Desert Island Game Ideas are imaginative and fun activities that challenge participants to think critically, be resourceful, and engage in creative decision-making. In these games, players are asked to imagine being stranded on a desert island and must choose limited resources, items, or people to help them survive or thrive. Popular variations include “Desert Island Survival,” where participants select their top five items they’d want on the island, or “Desert Island Playlist,” where they must pick a few songs they’d listen to endlessly.
Other fun versions include role-playing scenarios, where kids or adults act out survival strategies or create survival kits from limited supplies. These games encourage teamwork, problem-solving, and storytelling, all while providing a fun, interactive way to bond and spark imagination. They’re perfect for team-building activities, icebreakers, or just as a creative, engaging pastime with friends and family.
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Desert Island Game Ideas
🏝️ Desert Island Game Ideas (100+)
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Desert Island Survival Challenge
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Build a Shelter Game
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Find the Water Source
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Fire Building Simulation
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Scavenger Hunt: Island Edition
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Create a Raft
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Island Treasure Hunt
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Island Role Play Game
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Desert Island Would You Rather
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Survivor Voting Game
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Coconut Bowling
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Jungle Obstacle Course
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Driftwood Jenga
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Island Charades
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Castaway Pictionary
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Palm Leaf Relay
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Island Map Drawing
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SOS Signal Design
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Fish for Supplies (Fishing Game)
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Message in a Bottle Writing
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Island Talent Show
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Create a Desert Island Flag
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Island Truth or Dare
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Island Code Breakers
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Survivor Trivia
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Forage or Fake Game
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Invent a Tribe Name
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Build a Sand Castle Fortress
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Construct a Compass
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Make Coconut Phones
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Raft Building Contest (using craft items)
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Collect the Coconuts Relay
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Pretend to Hunt Game
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Island Time Capsule
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Draw Your Desert Island Outfit
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Palm Tree Limbo
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Craft Island Jewelry (with pasta/beads)
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Jungle Sound Match Game
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Desert Island Debate (what 5 items would you bring?)
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Island Riddle Solving
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Desert Island Freeze Dance
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Palm Frond Tag
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Island Obstacle Escape
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Create a Rain Dance
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Island Survival Jeopardy
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Castaway Storytelling Circle
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Write a Desert Island Diary Entry
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Pack the Raft Packing Game
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Poisonous or Not (Plant Sorting Game)
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Name That Island Animal
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Sand Drawing Challenge
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Build a Shelter with Sticks (craft version)
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What’s in the Jungle Bag? (Mystery item game)
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Island Leader Election Roleplay
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Desert Island “Simon Says”
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Build a Miniature Island
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Island Fashion Show
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Jungle Maze Game
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Pretend Volcano Escape
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Storm is Coming (Team Strategy Game)
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Desert Island Mad Libs
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Build a Water Filter (theoretical challenge)
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Make Island-Themed Masks
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Create Island Animal Calls
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Tidepool Memory Game
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Design Your Island Currency
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Host an Island Council
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Recreate Animal Tracks
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Island Word Scramble
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Island Bingo
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Nature Sound Imitation Game
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Craft an Escape Plan
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Predict the Weather (roleplay)
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Draw an Island Menu
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Act Out the Island Animals
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Island Spy Game
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Island Rules (create your survival laws)
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Build a Zipline (with yarn & straws)
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Obstacle Relay: Volcano, River, Jungle
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Leaf Relay Race
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Island Talent Swap
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Desert Island Dance Battle
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Team vs. Nature Trivia
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Pirate Shipwreck Roleplay
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Castaway Cooking Challenge (imaginary meals)
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Island Shadow Puppets
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Island Word Chain
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Island Survival Journal Making
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Survival Supply Memory Game
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Create Your Desert Island Song
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20 Questions: Island Edition
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DIY Compass (craft version)
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Build an Island Puzzle
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Lifeboat Drama Game
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Island Courtroom Drama
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Survivor Auction (fake coins + items)
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Campfire Island Ghost Stories
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Predict the Tides Game
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Survival Scenario Improv
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Island Yoga Challenge
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Pretend Trade Post (barter system)
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Island Emoji Drawing Game
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Hide the Coconut
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Island Ceremony Roleplay
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Create an Island Anthem
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How to Play
🧭 1. Desert Island Survival Challenge
Objective: Work in teams to plan how to survive being stranded.
How to Play:
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Divide players into teams (2–5 per team).
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Give each team a list of 15 survival items.
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Each team must choose only 5 items they’d take to survive.
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Teams explain their choices to the group.
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A facilitator or the group votes on which plan is most likely to succeed.
🛖 2. Build a Shelter Game
Objective: Create a “shelter” using limited materials.
How to Play:
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Provide materials like sticks, blankets, cardboard, rope, etc.
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Set a timer (15–30 minutes).
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Teams or individuals must build a shelter large enough to fit one person.
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Judge on creativity, stability, and waterproofing (you can “test” with water).
💧 3. Find the Water Source
Objective: Solve clues to locate hidden “water”.
How to Play:
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Hide several water bottle props or blue tokens.
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Write riddles or clues leading to each location.
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Players follow the clues, racing to find water.
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First to collect all or the most “water” wins.
🔥 4. Fire Building Simulation
Objective: Simulate building a fire with safe materials.
How to Play:
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Give players materials like yarn (twigs), cotton balls (tinder), and sticks.
