Born in 2018: fun facts, prices and a free printable 8th birthday party kit

How do you play the 8th birthday party games in the kit?

Here is what each game asks of your guests, how to play it and why it lands, so you can pick the ones that suit your crowd before you print.

1. 01

   Meet & mingle bingo

   Find a guest for every square. The perfect icebreaker.

   Players

   Everyone, on their own

   Time

   10 to 15 minutes

   In the kit

   Page 3

   You need

   • One card per guest
   • Pens

   How to play

   1. Hand everyone a card and a pen as they arrive.
   2. Mingle! When a guest fits a square, ask them to sign their name in it.
   3. Each guest can sign your card only once. The guest of honor may sign twice.
   4. First to fill a row, column or diagonal calls "Bingo!" and the host checks the names.

   Why it’s fun: Strangers become friends in minutes, and everyone ends up swapping stories about the guest of honor.

   The 2018 twist: The 2018 card has squares like “Can name a movie from 2018” and “Has played a Pokémon game”.

2. 02

   The 2018 headline quiz

   Ten questions about the year it all began.

   Players

   Teams of 2 to 6

   Time

   10 minutes

   In the kit

   Page 4

   You need

   • One sheet per team
   • Pens

   How to play

   1. Split into teams and pick a team name.
   2. Read each question aloud, or let teams work through the sheet at their own pace.
   3. Fill in one bubble per question. Changed your mind? Cross it out clearly.
   4. Swap sheets to mark them: one point per right answer. Answers are in the host guide.

   Why it’s fun: Big moments from 2018, with answers that spark "I remember that!" stories.

   Play it on this page, no sign-in
3. 03

   What did it cost in 2018?

   Everyday prices from 2018: guess what they cost.

   Players

   Teams or solo

   Time

   10 minutes

   In the kit

   Page 5

   You need

   • One sheet per team
   • Pens

   How to play

   1. Every price is a real 2018 figure; the host guide says where each one comes from.
   2. Write your best guess in dollars and cents on each tag.
   3. The host reveals the real prices one at a time, for maximum gasps.
   4. The closest guess on each tag wins a point. For extra drama, play closest without going over.

   Why it’s fun: Everyone has an opinion about prices, and the real 2018 numbers always get a reaction.

4. 04

   The 2018 birthday club

   One of these stars were born in 2018. Can you spot them?

   Players

   Teams or solo

   Time

   5 to 10 minutes

   In the kit

   Page 6

   You need

   • One sheet per team
   • Pens

   How to play

   1. Read each famous name.
   2. Decide whether they were born before 2018, in 2018, or after 2018.
   3. Fill in one bubble for each person.
   4. One point per right answer. Watch out for the close calls!

   Why it’s fun: Quick to play and full of surprises: it is hard to believe some of these stars share the guest of honor's birth year.

5. 05

   Movies & music of 2018

   Match the films to their stars and the hits to their singers.

   Players

   Teams or solo

   Time

   10 minutes

   In the kit

   Page 7

   You need

   • One sheet per team
   • Pens

   How to play

   1. Match each film to a famous name from the box, writing the letter beside it.
   2. Do the same for each 2018 hit song and its artist.
   3. Each letter is used once per side.
   4. One point per match, plus a bonus point for naming the song that was No. 1 on Billboard's 2018 Year-End Hot 100.

   Why it’s fun: It turns into a sing-along. Play the songs as you reveal the answers.

6. 06

   Before or after 2018?

   Toys, games and gadgets: did each arrive before or after 2018?

   Players

   Teams or solo

   Time

   5 to 10 minutes

   In the kit

   Page 8

   You need

   • One sheet per team
   • Pens

   How to play

   1. Read each milestone.
   2. Fill in the bubble on the left for before 2018, or on the right for after 2018.
   3. None of these happened in 2018 itself.
   4. One point per right answer. Some of them are very close calls!

   Why it’s fun: Everyone has a memory of these, and the close calls start friendly arguments.

7. 07

   Timeline shuffle

   Put eight milestones in order around the 2018 card.

