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As parties go, the general idea revolves around fun, fun and more fun. Archery parties are much of the same. You want to make your archery party the most memorable event ever. If you’re reading this article it’s likely you are either an archer yourself or making plans to throw one of the best parties ever for someone who loves archery more than anything else.
Whether you’re a fan of traditional archery, bowhunting, target archery or you’re a compound bow enthusiast, we got some suggestions that can definitely make your party one of the most memorable.
Here’s the quick list:
Top 10 Best Archery Party Ideas
- String Balloons in the shapes of bows and arrows
- Mini bows and cotton swab arrows
- Little Bows and Arrows
- Bows and Arrows Arts and Crafts
- Archery Heroes Past and Present
- Pin the Arrow on the Target
- Archery in the Olympic Games Trivia
- Delicious Dinner Winner: Archery Competition
- The worst and the best archery movies
- Icebreakers
Let’s jump in and look at the each of these ideas in detail.
#1 – String balloons in the shapes of bows and arrows
Yes, how about that! Make a lot of these themed party favors to hang around the room from the ceiling or from trees if you’re outdoors. These are a fun way to engage your guests throughout the party. Make them as small as you want; then sit back and watch as your guests enjoy playing with them.
If you are not able to hang them from the ceiling, set aside a big bin, throw a few dozen in and watch to see who grabs one first. The directions on how to make one are pretty straightforward. Just post this photo or make some simple to follow instructions.
- Blow up string 3 balloons
- Blow up as many straight balloons as you want to make arrows. Pick one color for the arrows.
- Use string to make the bowstring. NO RUBBER BANDS ALLOWED.
- Assemble and have fun
You get the idea of it. The point is to have an interactive activity for guests that can be used throughout the party and even later on as an activity. These can be harmless fun during the party as long you do not have people shooting into other people’s food or drinks.
#2 – Mini bows and cotton swab arrows
Grab some cotton swabs, string and toothpicks, make some bows and arrows and have a tabletop archery contest. These can be a lot of fun for close in activities among tables, pairs or small groups.
- buy some cotton swabs
- get some flat toothpicks or craft stick
- use cotton or other soft string to make the bowstring.
#3 – Little Bows and Arrows
Unlike the balloons which are filled with air and will go all over the place because they do not have feathers or the cotton swab tip arrow which are sort of heavy and more likely to just flop right down in front of you unless you have some patience, these minis are easier to aim and hit a target. Try to shoot the arrows into a designated cup on the opposite end of the table.
Using rubber bands is not recommended for any activities. They create too much propulsion and can make it easier to cause an injury. Remember we’re having fun at a party.
#4 – Bows and Arrows Arts and Crafts
It doesn’t have to be museum quality. It just needs to be fun to make. Small groups or individuals can compete against each other to see who can create the best looking bow and arrow. The idea is to make them as close to functional as possible. Use craft sticks, paper, and glues. This activity is about making a replica of a themed bow and arrow or one that you particularly like. Simply as possible.
- Pick a bow, (compound, Longbow, or curved bow)
- Use the craft sticks and paper or cloth to create a bow that mostly resembles a real bow.
#5 – Archery Heroes Past and Present
Choose a person who has contributed to archery in some capacity and have small groups share what they’ve learned. The thing that makes this activity work is to not disclose the person until it is time to do the activity. Then groups or partners have to use social media to find out information about who the person is and what she or he contributed to the development of archery.
#6 – Pin the Arrow on the Target
This is a cool take off on the traditional game we all played as kids with a twist. Instead of a donkey and a tail, you have an arrow and a target.
- Choose two teams with three to five players per team. (more if you want)
- Blindfold players with their backs to the targets
- Have two targets to choose from. Target A or target B.
- Spin contestant around a few times, not enough to get them sick or super dizzy, just enough to get them excited about playing the game.
- Have them walk towards the targets; in the middle between the two targets
- As they get closer and reach a set point, each one gets a second good spinning there. Afterward, tell them they must pin the arrow on either target A or target B. If the pick the wrong target the team will lose points.
- Each player has a set amount of time to pin the arrow.
- Tally up the point at the end of the round.
Winners get a gift or prize. A gift certificate for a meal at a local restaurant is always fun.
#7 – Archery in the Olympic Games Trivia
With this idea in mind, players will have to interact with social media to research and give the correct answers to questions. Some of the questions that you might consider are:
What year did the archery first appear in the Olympic Games? Answer: 1900
Was there a period when archery was absent from the Olympics? Answer: Yes
How many years was archery absent from the Olympics? Answer: 52 years
What year did archery return to the Olympics? Answer: 1972
Who is the most decorated archer in Olympic history? Answer: Hubert Van Innis
What country is he from? Answer: Belgium
These are just a few of the exciting and relevant topics you can have people ask each other. Set aside an area where those who want to join the activity will have time to go online to get the answers to the questions.
This is a time-based activity so the winner will be the first one to come up will the correct answers. Of course, you have to pre-select the questions so while your group is preparing party favors, assign someone the task of looking up questions you want to use at the party.
The above list is just a sample, however, feel free to use it. You can add questions about the latest advances in equipment used in the Olympics, and who the world leaders are today.
Here are some other questions that might be good to have partygoers work on.
What changes in the rules have been made over the last three Olympic games?
What country boasts the most medals?
What country holds the most gold medals?
Who is the leading athlete from that country?
#8 – Delicious Dinner Winner: Archery Competition
This is a pretty straightforward game. You have teams compete and the team with the highest score wins. The prize, for example, could be a steak dinner or a special meal while everybody else at the party gets burgers or hot dogs.