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Use a printed fire circle or real fire pit (no flame unless supervised).
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Players build a fire structure (teepee or log cabin style).
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Optional: Judge on accuracy and explanation of how they’d light it.
🧺 5. Scavenger Hunt: Island Edition
Objective: Find survival-related items hidden around the area.
How to Play:
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Create a list of “island” items: rope, shells, food, compass, etc.
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Hide them around the play area.
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Set a timer (10–20 mins).
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Players or teams search for as many items as possible.
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Each item earns points; bonus if they can explain its survival use.
🛶 6. Create a Raft
Objective: Construct a “raft” using crafts or team logic.
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How to Play:
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Give materials: straws, popsicle sticks, foil, tape, or cardboard.
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Teams must build a raft to support a small object (like a toy).
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Test by floating it in a bin of water.
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Judge based on floatability, creativity, and structure.
💰 7. Island Treasure Hunt
Objective: Solve clues to find hidden “treasure”.
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How to Play:
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Hide a “treasure” (box of goodies or gold coins).
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Create 5–10 clues or a map.
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Split players into teams.
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Each clue leads to the next until the treasure is found.
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First team to find it wins or shares the prize.
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🎭 8. Island Role Play Game
Objective: Act out roles of island characters.
How to Play:
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Assign roles (leader, scout, cook, builder, etc.).
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Present survival scenarios: storm incoming, someone is sick, etc.
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Teams must act out how they’d respond in character.
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Discuss which solutions were most realistic or creative.
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❓ 9. Desert Island Would You Rather
Objective: Choose between silly or serious island options.
How to Play:
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Ask questions like “Would you rather have endless coconuts or clean water?”
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Players vote or move to sides of the room for each answer.
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Encourage debate and creative reasoning.
🗳️ 10. Survivor Voting Game
Objective: Play a friendly vote-out game based on challenges.
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How to Play:
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After completing island-themed challenges, players vote for someone to “leave the island.”
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Use secret ballots or tokens.
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Continue until a winner remains.
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Focus on fun, not hurt feelings—use immunity tokens or chance cards to spice it up.
🎳 11. Coconut Bowling
Objective: Knock down pins with a “coconut.”
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How to Play:
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Use empty water bottles or cups as pins.
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Use a ball or decorate a lightweight ball as a coconut.
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Players roll from a set line.
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2–3 turns per player; most pins knocked wins.
🌴 12. Jungle Obstacle Course
Objective: Navigate a pretend jungle.
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How to Play:
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Set up a course with ropes, cones, crawl tunnels, and hula hoops.
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Players must swing, climb, balance, and crawl to complete the path.
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Time each player or make it a team relay.
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Add “snakes” (ropes) or “lava” (red mats) for fun danger.
🪵 13. Driftwood Jenga
Objective: Tower game with a beach theme.
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How to Play:
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Use a Jenga set or large blocks.
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Decorate or name them like island wood.
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Players take turns pulling blocks.
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Tower collapses = game over.
🎭 14. Island Charades
Objective: Act out island-related words.
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How to Play:
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Write down island actions (build fire, hunt crab, paddle boat, etc.).
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Players take turns drawing a card and acting it out.
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Others guess in 60 seconds.
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Keep score or just play for laughs.
🖌️ 15. Castaway Pictionary
Objective: Draw island-themed clues.
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How to Play:
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Create cards with phrases like “raft,” “volcano,” “coconut,” etc.
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One player draws while teammates guess.
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Timer: 60 seconds.
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Points for each correct guess.
🍃 16. Palm Leaf Relay
Objective: Balance and race with leaves or objects.
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How to Play:
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Players must carry a “palm leaf” (paper or real) across a path.
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Add objects to balance like balls or coconuts.
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If dropped, go back to start.
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Team that finishes first wins.
🗺️ 17. Island Map Drawing
Objective: Design your own desert island.
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How to Play:
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Give each player a large paper and markers.
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Include details: volcano, jungle, river, cave, etc.
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Add names to each feature.
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Share with group; optional storytelling.
🆘 18. SOS Signal Design
Objective: Create an SOS signal using items.
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How to Play:
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Provide materials: string, paper, rocks, fabric, etc.
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Teams design a large signal to get rescued.
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Judge creativity, size, visibility, and realism.
🎣 19. Fish for Supplies (Fishing Game)
Objective: Catch supplies with a rod.
How to Play:
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Cut out “fish” with paper clips attached.
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Use a stick or dowel with string and a magnet hook.
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Players “fish” from a box or pool.
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Each fish is worth different points (food, tools, traps).
📜 20. Message in a Bottle Writing
Objective: Write a creative letter from the island.
How to Play:
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Each player writes a letter asking for help or telling a story.
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Roll up and insert into a plastic bottle (or paper tubes).
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Decorate the bottle.
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Optional: Read aloud or exchange with others.
Hi, I’m Maggie Culp, the founder of PartyVibesFun.com, based in North Little Rock, Arkansas, United States! With a passion for creating unforgettable celebrations, I specialize in turning any event into a fun and vibrant experience. From birthday parties to themed gatherings, I’m here to help you bring your party ideas to life with ease and excitement. Whether you’re looking for unique games, creative themes, or party planning tips, I’m dedicated to making sure every moment of your event is filled with joy. Let’s create memories together and make your next party the talk of the town!