Pin the Tail on the Donkey

The primary version of this game is often used as a group activity at children's birthday parties. The game is simple to play and requires little preparation. Each child gets a turn trying to pin the tail on a picture of a donkey, although any animal could be used with its tail removed. The child who comes the closest to getting the tail in the right place normally wins a prize. The game also has an adult versions involving drinking.

The game is fairly simple to play. A picture of an animal is placed on a flat surface. Each child then takes a turn being blindfolded and given a tail. The tail will have a pushpin or some tape on it so that when the child puts the tail where they think it should go, it will stick. Sometimes the child's name will be written on the tail to keep track of which tail belongs to which child.

After being blindfolded the child is spun around in a circle until they are disoriented. They are then faced toward the picture and let go. The spinning around disorients most people so that walking in a straight line is difficult. The other children will warn the blindfolded child if they get to far off track. Once the tail is stuck on the picture, the blindfold is removed, and the next child takes their turn. Because of the disorientation from the spinning, the tail often ends up in humorous places, providing entertainment for everyone involved. While a prize is usually given to the child that gets the closest, the prize is often secondary to the entertainment provided by watching each child stumble around trying to pin their tail on the donkey.

The adult version is basically played the same as the children's version, except that the person farthest away from the correct placement of the tail is considered the loser. The loser normally has to take a shot of some sort of alcohol (usually determined before the game starts or by house rules). Several rounds are usually played. [Page 484]The alcohol consumed will tend to make the player even more disoriented than normal after being spun around. There is also a version played at bachelorette parties with a picture of a man replacing the picture of the donkey.