A bridal shower rarely sees dry eyes, but it can also be a reminder for those still single that they haven’t yet gotten the ring.
It’s okay, you can lift everyone’s spirits with a quick What’s in Your Purse game that’s fun, guaranteed to liven up the atmosphere, and even offer prizes for the winners to up the stakes.
How to Play the What’s in Your Purse Game
Never heard of this game? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! As the name very clearly states, it involves the contents of your purse.
We know that many ladies out there are private with their personal belongings, but it’s okay because chances are, the room is full of women so there is no mystery about what you may be carrying.
Prepare some prizes in advance. We recommend having something for the first, second, and third place winners.
Everyone participating will get a What’s in Your Purse bridal shower game PDF that you have printed out and a pen, pencil, or marker.
You can have a person lead the game, such as the maid of honor, or MOH for short, or have everyone go through their own purses and check off each item they have on the printout.
We would suggest having someone lead the game so there are zero chances of cheating! Every item on the list will have a point value associated with it.
Once players are finished checking off the items, they will tally up their scores ad see who has the highest, and hand out prizes accordingly. Sounds simple enough, right?
What to Prepare
Here is a quick checklist of what you need to prepare for the What’s in Your Purse bridal shower game.
- A printed game card (use ours below!)
- A marker, pen, or pencil
- Players with their purses ready!
- Prizes for winners (choose how many winners there are)
- A positive and ready-to-have-fun attitude!
Purse Game Checklist Items
We said we would have you covered, so we even came up with some items you can include on the printout! We divided them up into 1, 5 and 10-point categories.
The 1-point items are the most common, the 5-pointers are sometimes seen, and the 10-point items are rare but the most valuable.
You can also choose items that follow your specific party theme.
1-Point Category
- Credit card
- A form of ID
- Cash (feel free to narrow down the bills)
- Coins (you can also narrow down the coins)
- Lipstick/lip balm (any lip cosmetic item)
- House/car keys
- Hand sanitizer
- Hand lotion
- Tissue/handkerchief
- Mobile phone
- Hair tie
- Hairbrush
- Small mirror
- Any type of makeup (1 point each, or narrow it down)
- Sunglasses
5-Point Category
- Painkillers
- Gum/mints/candy
- Receipt
- Cough drops
- Pen/pencil
- Tampon or pad
- Body spray/perfume/deodorant
- Tweezers
- Small scissors
- Nail file
- Earbuds/Airpods
- Phone charger
- Battery bank
- Notebook/planner
10-Point Category
- Book/Kindle
- Mace/pepper spray
- Pocketknife
- Toothbrush
- Toothpaste
- Disposable or reusable utensils/straw
- Floss
- Random plastic/Ziploc bag
Prizes to Include
Here are some ideas for prizes that can really elevate your purse game bridal shower:
- Gift cards
- Sephora or any cosmetic, facial, or body care sets
- Candles
- Alcohol
- Candy, chocolate, cookies
- Customized cups or mugs
- Coupons
Feel free to add anything else you think the lovely ladies would be happy to get!
You can also include consolation prizes or have little memorable tokens for everyone who participated, such as cute save the date souvenirs.
How to Break the Tie
There is a chance that two players will have tied scores. We have some great ideas that can help break the tie.
- Carry out a vote for who has the strangest item in their purse
- See who has the most duplicate items in the bag with the bride-to-be
- Narrow down broader items (instead of coins, specify which coins) to see who has the most that match
- Have a round of another bridal shower game to break the tie
Final Thoughts
We have a free printout ready for you to get the game started without having to give it any extra thought.
Print out the PDF for the number of participants, take our ideas for items and fill out the list, and get the prizes ready for a fun and unforgettable time with the bride!
