Get closer in no time, even with first-time meetings! Games that liven up welcome parties
It’s hard to decide what games to play at a welcome party for new students, isn’t it? Everyone’s meeting for the first time or feeling nervous, and it’s hard to know what will get people excited.
So here, we’ll introduce games that are likely to liven up a new-student welcome party.
We’ve included plenty of games that help you learn everyone’s names and encourage communication.
We’ve focused on games that everyone can enjoy, even those who aren’t comfortable with self-introductions or speaking in front of others.
Most of them don’t require any props, so feel free to give them a try!
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Even with first-time meetings, you’ll instantly get closer! Games to liven up welcome parties (41–50)
Speaking of 〇〇, games
The “What comes to mind when you hear XX?” game is a group activity where everyone tries to give the same answer based on a given prompt.
For example, if the prompt is “What comes to mind when you hear summer?”, people might think of various things like “the beach” or “ice cream,” but the goal is to come up with an answer that matches everyone else’s.
If everyone gives the same answer, you succeed! If even one person gives a different answer, it’s a fail.
For welcome events, it’s also fun to use a new student’s name for the “XX” part! You’ll get to see what kind of image everyone has of each other, which can spark even more excitement.
Even first meetings can bring you closer in no time! Games to boost the excitement at welcome parties (51–60)
Rock-Paper-Scissors: Bonk and Cover
A game that’s familiar from variety shows: “Tataite Kabutte Janken Pon.” On the call of “Tataite Kabutte Janken Pon,” you play rock-paper-scissors.
If you win, you try to bonk your opponent’s head with a squeaky hammer; if you lose, you quickly put on a helmet to evade the hammer.
If you successfully block the hammer with the helmet, you’re safe and play rock-paper-scissors again.
If you manage to tap your opponent’s head with the squeaky hammer without being blocked, you win! It’s a simple, long-standing game, but the excitement level is off the charts!
Drink exactly the amount of juice
A juice-drinking game where you try to drink exactly to a line drawn on a cup.
Prepare a clear cup and draw a line anywhere you like.
The person drinking wears a blindfold so they can’t see the contents and, while guessing “The line is around here, right?”, uses a straw to drink the juice.
Whoever stops drinking exactly at the line wins; if no one hits it perfectly, the person closest to the line wins! It’s a simple, easy-to-enjoy game that only takes a little prep.
Borrowed-item race
Instead of a “borrowed item” race, this is a “borrowed person” race: you pick someone from the venue who fits a chosen prompt, then run together—say, in a three-legged style.
As a newcomer, even if you want to communicate with people around you, it can be hard to initiate conversations yourself.
But through this game, you can naturally approach the target person, and running together becomes a chance to break the ice.
In other words, it’s a perfect game for a welcome party—one that helps shorten the emotional distance between everyone present, including people you’re meeting for the first time.
Tasting/Comparative testing of XX
A tasting game where participants are blindfolded and guess what kind of food or drink they’re sampling.
You can use teas, potato chips, chocolates, etc.
from different brands and have people guess which brand they’re from.
Or use products like Umaibo or Jagarico that come in many flavors and have people guess the specific flavor—there are lots of ways to play! Brand-by-brand tastings are fairly challenging, but you’d think flavor differences would be easy to tell, right? Surprisingly, without visual cues, it’s harder than you expect! Use your favorite foods and drinks to liven up your welcome event.
Name demon
A natural way to learn each other’s names: the Name Tag game.
First, choose one person to be “It.” That person calls out someone’s name among the participants.
The person whose name is called must immediately call someone else’s name.
However, if “It” tags them before they call another name, they switch and become “It.” If they manage to call another name before being tagged, they’re safe.
In a large space, it’s fun to run around like regular tag, but in a smaller space, have everyone form a circle around “It,” keep their hands out in front, and stay in place.
This version feels even faster than the running one, so the key to winning is how well you remember everyone’s names and how quickly you can say them on the spot!
Who did what, when, and where game
A game where you make funny sentences using the new students’ names: the “When, Where, Who, and What did they do?” game.
You freely write words for each category: “When,” “Where,” “Who,” and “What did they do?” For the “Who” category, write the new students’ names.
For the others, for example, for “When,” you could write “tomorrow” or “in 10 years.” For “Where,” “at the park” or “at school.” For “What did they do,” “ate sweets” or “danced,” and so on.
Once you’ve collected a fair number of words in each category, draw one slip of paper for each category in the order of When, Where, Who, and What they did, and make a sentence.
You’ll end up with funny sentences or, by some miracle, sentences about things that actually happened—perfect for breaking the ice with lots of laughs and surprises!
In conclusion
The quickest way to close the distance with nervous new students is to create a place where you can share enjoyable moments. The games introduced in this article are all easy to start right away. Through unexpected, quirky answers and heated strategizing, the psychological barriers between participants will naturally come down. Make use of games to create a wonderful, memorable welcome event!