Poprawiny ideas – how to get guests moving on the second day of a Polish wedding

The best poprawiny ideas get guests away from the table and out into the fresh air: lawn games, a quiz about the newlyweds, games for the kids and – for the brave – a bubble football match. Poprawiny, the traditional second-day party of a Polish wedding, are more relaxed than the big day, so instead of on-stage contests, go for group games anyone can join at any time. One rule matters most: schedule the active fun for the start, before the toasts begin.

Below you’ll find poprawiny games for the lawn, the marquee and the kids, plus a plan for fitting in a Bumper Ball match. You can run most of them yourselves, with no MC or special kit.

How to plan activities for the poprawiny

Guests are still recovering from the night before, some will bring children, and some will just want to sit in the shade. A good plan caters for all of them, so keep a few rules in mind:

• Start with movement. Put lawn games and bubble football in the first part of the day – sober and before lunch.
• Give people a choice. Those who want to play, play; those who don’t, cheer. Don’t force anyone to join in.
• Give guests a heads-up. Add a line to the invitation, or send a message the day before: ‘Bring trainers and comfortable clothes’.
• Check the grounds. Active games need a level lawn with no obstacles, so ask the venue if you can use it.
• Think about the weather. In hot weather, provide shade and water; for rain, a roof or an indoor room.

Poprawiny ideas for the lawn

Tug of war: the bride’s family vs the groom’s family

A classic that instantly splits guests into two teams and gets everyone cheering. All you need is a thick rope and a centre line. Play three rounds, and in the last one put the best man and the maid of honour at the ends of the rope.

Sack races and egg-and-spoon races

Playground classics are fun for adults too, especially as a mixed relay of grandparents and grandchildren. Instead of raw eggs, use hard-boiled ones or ping-pong balls.

Target games

Beanbags tossed into a bucket, horseshoes thrown at a peg, boules or kubb – knocking over wooden blocks by throwing wooden batons. You can play these with a glass of lemonade in hand and grandma on your team.

Ball and shuttlecock games

Volleyball, badminton or casual frisbee – no scorekeeping, just constant changes of line-up. They nicely fill the time between lunch and the cake.

Bubble football – a poprawiny activity that gets everyone moving

Bumper Ball, or bubble football, is a match in which every player wears an inflatable ball. You put it on like a rucksack, with adjustable straps and two hand grips, and it covers you from head to knees while your legs stay outside. The collisions and somersaults amuse the players and give guests by the venue something to watch.

• Where we play: by the wedding venue, in a garden or at a nearby Orlik (one of the free public all-weather pitches built across Poland). You need level, soft ground (grass or artificial turf) with no sharp edges or obstacles, big enough for 10–12 people to run around – a small garden or a hard-surfaced car park won’t do.
• Delivery: free within 15 km of Krakow city centre, then €0.23/km. We travel all over Poland, so a wedding near Krakow or in another region is no problem.
• Who plays: adults and children from age 10. We have 10 balls 1.5 m in diameter (from about 150 cm tall) and 2 large 1.7 m balls (from about 180 cm), and the maximum player weight is 100 kg.
• How many: 10–12 people play on the pitch at once. With more players, we split guests into teams for a mini tournament so everyone plays.
• Time: the standard booking is 1 hour – about 45 minutes of actual play – extendable by 30 minutes.
• Games: a match between the families, Bubble Sumo for the best man and maid of honour, Bubble Bowling, Bulldog and Last Man Standing as the finale – chosen to suit the group. Before playing, there’s a briefing on putting the ball on safely.

For outdoor poprawiny, the Without a hall – €17/person package is enough: 10–12 balls, free delivery in Krakow, about 45 minutes of actual play and the organiser’s supervision. For a keepsake, add photo coverage (€34, 20–25 photos and a group photo) or a short HD video (€78), and to run the games, a game host and referee with a speaker for music (€34/h). For example, 16 players cost 16 × €17 = €272, or €306 with photo coverage – outside Krakow, travel is added.

For details, see Bumper Ball matches delivered to your venue. We explain how to prepare the ground in our article on outdoor birthday parties – on an Orlik, a pitch or a big lawn.

Poprawiny games at the table and in the marquee

‘How well do you know the newlyweds?’ quiz

Prepare 10–15 questions: where they met, who said ‘I love you’ first, what their first pet together was called. Guests play in teams at their tables, and the couple reveal the correct answers.

Wedding charades

The prompts are all about yesterday’s wedding: ‘oczepiny‘ (the traditional midnight unveiling ceremony and games), ‘first dance’, ‘uncle on the dance floor’. One person from the team acts it out, and the rest have a minute to guess – great fun for a rainy afternoon.

The wedding in one photo

Ask guests to pick one photo each from the night before and show it on a TV or projector. The funniest shot wins a small prize from the newlyweds.

Games for children at the poprawiny

Younger children have most fun in a separate zone with an adult in charge: soap bubbles, coloured chalk, face painting, a treasure hunt in the garden or a play parachute. Bumper Ball isn’t for them, as players need to be at least 10 and about 150 cm tall. Older children and teenagers, however, will happily join the adults in the bubble football or tug of war.

Sober and before the toasts – when to schedule the match

We only play sober, so schedule the match at the very start, before the first toast. Anyone who’s already had a drink, or isn’t feeling up to it after last night, becomes a spectator for the day. Here’s a sample running order:

1. Guests arrive, coffee and a light snack.
2. Bubble football match (1 hour), with lawn games for everyone else.
3. Lunch and the first toasts.
4. Quiz about the newlyweds, target games and activities for the kids.
5. Cake, music and conversation into the evening.

In summer, we advise against playing in full midday sun. If your poprawiny start early, play before noon; if later, after the worst of the heat – but still before the toasts. Every player should have a bottle of water to hand.

Who organises the activities at the poprawiny?

The couple usually plan the poprawiny, but a bubble football match can also be a surprise from the best man and maid of honour or from friends. Someone just needs to collect a list of players, clear the grounds with the venue and send us the date, address and number of players.

If there’s no suitable lawn at the venue and the wedding is in Krakow, we can book a hall – the With a hall package costs €22/person. We can also help arrange transport for guests from the hotel and back. For more active celebration ideas, see adult birthday parties in Krakow – 15 active ideas – many also work for a family get-together.

Frequently asked questions

What are poprawiny?

Poprawiny are the second day of a Polish wedding, usually with fewer guests and a more relaxed atmosphere than the wedding itself. Guests get together for lunch, a barbecue or a picnic, often at the same venue as the day before.

Can guests who have been drinking play bubble football?

No. Anyone who’s been drinking is welcome to cheer, but only sober guests can play.

Can you organise bubble football for poprawiny outside Krakow?

Yes, we bring the balls all over Poland. Delivery is free within 15 km of Krakow city centre, and we add €0.23 for every kilometre beyond that.

What can you do at the poprawiny if it rains?

Move the quiz, charades and children’s games into the marquee or indoors. If the wedding is in Krakow, book a hall for the match in advance as plan B.