   Players

   Teams of 2 to 6

   Time

   10 minutes

   In the kit

   Page 9

   You need

   • One sheet per team
   • Scissors
   • A table to lay the cards on

   How to play

   1. Before the party, cut out one set of cards per team along the dashed lines.
   2. Each team lays the 2018 card in the middle of their table.
   3. Place the other eight cards in order from earliest to latest, around the 2018 card.
   4. The host reads out the right order: one point for each card in the right spot.

   Why it’s fun: Hands-on and loud: teams debate, shuffle and change their minds right up to the reveal.

8. 08

   The 2018 word search

   Fourteen words from 2018 are hidden in the grid.

   Players

   Solo or pairs

   Time

   10 to 15 minutes

   In the kit

   Page 10

   You need

   • One sheet per player
   • Pens or pencils

   How to play

   1. Find each word from the list in the grid.
   2. Words run across, down or diagonally, and some run backwards.
   3. Circle each word in the grid and tick it off the list.
   4. First to find all fourteen wins. The solution is in the host guide.

   Why it’s fun: A calm game for anyone who wants a break from the crowd, including the youngest guests.

9. 09

   Who knows them best?

   How well do you really know the guest of honor?

   Players

   Teams or solo

   Time

   10 minutes

   In the kit

   Page 11

   You need

   • One sheet per team
   • Pens
   • The guest of honor's answers

   How to play

   1. Before the party, ask the guest of honor to answer the questions privately.
   2. Teams write down what they think the guest of honor said.
   3. The guest of honor reveals each answer, with the story behind it.
   4. One point per match. The host decides on close answers.

   Why it’s fun: The reveals are the best part: every answer comes with a story.

   The 2018 twist: Add a 2018 bonus question: which hit from that year would they pick as their theme song, “God's Plan” or “Perfect”?

10. 10

    Two truths & a tall tale

    Two true stories and one invention. Spot the tall tale.

    Players

    Everyone, on their own

    Time

    10 to 15 minutes

    In the kit

    Page 12

    You need

    • One slip per guest (two per sheet)
    • Pens

    How to play

    1. Write three short statements about yourself: two true, one made up.
    2. Fill in the bubble for your tall tale, then fold that corner over to hide it.
    3. Take turns reading your three statements aloud.
    4. Everyone guesses the tall tale. Fool the room and you win a point.

    Why it’s fun: Guests learn surprising things about each other, and the guest of honor's turn is always a highlight.

    The 2018 twist: Guests may swap one statement for a fact from 2018, like “Starman takes a road trip” (February 6), and the room decides whether it really happened that year.

11. 11

    Toasts & memory prompts

    Twelve prompts that turn shy guests into storytellers.

    Players

    Everyone

    Time

    Any time, 10 minutes or more

    In the kit

    Page 13

    You need

    • One sheet, cut into cards
    • A bowl or hat

    How to play

    1. Cut the cards apart along the dashed lines and put them in a bowl.
    2. When it is time for toasts, pass the bowl around.
    3. Draw a card and finish the sentence, out loud, to the guest of honor.
    4. Raise a glass after each one. No points, just good stories.

    Why it’s fun: Nobody has to prepare a speech, yet everyone ends up saying something lovely.

    The 2018 twist: One card is all 2018: “If 2018 had a headline about your arrival, it would say…”

12. 12

    Wishes for the next chapter

    A keepsake card for every guest to fill in.

    Players

    Everyone

    Time

    Any time

    In the kit

    Page 14

    You need

    • One card per guest (two per sheet)
    • Pens
    • A box or envelope to collect them

    How to play

    1. Cut each sheet in half along the dashed line.
    2. Put the cards out on a table with pens, or hand them out at the start.
    3. Guests write a wish, a memory and their name.
    4. Collect them in a box for the guest of honor to read later.

    Why it’s fun: The one thing from the party the guest of honor will keep for years.

    The 2018 twist: Set the 2018 history card beside the wish box, so guests can tie a wish to a moment like “Black Panther opens” (February 16).