#9 – The Worst and Best Archery Movies
This is a great opportunity for partygoers to express their opinion. They will be able to agree or disagree with lots of fun and interesting comments for sure. You can include a question like what was the biggest mistake you noticed in movies? For example, did one of the characters carry a traditional bow when the scene called for a curved bow?
The little things that only a real archer would notice can make for a wonderful conversation. Superhero movies, as well as animated series, use archers or archery motifs in many different ways.
#10 – Icebreakers
The general idea of courses is to ‘break the ice’. If you have exciting and fun questions the event can take on a whole new level. Icebreakers are fun. They are a great way to get to know other archers and learn things about other archers you did not realize. There’s more than one way you can do this activity. It’s very simple.
First-cut the below questions into individual strips (THERE IS LIST OF QUESTIONS AT THE END OF THE ARTICLE). For a large party make more than one copy. Before you cut them. You can even add your own questions to make it more exciting.
Next-place all of the questions in a large basket or bowl or bag.
Finally-have partygoers pick one question and find a partner to ask the question.
You can set the bowl in a central location, so it is available to everybody who wants to take one and look for a person to ask their question. When you use this format, it is more of the honor system because if people do not return the questions to the bowl, you will run out of questions. Besides, the same people could wind up asking the same questions over and over again.
Here’s another take off on the same idea.
This format is organized and focused. Everybody participates who wants to participate. The questions usually generate very stimulating conversations.
Form two lines
Someone walks between the two lines with the questions
Each person takes a question
They have one minute to ask and answer the question from the person across from them then return the question to the basket as it comes by again.
One line moves left, the other line moves right at the end of the minute. This way you talk with a new person and ask a different question every time.
Repeat the same activity for about 15 minutes or until you have asked all the question.
The amazing thing that starts to happen is you have a focused conversation about all things archery.
More Ideas…
Keep in mind that the setting will make all the difference. Watching a movie about archery or inviting a guest speaker is always a great idea. Some archers might be fortunate enough to rent a venue such as a range to have a party. Others may have to request a permit from the local government to have a party in a local park. Still, some archery parties might be set in the evening at semi-formal sit-down dinner.
The top ten best archery party ideas are a fluid dynamic concept. If you ask ten different people to come up with a list of the top ten ideas, it is likely you’ll hear about thirty or more ideas collectively. In order to simplify things, this article is about the top ten best archery party ideas; in our humble opinion.
Planning the party is just as important as throwing the party. When you decide on a theme, party favors, location and other key elements, like how many people you plan to show up, the party can be a real bullseye.
Choose a theme.
Actually, you really don’t need a theme to have a party. If you do what some ideas here a few that might grab your attention. What will the party be about? If you decide on a historical theme, the focus could be a specific period in American, European, African or Asian history. There are many historical themes you could choose. Here are a few to think about:
Recent female archer superheroes in film today (pick as many as you like)
Romantic Archers (Cupid might fit into this category)
Favorite archery movies. (Movies where the hero/villain is an archer or armies of archers win the day.)
American Indian archery techniques.
Bows and arrows pioneers used.
Did African tribes hunt with bows and arrows or just spears?
Is archery a significant part of Asian history?
What did the first bow and arrow look like?
When did Vikings or Romans use bows and arrows?
If historically themed parties do not sound exciting, consider breakthroughs in archery technology. How about one of these topics as a theme?
Evolution of the compound bow.
Timeline of the composite bow.
Evolution of arrows.
Arrowheads and feathers; how they make a difference.
Food and beverages.
What’s a party without food and beverages? Most likely you can get a cake or other dessert designed in the shape and colors of an arrow or a target without much trouble. The fun part is to come up with clever ways to decorate the cake or the food. Target-shaped lollypops or an ice cream cake dessert in the shape and motif of a hay bale or tree stump target is a great centerpiece.
Party favors
The traditional wisdom is to go to the local box store and buy hats, balloons or streamers to tie from the ceiling. While that does look great, it is not very original. When you focus on a specialized theme for the favors, the guests might enjoy the atmosphere a little more.
Here are the Ice Breaker Questions:
As a child, did you want to become an archer when you grew up?
Do you think there should be an archery school? How would it look?
If money and time were no object, what would equipment would you own and where would you go to shoot or hunt right now?
If you had a time machine that would work only once, what point in the future or in the history of archery would you visit? Why?
If you saw someone doing something inappropriate while on the range or hunting, what would you do?
If you were an animal, what kind of bow and arrow would you hunt with?
If you were sent to live on a secluded island or area of land for three months and only allowed to bring three personal archery items with you, what would they be?
What book, movie or video have you seen/read recently about archery you would recommend? Why?
What competition would you enter if you knew you could not fail?
What crazy archery activities do you dream of trying someday?
What do you do to have fun with your equipment?
What is a hidden talent you have as an archer?
What is one of your favorite archery activities you do by yourself?
What is something you hate doing as an archer? Why?
What is something you love doing as an archer? Why
What is the cleverest thing you have done with a bow and arrow?
What is the weirdest thing you have ever hunted?
What is your favorite form of archery? Why?
What is your idea of the best day to have for an archer?
What kind of bow or arrows would you make if you have unlimited resources?
What outdoor activities do you like to do? Hunt or target shoot. Why?
What two things do you consider yourself to be very bad at in archery?
What two things do you consider yourself to be very good at in archery?
What was a time when you got into big trouble with your parents about archery?
What was your most embarrassing archery moment?
Would you rather be stranded on an island with someone who is excellent at making arrows and repairing equipment or someone who is an excellent hunter? Why?
I live in Alberta, Canada where I enjoy indoor and 3D archery with traditional bows and compound bows. On this site, I share everything I’ve learned about archery along the way.