It’s that time again. Do you find yourself, year after year, having the same cake and ice cream bash? Maybe it’s a dinner out with friends type of party? Coming up with birthday ideas in Edmonton isn’t always easy.
We all love our group get-togethers with family and friends, but they can be a hassle to plan. Birthdays often give us the motivation to finally put something together. Why not make it more memorable?
If you’re thinking about taking a different route this year, then follow me… I’ve got some fun planned for you.
The Scavenger Hunt
Yes, it’s a classic, but let’s get creative. Split your group into teams. Try not to send out pairs, bigger is better. Teams of four or five are good, but work with what you’ve got.
Provide each group with a list of tasks. Here are some ideas:
- Get a winning lottery scratch-off ticket.
- Take a video of a teammate singing to a stranger.
- Get your hands rubber stamped. Anywhere.
- Take a picture of a team member with a bowling ball.
- Find and bring a friend that didn’t come to the party.
First team to bring their loot to a predetermined meeting spot and order their drinks wins. Try the Wooftop at the Black Dog if it’s not too cold.
Hawrelak Park
During the warm months, why not get everyone outdoors at Hawrelak Park. You can reserve a site for up to 96 people. Their reservation sites even have electricity. Bring your outdoor activities and set up Olympic events – you’ll see these below. They even have paddle boats, when the lake isn’t frozen.
Want More Birthday Party Adventure in Edmonton? Try these ideas
If the park isn’t doing it for you, and you want an adventure that you’ll remember, try a group activity. There’s bowling, painting and Fort Edmonton Park. Group activities are a great way to bond and create lasting memories. Make sure you pick a good one.
Don’t feel like bowling? Try Combat Archery Edmonton. Nothing says ‘thanks for coming to my birthday party’ like a padded arrow in the chest. You’ll get to run the gauntlet, too.
Staying home?
Adult birthday parties at home aren’t always the most adventurous, but they can still be memorable if you change things up a bit. Try some of these ideas to liven up a comfortable day at home.
The Olympics
Are your friends a fun and competitive bunch? The Olympics might be perfect for you. You can do this for indoor or outdoor parties. Split people into teams or compete individually.
Set up stations with challenges that everyone must complete throughout the party. I’ve found it best to let them do their challenges when they want instead of keeping it structured. You would only need to explain the rules in the beginning and then enjoy your party.
Try to have at least five challenges, I’ll give you some ideas below.
Supply each team or player with a scorecard. The scorecard should have the player or team’s name, the name of each challenge and a place for someone to write the result. You’ll collect these once they’re completed.
Once you have all of the completed scorecards, you’ll announce the winner of each challenge. To identify the overall standings, just average everyone’s ranking in each category. Lowest number wins. Make sure to have a trophy or medal for the champ.
Here are some easy challenges to get you started. Feel free to be as creative and challenging as you like.
- Yahtzee! Count the number of rolls it takes to get a Yahtzee! 3 rolls per attempt, just like the game. Lowest number of turns wins.
- Count the number of attempts it takes a player to make a certain number of shots. Lowest number of attempts wins.
- Puzzle time. Set out a 50 piece puzzle for players to complete while being timed. Lowest time wins. Keep the puzzle size small… this is a party, right?
- The Deck of Doom. Have players put a deck of cards into order. The quickest person wins.
Use your super creative skills to come up with a few more and let the games begin.
The Wine and Cheeser
The normal wine tasting party is a bit of a snoozer. Make a game of it. Have your guests each bring a bottle of wine. Cover the bottles so that no one can read the label. Number each bottle and keep a list so that you know who brought it.
Your guests will sample each wine throughout the night and vote for their least and most favorite ones. Tally the scores when you’re done. You can also have them score each wine on a one to ten scale to determine the winner, but that’s more math for you. Have prizes for the best and worst wine of the night.
Good times are inevitable. Cheese is optional.
Have Fun
Whatever you decide to do, make it memorable. There’s no sense in spending your time planning something that you won’t remember ten years from now. You only live once, right?
Do you have any birthday party ideas for the Edmonton area? Please share them in the comments. See you there.
