Combine Mad Libs and iMovies for the perfect party game!

Hi, everyone. Sorry I’ve been AWOL so long. My family is still in the middle of a move, but I’ve managed to find a few minutes to share one of my favorite new party ideas! I’ve mashed together the classic game of Mad Libs and the modern trend of creating iMovie trailers. The result is tons of fun! For younger kids, it’s a perfect spy party game. For tweens, host an iMovie party! (More iMovie party posts to come!)

RELATED: Spy Birthday Party Ideas, Un-Slumber Party Ideas

Crazy Fun iMovie Party Game!

Remember Mad Libs? You get a form that asks you to list random nouns, adjectives and verbs, and then you plug those words into a script to make a silly story. As I watched my daughters create scripts for iMovie trailers, I realized it would be really fun to use Mad Libs with their movie scripts.

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With Lu’s birthday party a few weeks away, it was perfect timing! The Mad Libs iMovie trailers were absolutely the hit of the party! The kids loved filming each other, and they had a blast creating silly scripts. Here’s our favorite:

(Admittedly, this script turned out a lot less silly than some of the others. We had some pretty crazy ones!)

You know you want iMovie Mad Libs for your next party, right? Here’s what you do. Download the file by clicking the blue box with the three dots below. You get the Mad Libs script that goes perfectly with the Retro iMovie trailer and a bonus! I’ve also included iMovie awards to give away at the party. More details on that after the download.

If you’ve never made an iMovie trailer before, each trailer has a prefab editable script. I took the script from the Retro iMovie (which has a spy theme), and took out the important words. From there, I created a Mad Libs version. Here’s a sample of a script filled in by the kids at the party:

Ready to play? Let’s get started!

You will need:

• One iPhone, iTouch, or iPad for each team of two. The iMovie app should already be installed.
• One adult or older teenager to film each group. If the kids at the party are older, they can film themselves and ask for help whenever they both need to be in the film at the same time.
• Costumes and props– optional, but definitely more fun!
• A pencil or pen for each team.
• Awards — also optional, and more fun! (Free with printable.)

How to play:

1. Divide the kids into groups of two and assign one person from each team to be the hero (spy) and one to be the villain. (We drew slips of paper.)
2. Give each team the Mad Libs page that is numbered 1-12. Do not give them the other page yet! Before letting the kids fill out the paper, briefly review the meaning of “adjective,” “noun,” “plural,” etc. Be sure to point out that numbers 3 and 4 should be opposites and let the know that nouns can be ideas like good/evil. If you want to give them a clue about the movies, tell them that their iMovie is spy-themed to give them an idea of what type of words to use. (Or don’t!)
3. As the teams finish filling out the first paper, give them the Mad Libs Storyboard page. Have the kids match the numbers from the first sheet to the numbers on the second sheet to fill the words into the story. I let the kids change one word if they want to. It’s up to you if you want to allow it. Sometimes the Mad Lib is too silly to make sense, and it’s nice to be able to make an adjustment.
4. When the storyboard is complete, it’s time to make the movie! Depending on the age of the kids, you may want to have the adult edit the storyboard on the phone. (It’s much faster that way.) Just follow the storyboard in the original iMovie and make changes where necessary.
5. While someone is working on the storyboard, the kids can work on costumes, props, and ideas for their movie trailer. (The younger the kids, the more help the adults will have to give with ideas for filming. Don’t be afraid to make suggestions, or the game could last a very long time!
6. Film away! (Be sure to film horizontally. Vertical images will get cropped by the app.) When the movies are done, gather everyone to watch, and then host your own Academy Awards for your budding actors and actresses! (Don’t forget to print two copies of each award.)

If you have invited adults to help you with the films, don’t forget to give them a crash course in using the iMovie app before the party. Creating these films will take longer than you think, but the kids are going to love it!!

A few weeks later, we played this again at a party for 12-year-olds. It was another hit!

Have a great time. I’d love to hear how your kids like the game.

Thanks for stopping by today. For more party ideas, be sure to stick around and browse.