Phones have become a necessity and almost everyone has a phone. Many people can’t imagine being without their phones ever again. We use it for work, for fun, for communicating, but when is it too much? Our attention span is becoming quite short, and we are very often bored with „normal“ everyday stuff. You can see people hanging out together and getting a coffee, but everybody is looking at their phones and not having any type of conversation. This is especially common at parties. But, we are becoming aware of this problem, and no-phone parties are becoming very common. Read on to see how to make a party fun again without cellphones.
How to Prepare?
Don’t catch your guests by surprise. When you send out invitations, say that you are planning a no-phone party and that your guests should leave their phones at the entrance. Maybe your guests should be available for work-related calls or messages, or some important private stuff, so they should know in advance so they can prepare. Be clear on how much you want the phones to be restricted. Do you want the phones just to be on silent, or do you want to ban them completely?
Bring Out the Games
No matter what age you are, there is a fun party game that you and your friends and party guests can play. There are games for home parties and there are games for garden parties. A very interesting game you can play is Jenga. It will keep you on edge and entertained for a long time. There are many tabletop games to choose from. Go down the memory lane and bring everyone back to childhood with games like Twister, Hide and Seek, Monopoly, Mime and many more.
DIY Bar
Parties can get boring with the same old drinks served at the bar all the time. Serve some fun cocktails, or make themed drinks that go with the party theme. Another very fun activity for your guests is a DIY bar. Chose a couple of drink recipes and display them for your guests, and they will have to make their own drink. There are many fun and colourful cocktails to choose from. Provide decorations like umbrellas, colourful straws, and funny-shaped glasses.
DIY Food Station
What is a party without food? Instead of ordering ready-made appetizers spending too much time preparing food yourself, why not make a DIY food station for your guests? Bring out the ingredients for sandwiches and snacks. For an added element of fun, make a throwback spread. Try to find snacks that were popular when you were kids that you used to always have at your birthday party. A rainbow cake is a very 90’s inspired cake type that will surely amaze your friends. Make a rectangle pizza to remind everyone of the school lunch days.
Karaoke
Karaoke can be one of the funniest, exciting and potentially embarrassing activities on any gathering. Bring out the microphones and the guilty pleasure old school songs, and sing like there is no one in the room. Karaoke provides hours of fun and memorable moments. You can even rent a real karaoke machine for the ultimate experience. Sing duets or group songs to maximize the fun.
Create Memories
Taking pictures and posting them on social media is a very normal thing nowadays, but it doesn’t feel personal anymore. We don’t get to experience the joy of perfectly made pictures like we used to do with old camera films. But since this is a no-phone party, you have to find another way to create memories. One idea is to find an old camera in the flea markets and use it at the party. When the pictures are made, you can mail them to your guests as an after-party gift. Photo booths are also becoming very popular for parties and events. If you live in Australia, consider using a photo booth hire in Sydney for a fantastic addition to your party.
Making „unplugged“ or no-phone parties is an amazing way to reconnect with your friends and make a much-needed rest from your phones. There are many fun games and activities to do, and you will surely not get bored. Who knows, maybe this party will inspire you to leave your phone and be present with your family and friends in everyday life.