Hen Party Ideas: Games, Activities and Everything You Need for the Perfect Hen Do

How to plan a hen party everyone will enjoy

The most successful hen parties have one thing in common: they are planned around the bride, not around what a hen party is supposed to look like. Before you book anything, it is worth asking a few simple questions. Does she prefer a quiet gathering or a big night out? Is the group mostly close friends, or a mix of people who have never met? What is the realistic budget for everyone involved?

Getting those answers right at the start saves a lot of headaches later — and means the day itself will feel like it was made for her, rather than assembled from a checklist.

Popular hen party activities and destinations

Afternoon tea is one of the most consistently popular hen party choices in the UK — elegant, inclusive and easy to organise for groups of any size. Many venues now offer prosecco upgrades and bespoke decorations, making it feel genuinely special without requiring a lot of planning.

Spa days work brilliantly for smaller, more intimate groups and brides who want to relax rather than celebrate loudly. Most UK spa hotels offer group packages that can be booked well in advance.

Activity days — including cocktail making, life drawing, pottery and cooking classes — are ideal for groups where not everyone knows each other well. A shared activity breaks the ice faster than almost anything else and gives everyone something to talk about.

Weekend away options have grown enormously in popularity. Coastal towns like Brighton, Whitby and Padstow, and city breaks to Edinburgh, Bath and Liverpool are all well-established hen destinations with plenty of accommodation, restaurants and nightlife to fill a full weekend.

A night out remains the classic choice — dinner followed by bars and dancing. The key to making it work for a large mixed group is to keep the early part of the evening structured, so that people who do not know each other have something to do other than make awkward conversation. Which is exactly where games come in.

The best hen party games to keep the whole group entertained

Good hen party games do two things: they break the ice between guests who have never met, and they create the kind of shared moments that get talked about for years. The best ones are easy to explain, need no equipment beyond the cards themselves, and work whether the group is sitting in a restaurant or walking between bars.

Here are all of the hen party games currently available — each one under £7 and dispatched with free UK postage.

The Hen Party Manhunt Selfie Game — our most recommended hen night game

If you only buy one hen party game, make it this one. The Hen Party Manhunt Selfie Game is a selfie bingo challenge that works brilliantly as an activity throughout the entire hen night — in restaurants, bars, on the street, anywhere the party takes you. Each guest gets a card featuring 20 types of men to hunt down and photograph — a man with a beard, a man in a suit, a man with a dog, and so on. The winner is the first to complete a full row, a full house, or whoever has the most at the end of the night.

What makes it stand out is how naturally it fits into a night out. There is nothing to set up, no need to pause the evening, and it keeps everyone engaged and laughing from the first bar to the last. It is also an outstanding icebreaker — guests who have never met instantly have something to do together.

All hen party games

Tips for getting the most out of hen party games

Buy more than one. Different games work at different points in the evening — a quiz works well over dinner, the Manhunt Selfie Game is perfect once you are out and about, and something like the Scavenger Hunt keeps things going between venues. Having two or three games to hand means you are never stuck for something to do.

Use games as icebreakers early. The first hour of any hen party is always the most awkward, especially when the group is a mix of friends who do not all know each other. Starting with a game immediately gives everyone something to focus on and laugh about together, which breaks the ice faster than almost anything else.

Keep the rules simple. The best hen party games are the ones that can be explained in thirty seconds. Any game that requires a long explanation before it starts will lose the room before it begins. Every game in the range above passes this test.

Let the bride set the tone. Some brides will love dares and challenges; others will prefer something more relaxed. The quiz games and Advice for the Bride cards work beautifully for quieter evenings; the Manhunt, Scavenger Hunt and Charades are perfect for groups who want something a bit more active and chaotic.