Games to Play at a Chinese Theme Party

A Chinese-themed party can be organized to celebrate Chinese New Year, to celebrate birthdays for people of Chinese descent or just because someone is interested in the Chinese culture. Regardless of the motives behind the event, a Chinese-themed party can be entertaining for people of all ages. With Chinese food readily available and the decorations so lively, all you need are a few China-inspired games to make the day complete.

Kids can get in on the action with this Chinese party game that will have them hopping around and laughing hysterically. Catch the Dragon's Tail is best played with at least eight people. Players line up, one behind the other, placing their hands on the shoulders of the person in front of them.

The person in front is the dragon's head and the person in the back of the line is, predictably, the dragon's tail. The object of the game is for everyone, except the player in front, to keep the head from touching the tail. The head, of course, is trying to do just that. The dragon's head steers the line around in a large open space trying to maneuver the line so he can tag the last person in line. If he does, the tail becomes the head and the game starts again. The rest of the line tries to prevent the tag, but may not break the line to do so.

Throwing the Square is a traditional Chinese game played with either two people playing against one another, or in two equal teams. The game can be played indoors or out and the items used can vary. For the most basic outdoor game all that is needed is two flat stones and some chalk.

A 2- by 1-foot rectangle is drawn on a flat surface and a line divides the rectangle into two connecting squares. One player (or team) chooses one of the squares and lays one stone inside their chosen side. From a line drawn on the ground 8 feet away, the other player tosses his stone and tries to land it inside the same square. If the stone comes to rest inside the square, the player or team gets two points. If it lands in the opposite square it is still worth one point. No points are awarded for missed throws.

The game goes until one player reaches an agreed upon number of points. This game can be moved indoors using squares drawn on cardboard and substituting the stones with soft beanbags.

When celebrating Chinese New Year, there is always one significant animal designated by the Chinese calendar for that particular year. This animal may be one of 12 animals--the ox, monkey, rat, tiger, dog, rooster, pig, ram, rabbit, dragon, snake and horse.

Use a variation of the old "pin the tail on the donkey" game to add an activity to a Chinese themed party. In the Year of the Tiger, for instance, play "pin the stripes on the tiger." The game works by hanging up a drawing of a tiger that is obviously missing a stripe. The stripe is a cutout with a pin or tape on the end. The players are blindfolded, spun around and they attempt to pin the stripe in the correct place. This can be modified to pin the tail on the monkey or another animal.