I just attended a bridal shower for a close friend this weekend and as usual I ran the games. My Dad was pretty much the King of Games. As a Youth Pastor, he always had just the right silly or interesting game to get even the gawkiest teens talking or interacting in new way. My family is also very big on games, and we play them at every reunion. We are also ruthlessly competitive - we have had arm wrestling matches, ping pong championships, and Family Trivia games. One year my Uncle came up with a guessing game called "Sell Your Spouse" which involved writing a Classifieds Ad and was absolutely hysterical.

So even though initially games may come off as goofy, I've seen time and again that they give people something to talk about, get them out of their seats, liven up any crowd and make it a party to remember. The benefit for your bridal shower is that the attendees will be attending several parties together, including the wedding. Getting to know each other a little beforehand will definitely make the wedding more enjoyable for everyone, and give the families a great opportunity to mingle and bond.

Here are the games I've found to be the best, for both old friends and new. Everyone can play them regardless of age or even any physical limitations, and some of these games can be adapted for any type of party. Remember to get great prizes that you put in a prominent place so that everyone knows what they're competing for. I've personally seen even Grandmothers get really into these games, especially when the prizes are good!

Clothespins Mixer. This is a great game that will get people talking! Before your party, get a package of wooden clothespins. Using a permanent marker, write a word that corresponds to your party's theme – or wedding related words – on each clothespin. Words that work well for a bridal shower are “bride,” “reception,” “dress,” “drink,” the bride and groom's names and so on. As people arrive at your party, pin a clothespin to each guest and explain the game. Guests must avoid saying the word on their clothespin. Whoever catches someone saying their word can take that clothespin, but now must not be caught saying BOTH words they are wearing. Encourage people to resort to trickery to get others to say their words and watch the laughter begin! The person with the most clothespins at the end of the party wins.

Groom Quiz a la “The Newlywed Game.” A few weeks prior to the party, ask permission from the bride to get in touch with the groom for a surprise you are planning for her shower. Do a phone interview, or email the groom a set of questions about the bride like “what was the first thing you noticed about her?” “What is her best physical feature?” “When did you first know you wanted to marry her?” and so on, like the newlywed game. Turn his funniest and most flattering answers into a multiple choice quiz that you print out and distribute to guests during the shower, then have guests exchange and “grade” each other's quizzes while you read the answers. This is a great game to play to encourage everyone to gather together just before opening gifts. This game was the absolute highlight of my own bridal shower because many of the answers were surprising or downright hilarious, and I learned so many sweet and touching things about my own husband-to-be.

Thank You Raffle. This game will also be a highlight for the busy bride! Pick up some cute thank you cards in your bride's wedding colors, stamp the envelopes and have each guest self-address one. Have the bride pick an envelope out of a hat or better yet get your hands on one of those raffle drums and fill it with the envelopes to make her selection more dramatic. The winner gets a prize, and the busy bride gets a head start writing all those thank yous! This game is also great for a baby shower because the only person busier than a bride is a new Mom.

For a baby shower, my all time favorite game is Ice Babies, a.k.a. “My Water Broke.” Just Google “ice baby game” for instructions and supplies, cutest game ever!