It takes more than balloons, streamers and matching plates to create a birthday party your child will never forget!Often, what makes a child’s birthday party a huge hit is a simply prepared game or activity. We’ve collected our favorite party games and traditional party games that can be played as-is or adapted to match your party theme. If this is your first children’s birthday party and you are bit intimidated, don’t worry. We also have tips and advice from our party professionals.
What games are right for my party?
First you’ll need to select a party theme. Then ask your child what they would like to play at their party. You can purchase pre- prepared party games or adapt a traditional party game so that it works with your theme. For instance…
“Duck, Duck, Goose can be changed to “Princess, Princess, Knight”
or Spiderman, Spiderman, Green Goblin” etc.
With some artistic skills, markers and poster board, Pin the Tail on the Donkey can be turned into ”Pin the Crown on the Princess”.
Next, you need to consider your party space and whether you’ll need to play indoors. We recommend that you select games that can be played indoors and outdoors or have a few easy games planned in case there is
a weather change.
Tips for Birthday Party Games
Select Appropriate Games
Some games will be a hit and others will be a “dud”. When appropriate, ask your child to participate in the party game planning. If they think it’s a fun game…their friends probably will too. Consider your party space and the age group of the children.
Be Flexible
If you sense that a party game is not going well, let it go and move on to the next activity. Or, make a quick adaptation to an existing game. If your party games are dependant on the weather…be prepared to take the party indoors if necessary.
Be Prepared
Have all games set up and ready to go before the party. Make sure you understand how the games is played.
Everyone is a Winner
Parties are a time to have fun, which means all guests should go home smiling. If you are going to provide prizes, try to reward all players just for participating or avoid prizes all together. Especially when entertaining very young children who have yet to develop a grasp on sportsmanship. Consider playing most, if not all games without prizes but everyone gets a candy or sticker. When all of the games are complete…everyone receives their goody bags.
(1) Catch the Balloon
Indoors
Equipment: 3 or 4 balloons
Formation: Circle
Arrange the players in a circle on the floor
and have them number off. Put the highest
number in the center to act as ‘it’.
“IT” holds a balloon and calls out a number while dropping the balloon
to the floor. The holder of that number then tries to catch the balloon before it touches the floor. If the player is successful ‘it’ tries another number. If the balloon touches the floor then that player is “it”.
(2) Buzz-Bomb Balloon
Indoors
Equipment:
1 balloon per player, not inflated
Tape or string to make a target
Formation: line or circle
All players inflate their balloon. Some players may need help
When the adult helper says “1, 2,3,GO!”
The players release their balloons in the direction of the target.
If you are having a theme party, use a picture from the theme as
the target center. Score 5 points for the closest balloon and 15 points
for a direct hit. This game works well with teams – each team gets their own colored balloons; red, blue, green etc. Or, you do not need to keep score at all and just have fun playing the game several times.
(3) Back-to-Back Balloon Pop
Indoors
Equipment: A supply of balloons
Formation: Pairs
Pick teams of two.
Have the pairs stand in a line or circle back to back, with a balloon held between their backs. On the leader’s signal, the players press together, trying to burst their balloon. The first team to pop its balloon wins.
If you prefer not to have winners, play until all of the balloons are popped.
(4) Poor Kitty
Indoors
Equipment: 1 blindfold
Formation: Circle
Arrange the group in a circle with a blindfolded player in the center.
Then have the players move around the circle very quietly.
The blindfolded player should approach the circle in any direction
and secure a victim who, in a disguised voice, says ‘poor kitty’ and then imitates the ‘meow’ of a cat. If the blindfolded player fails to identify his prisoner, he releases him and the game continues. If he succeeds,
the two change places.
(5) Blind man’s Bluff
Indoors
Equipment: 1 chair per person;
1 blindfold
Formation: Circle
‘It’ is blindfolded and stands in the center of a seated circle while the players change seats. ‘It’ now sits on a player’s lap. No words are spoken. He must guess whose lap he is sitting on. If he’s correct, the two change places. Prizes for game playing should be small toys, stickers or candy.
This will make it affordable for each child to get more than one.
(6) What’s My Line ?
Indoors
Equipment: None
Formation: Circle
The children sit in a circle. One player leaves the room,
while she is away the others decide what she should be when she returns.
If they decide on a Rock star, for example, they call her back and she has to ask each player in turn what she has to buy for herself. One will say guitar, another a fancy costume, another a microphone and so on. If the “guesser” goes all the way around the circle without guessing what she is, then she must go out again. Then the players will choose something else.
