Bridal Shower Games and Activities That Are Actually Fun

Recipe Contest

This option is actually really helpful for the bride. Celebrants come with their best recipes for the future spouses to make together, and her favorite dish wins. Put the prompt in writing on either event stationery (like this card by Written Word) or in the shower invitation, which gives everyone more time to prepare.

Pin the Veil

Take some tulle and play the wedding version of "pin the tail on the donkey." All you need is fabric, a photo or illustration of the bride, and something to stick the "veils" on with.

Cocktail Competition

Provide a slew of cocktail ingredients and have celebrants try their luck as mixologists, competing to create your signature drink! Even if the lady of honor doesn't serve the winner on her wedding day, everyone's bound to have fun making (and drinking) the beverages.

Ring Toss

This one's for lovers of lawn games! While we aren't sure if a ring toss really prepares a bride to put her partner's band on at the altar, it's the thought that counts.

Wedding Pictionary

Follow all the rules of regular Pictionary—just make the game wedding-themed.

Flower Arranging

Here, the ladies try to make the best bouquet or centerpiece, using blooms from a DIY flower bar. Win or lose, they can take their beautiful creations home.

Wedding Details

Ask attendees to guess (or suggest) your wedding's details, from the color scheme to the flowers. Whoever gets the most right (or recommends the best idea) wins.

Tie the Knot

Celebrate tying the knot and find out who has a hidden talent with a round of "Who can tie a cherry stem in their mouth?" Victory goes to whoever completes the challenge the fastest.

Bridal Libs

This Mad Libs-inspired game is just as fun as its muse, and easy to play, too. All you have to do is come up with a wedding-related template—bonus points if you get it printed onto sweet stationery, like this card from Pretty Little Papers.

Pass the Bouquet

Similar to "hot potato" or "musical chairs," this activity involves passing a bouquet (like this one by Yonder Floral & Decor House) around as tunes play intermittently. Whenever the song stops, the person holding the arrangement is out.

Purse Game

Who's the most prepared to help the bride on her big day? Play this game to find out. Guests get points for every item they have in their handbags, which they check off on a sheet like this one made by Kate Ignatowski.

Cold Feet

In this game, you fill a bucket with water and ice, and set rings (toy ones work great) at the bottom. Guests attempt to retrieve the pieces the quickest with—you guessed it—their toes.

Who Am I?

For a bridal twist on this fan-favorite, write the names of people, places, or things that have significance to the bride on the backs of escort cards (like these by Anne Robin Calligraphy) and tie them to guests' foreheads as they arrive. When it's time to play, the group will give hints to one person at a time.

Bride and Groom Trivia

Leave multiple-choice quizzes with trivia questions about the bride and groom on guests' tables. You know the drill—whoever gets the most answers right wins.

Hello, My Name Is

Ask shower guests to write their little-known nicknames (romantic or otherwise) on slips, and then hang the papers on a cute board (like this DIY heart-and-arrow display). Read aloud each name, asking the ladies to write their guesses on which nickname corresponds to which guest.

Scavenger Hunt

Help the guest of honor prepare for her big day by sending the ladies in search of a few choice treasures, either hidden ahead of time or gathered from nature, neighbors, and stores. Steal our list, or get creative and edit it to include other objects special to her. Julia Lake Parties planned the outing pictured here.

Cootie Catcher

Get everyone talking (and laughing!) with our spin on this childhood favorite. When we crafted this printable catcher, we filled it with tasks like, "Make a toast," or "Tell your love story." Ask celebrants to follow through once they land on said task.

Wine Tasting

Make a reservation at a nearby vineyard and help the soon-to-be newlywed find the perfect vino for the big day—or at least a favorite of the day.

How Old Are You?

Assemble a dozen or so photographs of the bride, showing her at different ages. Display the images someplace where everyone can see, and have attendees write down their guess as to how old the bride was in each picture. (Does she have braces? Must have been middle school.) A prize—or bragging rights!—goes to the person who gets the most ages correct.

Flower Crowns

Your celebrants will love customizing their own hair accessories to wear for the rest of the event. When everyone is finished, have the bride-to-be dub her dames with nicknames fitting to their friendship (such as "Goddess of Adventures") as they don the crown. The Kitchy Kitchen's Claire Thomas organized this DIY session.

Famous Couples

Stick with your shower's "love" theme and come up with a list of iconic duos, then write each of their names on either side of our printable heart cards. Cut through the center to create two cards—a broken heart! Set a card at each seat and instruct the ladies to find their other half. For a cute touch, have one of the couples be the bride and groom.

Camping Trip

Whether you go camping (or should we say, "glamping") or set up a fire pit in the backyard, there's nothing like spilling secrets (and maybe a few spooky stories) while huddled around to make you feel close with your friends.

Telephone Toast

This whispering game is a throwback to your elementary school days. Place one of our printable instruction cards on one guest's seat, prompting her to initiate a toast. This toast will travel from ear to ear until it makes its way back to the original guest. She then reveals her original speech, as well as the group's mangled version of it.

Movie Screening

Create your very own drive-in movie theater in a yard or on a rooftop by projecting a film onto a screen or wall (like Beau and Arrow Events did here). Provide folding chairs or blankets and pillows for lounging, and of course, plenty of popcorn!