Can you beat the 2018 headline quiz?

This is game 2 from the kit, playable right here with no sign-in. Tap an answer to see whether you got it, and why. At the party, teams play it on paper and the host guide holds the answers.

How do you run the kit at an 8th birthday party?

Example: a 90-minute 8th birthday party for 16 guests, born-in-2018 style, in four teams of four. Swap games in or out to suit your crowd; the host guide has every answer.

What happened in 2018?

The biggest events of 2018, each with the source it comes from.

1. January 21

   Stamps rise to 50 cents

   The Postal Service raised the first-class rate for a one-ounce letter from 49 cents to 50 cents.

   Source: USPS Postal History: Rates for Domestic Letters Since 1863
2. February 6

   Falcon Heavy flies for the first time

   SpaceX's Falcon Heavy made its maiden flight. Its cargo was a Tesla Roadster with a space-suited driver called Starman, bound for an orbit around the Sun that was expected to reach the orbit of Mars in July.

   Source: Spaceflight Now: "Starman" puts Earth in the rearview mirror
3. February 9-25

   The Winter Olympics in PyeongChang

   South Korea hosted its first Olympic Winter Games. Olympedia counts 2,793 athletes competing in 102 events across 15 disciplines.

   Source: Olympedia: 2018 Winter Olympics Overview
4. February 16

   Black Panther opens

   The superhero film opened in US theaters. It finished the year as the top film at the domestic box office, with about $700 million.

   Source: Box Office Mojo: Domestic Box Office For 2018
5. April 18

   TESS heads off to hunt for planets

   NASA launched the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, a space telescope that looks for planets around other stars.

   Source: NASA Science: TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite)
6. April 23

   Prince Louis is born

   Prince Louis, the third child of Prince William and Catherine, was born at 11:01 a.m. at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London. He weighed 8 pounds 7 ounces.

   Source: The Royal Family: Prince Louis
7. June 7

   The Capitals win the Stanley Cup

   Washington beat the Vegas Golden Knights 4-3 in Game 5 to win the Stanley Cup Final four games to one. Alex Ovechkin took the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoffs' most valuable player.

   Source: Hockey-Reference: 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Summary
8. August 12

   Parker Solar Probe lifts off

   NASA's Parker Solar Probe launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on a Delta IV Heavy rocket. Its path takes it to within about 3.9 million miles of the Sun.

   Source: NASA Science: Parker Solar Probe
9. October 28

   The Red Sox win the World Series

   Boston beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-1 in Game 5 to win the Series four games to one. Steve Pearce was named Series MVP.

   Source: Baseball-Reference: 2018 World Series
10. November 5

    Voyager 2 reaches interstellar space

    Mission scientists determined that Voyager 2 crossed the heliopause, the edge of the Sun's bubble. NASA announced it on December 10, with the probe a little more than 11 billion miles from Earth.

    Source: NASA Science: NASA's Voyager 2 Probe Enters Interstellar Space
11. November 26

    InSight lands on Mars

    NASA's InSight lander touched down on Elysium Planitia at 11:52:59 a.m. Pacific time. Its job was to study the inside of Mars.

    Source: NASA Science: InSight Lander
12. December 14

    Spider-Verse swings into theaters

    Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, an animated adventure, opened in US theaters.

    Source: Box Office Mojo: Domestic Box Office For 2018

How much did things cost in 2018?

A snapshot of the cost of living in 2018, from a stamp to a pound of coffee. Every price is a US figure from a government source, shown next to what that money is worth in September 2026.

Worth today: each 2018 price scaled up by the rise in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U, U.S. city average, all items) from its 2018 average to September 2026, the newest month published. It shows what that money is worth now, not what the item costs today. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI-U (series CUUR0000SA0), via FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (CPIAUCNS).

What was popular in 2018?

Which famous people were born in 2018?

A few familiar faces who share the birth year, all born in 2018.