This game is very easy to adapt for different age groups ,
interests, and party themes.
(7) A.B.C. Ship
Indoors
Equipment:
Formation: Circle
Players form a circle with the parent or helper. Starting with the child on the parent’s left each player has to say in turn…
1. The name of a ship – Arcadia;
2. The name of the Captain – Alex
3. Sailing from Port – Aberdeen;
4.Sailing to Port – Alexandria;
6. With a cargo – Apples;
They follow on through the letters of the alphabet….
NOTE: This game can be easier on younger children,
if played as follows.
1st child names the Ship, 2nd child names the Captain, 3rd names
the port etc….To move things along, eliminateThe “a port name”,
or another category.
(8) Animammal Conference
Indoors
Equipment: Construction paper; scissors
Formation: Pairs
Each person is given a cut-out piece of
construction paper with the name of an animal (e.g. Kangaroo )
Then pairs are selected so that,
for example, a Kangaroo and a giraffe are together. Each pair creates a name of their animammal (e.g. Giraffaroo).
Pairs can then set out to try and guess the names of other animammals in the group.
(9) Simon Says
One player is the leader and orders the other players to make
motions by saying
“Simon says thumbs up” or
“Simon says hands on your head.”
The leader also makes all of these motions. If he omits “Simon says,” however, and just orders ”Thumbs up,” the players should not make the motion. Any player who does, is out of the game. The winner is the player who remains in the game the longest.
(10) Circle Keep Away (Hot Potato)
Players form a circle.
A bean bag is passed from player to player while one player sings, whistles or claps. When the music or clapping stops, the player who has the bean bag is out and sits in the center. The last one out wins. Stops should be made frequently so the game moves quickly and players will not be out for
a long period.
(11) Red Light, Green Light
Two lines are established at opposite ends of the playing area.
One line is the goal line; the other is the starting line. One player is
“It” and stands on the goal line.
“It” shuts his eyes and counts to 10 a number of times. At the end of the count to 10, he calls out, “Green light” or any other color light. While he is counting, the players advance toward the goal line. When “It” calls “Red light,” he opens his eyes and all of the players & must stop moving. Any player who “It” catches in motion must return to the starting line. Players can continue moving if any color other than “Red light” is called. The suspense of the game occurs as the players wonder what color will be called. The first player to reach the goal wins. The last one is “It”
for the next game.
(12) Captain, May I? or Mother, May I ?
This is similar to Red Light.
There is a goal line and a starting line. The player who is “Captain” stands at the goal line. The “Captain” addresses one player at a time to “Take one giant step” or “Take 5 baby steps” or “Skip three steps”, etc. That player must remember to say “Captain, May I?” and wait for permission before he can advance. If the player forgets to ask permission first, he must return to the starting line. The Captain then addresses another player on the line and continues until one player finally reaches the goal line. That player then becomes the “Captain.”
(13) Duck, Duck, Goose
All of the children will sit down in a circle facing each other
They are now the “Ducks”. Pick one child to be the Fox.
The Fox slowly walks around the outside of the circle, gently tapping the other players heads while saying “Duck” each time he/she taps.
After a few times around the circle, the Fox selects a “Goose” by tapping
a players head and calling “Goose!”. The Goose quickly jumps up and chases the Fox around the circle, trying to tag him before he can get to
the spot where the Goose was just sitting. If the Fox succeeds in taking the Goose’s place he is now safe and the Goose becomes the Fox.
If however the Fox is tagged while running from the Goose, he must
start the game again.
(14) Hopscotch
A good old-fashioned game of Hopscotch can be adapted to many party themes by changing the the appearance of the chalk-created hopscotch playing area.
You’ll Need:
Sidewalk Chalk
Stones or any other creative playing pieces
How to Play:
Have each child take a turn going through the following instructions:
Toss a small stone onto section 1.
On one foot, hop over the section with the stone, onto 2, and then onto 3. Then, land with both feet on 4 and 5 at the same time.
Hop onto 6 with one foot, and then land on 7 and 8 with both feet.
Continue to 9 and then 10 on one foot. While on 10, jump, turn around, and then hop back to the beginning in the same fashion. When you land on section 2, bend down and pick up the stone, hop onto 1, and then hop off.
Toss the stone onto section 2, and continue as above, skipping over the section with the stone.
If a child misses a toss, steps on a line, or steps out of the pattern, the next child in line takes a turn. A player is finished when he/she has tossed a rock onto all ten spaces and completed the hopping sequence for each toss.
