Tambola Theme Games

This post is a part of Blogchatter Half Marathon.’

First, I bring you some interesting Tambola Theme Games today. Kitty parties are nothing but informal, but they criticise social groups of ladies for baffling reasons, like gossip sessions or wild card and drink sessions. In the metros and in the elite society, there may be stray groups that gossip, and play cards at huge stakes while guzzling drinks and puffing away their husband’s money. Not all card games are harmful; games like Solitaire are a fantastic way to keep yourself engaged. These kitty parties are get-togethers where the women are flaunting their Gucci, Prada, Dior or Versace, showcasing their money and power. But when you venture into smaller cities and towns in India, most of these are hardworking women. They are from middle-class families who finish their household chores head to one party destination and get a respite from their daily routine. These are a few of the Tambola Theme Games.

My Kitty Parties

Being from a small town myself, I started a kitty party at 20 with like-minded friends. We used to exchange recipes, and info about parenting and household management with a few games of Tambola thrown in. Now that the kids have flown the nest, we all have ample time on our hands and we have great fun with innovative games that challenge our grey cells. We go out for picnics and short and long trips together.

Fun and Save 

Why cannot we see kitties as an informal way of saving money? I spend my hard-earned money and cannot afford to throw away any. Actually, attend two kitty parties, one in which we collect money, have fun and gorge on food; a group of 24 women who have almost aged together. Consequently, the other is a full-on fun kitty where we collect INR600 from each and meet at one particular restaurant every month and there are 60 ladies in this group! Yes, you heard right; it is 6 0, 60! The money collected is for a lavish buffet lunch and for the games conducted. Usually, we share the group games amongst the group. Finally, each one of us takes home some money at the end of the day.

Tambola Theme Games Played in Groups

The basic game is the Tambola and Housie but it would surprise you how we have changed the game according to festivals, seasons or any special occasion. For example, we have formed 12 groups of 5 ladies each who are the hosts every month and we have a budget to target their games on that amount. Every month, we take a flavour of the season or a festival as the theme and we create the chosen heme game.

This is a throwback post. The theme was summer, and we have really steamy summers out here. Summers are synonymous with mangoes here. The décor; scented jasmine flowers, the games, the food and the drink were all focused on the theme of summer and mangoes. They greeted us with garlands of fresh Jasmine flowers with their heady aroma. They divided groups into eight, each with their own fantastic names; named on mangoes and sugarcane. Hats off to the five hosts who took such pains to customize and make the handmade tickets so colourful and pretty.

Game 1 Flower Combo

The first game had a ticket pasted on coloured chart paper with a flower taped to it. There were 4 different colours and 4 different flowers.

Claims

1. Jaldi 5 claim was with two colours and two flowers of the same finishing first.

2. After that, there were different combos of the flowers and 5 numbers cut in each ticket paired. For eg. One Jasmine and One lily finished 5 numbers each and they could claim a prize.

3.2 House claims; with two people finishing together.

Game 2 Ice Ice Baby

Claims

1. Each cone is a line then combos
2. 2 Housie claims

The next game was again about colours and combos with pairs finishing to claim.

Game 3 …I Spy

I Spy was a one-minute game where you had to count each item and number it. The fastest group to give the correct count wins.

Game 4 Blue Lagoon

1. Claims were for a pair in a group finishing Jaldi 5  together
2. Speed Tambola where a pair has to finish the house for a claim and there were 6 housies.

Game 5 Amaravati Express

Trains are for summer vacations and we boarded the Amaravati Express and travelled to Ooty, Munnar and Araku.

Claims

1. A pair finishing each city coach and then combos.

2.Housie claims were again by a pair and 3 housies.

Did you like these Tambola Games? Be ready for more!

PS: If you do not understand any game please feel free to ask.

Look up more games @ Tambola Games and Butterfly-Themed Tambola