How to Play the What’s in Your Purse Bridal Shower Game (Plus 4 Variations of this Popular Activity)

whats in your purse bridal shower game

If you’re looking for a fun and easy game for a bridal shower, the ‘What’s In Your Purse’ game is a great option.

Not only is it easy to put together, it’s a great way to break the ice and get guests interacting. The ‘What’s In Your Purse’ bridal shower game may be simple, but it’s a classic for a reason — it’s a lot of fun — and supplies required to play it are minimal.

If you’re interested in including the ‘What’s In Your Purse’ game at the shower you’re hosting, read on to learn the ins and outs of this amusing activity.

what you need to play whats your purse game

How to Make the What’s in Your Purse Bridal Shower Game a Success

This fun game is as simple as it gets. When it’s game time, your guests will simply grab their purses and go on a treasure hunt in their own bag.

What you need to play What’s In Your Purse 

You won’t need a lot of supplies to make this game a success. All that’s required is:

  • Copies of What’s In Your Purse? game cards.
  • A pen/pencil for each guest.
  • A prize for the winner.

How to play What’s In Your Purse

The game cards will feature a simple list of items that might be carried in a purse. Each item will have a corresponding score or point. As the guests take items out of their bags, they check off the item on the game card and then tally their points. The guest with the most points at the end wins the game.

You can set a timer if you want to give the guests a specific amount of time to mark down what they have in their purse or you can play it by ear and simply call time when it looks like most people have finished rooting through their bags. 

When the time runs out, ask the guests to tally their points. Then go around the circle or table and have each guest announce their score. Ask whoever has the highest score to show off all of their items. This can actually be pretty funny if they have some of the more random or unusual items in their bag.

whats in my purse card game options

What’s In My Purse Card Options

  • If you are the creative type, there’s no reason you can’t make your own cards on your computer and print them off. Not only is it the cheapest way to get cards, it’s also a lot of fun.
  • If you’re not into designing, but have a good printer, you can download and print out your playing cards. Etsy has lots of great options. You can even choose cards that allow you to edit the purse items.
  • If you’d rather just buy some cards and be done with it, there are a variety of affordable options online. Amazon and Zazzle are both good sources.

If you choose to make your own cards, or purchase a download that you can edit, have a list of 25 to 30 items. To make the game more fun, include common and more wacky items. 

Here are some ideas of items to include on your list as well as how points can be assigned to them:

  • Chewing gum — 1 point
  • Keys — 1 point
  • Breath mints — 1 point
  • Wallet — 1 point
  • Credit card — 1 point
  • Pen — 1 point
  • Band aids — 1 point
  • Tissues — 1 point
  • Hair ties — 1 point
  • $20 bill — 2 points
  • Cough drops — 2 points
  • Tylenol (or other pain killer) — 2 points
  • Tampon or pad — 2 points
  • Brush or comb — 2 points
  • Sunglasses — 3 points
  • Notepad — 3 points
  • Hand sanitizer — 3 points
  • Hand cream — 3 points
  • Compact — 3 points
  • Dental floss — 3 points
  • Scarf — 3 points
  • Nail file — 5 points
  • Deodorant — 5 points
  • Phone charger — 5 points
  • Lipstick or lip balm — 5 points
  • Organizer — 5 points
  • Granola bar or chocolate bar — 5 points
  • Batteries — 5 points
  • Book — 10 points
  • Perfume — 10 points
  • Sewing kit — 10 points
  • Birth control (any form) — 10 points
  • Sunscreen — 10 points
  • Umbrella — 10 points
  • Flashlight — 10 points
  • Spoon or fork — 10 points
  • Underwear or pantyhose — 20 points
  • Measuring tape — 20 points
  • Hot sauce — 20 points
  • Swiss army knife — 20 points
  • Pepper spray — 20 points
  • Flash drive — 20 points

You can also throw your guests a curve ball by adding non-specific items such as:

  • Something old
  • Something new
  • Something borrowed
  • Something blue

If you really want to spice things up, you could also include a forfeit for the guest with the least amount of points. What that forfeit is will depend on the age of your guests. If the group is on the young side, you could have to guest do a dare or take an alcoholic shot. If you have older guests, however, you might want to come up with something a little more sedate.

variations whats in your purse bridal shower game

Variations on the What’s in Your Purse Bridal Shower Game

If you don’t like the What’s in Your Purse bridal shower game, but are looking for something similar, these certainly fill the bill:

What’s in the bag?

Preparation — Fill a large purse or tote bag with 25 items that would be useful for a bride on her honeymoon. Items could include basics like toothpaste, toothbrush, hand cream, deodorant, lip balm, makeup and sunscreen. If you want to make the game a bit more racy, add some sexy lingerie, a box of condoms and some furry handcuffs. Next, design or download a ready-made What’s in the Bag game cards for each guest. 

How to play — The bride takes each item out of the bag and shows them to the guests. Once all of the items are back in the bag, distribute game cards and pens to your guests. Give them one minute to write down as many of the items as they remember. The guest with the most correct answers wins a prize. The bag and its contents are then given to the bride-to-be as a gift.

Purse scavenger hunt

Preparation — Make a list of 30 items that women usually carry in their purses such as a wallet, keys, a pen and gum, as well as some more unusual items like a cigar, eating utensils or hot sauce. You will also need game cards for the guests to check items off and tally their score.

How to play — Have the host call out each item on the list, one at a time. Guests then have to hold that item in the air before they check it off on a game card. Whoever has the most items left in her purse is the winner. 

What’s In Her Purse

Preparation — This is a very simple game to play. All you will need to provide is pens or pencils and notepads for the guests to keep track of items.

How to play — This game works well as an icebreaker. Divide your guests into pairs, and have each of them guess what is in the other person’s purse. Guests receive points based on how many correct items they can guess.

whats in my phone game

What’s In My Phone Game

Preparation — The cards for this game are similar to the What’s in Your Purse bridal shower game. If you’re not into designing your own, you can download the cards from an online store like West and Pine on Etsy.

How to play — This game has the same rules as ‘What’s In My Purse,’ except players are scored based on the contents of their phones. 

Some ideas for points scoring:

  • A selfie — 5 points
  • A to-do list — 10 points
  • 15% or less battery — 10 points
  • 10% or less battery — 15 points
  • A naughty photo — 20 points
Related Articles
Related Articles