• January 15, 2018Chicago WestSecond daughter and third child of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, born shortly after midnight.Source: Biography.com: Kim Kardashian
• February 1, 2018Stormi WebsterDaughter of Kylie Jenner, born at 4:43 p.m. and weighing 8 pounds 9 ounces.Source: Biography.com: Kylie Jenner
• March 9, 2018Princess Adrienne of SwedenThird child of Princess Madeleine and Christopher O'Neill, born at Danderyd Hospital in Stockholm at 12:41 a.m.Source: Sveriges Kungahus: HRH Princess Madeleine and Mr Christopher O'Neill have had a daughter
• April 9, 2018Maile PearlDaughter of Senator Tammy Duckworth, who became the first female senator to give birth in office. At 10 days old she came to the Senate floor for a vote.Source: Biography.com: Tammy Duckworth
• April 23, 2018Prince LouisThird child of Prince William and Catherine, born at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London.Source: The Royal Family: Prince Louis
• May 31, 2018Nonoka MurakataJapanese child singer who won a silver award at a children's nursery-rhyme contest at age two. Her first solo album was announced for May 2021.Source: BARKS: ののちゃん(村方乃々佳)、史上最年少童謡歌手として初のソロアルバム発売
• June 18, 2018Lena TindallDaughter of Zara Tindall, a granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II. She was born at the Stroud Maternity Unit in England and weighed 9 pounds 3 ounces.Source: Fox News: Queen Elizabeth's granddaughter Zara Tindall reveals royal newborn's name
• July 10, 2018Kulture Kiari CephusFirst child of rappers Cardi B and Offset. Her mother shared the news on Instagram the next day.Source: ABC13: Cardi B announces birth of 1st child, daughter Kulture Kiari
• October 2, 2018Rani Rose Hudson FujikawaDaughter of actor Kate Hudson and Danny Fujikawa, named after her grandfather Ron Fujikawa.Source: Entertainment Tonight: Kate Hudson Gives Birth to First Child With Boyfriend Danny Fujikawa

What are some fun facts about 2018?

1. Starman's Tesla was expected to reach the orbit of Mars in July 2018, then keep circling the Sun in a long oval.

   Source: Spaceflight Now: "Starman" puts Earth in the rearview mirror

2. Eugene Parker, the solar physicist behind Parker Solar Probe, became the first person to witness the launch of a spacecraft bearing his name.

   Source: NASA Science: Parker Solar Probe

3. At its closest approach, Parker Solar Probe is expected to travel at about 430,000 miles per hour.

   Source: NASA Science: Parker Solar Probe

4. Voyager 2 launched in 1977, 16 days before its twin Voyager 1, and was built to last five years. It crossed into interstellar space 41 years later.

   Source: NASA Science: NASA's Voyager 2 Probe Enters Interstellar Space

5. Two briefcase-sized CubeSats called MarCO flew to Mars behind InSight on the same rocket.

   Source: NASA Science: InSight Lander

6. InSight's robotic arm, over 5 feet 9 inches long, lifted its seismometer and heat probe from the lander deck and set them on the Martian surface.

   Source: NASA Science: InSight Lander

7. The 2018 Winter Games were only the third Olympic Winter Games held in Asia, after Sapporo in 1972 and Nagano in 1998.

   Source: Olympedia: 2018 Winter Olympics Overview

8. Nonoka Murakata was only 2 years and 5 months old when she won a silver award at a Japanese children's nursery-rhyme contest, the youngest ever to win it.

   Source: BARKS: ののちゃん(村方乃々佳)、史上最年少童謡歌手として初のソロアルバム発売

9. Prince Louis' full name, Louis Arthur Charles, was announced four days after he was born.

   Source: The Royal Family: Prince Louis

10. The Chinese Year of the Dog began on February 16, 2018, the same day Black Panther reached US theaters.

    Source: Hong Kong Observatory: Gregorian-Lunar Calendar Conversion Table of 2018

Can you answer these 2018 trivia questions?

Tap a question to see the answer. The party kit has a full round of 2018 trivia ready to print.

