This is one of those games that has a lot of different names, depending where you live, but Celebrity Heads seems to be the most common. It’s also one of those games that you don’t need anything more than some Post-it Notes and a pen or two to play. You also need an even number of people, so if you have an odd number, one person will need to sit out each round and observe the hilarity. 

First, each person needs to choose a partner. Write the name of a celebrity (real or fictional) on the Post-it Note without allowing your partner to see what you’ve written, then stick it on their forehead. If you’re playing with more than two people, take it in turns to ask the questions about your celebrities, moving around the players clockwise.

Questions must have either a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer, so you have to think carefully about what you ask. A ‘yes’ means you get to ask another question; a ‘no’ means the questioning moves to the next person. You also have to concentrate to keep track of the information you’ve managed to glean so far. Of course, the first person to guess the identity of their celebrity wins, but you can keep playing until everyone either guesses or gives up. And then play another round! The more obscure the celebrities, the more fun you’ll have.

This game is best played with between 6 – 12 people, each of whom tells two truths and one lie about themselves. The aim of the game is for the other players to guess which is the lie, with the first person to guess correctly receiving a point. This person is the next to tell two truths and a lie, with the process repeating until everyone has had a turn. The person who ends up with the most points is the winner.



In terms of strategy, it’s a good idea to disguise your lie as a truth – in other words, make it sound like something you could have done. Use the reverse psychology for the truths – telling people about some of the more out of the ordinary things you’ve done or unusual things about yourself, so they think you’re making them up. One of the best things about this game is the amount of things you find out about people, which makes it particularly good for breaking the ice with new friends.

An oldie but a goody, charades invariably ends up in fits of laughter and is another one of those games that requires very little equipment. While there are a range of different rules for charades, the important thing is to establish which version you’re playing from the start. You can play as individuals, with everyone vying against each other to guess the answer, or you can play in teams if it’s a larger gathering. If you’re playing in teams, usually one team member acts out the charade and the other team members try to guess the answer. Each team receives a point when they work out the answer correctly.



A member of the other team writes a phrase on a piece of paper and gives it to the member of your team who is acting out the charade. You can set a time limit if you like, to make things even trickier. Usually the charade starts with the number of words in the phrase signaled by holding up the equivalent number of fingers. From there, you can indicate the number of syllables in the first word, and start acting it out. Once the word is guessed, move to the next, and so on. No cheating allowed, including things like mouthing words or giving hints!

Backgammon is actually one of the oldest known board games, with a history that dates back almost 5000 years, when archeologists discovered remains of the game in the Middle East. And it’s also one of the most popular board games, with organised tournaments and passionate social players all over the world.

Once you’ve learned to play backgammon, you’ll begin to understand why it’s so popular. In fact, it can be downright addictive! Clearly, for this game you’ll need to purchase a backgammon board, but trust us, it’s a great investment that will bring you, your kids and friends hours of enjoyment over the years.

We hope the above give you a few ideas for adding something a bit different to your holiday entertaining or family gatherings, while spending some quality time on your patio or deck.

And from everybody at Lifestyle Patios, we wish you a very Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

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