Kitty Party Games for Ladies: 25 Fun Ideas

Good kitty party games turn a monthly get together into the afternoon everyone looks forward to. This list has 25 funny group games for a ladies kitty party: the evergreen tambola and housie, Indian favourites like dumb charades and antakshari, quick one minute games, and a few surprise games to keep the hostess's turn memorable. Every game lists players, what you need and how to play, and almost all of them use things already in your home.

Classic Indian kitty party games

Tambola (Housie)

Players: 6 to 50
You need: Tambola tickets, a number caller, dabbers or pens

Every member gets a ticket. The caller announces numbers from 1 to 90 and players strike them off. Prizes go to early five, top line, middle line, bottom line, corners and full house. Read the complete tambola rules, print tickets below and use our tambola number caller so the hostess can play too.

Tip: theme your tambola by giving every number a funny call, for example "number 11, two thin legs" or "number 22, two little ducks".

Dumb Charades

Players: 8 to 40, two teams
You need: Chits with song or story titles, a timer

One member acts out a title without speaking while her team guesses within two minutes. Use the standard signals for words and syllables. Our dumb charades rules explain the gestures and scoring.

Antakshari

Players: 6 to 40, two teams
You need: Nothing, or a small speaker

Team one sings a song, and team two must start their song with the last letter of the previous one. A team that cannot think of a song within the count of ten loses the round. Full rules in our antakshari guide.

Passing the Parcel with Chits

Players: 8 to 30
You need: A gift wrapped in layers, a chit inside each layer, music

Pass the parcel around while music plays. Whenever the music stops, the lady holding it opens one layer and does what the chit says: sing a line, share a funny memory or dance for ten seconds. The last layer holds the gift. See passing the parcel for setup.

Musical Chairs

Players: 6 to 20
You need: Chairs (one fewer than players), music

Walk around the chairs while music plays and grab a seat when it stops. The one left standing is out and a chair is removed. Ladies of every age enjoy the giggles. See the musical chairs rules.

Lucky Chair

Players: Any number
You need: A sticker hidden under one chair

Before guests arrive, stick a small mark under one chair. At the end of the party, everyone checks under their seat, and the lucky lady takes home a surprise gift.

Newspaper Dance

Players: 6 to 20, in pairs
You need: A newspaper sheet per pair, music

Pairs dance on a sheet of newspaper. Each time the music stops, the sheet is folded in half. Any pair that steps off the paper is out. The last pair standing wins.

One minute games for kitty party

Bindi on the Mirror

Players: 4 to 20
You need: A mirror, a bindi packet, a blindfold

Each member stands two steps from a mirror, looks at her reflection, is blindfolded and tries to stick a bindi exactly between her eyebrows on the mirror. Closest bindi wins. It is a favourite one minute game for kitty party.

Cup Tower

Players: 4 to 20
You need: 36 paper cups per player, a timer

Build a pyramid with all the cups within one minute, then stack them back into a single pile. Fastest builder wins. For a team version, two ladies build together using one hand each.

Bangle Stack

Players: 4 to 20
You need: Glass or plastic bangles, a bottle

Players stack bangles over the neck of a bottle or into a standing tower in one minute. Most bangles stacked without the pile falling wins.

Pick the Rajma

Players: 4 to 20
You need: A bowl of rajma or chana, toothpicks, a small plate

Using only a toothpick, move as many beans as possible from the bowl to the plate in one minute. Highest count wins. Use chopsticks for an extra challenge.

Balloon Blow and Burst

Players: 4 to 20
You need: Balloons

On "go", each lady blows up a balloon until it bursts. The first to burst hers wins. Have spare balloons ready.

Ball Bounce

Players: 4 to 20
You need: Table tennis balls, a bowl, a table

Bounce a ball once on the table so it lands in the bowl. Most balls in within a minute wins.

Saree Pallu Pleat Race

Players: 4 to 12
You need: A saree or long dupatta per player, safety pins

Players make neat pleats in a saree pallu or dupatta and pin them within one minute. The neatest set of pleats, judged by the hostess, wins.

Biscuit Face Challenge

Players: 4 to 20
You need: Small biscuits

Place a biscuit on your forehead and move it into your mouth using only face movements. No hands allowed. First to succeed wins, and everyone ends up laughing.

Funny group games for ladies

Know Your Kitty Members

Players: 6 to 30
You need: Slips filled in by each member in advance

Ask everyone a few questions beforehand: favourite dish, first job, dream holiday, hidden talent. Read out the answers and members guess who wrote each one. Most correct guesses wins.

Husband Quiz

Players: 6 to 30
You need: Question sheet, phones to check answers

Ask each lady ten questions about her husband's habits, such as his favourite sweet or the first gift he gave her, then let her call or message him to check. Highest score wins. Ladies who are not married can answer about a sister, friend or child instead.

Paper Fashion Walk

Players: 8 to 30, teams
You need: Newspapers, tape, scissors, stapler

Teams design an outfit from newspaper in 15 minutes and one member walks the ramp. Judge on creativity and confidence.

Guess the Song by Humming

Players: 6 to 40, two teams
You need: Song list

One member hums a song without words while her team guesses within 30 seconds. Old film songs make this a hit with every age.

Mehendi Design Contest

Players: 4 to 20
You need: Mehendi cones, paper hand outlines

Each member creates a design on a paper hand outline in ten minutes. Everyone votes for the prettiest design.

Two Truths and a Lie

Players: 4 to 20
You need: Nothing

Each lady says two true things about herself and one false one. The group guesses the lie. New members get to know the group quickly.

Card games and themed surprises

Bluff Card Game

Players: 3 to 10
You need: One or two standard decks

Deal all the cards. Players place cards face down claiming a rank, and others can call "bluff". If the claim was false, the bluffer picks up the pile, and the first to empty her hand wins. Read the full bluff card game rules.

Theme Tambola

Players: 6 to 50
You need: Tambola tickets with words or pictures instead of numbers

For a themed kitty, replace numbers with words linked to the theme, such as film songs, food items or monsoon words. The hostess calls the words and players strike them off. Prizes as in regular tambola.

Chit Pick Surprise Game

Players: Any number
You need: A bowl of folded chits with tasks

Each member picks a chit with a fun task: sing a lullaby, mimic a teacher, share an embarrassing moment or say a tongue twister three times. Kind, light tasks keep it fun for everyone.

Spot the Changes

Players: 6 to 30
You need: One volunteer and a quick change

One lady stands in front of the group for 30 seconds, then leaves the room and changes three small things such as earrings, bindi or dupatta style. When she returns, members write down the changes. Most correct wins.

Planning tips for kitty party games

• Plan three to five games for a three hour kitty. Start with tambola while everyone settles, add two or three one minute games, and end with a group game like antakshari or dumb charades.
• Keep a theme. A monsoon, retro, Holi or Diwali theme makes the games, food and dress code feel connected.
• Prizes: small gifts such as bangles, scented candles, kitchen gadgets, chocolates or home decor items work well. Keep one gift for every game.
• Prepare chits and tickets the day before so the hostess is free to play.
• Include everyone. Choose games that work for members of all ages and avoid anything too physical for senior members.