Do you ever wish you could have a blast at a good old-fashioned party, playing games like hot potato, pin the tail on the donkey, and musical chairs? Take a step back in time and discover the best 1950s party games that will get the whole family having fun together.

By the end of this piece, you’ll know exactly how to host the most successful 1950s themed party, complete with classic games. These games will provide hours of quality entertainment, liven up any family gathering, and bring fond memories to both young and old.

So, gather the family and get ready to have some old-fashioned fun with the top 1950s party games.

1950s vintage photo of people playing card games

Note: This post is an extension of “The Mini Guide to Hosting the Ultimate 1950’s Themed Party“. Inside this post, I talked about invites,decor, music, clothing and food, the essentials for a successful party. This article jumps into deeper into party games.

Disclosure: Some of the links on my blog from Etsy , eBay, are Affiliate Links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

Note: If the item you clicked on is no longer available, just do a search for like items. There are loads of vintage items being added to Etsy and eBay daily!

Shopping for vintage games: ETSY has LOADS of vintage 1950s games that you can purchase for a really good deal. A couple I feature below but you should go and check out the site yourself and sang them up before they are gone.

Party Game Ideas for a 1950s Themed Party

1950s Party games for adults a spoon game. Image features 2 women in 1950s fashions playing a 1950s party game.

Source: Etsy

Bubble Gum Blowing Contest

Rules: Biggest bubble & who can hold the bubble the longest.

Source: Etsy

Hula Hoop Contest

We did this for mother’s 60th Party and it was a hit!. Simple rules as well. Whoever can keep it going the longest wins.

1950s Hula hop Fad 1950s photo features a women hula hooping in 1950s fashion

Source: Considerable

Trivia Questions from the 1950s (we also did this at my mom’s party)

Now you can create your own, or you can head to Etsy to download someone else’s hard work, like the example below (just type in 1950s party games) . Totally up to you and the effort you want to put into your party planning.

Source: Etsy

Limbo Contest

Whoever can go under the lowest bar is the winner.

Bingo Card Game-1950s Song Titles

FEBRUARY 2024 UPDATE: The bingo game below is no longer available on Etsy. I have found a similar Bingo Game here.

This version below is from Etsy and is jam packed with fun (and a great price). Here is what the printable digital file contains:

• 50 unique bingo cards for printing (1 card per page, no cutting)
• 75 Caller Slips (must be cut apart)
• Simple instructions for play and preparing for your event
• Sample Bingo Patterns
• BONUS: Caller trivia cheat sheets! Includes the year each song hit the top of the charts and the song’s recording artist.

Bing Card game for a 1950s Party featuring 1950s song titles

Source: Etsy

Name that Tune

Play songs from the 1950s and see who can name the song first.

If you are interested in purchasing the 1957 Milton Bradley NAME THAT TUNE GAME, Music Bingo Game it’s available on eBay HERE (at time of posting).

Source: eBay

Pin the Tail on the Donkey

Once again simple rules for this game as well. Blind fold your guests, spin them around and have them pin the tail on the donkey. Closest wins!

Note: On Etsy there is a lot of original versions to be found just type in ‘Pin the Tail on the Donkey’ and pick what suits your parties needs.

1950s pin the tail on the donkey 1950s party games for kids 1950s party games for adults

Source: Etsy

You can also search Etsy or eBay for party planning books like the one below (avail as of April 30th, 2024). 1957 “Games and Parties Book”

1950s Games and Parties book from 1957. Perfect for planning your next 1950s themed party.

The “What to do” Index of game ideas for different situations like…”What to do at a picnic” or at a “Wiener Roast”. So many fun ideas!

"The What to do Index" of games to play at parties and special events from a 1950s Party Ideas & Games Ideas book from 1957.

Source: Etsy-AntiquesBoutiqueNS

Other Party Games:

Musical Chairs
Charades
Hot potato
Apple Bobbing
Dance Contest
Twister
Card Games

Vintage Board Games

Encourage party goers to give them a try (also they are great for decor ideas).

EXAMPLES:

Parcheesi
Checkers
Monopoly
Candy Land
Yahtzee!

1959 Milton Bradley Board Games Ad 1950s party Games

Source: Etsy

Question time: What kind of games would you add to the list?

Further Reading:

Food:

Party Games, Party Decor, 1950s Music, 1950s Fashion & More

Liz

I’m currently in the market for new glasses as my current ones are few years old and are starting to show wear and tear, so I did what everyone does these days and I headed to the web for inspiration. It was there that I started to see many fantastic vintage print ads for women’s eyeglasses from 1940s & 1950s and they were so wonderful that I just had to share them for today’s post.

