Children's Birthday Party Games

Children's birthday party games can usually be quite age specific as the majority of guests will be approximately of similar ages. However whatever the age of your guests, all children like to feel a sense of achievement and experience success at a party – after all a party is meant to be fun!

If you're holding a party for very young children, enlist a few other friends / mums to stay and help, young children enjoy free play and aren't socially mature enough to participate in fully co-operative games until they are nearer 3 years of age.

Once you feel that your child and their peers are able to cope with playing games co-operatively, you can introduce structured games to your party, such as the ideas we suggest below. One of the key elements to successfully organising children's birthday party games is BE PREPARED. Make a list of the games you plan to play and collect together all the resources, music, objects, balloons, prizes etc that you will need. A little time spent before hand will allow you to move from game to game smoothly and keep up the pace of the party and so maintain the interest of the children.

Before starting your games (and even before the party) label party bags with the children's names and collect together a box of prizes for the party. These can range from sweets, trinkets, pocket puzzles, small toys etc. Most of the large supermarket chains now produce such items in multi-packs relatively inexpensively. The children / teams can then choose from the prize box and add to their bag throughout the party.

Elimination Party Games

As we mentioned earlier, all children like to feel a sense of achievement and experience success at a party and have FUN! The best way to achieve this by organising games that involve all the children and where there is as little elimination as possible. Musical bumps / statues / chairs all produce one winner at the end of the game, whilst the remaining children who are 'out' have to wait for the result.

Team games are an excellent introduction to a party (and can also serve as an ice-breaker if there are children who do not know each other beforehand). They involve all the children working together and keep everyone busy at the same time!

As the adult running the children's birthday party games, you need to be aware of which children have received a prize and who has not received as many. (If you loose track, a quick look at the party bags will give you an overall picture). If you are playing a game with two teams, play the game twice and this gives you the opportunity to reward each team. This may take a little lateral thinking, perhaps the team who smiled / laughed / listened the best could be rewarded if the other team was faster and ‘won'.

If a particular team 'wins' the games frequently, suggest swapping the teams around to play with different people, so that the teams are more evenly balanced.

Birthday Party Games for Kids

Some common team games are teams standing in a line facing the same way and passing a balloon through their legs (or backwards over their heads) when the balloon reaches the last person they run to the front of the team. The winning team is the one that completes a full rotation when the child who started reaches the front of the team again. Other ideas for birthday party games are:

Pass the hoop (You will need 1 hoop for each team)

Two/ three teams of 5/6 stand in a line, side by side holding hands. The object of the game is to pass the hoop down the line without letting go of hands – this sounds easier than it is!

Prizes awarded to fastest team.

Simon Says (You will need another adult helper)

A twist on the traditional game children have to do action only when “Simon says . . . wave your arms” and not do the action if the instruction is just “Touch your nose”. Traditionally children who complete the instruction without “Simon says” are out. If you have two adults running simultaneous games of “Simon Says” then if someone is ‘out' they transfer over to the other team and continue to participate.

Prizes awarded for longest/shortest team.

Parachute Games (You need a parachute or large sheet, balls, balloons)

Sit spaced round the edge of your parachute or sheet with the children holding onto the edges. Roll a ball around the edge / from side to side of the parachute without it falling off; add a more balls for added difficulty. Bounce and catch the ball(s). The balloons can also be rolled but also bounced off at the end of the game.

Prizes awarded to all children for working together.

Who's Who (You need paper and pens for each child and a list of all guests)

Each child has to collect the signatures of all the children at the party – including their own. This is trickier than it sounds as this requires each child to check their list and keep track of who they need as everyone is moving around.

Prizes awarded per child as they complete their Who's who list.

Dragon's Tail (You need a scarf for each team)

Each team (of at least 5) stands in a line with both hands on the shoulders of the child in front. The child at the back of the dragon tucks the scarf into the back of their trousers. The aim of the game is the head of the dragon has to catch the tail (scarf) of the dragon. When the tail is caught the tail child goes to the head for the next chase.

Prizes awarded to dragon that fully rotates first.

Dragon's Tail (Version 2) (You need a sock for each child)

Each child tucks a sock into the back of their trousers or top. The idea is for each child to catch another child's tail whilst trying to keep their tail from being caught. The game ends when everyone is holding one tail in their hand.

Prizes awarded in exchange for a sock given back to the adult.

Dead Ants

This game is based on the number of body parts touching the floor. The body parts are hands (2) and feet (2). You call a number between 1 and 4 and the children have to put that number body parts on the floor. eg 3 could be 2 feet and 1 foot or 1 hand and 2 feet. The fun comes when you call “Zero” this is the “Dead Ant” position lying on your back with hands and feet up in the air and therefore no body parts on the floor. Mix up the numbers and speed up the calling.

Prizes awarded to wriggle-ist Dead Ants!

Balloon Bop (You will need lots of blown up balloons)

Try to keep all the balloons in the air at the same time – prizes can be awarded for the most inventive / funniest way to keep the balloons in the air.

Prize for all children is popping the balloons at the end of the game.

Birthday party games need to be fun, well organised and challenging, but not over taxing or too long. When you get this combination right your party will be a great success, and once the party is over you can sit down and have a well earned rest and put your feet up.