70s themed party games

If you want to bring back the 1970s, a retro party is a great way to do it. Relive those memories (whether you were there or not) and leave them behind when you're ready. If you're too young to have owned your own flower-embroidered bell bottoms, you can still have a lot of fun at a 1970s party. Draw inspiration from movies, TV shows and relatives' photos. Either way, 1970s-themed games can create that zany vibe that will help your guests transport themselves back in time.

Nothing screams 1970s like a disco dance competition. The pulsating beats of Donna Summer, Tavares and the Bee Gees (in fact, why not the whole "Saturday Night Fever" soundtrack?) will bring back memories and get your guests up on the dance floor. Consider renting a roller rink for disco on skates or even holding the disco dance contest in a swimming pool or on a trampoline to liven it up a bit. Offer the winners classic 1970s prizes such as mood rings, pet rocks or 8-track tapes, as well as iconic 1970s movies like "Jaws," "Rocky" and "Annie Hall." Look for these items on eBay or at second-hand stores, flea markets and yard sales.

Organise a 1970s dress-up party where everybody gets together to play some of the games that were big in the 70s. Twister, Spin the Bottle and Atari were some of the popular forms of entertainment in that era. Others include Don't Spill the Beans, Mousetrap and Rock'em Sock'em Robots. Organize teams and play these 1970s favourites for prizes.

See how well your guests fare at a trivia game featuring questions on TV shows, music and pop culture of the time. Or try 1970s Name That Tune, in which guests take turns singing part of a song from the 70s and other guests fill in the missing lyrics. Have song titles and lyric sheets available in case guests can't think of any songs. Provide maracas and tamborines for extra entertainment. Other games along these lines include Pictionary (guests draw sketches pertaining to the 1970s) and charades (acting out people or events from the 1970s).

Turn fondue, one of the favourite party foods of the 1970s, into a party game. Divide your guests into teams. Place a fondue container on a table and fill it with fruit and whipped cream (melted cheese is hot and dangerous). Have guests take turns running to the pot with a spoon or a chopstick, dipping the fruit into it and transporting the whipped cream to an empty fondue pot on another table. Play the game like a relay race. The first team to empty their fondue pot wins. Adding to the fun, players have to wear their favourite bell bottoms, miniskirts and platform shoes. Because this game can be messy, consider playing it outside.

The 1970s gave rise to a number of popular TV game shows. Host your own versions at your party. To recreate "The Price is Right," make a list of common household items (with retro photos if you can find them) and determine the 1970s prices. Guests compete to see who can most accurately guess the prices. To play "Match Game," pair guests off into teams. Make up cards with funny sentences on them, leaving the last word out. See if contestant teams can predict each other's answers. If you can locate them, play the board game versions of "The Joker's Wild" and "Family Feud."