Finish That Thought

This is a playful way to gather both the names of attendees and their marital advice. Have each guest fill in a card, and ask her to write her name on the back. Read the sentences—ranging from silly to serious—aloud and have the bride (or everyone!) guess who delt out the words of wisdom.

DIY Favors

Is the group creative? Plan an activity that doubles as a take-home favor. We love this chalkboard mug idea from Claire Thomas.

Love Bingo

Learn more about the bride and the groom by playing a round (or two) of our bridal shower "love bingo." Your maid of honor will read out statements about the bride or the groom; for each fact, celebrants hold up a name paddle to convey who they believe the fact is about. If correct, attendees place a candy chip on the number that corresponds with the fact. Whoever gets four in a row gets Bingo!

Pool Party

If you have access to a pool, this one is a no-brainer. Get inflatables, play water games, and grill out for unforgettable fun in the sun with your girlfriends.

Gift Bingo

For this version of bingo, write the names of gifts the bride may receive on one of our printable cards, and have guests mark the appropriate spots as she opens her presents. The best part? This activity fixes the problem of guests being bored as each gift is unwrapped.

Outdoor Picnic

Pack lightly and head out on a hike for the perfect spot, or stage a spread of the bride's favorite hors d'oeuvres at the park and tell everyone to meet there. Make it a potluck to get everyone involved. Julia Lake Parties created this setup.

Spa Day

Treat guests to the services of a manicurist or massage therapist. In addition to giving luxurious treatments, the professionals can provide tips and techniques for do-it-yourself pampering. If these services aren't in the budget, get the gals together for at-home facials, braiding, or nail-painting.

Couples Quiz

This activity tests just how well the partners know each other. Before the shower, send one a list of questions with two parts: his response and what he thinks his bride's answer will be. At the party, give the bride the same questionnaire with identical instructions. When she's finished, read both their responses out loud, checking for accuracy. Want to have even more fun? Play a video of the groom's recorded replies between the bride's answers.

Hired Entertainment

Book outside talent to perform at your party, whether it's a magician, comedian, hypnotist, or in this case, taret card reader Ali Rybczyk.

Fold-and-Pass Poem

Pen a poem collectively about the soon-to-be Mr. and Mrs. While she is opening her gifts, pass around a piece of paper with a starter sentence at the top. Each guest should look at the last line, add another, then fold it over so that only their phrase is visible for the next person to follow, and so on. Read the poem aloud at the end and see if it took any twists and turns.

Photo Booth

Capture candid moments and entertain attendees. Either hire a photo booth company or create your own photo corner complete with a camera, tripod, and backdrop. Let the girls revisit the area to snap shots throughout the event, but be sure to get everyone together for at least one group portrait. Bonus: You won't have to worry so much about documenting the day!

Taste Bud Trivia

For a food-themed bridal shower, play this fun twist on the couples quiz. Have the couple answer the taste-related questions below, separately. Then have the pair attempt to guess the other's responses in front of the group with only a few clues.

Salty: Which of your partner's personality traits has best seasoned the relationship?

Sour: When resolving a fight, who attempts to make amends first and how?

Bitter: Which of your partner's antics have you grown to love, even if it began as one of your personal pet peeves?

Sweet: What gift or act of kindness engineered by your significant other tops the list, in your opinion?

Savory: What joke, spoof, or act employed by your spouse-to-be will likely make you laugh for decades to come?

Puzzle Guest Book

Instead of an album-style guest book, have a custom puzzle made with the names of the bride and groom (ours is by Bella Puzzles). Place the pieces in a glass bowl at the shower, along with a sign asking attendees to autograph the unfinished backs. Keep any children at the party busy assembling the pieces while the bride-to-be opens her gifts. When the celebration is over, she can have fun reading the good wishes.

Jewelry Making

Find a local class to take (this one took place at Roxie Daisy), or hire a jewelry designer to tutor everyone in creating custom accessories. Set out beads (in the wedding colors) and jewelry-making supplies. With the designer's guidance, guests can make a bracelet, necklace, or earrings—perhaps even to wear to the wedding.

True or False?

Have guests sit in a circle, and pass out pen and paper. Ask each person to think of three facts or anecdotes that describe her relationship with the bride or groom—two true and one false. Have each guest tell her stories (with a straight face!). The guest who identifies the most tall tales wins.

Photo Album

Ask attendees to bring a few photos of themselves and the lady of the hour. Hand out pens and paper and, at the shower, have them write captions for the pics. Place the snapshots in an album, and affix the captions underneath. Pass the album around for all to look at, and then give it to the bride as a keepsake. MaeMae & Co. supplied the stationery shown here.

Cooking Class

This idea is especially fitting if you're having a culinary- or kitchen-themed shower. Hire a professional chef to give celebrants a simple cooking lesson based on the bride-to-be's favorite foods. Afterward, everyone gets to sit down and enjoy the wonderful meal they helped prepare.

Playlist Contributions

Why not ask shower guests to pitch in on wedding song ideas? This could be set up as a little pen and notecard station, where guests can drop their ideas in a big bowl for the bride to review later or for the celebrants to listen to at the event.