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The Ultimate DJ Game Book
Dan McKay


I absolutely love interactive DJ’s. And not just because I *am* one, but I’ve always felt that people go to parties to have a good time. And a good time may or may not involve music or dancing. Why not have activities that leave everyone with a smile?

Over the years I’ve been a pack rat of party games. My office shelf is stacked with printouts of games from camp counselors to corporate team-builders. I’ve got drinking games, games from Nickelodeon’s Double Dare, raunchy bar games and games invented by people who want you to buy their expensive props. Many of them seemed either seemed too hokey or too complex.

So when I first saw “The Ultimate Book of DJ Games” by Sid Vanderpool, I expected more of the same. I mean how many games could there actually BE out there? What I read was a terrific surprise – page after page of exciting all-ages games that actually looked like more fun than trouble.

Yeah, trouble. Some party games can be trouble. There’s nothing worse than trying to lay out a game – with all eyes on you – that people can’t understand. The best games are easy to explain, play out in 3-5 minutes and are just as enjoyable for adults as for kids. And this book is crammed with them!

In Vanderpool’s book, most every game has a photo depicting what it should look like. That’s a big help for those of us who’ve ever been the victim of trying to translate obscure game directions into something the crowd can understand. Every game’s page is headed with the name of the event, where it should take place (outdoor, indoor, anywhere), items needed, difficulty level, age group, how the scoring is done and whether it’s a timed event. Having those items front and center makes it easy to quickly scan the book for the perfect game when you have a particular event/crowd in mind.

In a departure from most other activities books, not every game here is about wearing a silly hat or running with balloons. For instance, in the section called “Corporate Fun,” there are activities that not only entertain, but also promote people mingling and networking.  There are also several games to be used at banquets where you get whole tables of people working together as teams.

Even some of the old standby games get a fresh spin here with a new twist on the rules to make it either easier or more fun to play. If you thought you’ve seen every party game there is to see, you’re going to love this book!

I admit I can be lazy in playing just the games I know are surefire hits. Problem is they are probably just as stale and boring to me as they are for some audiences. “The Ultimate Book of DJ Games” is a great reference when you need to pull something new out of your hat, especially when you’ve been working with a particular client for a while. I got the added benefit of it giving my imagination a real shot in the arm (head?) allowing me to conceptualize my own original games.

But maybe the most exciting thing is the step-by-step descriptions make it so easy to organize these games, even if you don’t label yourself as an “interactive DJ” you can pull these crowd-pleasers off with ease. Your mainstay gigs might be clubs or weddings, but with this book packed in your gig bag you have a ready arsenal of fun activities for just about every crowd.

I can’t wait for the Christmas party season to begin to unleash some of these beauties!

Purchase this book online at http://www.djzone.com/store

 
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