Party Games for Wheelchair Users

Agree on distances and turns before scoring

Let everyone try the equipment before the first scored turn. Agree on nearer targets, rolling instead of tossing, or a spoken answer instead of holding up a card. Use those options throughout the round. Identical distances do not necessarily mean equal difficulty, and no one needs to explain a diagnosis to choose an option.

Say: “You can pass on a turn or sit out a round without explaining. You can join the next round.” A pass counts as an unused turn in scored games, not elimination. Ask a willing helper to retrieve props and reset targets, so players are not expected to reach to the floor.

For individual games, take turns in the same order and give everyone the stated number of turns. If you must stop early, count only complete cycles in which everyone had a turn. Keep tied scores as shared wins unless a game below says otherwise. Pairs can become one trio when the group has an odd number; rotate jobs so each person can contribute. Dinner-table games offer alternatives when the group prefers talking to handling props.

15 party games to play seated

The ages, player counts and times are suggestions, not requirements or guarantees. The round rules below are suggested versions. Prepare matching cards, audio clips and parcel layers beforehand; basic table setup may take about fifteen minutes, but making those supplies takes extra time.

Table Ring Toss

Suggested: ages 5+ · 4–10 players · allow 12 minutes. Have rings, three weighted bottles and tape ready.

Put the bottles on a table and mark the throwing position. Six feet is one distance to try only if it works for the players; agree closer positions during practice. Give each player three rings per turn and two turns. A ring around a bottle earns one point; a miss earns zero. Retrieve rings between turns. Stop after everyone’s second turn; highest total wins, with shared wins for ties.

Cup Knockdown

Suggested: ages 5+ · 4–12 players · allow 10 minutes. Have twelve paper or plastic cups and a tennis ball ready.

Build a six-cup pyramid at the far end of the table, keeping the spare cups nearby. Each player rolls once from their agreed position and earns one point per fallen cup. Reset the pyramid every turn. Play two turns each, then compare totals; a roll that misses scores zero. Let the helper retrieve the ball.

Balloon Volley

Suggested: ages 5+ · 4–12 players · allow 10 minutes. Have three balloons ready, using one at a time.

Sit around a table and try to keep the balloon in the air using hands. Count consecutive taps together. Each attempt ends at the first touch on the table or floor, or after one minute. Record the count and reset to zero. Finish after five attempts, even if the first tap fails each time. The group’s result is its best count, with no individual winner. Add a second balloon only if everyone wants a different challenge.

Bean Bag Bucket Ladder

Suggested: ages 6+ · 4–10 players · allow 12 minutes. Have six bean bags and three buckets ready.

Set the buckets along a table at agreed distances, worth one, three and five points. Angle openings toward the players. Each player tosses three bags per turn for two turns. Count the value of the bucket each bag stays inside; misses score zero. Retrieve bags between turns. Highest total wins after equal turns; ties stand.

Picture Card Memory

Suggested: ages 5–adult · 2–8 players · allow 15 minutes. Have matching picture cards ready.

Give each player six matching pairs in their own compact face-down grid; prepare enough cards for everyone. A two-foot square is a layout to try, not a reach requirement; make it smaller or have a helper turn the cards a player names. Each player turns over two of their cards. Keep a match; turn unmatched cards back down. Either way, the turn ends. Play four complete cycles so everyone gets four turns. Most pairs wins; ties stand. Leave any unmatched cards face up afterward.

Seated Charades

Suggested: ages 6+ · 6–16 players · allow 15 minutes. Use the seated-charades pack and picker on this page, or print its clues as slips.

Only the actor sees the clue. If using the screen, have guessers look away while the actor draws it; a helper may operate the picker. Mime from your seat, using movements that work for you. Give the group 45 seconds to guess. A correct guess adds one to the shared score; a pass or unsolved clue adds zero. Everyone gets one acting turn if they want it, then the round ends. There is no individual winner.

Would You Rather Vote Cards

Suggested: ages 6–adult · 4–20 players · allow 12 minutes. Give each player two index cards marked A and B, so color is not the only distinction.

Read an either-or question, such as “Would you rather visit a castle or a space station?” Players show A or B, point to a card or say their answer; passing is fine. Invite explanations without requiring them. Read six questions and finish after the sixth vote, even if everyone passes. There is no score. Find more questions in Party Games and Question Packs.