1. 1

   Which planet did NASA's InSight lander reach on November 26, 2018?

   Answer: Mars. Source: NASA Science: InSight Lander

2. 2

   What was the cargo on the first flight of SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket?

   Answer: A Tesla Roadster with a space-suited driver called Starman. Source: Spaceflight Now: "Starman" puts Earth in the rearview mirror

3. 3

   Which country hosted the 2018 Winter Olympics?

   Answer: South Korea, in PyeongChang, from February 9 to 25. Source: Olympedia: 2018 Winter Olympics Overview

4. 4

   Which film earned the most at the 2018 US box office?

   Answer: Black Panther, with about $700 million. Source: Box Office Mojo: Domestic Box Office For 2018

5. 5

   Which team won the 2018 World Series?

   Answer: The Boston Red Sox, four games to one over the Dodgers. Source: Baseball-Reference: 2018 World Series

6. 6

   Which NASA spacecraft launched on August 12, 2018 to study the Sun?

   Answer: Parker Solar Probe. Source: NASA Science: Parker Solar Probe

7. 7

   How much did a first-class stamp cost from January 21, 2018?

   Answer: 50 cents for the first ounce. Source: USPS Postal History: Rates for Domestic Letters Since 1863

8. 8

   Which prince was born in London on April 23, 2018?

   Answer: Prince Louis, the third child of Prince William and Catherine. Source: The Royal Family: Prince Louis

9. 9

   Which song was No. 1 on Billboard's 2018 Year-End Hot 100?

   Answer: "God's Plan" by Drake. Source: Billboard: Year-End Hot 100 Songs 2018

10. 10

    Which Chinese zodiac animal belongs to the lunar year that began on February 16, 2018?

    Answer: The Dog. Source: Hong Kong Observatory: Gregorian-Lunar Calendar Conversion Table of 2018

How do you throw a 2018-themed 8th birthday party?

• Build the 2018 playlist

  Start with songs from Billboard's year-end list that suit a family crowd: "Perfect," "Meant to Be," "The Middle" and "Thunder." Ask every guest to add a favorite that makes them think of the guest of honor.

• Starman's road trip

  Tape a poster of the solar system to the wall, then give each guest a paper car with a tiny spaceman. They stick it where they think the Tesla Roadster was in July, near the orbit of Mars.

• Land the lander

  Build landers from paper cups, straws and cotton balls. Have a grown-up hold each one at shoulder height and let go over a towel that stands in for Mars, and crown the softest landing in honor of InSight.

• Circle the Sun

  Make a lamp or hula hoop the Sun and let guests carry a paper probe around it, like Parker Solar Probe. The closest pass without touching wins a paper medal.

• Winter games at home

  Slide paper plates down a hallway runner for curling, toss cotton-ball snowballs into a bucket and award bronze, silver and gold ribbons. It is a nod to the Games in PyeongChang.

• Year of the Dog

  Hand out paper dog ears, play pin the tail on the puppy and invite guests who were born in 2018 to share their zodiac sign. The lunar year began on February 16.

• Superhero mask station

  Put out felt, stickers and elastic so guests can design a mask for a Black Panther or Spider-Verse hero. Finish with a parade and a group photo.

• Creature scavenger hunt

  Hide printed pictures of Pikachu, Eevee and friends around the room for a Let's Go style hunt. Whoever collects the most before the cake comes out is the champion.

• Baby photos beside the headlines

  Pin up newborn pictures next to the year's news: Falcon Heavy, Prince Louis and InSight. Add recent photos so guests can see how far the guest of honor has come.

• What did it cost?

  Write a stamp, a gallon of milk and a dozen eggs on index cards. Guests guess each 2018 price, and the closest guesses earn points. The prices table above has the answers.

Which invitations and cards fit an 8th birthday?

Born in 2018 means turning 8 in 2026. These designs follow the calendar: next year this page shows 9th birthday picks instead. Every invitation here lets you write the age in yourself, so 8 goes right into the wording.

What else do people ask about 2018?