Retro children's party for adults

[80svibes]

So long story short, I have found myself organising an afternoon tea meets eighties children’s party in a work context, as a bit of a light-hearted team event.

Hoping to please mine some ideas from you nest of vipers... :)

We’re thinking retro party food, party bags, games, etc. Things like Party Rings, Hula Hoops, Monster Munch, Fondant Fancies, etc. as well as "proper" food like sandwiches too.

Any thoughts on any food/snacks would give proper 80s kids’ party vibes? Or what might put in an adult's party bag (obvs work appropriate). Any games or activities that could work for a work crowd? We’re not talking musical chairs or pass the parcel - more tongue-in-cheek quizzes, challenges, maybe something we could do on Kahoot, or anything that gets people involved without being too cringe. Any other little decorations, touches or ridiculous 80s details that would really make it?

Thanks in advance for anyone's ideas!

We used to play a game where you tie a balloon to everyone’s leg with a piece of string. You have to
protect your own balloon, while trying to stamp on and pop other people’s.

Musical Chairs if you have the space.

How wild do you want to get?

Definitely Fruit Salad and Blackjacks even though I don’t like Blackjacks. The things I used to love getting in party bags were fickle fish/fortune teller fish, mood rings, those puzzle things you used to get in crackers where you had to work out how to get the pieces apart or put them together, and the toys where you have to get all the ball bearings into the holes. I would also consider etch a sketch keyrings if they’re not too expensive. I think 80s themed fidgets would be a good idea because people might actually use them while working

I remember doing the donuts on a string at Halloween parties. Much better than apple bobbing in snotty water 🙈

I did this for a boyfriend years ago. He was unimpressed (boring sod!).

Definitely cheese and pineapple sticks
Melon boats!
Jelly
Chocolate fingers
Panda pops bottles of e-numbered fizz

I would make up a pass the parcel and musical chairs too.

Sounds so fun! Can I come?!

Sounds good fun

Have you had the party yet ? 😊

Jugs of weak orange squash. No ice!
Cadbury's mini rolls.
A quiz about 1980's TV.

I am astonished that no-one has mentioned Flying Saucer sweets. Nobody liked them, but you had to have them at parties anyway, mainly because they are flat and not sticky, and would fit in between the layers of a pass-the-parcel.

I always used to like a crisp flavour guessing game.

Cheese and pineapple hedgehog
Pin the tail on the donkey game
Sandwiches with no crusts on bread - cheddar, ham and jam ones
Jelly
Blamangne as a rabbit
Angel Delight butterscotch
YMCA song which you all need to dance to with correct dance
Limbo dancing with the pole that gets lower and lower you have to get under
Paper aeroplane competition
Rubik cubes

We went to an 80's night where our host had put together a playlist of 80's tracks, some very well known, others not so much. They played the intro to the track and then we had to guess the song. It was so much fun!

You also do it by finding songs from 80's adverts, play the song and ask people which advert it was in or 80's movies soundtracks.

Thanks all! It won't be for another few weeks but definitely bringing some of these ideas on board :)

I’d love this!!! Kids parties were so much fun in the 80s. I have fond memories of eating frogs in a pond.
I remeber we used to tie balloons to a clothesline and while it was spinning we’d throw darts at it, most balloons popped wins. Pretty sure nowadays the police would be called if we tried that at a kids party 😆

If you don't have enough chairs for musical chairs. Another option what we used to play was musical faces. It's basically the same rules as musical chairs. But draw faces on large sheets of paper and put them on the floor instead of chairs.