Tabletop Curling

Suggested: ages 6+ · 4–8 players · allow 12 minutes. Have six coasters or jar lids and painter’s tape ready; add pieces if needed so there is one per player.

Wipe the table and tape a target circle near the far end. Players slide one piece each from an agreed starting position. Pieces that leave the table do not count. Once everyone has slid, the piece closest to the center earns its player one point; equally close pieces each earn one. Clear the table and repeat for three rounds, rotating who starts. Highest total wins; ties stand. If no piece remains on the table, that round scores zero.

Category Chain

Suggested: ages 7–adult · 4–16 players · allow 10 minutes. No supplies are needed.

Choose a category, such as fruit. Go around the table, naming one new item per turn. Agree a response limit before starting; five seconds is one option if players want it. A repeat, pass or answer after the limit scores zero and play moves on. A new valid answer earns one point. Give everyone three turns, then finish and compare totals; nobody is eliminated for a missed answer.

Magnet Fishing

Suggested: ages 5–9 · 4–10 players · allow 10 minutes. Have paper fish with paperclips, a shallow tray and a magnet on a roughly twelve-inch string ready.

Place the tray within the player’s preferred reach. Each player gets 30 seconds to lift fish out with the magnet; each landed fish earns one point. A dropped fish stays in the tray and earns nothing unless caught again. Replace all fish before the next player. Give everyone two turns, then compare totals. Adjust the string length during practice if needed.

Pass the Parcel, Table Version

Suggested: ages 5–9 · 6–14 players · allow 12 minutes. Prepare one wrapping layer and small prize per player, plus music.

Check that neighbors can pass comfortably; a helper may move the parcel when asked. Start with one player, play music as the parcel travels, then pause once it returns to that player. They remove one layer. Start the next circuit with the next player. Continue in order until everyone has opened one layer; then finish, including if a pass needed help. A player who passes may leave their layer for the helper to open. The final layer has the same kind of prize, rather than a larger winning prize.

Team Trivia by Table

Suggested: ages 8–adult · 6–20 players · allow 20 minutes. Prepare ten questions, an answer key, paper and pens.

Make teams of three to five, adjusting sizes so nobody is left out. For a simple starter question, ask “How many sides does a triangle have?” and accept three. Read one question at a time and allow a minute for teams to agree on one answer. Keep sheets private until all answers are collected; a teammate may write or privately record a dictated answer. Correct answers earn one point, blanks and wrong answers zero. Finish after ten questions; highest total wins, with tied teams sharing the win.

Guess the Sound

Suggested: ages 6–adult · 4–20 players · allow 12 minutes. Prepare eight audio clips under five seconds, a phone or speaker, an answer key, paper and pens.

Use recognizable sounds, such as a doorbell or water being poured. Test the volume and ask whether an audio game suits the guests. Play each clip twice, then allow 30 seconds for pairs or trios to write a private answer. Collect all answers before revealing the source. Award one point per correct answer and zero for wrong or blank answers. Finish after eight clips; highest total wins, with shared ties. Offer another game if the audio format does not work for the group.

Build the Tallest Tower

Suggested: ages 5+ · 4–12 players · allow 12 minutes. Give each player, pair or trio about thirty cups or blocks from the same set.

Keep a separate supply pile within each group’s reach. Give everyone five minutes to build a freestanding tower without standing or reaching beyond their preferred range. Rebuild after a fall while time remains. At the finish, let go and wait ten seconds, then measure standing towers from the tabletop. Tallest wins; equal heights share the win. A fallen tower scores no height. In pairs or trios, rotate placing pieces and choosing the next piece; anyone may pass.

Shared Score Balloon Count

Suggested: ages 5+ · 4–16 players · allow 10 minutes. Have four balloons and a timer ready; begin with one balloon.

The whole seated group tries to keep the balloon off the table and floor for one minute. Count each drop, then reset the balloon and continue until the minute ends. Play three one-minute rounds, with pauses between them. After round one, agree a target number of drops for the next round. The group meets the target if its drops do not exceed that number; otherwise record the result and try the final round. Stop after round three. Nobody loses an individual point, and players may watch or pass without explanation.