Events

The Most Entertaining Food Games for Parties

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Instacart

Last Updated: Nov 2, 2021

What are food games for parties?

Food games for parties are the ideal ice breakers. They enable guests to engage in an entertaining activity while waiting for their food. Food games can also help you round off your party in a fun way and help your guests unwind or work off a big meal. Food games can range from food-themed board games and food charades to physically competitive games where guests participate with food.

20 Best food games for parties

The following food games coupled with a deliciously festive spread will have tongues wagging:

1. Food charades

If charades has always been your go-to party game, take it up a notch or two by introducing food charades. It’s the same as normal charades, except you get to act out your favorite fruit or vegetable instead of other objects. Throw in some party snacks like a homemade snack mix of assorted nuts, pretzels, and dried fruit, and you’ll have a winner.

2. Lemon and spoon race

The perfect way for adults to run off a heavy meal, all you need for this food game are some lemons and spoons. Place a lemon on a spoon, and have guests race toward a finish line carrying a spoon.

3. Macaroni race, relay-style

Prepare two pots of pasta like macaroni. Divide your playing guests into teams, and give all participants a ladle. Each team must scoop and transfer as much pasta as possible from a full pot to an empty pot and pass their ladles to their teammates. The team to transfer all the pasta first are the victors.

4. Wheelbarrow race

This paired food game lets one person walk on their hands while another supports their legs. The game is essentially a race where pairs race toward a marked finishing line while eating a set amount of food like pizza or corndogs. The pair who finishes all the food along the track and gets to the finish line first wins.

5. Hamburger eating game

Make some scrumptious hamburgers with beef patties, seeded buns, and cheese. Gather your contestants, and challenge them to eat as many hamburgers as possible. The one who eats the most wins.

6. Donuts on a loop

A close-up shot of a group of young children playing a party game, they are eating donuts of a string with their hands behind their back.

Buy some ring donuts and place a string through each one. Stick the string to a ceiling, and let your guests relish these without the use of their hands. The person who finishes eating one first wins.

7. The licorice game

The licorice game is a paired game and requires a few pairs to play it. Take some long licorice, place this in a couple’s mouths, and let them eat this as fast as possible until they reach the center. The pair who reach the center first are the winners.

8. Pass the nut

This challenging food game lets participants try to pick up food like hazelnuts or raisins with their chopsticks. The participant who doesn’t let anything drop wins.

9. Food musical chairs

This is simply another variation of the all-time party game favorite, musical chairs. The only difference is that the participants are each named after foods like lettuce, carrots, or onions.

10. Fruit Loop challenge

Buy a box of Fruit Loops and some toothpicks. Divide participants into two teams. Each participant must pass a circular loop via their toothpick to their teammate’s toothpick until the entire team is finished. The team who passes the cereal loop to all their teammates first wins.

11. Coat hook horseshoe with pretzels

Buy some giant-sized stick pretzels and a few coat hooks. Use the pretzels as your stakes and the coat hooks as horseshoes to play a game of horseshoe.

12. Food treasure hunt

Make up a treasure box of delicious treats like chocolates, crisps, and cupcakes. Hide the treasure box, and challenge your guests to find it.

13. Peas and straw game

Buy some garden peas and straws. Place the peas in a cup, and have your guests transfer the peas from the cup onto a plate. The one who empties their cup first wins.

14. S’mores game

Give all your players what they need to create s’mores, including graham crackers, marshmallows, chocolate, and chopsticks. Whoever makes the most s’mores in a minute with just their chopsticks is the winner.

15. Tic-tac-toe with Food

Multicolored donuts with glaze and splashes on a black background tic-tac-toe game

Buy some different flavored and colored mini muffins, or donuts. Mark out a tic-tac-toe board and use the food to play a game (or five).

16. Potato or pasta salad race

This bbq party game is ideal if you have leftover pasta or potato salad from your bbq. Put some potato salad on plates and have the contestants eat the salad on their knees in front of a chair with their hands held behind their backs. The person who finishes their potato salad first wins.

17. Pumpkin bowling

Use some small pumpkins as your bowling balls and a few cans of soda as your pins. You can play this by converting your driveway into a makeshift bowling alley.

18. Guess the dish game

Get a few blindfolds and some salads or dishes like a chicken or beef casserole. Add some sauce like buffalo or horseradish sauce to it. Blindfold your participants, let them guess the food and sauce type, and award them points for correct responses.

19. Culinary trivia

Guests can play this while waiting for their dinner or as a means of relaxation afterward. Serve them appetizers like mini sausage rolls or mini quiche while they play.

20. Food bingo

This is played exactly like bingo, but instead of choosing numbers, you choose food types. Be sure to lay out a spread of snacks like ham sandwiches, nachos, and guacamole, or pizzas to munch on while they play.

Party food games that add a fun element

Party food games help make your party more lively or entertaining. You can choose from a range of games where guests participate with food. Or choose from popular games played at parties and couple this with some delicious snacks. Browse Instacart for a range of food for your food games!

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Instacart

Instacart is the leading grocery technology company in North America, partnering with more than 1,400 national, regional, and local retail banners to deliver from more than 80,000 stores across more than 14,000 cities in North America. To read more Instacart posts, you can browse the company blog or search by keyword using the search bar at the top of the page.

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