You’ve got the theme set, the invites printed and the party food sorted. Next up? The entertainment …
We’ve got 24 fun-packed party games to keep everyone from babes and kids to teens entertained!
Every hostess with the most-ess wants their guests to have fun at a birthday party. Think your littlies are too tiny for a fun game or your teens too cool? Think again, they’re never too young or old for a bit of party fun.
Let’s get ready to inject some excitement into your next party with these super fun kids party games!
[mc_block_title custom_title=”Party games for toddlers”]
1. Musical bumps
Musical bumps is just like dance freeze, but it’s a less complicated version for tots. Simply put on the music, encourage littlies to dance and when the music stops, quickly sit on the floor. The slowest one to bump their butt on the floor is out!
2. Bean bag toss
Whoever can toss the most bean bags into the bucket from a short distance wins!
3. Teddy bear hunt
A great game for older toddlers and curious younger ones. Hide a teddy bear in the garden and as a group, look for him while singing the well-known song “we’re going on a bear hunt, we’re going to catch a biiiiig one…“. When the teddy bear is found, all children can pick a small token prize and the child who found Ted can keep him.
4. Pass the balloon
Get your balloons ready! Sitting in a circle, children can pass the balloon around to music. When the music stops, the child holding the balloon steps out, keeping the balloon. A new balloon comes into play, going around the circle once again. The child left at the end of the game wins a prize! (DO supervise balloon play and pick up any broken balloon bits straight away!)
5. Bubble blowing championship
Who can blow the biggest or most bubbles?!
[mc_block_title custom_title=”Party games for kids aged four to eight”]
6. Sack race
Get your sacks (or pillow cases) ready and get ready to race! Line up your guests and set a clear finish line. First one to make it without jumping out of their sack wins.
7. Dance freeze!
A dance party with MANY interruptions. Crank the music for kids to dance to, but when the music stops they have to freeze in that position – no matter how silly! The last one to freeze sits out. Repeat the dance and freeze steps until you only have one dancer left.
8. Egg and spoon race
You can make it messy or you can make it clean – it’s entirely up to you if you boil the eggs or not. Kids race from one point to another balancing their egg on a spoon. The first one to make it with the egg still on the spoon is the winner.
9. Pin the tail on the donkey
Print off a picture of a donkey, minus the tail and attach it to a wall. Print off a donkey tail for each child and stand them blindfolded in front of the picture. Whoever pins their tail closest to the tail region of the donkey, wins a prize! If you don’t fancy using pins, you can use stickers or a tail with double-sided tape.
10. Whack a pinata
A pinata is an awesome way to end the kids party games since it can take a fair while to crack open some of these cardboard shapes! Hang the pinata at a height so that guests are able to comfortably whack the pinata with a whacking implement (broom handle, plastic baseball bat..) and have everyone stand well clear. Blindfold the whacker, set a timer and let everyone take turns.
11. Treasure hunt
A kids party game that takes a little preparation but is well worth the effort, set kids off on a treasure hunt. You can give each child a clue on a piece of paper to steer them in the right direction.
12. Pass the parcel
An oldie but a goodie. Wrap a prize in layers of newspaper and pass it around a circle until the music stops! The child holding the parcel when the music stops unwraps one layer of paper and then moves it on. You can be extra generous when making the parcel by adding a small toy or wrapped lolly to each layer. Alternatively, build the anticipation and excitement with just the main prize on offer. Up to you!
13. Musical chairs
An old favourite! Line up one less chair than the number of players (ie. Six players, five chairs). Circle the chairs while the music plays, but when it stops, children must find a chair! For the child who doesn’t find a chair, they sit out and you remove another chair. The child to secure the last chair is the winner. Be warned though, this can be very competitive!
[mc_block_title custom_title=” Party games for kids aged nine to twelve (AKA tweens)”]
14. Birthday bingo
How well do your kid’s friends know them? Ask a series of questions (some easy, some funny!) all about the birthday kid and whoever gets the most answers right, wins.
15. Chocolate roll the dice
A pair of dice, a block of chocolate, plus a knife and fork – what fun! Children sit in a circle around a plate with a wrapped block of chocolate on it, a fork, knife, hat, scarf and a pair of gloves. Going around the circle, each child takes turns in rolling the dice. Whoever rolls a six (if using only one dice) or a double (using a pair of dice) rushes to the middle, wears all the items and then gets busy cutting up squares of chocolate and eating them before the next six or double is rolled and it’s someone else’s turn.
16. Apple bobbing
Have an overachieving apple tree? Toss apples into a bucket of water and make a game of retrieving them. Hands behind their back, set a timer and kids can dunk their faces into the bucket, picking up as many apples with their mouth as they can. Whoever gets the most apples out, wins!
17. Twister
Even a family board game can be a brilliant kids party game! Get your Twister board game out and get twisting. The winner takes all!
18. Water balloon toss
One for the summertime! In pairs, children must throw their water balloons to each other. Drop your water balloon and making a splash and you’re out! The last balloon-tossing pair win the prize.
19. Dangling doughnuts
Hang doughnuts from the clothesline. Then, each child must hold their hands behind their back and attempt to eat the doughnut. Whoever eats the doughnut first wins!
[mc_block_title custom_title=” Party games for teens”]
20. Follow the string!
Wrap a chocolate bar (or another treat/prize) for each guest and attach it to a length of wool (or string). Hide the prize and weave the length of wool through the room, house or around the yard. Hand each guest the ‘tail end’ of the string and they have to follow it to find their loot.
21. Taste the rainbow
To play this game you’ll need a big bag of Skittles (maybe a few bags depending on how many guests you have). You’ll also need straws. Empty the Skittles into a big bowl and arm all players with drinking straws and a cup to collect Skittles in. All players must try and collect as many skittles as they can into their cups, but they CAN’T be touched with hands. They must suck them onto the straws, taking the Skittles to their cups without dropping them. After the game, everyone can eat their winnings. Deeelicious!
22. Cucumber pass
Continental cukes at the ready! Standing in a circle, the first person places the cucumber between their knees. Turning to the next person, they must now use their knees to take it and pass it on. If you drop the cucumber when you are the one passing it on, you’re out. The last person left squeezing the cucumber wins.
23. Plastic wrap game
Like pass the parcel but with trickier, plastic-wrapped prizes for an added challenge. Pass the plastic wrap ball around the table for everyone to carefully peel off one layer of plastic wrap, revealing a prize or two along the way! Remember kids, patience is a virtue!
24. Slippery watermelon!
Perfect for a pool party – who can carry a slippery, sun cream lathered watermelon across the pool without dropping it?
As the party host, remember to keep the kids party games short and sweet. Make everyone feel included and have plenty of little trinket prizes to give out along the way. Let the kids party games BEGIN!
