When it comes to kissing your day job good-bye forever, a celebration is usually in order. Whether you’re throwing your own retirement party or planning one for someone else, we’ve got you covered with seven unforgettable retirement party games (that won’t make anyone cringe).
Who Knows the Retiree Best?
What better way to celebrate someone’s new retirement lifestyle than to quiz the group on their life up until this point? This game is sure to make people laugh, and it’s free for you to create—all you need are some questions and an interview with the retiree.
Just ask the guest of honor to answer some fun trivia about themselves and record them for the answer key. Then, hand everyone at the party sheets of paper with the questions only. The person who guesses the most correct answers wins bragging rights or a prize.
Questions to include:
- What was their first job?
- How many years did they work in total?
- Where do they wish to travel first?
- Name a food ingredient they can’t stand.
- What is their favorite show?
- What is their biggest fear?
- How late will they sleep in now?
- What was their least favorite part of their job?
- Who was their office crush?
- What will they spend the most time doing in retirement?
Sample Retirement Party Games:
Caption the Photo
This game makes for laugh-out-loud moments and fun conversations during the party.
Start by gathering photos of the retiree from different stages of their life. You can download them from their Facebook or solicit them from friends and family. (The more interesting or funny, the better.) Print about five to ten photos in at least size 5×7 and hang them up on a wall with plenty of room.
Put a bunch of sticky notes and pens out on a table by the wall and have guests write funny captions to go with each photo. They can stick their captions underneath each picture. The best caption gets points, and the guest with the most points wins!
Name That Beer/Wine
Want to treat your guests to a beer tasting and count it as entertainment as well? Host a blind beer (or wine) taste test!
You’ll need to pour three-ounce servings of four different types of beer or wine for as many players as you expect, and a blindfold. Don’t get too crazy—you’ll want each flavor to be different enough from the last for guests to be able to guess, without choosing something no one has ever heard of.
Classic beer recommendations:
- India Pale Ale
- Sour or Gose
- Stout
- Pilsner
- Cider
Classic wine recommendations:
Reds:
- Cabernet
- Pinot Noir
- Syrah
Whites:
- Chardonnay
- Pinot Grigio
- Savignon Blanc
Other:
- Prossecco
- Dry Rosé
- Port
- Cherry
The winner(s) could win an adult beverage of their choice to take home. For an extra special touch, you could provide a cigar bar or charcuterie board nearby.
Hot Seat
Similar to “Who Knows the Retiree Best?” but “Hot Seat” encourages ridiculous answers. The retiree is in the “hot seat” and draws a card from the deck with a prompt. Everyone else in the room writes down their answer to the question, pretending to be the retiree. Some of these questions include:
- What would a movie about my life be titled?
- What is the first thing I’d do if I won the lottery?
- If I purchased my own island, what would I name it?
- What job would I be absolutely horrible at?
Points are awarded to anyone who successfully fool other players into guessing their response. This type of game opens up the floor for hilarious and creative answers, and will definitely keep everyone engaged.
Favorite Memory Game
Who doesn’t feel truly honored and grateful when a room full of loved ones all share their favorite memory of you? Well, they actually make cards for that!
Have each guest answer the prompt, “Write out a favorite memory you have with the retiree.” Depending on the retiree, you may even encourage guests to make it a bit of a friendly roast. Once everyone has finished, have the guest of honor read each card aloud and try to guess who wrote it. There will be laughs, smiles, and probably even tears.
Family Feud
This classic game show is always a delightful crowd-pleaser. It’s even more fun if you ask someone to play the host ahead of time, wearing a suit and playing the Family Feud theme music! There are several versions of the game you can buy on Amazon, or you can create the board yourself and download free “surveys” online. You can even tailor a few questions about the retiree’s life and poll their friends and family to sprinkle into the survey.
Two Truths and a Lie
This is a great game for storytellers, especially if the retiree has done a lot of interesting things in their life. You’ll need three guests at the party to stand in front of the group and tell a short story about the guest of honor. A bizarre fact, an embarrassing moment, something like that.
You probably know the drill—two of the stories need to be true and one will be a lie. At the end, everyone at the party has to guess which one was the lie. Give your trio a chance to decide who will be the “liar” and prepare beforehand. You can award a prize to the “liar” if no one figures them out, or just play for fun and laughs.
Preparing for Retirement Isn’t All Fun and Games. . .
The most important thing about entering into retirement is making sure you’re truly prepared. That’s why we’d like to offer you a second opinion on your current financial plan—even if you’re already working with another firm.
Here at Beacon, we understand that one piece of your retirement plan affects all the others. We run our business as a full-service advisory firm, catering to all of your retirement needs under one roof, including: healthcare, estate, tax, income planning, and more.
Set up a free, no-obligation consultation with one of our experienced, trusted advisors in Tennessee today. We know you’ve worked hard to get to this point, and that’s something to celebrate!
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Retirement Messages: Crafting the Perfect Send-off for Family, Friends, and Colleagues
Retirement Messages: Crafting the Perfect Send-off for Family, Friends, and Colleagues