Disco games are a fantastic way to make sure the dance floor is pumping and the party gets moving quickly. Sure to have the group laughing out loud and rocking out hard to the beat, below is a list of games that are sure to be a massive hit at your next disco!
Musical Statues
This has to be one of the most well-known dance games that kids (and yes even adults) love. Simply put on the music and get everyone to dance along to the beat. The faster the song the better, and it is funnier if you get those playing along to dance along at pace. When the music stops (and this is entirely up to you) the dancers must all freeze. Anyone who is still moving is out, with the winner being the last musical statute in the game.
You’ve Got Moves!
This disco game is one that actually causes a lot of laugh-out-loud moments. Get the group to stand in one big circle and start the music. The first person in the circle comes up with a cool dance move. The next person in the circle must then repeat their move and follow it with one of their own. The third person repeats both moves (in the correct order) and then adds one too. This continues all the way around the circle. As you can imagine, this gets harder and harder to remember and perform. Anyone who forgets a move or doesn’t do one correctly has to sit down. This game continues until only one groovy dancer remains.
Karaoke
Ok, this game is famous and even the shyest of players usually end up finding their voice and belting out some fun tunes. You can buy plug-in microphones from most shops that can be used or you can hire or buy a small karaoke machine for the day. This is not actually a game but more just a lot of fun, with kids taking turns to grab the mic and sing along to their favourite song. Maybe the person who remembers the most words and gives the best overall performance can win a prize?
Musical Numbers
This disco game is one that requires some quick moving and even quicker mathematics. Have the group dance along to some music that is playing. When the music stops, the caller shouts out a number and partygoers need to quickly hop into groups of that number. So, if they call out “6”, kids need to quickly stop dancing and find a group of six. The group must have only six people in it. Any person that isn’t in a group of six is out and any larger groups have only a minute to sort out their correct number or else they are all out. The music then starts again and players must mingle and dance around the room until it stops again and a. new number is called.
Dance Off
This classic game is absolutely hilarious and usually ends up with some pretty spectacular shows of dance style as well. Split the group up into two teams and place them on either side of the dance space. When the music starts, each team sends forth a dancer whose job is to outdance the player from the other team. Together they enter the dance space and dance up a storm, throwing in as much energy and style as they can. An unbiased judge then calls a winner. The game can then be played two ways. Either the person who loses is replaced by a new dancer on their team who now tries to beat the reigning winner, or two whole new players (one from each team) enter the dance space to compete. The winning team is the one that has the last dancer standing or who is awarded the most overall dance wins.
Corners
For this disco game, you need to put up four coloured squares (or numbers) in the four corners around a dance area. Have someone operating the music who is facing away from the dance space and can’t see who is standing where. When the music starts, players need to move around and dance to each of the corners. When the music stops, each dancer must race to one of the four corners. The music operator (who isn’t looking) then calls out one of the colours/numbers. Anyone who is standing at that corner or number is out. The music then resumes and the players then dance again. This repeats until the last dancer is standing.
Balloon Balance
Balloon balance is a disco game that requires guests to find a partner and dance with them – all while keeping a balloon safely held in place by their backs. That’s right, each team of two must face away from each other and place a balloon between them. They must then dance when the music starts but be very careful not to let their balloon escape. The winning duo are the ones who are able to dance up a storm with their balloon never falling.
Musical Balloon Up
Before the party starts, write different dance moves and challenges onto separate pieces of paper and pop these into balloons that are then blown up. When the party has started, get the kids to dance around and as they do throw one of the balloons into the air. Their job in this balloon game is to keep the balloon up by hitting it back into the air when it comes near them. When the music stops, whoever touched the balloon last (or whoever allows it to fall nearest to them by not touching it) must pop the balloon and perform the challenge.
Lip Sync Challenge
Ok, there has been a lot of buzz around the celebrity version of Lip Sync Battle and no doubt the kids and people at your party will find this just as entertaining. Get the group into teams (3 or 4 teams would be fun if you have the numbers) and have them pick a favourite song to perform. You can then give them 20 minutes or so to prepare their dance number as a group. Have them select a lead singer who needs to try to perform the song as if they are truly the one singing and extra points should be awarded to the team that has the best choreography and backup dance performers too.
Dance ‘Til You Drop
This is a game where party guests can have some fun performing some of the most classic dance moves. Have a prepared video that displays certain dance moves on it. This could be the “Helicopter”, “Staying Alive”, “Bus Stop” or any other fun move that you know of. Guests then take turns to perform the exact move from the video. The winner is the person who can perform the most dance moves correctly.
Limbo
Limbo! What’s not to love about a game that gets kids to contort their bodies into huge feats of flexibility as they manoeuvre their way under a horizontal pole? In Limbo, for those who have never played before, kids form a line behind a pole or broomstick that is being held horizontally in the air by two people. The pole starts off quite high and, dancing along to the music, each player takes a turn going underneath the pole without touching it or falling over. After each player has had a go, the pole is lowered slightly. This continues, but as it gets lower players are only allowed to bend backwards, moving with their feet first and then bending back so that their body slides under it. They are not allowed to put their hands on the ground. The winner is whoever can make it successfully under the lowest pole!
Dance Charades
Just like the traditional version of the game, dance charades involve players getting guests to guess the name of a popular movie based solely on the dance moves that they are famous for. Examples are things like “Dirty Dancing”, “Greece”, “Saturday Night Fever”, “Footloose” etc. You can pick movies based on the age of the kids – there are so many famous musicals out there! The first person to correctly guess the movie earns a point. The person with the most points at the end of the game wins.
The key to successful disco games
We asked a number of parents what made their kids’ dance party or disco successful to try and see if there were any common themes and this is what we found.
- Disco lighting is important. You ideally want to have lower lights than usual, strobes, coloured lights, fog.. basically anything but full light. Full light was only successful for the younger kids who perhaps are less self-conscious about the way they dance.
- The music choice is crucial. A mix of popular trending songs, gaming parodies and old well-known songs make for a good mix. It is a good idea to seek approval from the hosting kid because it’s their demographic you are looking to appeal to.
- A costume theme can add to the fun, whether it be 80’s disco or fluro or some other theme that justifies outlandish disco wear.
- Refreshments are important at a disco party, especially access to water but snacks are also a good idea because dancing takes up a lot of energy.
Classic songs for disco games
On-trend songs change all the time but classic disco songs never go out of fashion and a mix of the two is great because kids are very likely to know the words of the classics.
- Yellow Submarine, The Beetles
- Stayin’ Alive, The Bee Gees
- Shake it Off, Taylor Swift
- Let’s get Ridiculous, Red Fu
- Party in the USA, Miley Cyrus
- Cotton Eye Joe, Rednex
- You Spin me Round (like a record), Dead or Alive
- Gangnam Style, Psy
- Billie Jean, Michael Jackson
- Up Town Funk, Bruno Mars
- Never Gonna Give you Up, Rick Astley
- The Locomotion, Kylie Minogue
- Barbie Girl, We just wanna Party
- Kung Fu Fighting, Carl Douglas
- Moves like Jagger, Maroon 5
- Wanna Be, Spice Girls
- Thunder, Imagine Dragons
- Who let the dogs out, Baha Men
- Don’t Leave me this way, The Communards
Hopefully, your disco will get even more energetic and interesting with these fun disco games. Not only are they a great way to get kids up and on the dance floor (no one wants a disco party that has walls lined with shy kids) but they are sure to make sure they don’t want to stop dancing too!
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