Happy July 4th! On our to-do list: sparklers, watermelon, sunglasses and backgammon. We asked a few known game-players for some more ideas.

“First Line Of A Dirty Novel. Each person writes down a sentence and Jamie Lee Curtis (who we play with) writes the real opening line. She reads them all out loud and then we vote on which one we think is the real first line. Serve with wine for maximum effect.” — Jill Kargman, author

“I take my Jenga obsession very seriously. I play with friends — Eddie Redmayne, Christina Ricci, George Esquivel and Josh Groban. All I can say is I have beat them all! I take my time, I think about my moves…and win, win, win!”  —Jill Demling, Entertainment Editor, Vogue

“We play celebrity, Mahjong, poker, but I play poker the most. It requires concentration, strategy, instincts and even math. It’s lots of fun with a group.”
— Suzanne Todd, film producer & co-president of Team Todd

“My friends and I are obsessed with a game called Mexican Train Dominoes. We will play by the pool, or other times we do dinner parties with two or three tables and make it a tournament. It’s great for all ages and has replaced puzzles or spades.”
 — Eric Buterbaugh, floral and event designer

“A friend of mine organizes a monthly all-girls Canasta game. It’s a great way to leave the house and release stress — kicking back with a glass of wine and catching up with the girls. Canasta is pretty complicated, and it keeps the brain ticking!”
— 
LuLu deKwiatkowski, designer

Photo by Slim Aarons courtesy of Photographers Gallery