Few of us have sufficient sharpened pencils and pads for a whole group of guests on hand all the time. So decide the games you may suggest, check requirements (See Party Games) and have them ready in a convenient closet or cupboard.

what, no bridge?
If you're an experienced and courageous pair of hosts and don't like games yourselves, you need never plan what's to be done at any of your parties. Even devotees of bridge don't need to play every minute. If they're good friends of yours, they'll know you don't play. If they ac cept an invitation for dinner or the evening at your home, they won expect to play, which will show you clearly that they like you very much! If you invite bridge-fiend acquaintances to your house, they may learn with sorrow that you don't play bridge but have other plans for their entertainment. If they're sad enough, perhaps they'll never come again. But it is usually such a treat to be entertained by expe-rienced and courageous hosts that whatever they do seems perfect Their parties are pure pleasure.

the planned party

check list for a party
Here's a master list of equipment you ought to check before parties where you plan to play games. If you're wise, you'll read over the game you've chosen in the Party Game section and make certain that doesn't require unusual items which don't appear here.

prizes Prizes are provided, obviously, only for planned parties. If spontan-neous, unplanned games are played, they're played for the fun of it, or perhaps for money (more about that in: How's The Party Going Prizes may, of course, be elaborate, costly and beautiful, or they be very simple-even jokes. The first criterion for selecting your prizes should be your budget. Neighborhood gift shops provide hundreds of inexpensive objects which make fine game prizes (and hundreds which are utter junk).

.In packaged games you'll want to count the "men," dice, dice cups, etc. to make sure that none is missing.