Fun 30th Birthday Party Games

Turning 30 typically symbolizes entering a new chapter in one's life, and sometimes commences with a 30th birthday party. Birthday parties tend to be more fun with party games, so choose games that you can tailor to the newly turned 30-year-old's age. Games can focus on maturity, or lack of; "old" age; or can be based around the theme of the party.

Start the adult birthday party with an icebreaker game, particularly if many of the guests don't know each other. Plan ahead by coaxing each guest to reveal an interesting fact about themselves ahead of time, such as if they were born in another country, have an unusual hobby or skill. Print out papers with the fact, such as "(blank) was born outside of the U.S., in (blank)." Encourage your guests to mingle by giving each person a pencil and a copy of the paper when they arrive. Guests should have 10 to 15 minutes to mingle, trying to figure out which facts belong to whom and fill in the blanks. Have a prize ready for the person who gets to know the most guests.

Loosen up your guests with games from your childhood, or even games that were popular the year of your birth. Play Twister, musical chairs, pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey, hot potato or any other game you remember playing at birthday parties growing up.

Plan a murder mystery ahead of time, and assign each guest a character to "play" when they arrive. You can also request that guests dress the part. Purchase a murder mystery party plan or create your own. Leave clues around the party area and plant "false evidence" as well. Write out the details of who is the "murderer" and other details ahead of time so the game is fair and has an obvious conclusion.

Play 30 questions, as you would 20 questions, only with more limitations. For example, use a broad category for a hint such as animals, and think of a specific breed or type, such as a bald eagle rather than a bird. Each guest can ask a simple "yes" or "no" question, then guess if they feel they know the answer. If no one guesses correctly, the person giving the hints wins.

Plan an activity game or event, such as a relay race where guests are split into teams. Each member of the team must carry an apple, cotton ball, baseball or other small item on a spoon, walk to a specified point, then turn around and pass the object to the next person on the team without dropping the object and without using any hands.

Set up a scavenger hunt where each guest, or small teams, must find a specified list of objects. Hide various objects around the yard or house. Make the game more interesting by giving clues rather than telling guests what exactly they're looking for.

Themed parties typically offer opportunities to play structured games related to the party. Casino or Las Vegas themed parties, for example, could make use of roulette, poker or blackjack. Costume or masquerade parties may provide the chance to vote for your favorite costume or guess who each guest is. Ask each guest to come to the party while purposely forgetting something, showing a lapse in memory. For example, wearing only one sock, one earring or forgetting to button garments. This game fits over-the-hill or other "old"-themed parties. Have each guest guess what everyone "forgot," and the person with the most correct answers wins a prize.