Disclosure: Some of the links on my blog from Etsy , eBay, are Affiliate Links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

Vintage Eyewear Advertising

From the 1940’s & 1950’s

1943-The Original Cat Eye Glasses. No need to look owlish, bookish, or just plain dull anymore!

1940s Vintage Ad: 1940s eyeglasses advertising for cateye glasses 1943 Harlequins

Source: Flickr

1947 Vintage Victory Eyewear-Golden Honey Frame.

1940s Vintage Ad for victory vintage 1947 eyeglasses. The Ad featuring 1940s fashion as well.

Source: Pinterest

1955 women’s Harlequin eyewear discussing how you can try on the glasses in the comfort of your own home (what a novel idea!).

1950s Vintage Ad: 1955 women's Harlequin eyewear discussing how you can try on the glasses in the comfort of your own home

Source: eBay

1956 better vision institute milady’s eyes vintage eyeglasses ad. Love the arms on these glasses.

1950s Vintage Ad: 1956 better Vision Institute milady's eyes vintage eyeglasses ad

Source: eBay

“How to look glamorous in glasses”-1959

1950s vintage advertising-how to look glamorous in eyeglasses

Source: Pinterest

Glamour Glasses-1954. Designed as fashion accessories rather than functional. Indeed Glamorous!

1950s Eyeglasses Advertising for 1950s womens eyewear - Glamor Glasses. 1950s Fashion.

Source: Pinterest

As many of us know, music influences fashion and Be-Bop was no different.

Bebop is a style of jazz that developed in the 1940s and is characterized by improvisation, fast tempos, rhythmic unpredictability, and harmonic complexity (source).

1950s eyeglasses Be-Bop Glasses. 1950s Fashion ad featuring Black Women Models.

Source: Beboplashes

1959 FLAIRSPECS women’s Continental design angel cateye eyeglasses frames ad.

Source: eBay

1959 Eyeglass styles- Miss Exec comes back better than ever.

1950s vintage eyewear advertising womens eyeglasses - 1959 mens and women's glasses

“Match the colour of your eyewear with the costume of your choice”. They are a single frame with interchangable jewel-like tops that are available in ten fashion approved colours. OMG YES! I love this idea!

1950s eyeglasses womens advertising.1950s glasses / 1950s cateye glasses featuring different frame colors you can change out.

Source: Pinterest

Schiaparelli-1950s. Match your eyewear to the Season, in this ad it’s the Christmas season. I’m in!

1950s Eyeglasses advertising vintage christmas ad for Schiaparelli eyewear

Source: Flickr

Frame your eyes in High Fashion. Wear them to the Theatre and Cocktails and wear them to glamorize business.

1950s vintage ad for women's cat eye glasses in different colours and designs.

Source: Pinterest

These glasses suit this model so well! The 1950s hair, the pearls, the red lips…stunning ad.

1950s vintage advertising for cat eye glasses for women. The ad features women's 1950s hairstyle.

After putting together this post, I realized that in the 1950s companies who sold eyeglasses, were on a big push to make them exactly like the 1943 ad above stated…”less bookish”. Wear glasses and you will be just as glamorous as your non eyeglass wearing friends. I think this is why the designs were pretty decorative as well, to match the marketing message that was being put out there.

In today’s world though, eyewear is a fashion statement and people are wearing them even if they don’t need them (lucky them!). So the advertising can really take any turn that a company wants (all depends on who their target is).

In the market for some vintage eyewear yourself? Check out websites like Etsy for what your looking for (Note: If they are no longer avail just do a quick search. Etsy is updated with 1000’s of new products daily).

Women’s 1960s Cat Eye glasses in black, made in France by Selecta Optical (avail as of May 3rd, 2023 HERE).

Source: Etsy

Vintage 1950s Aluminum Rose Gold Cat Eye Glasses.

Source: Etsy

Woman’s 1950s / 1960s beautifully etched cat eye eyeglasses frame.

Source: Etsy

Vintage 1940s Woman Clubmaster Cat Eyes Eyeglasses – Black and Gold.

Source: Etsy

1950s vintage eyeglasses-beautiful pair of ladies Zylite eyeglasses frame with beautiful decorative brows and temples.

Source: Etsy

Here is a photo of yours truly in my newest pair of vintage style glasses from CLEARLY.

1940s vintage hairstyle with vintage style glasses.

QUESTION TIME: Do you wear glasses? If so, would you wear the styles pictured above? Share in the comment below.

FURTHER READING:

‘Women who wear Eyeglasses” – fantastic real life photos of ladies in spectacles.
Vintage Advertising 1920s-1960s (Archived blog posts)

Liz