at your party. Just make it special. Have funny trivia categories and get a whiteboard so everyone can see the scores. 

Murder mystery parties are easier to host than you might realize. You can probably hire a local company to put one on for you, or you can purchase scripts online. Require everyone to dress up and invite people you know will get into it. 

Who says you can’t hire a caricaturist for your party? They’re typically reserved for carnivals and streets of foreign cities, but fun at personal parties, too. Live painters are also a great party activity. 

Even if you’re hosting a party of five people, a close-up magician is a great party activity. Magicians are arguably better up close, and you’re more likely to have everyone’s buy-in with a small group, which makes for an even more fun experience. 

If you have the means and one is accessible, consider having a mechanical bull at your party. They’re just as fun as they look, and your guests might be more likely to get on than they would if they were at a bar. 

Depending on your clientele, host an outdoor movie night. It can be a screening of a new movie that everyone’s been dying to see or an old favorite. Something about being outside makes watching movies a little more exciting. 

If you want your guests to remember your party forever, give them the option of getting a permanent souvenir. Tattoos, piercings, and permanent jewelry make fun party favors. 

Pool parties are typically reserved for children, but adults should be able to get in on the fun, too. Host an adults-only pool party. You can do all the same things kids do during their parties, but you don’t have the pressure of having to watch them while they swim. 

Velcro walls are as fun as they look, and they can be brought to your party location if you want. You’ll have to pay for an attendant’s time as well as the velcro wall itself, but it’ll be well worth the cost for a very memorable party activity. 

Having guests over to play one board game is fun, but having them over for a board game tournament is better. Avoid games like Monopoly that are too long, and have a round-robin tournament of various board games to see who is the ultimate board game player. 

If your guests are willing to do a little homework before your party, host a PowerPoint party. Give everyone a theme or a topic and have them present something to the rest of the guests at your party. It’s a unique and inexpensive way to have a memorable party.