PARTY GAMES

One to 3 year olds don’t need much organising at parties, and will play or eat quite happily without much interaction. But from 4 upwards they will need and expect to have at least some organised activities. This can be the hardest part for parents. It does help to know which games are right for which age, and those that aren’t dull have proved popular and successful.

It’s best to know beforehand what they’ll be playing and in what order, and to say so – then there are no arguments on the day. If there are some competitive games you’ll need to organise prizes. And in case some children don’t win any, keep some spare gifts so that everybody goes home with something. Most traditional games can also be adapted to suit your theme e.g. Pin the parrot to the pirate, Pin the Glass Slipper to Cinderella, Spider Man Says or Monkey, Monkey, Tiger (for a Jungle theme party instead of Duck, Duck, Goose).

Games for younger children can continue to be popular for a surprising long time. Most of them should last between 5 and 15 minutes. Try and finish the party with a quiet, inside game, or one that involves finding a take-home present.

Some of the games involve competition, with players dropping out to leave and eventual winner, for example. You could make non-competitive by just letting everybody stay in the game.

Here is a reminder list of some traditional games and rhymes for younger children:

Ring-a-Roses, Hide and Seek, Pin the tail on the Donkey, Simon Says, Incy Wincy Spider, Pat-a-cake

Musical Chairs

Age: 4-6. Players: 4 or more

Set up either chairs or cushions in a circle. (One less than the number of children playing). Choose a song the children will like, as this plays the children must dance around the chairs/cushions. When the music stops they must sit in the chair/cushion. The one who doesn’t get a chair is eliminated. Remove another chair/cushion and repeat until there is only one chair/cushion left. The last child left gets a prize.

Pass the Parcel

Age: 3 - 9. Players: any number

Wrap small gifts (stickers, lollipops) in layers of wrapping paper. Put on some music and get the children to pass the parcel around. When the music stops the child who is holding the gift gets to un-wrap a layer. Repeat until the last layer has been un-wrapped. The child who un-wraps the last layer gets to keep the gift.

Treasure Hunt

Age: 5 upwards. Players: Any number

Hide treasures in the garden and let the kids run around finding them. Put a list of all the treasure up so the children can mark off when all the treasures have been found.

Pin the Tail on the Donkey

Age: 4 upwards. Players: 2 or more

Prepare a big picture of a donkey and as many tails as there are children. Blindfold the child whose turn it is. Spin them around two or three times and ask them to pin the tail to the donkey. The child who gets the closest to the aim is the winner.

Chinese Whispers

Age: 5 - 9. Players: 4 or more

Get the children to sit in a circle. Whisper a sentence into the birthday child’s ear, who then whispers it into the ear of the person to their left and so on until it gets to the person who is sitting next to the birthday child who then says the sentence about allowed. Invariable the message will be totally different and most hilarious.

Old Macdonald Had A Farm

Age: 3 – 6. Players: 4 or more

Let the children sit in a circle and nominate each child be a different farm animal. Everyone then starts to sing Old Macdonald had a farm together. When it comes to the animal, for example pig then the child nominated to be the pig, makes the corresponding noise and so on for each animal that comes up in the song. Kids love to make animal noises. So this game should be enjoyed by all.

Balloon Pop

Age: 3 upwards. Players: 2 or more

Place notes inside un-inflated balloons. 1 or 2 of the notes should indicate that this balloon is a winner. Inflate the balloons and hang them around. Let each child pick a balloon then pop it to see if their note is a winner.

Back-to-Back Balloon Pop

Age: 5 upwards. Players: 4 or more

Divide the children into teams of two. Have the children line up back to back holding a balloon in between their backs. On your command have the children attempt to squeeze together and pop their balloon. The pair that pops their balloon first is the winner. If you do not want to have a specific winner, keep the game going until all pairs have popped their balloons.

Stuck in the Mud

Age: 5 upwards. Players: 4 or more

One person is 'IT' and has to run round touching as many people as they can. When they have touched someone that person has to stop and stand with their legs apart and their hands out stretched, until someone crawls through their legs. If you've been caught three times, then you are out. The game ends when everyone left is standing still.

Duck, Duck, Goose

Age: 4-9. Players: 4 or more

The children sit in a circle and one (‘IT’) walks around them, saying ‘Duck, Duck’ as he touches each one on the head. Then he touches one and says ‘Goose!’ The child jumps up and chases IT around the group. IT must try and get to the empty space before being caught. If he succeeds, the Goose must then take his place as IT. If not, he stays IT for the next round.

Dressing-Up Race

Age: 5 upwards. Players: 3 or more

Make a starting line at one end of the room (or play outside) and put a pile of clothes for each player at the other end. Make the number of clothes as even as possible in each pile – with scarves, gloves, socks, hats, jackets, pants to make lots of layers. An adult says ‘Go!’ and the children run from the line to their clothes pile, put on 1 item and return to the line. Then back to the pile for 1 more item, and so on until all the clothes are on. First player back to the starting line is the winner.

Blind Man’s Bluff

Age: 6 upwards. Players: Any number

The birthday child is blindfolded to become the first blind Man. The other children spin him around 3 times and then move about the room (or play outside) while the Blind Man tries to catch them. The first player to be caught becomes the Blind man.

Grandmother’s Steps

Age: 6 upwards. Players: 3 or more

Play this game outside when it is getting dark. An adult is Grandmother, standing in the garden with a torch. The children have to creep up on her from different points without being seen. Any child she spotlights on the move is out.

Chocolate Game

Age: 6 upwards. Players: 3 or more

The players sit in a circle taking turns to shake the dice. The child who throws a 6 leaves the group, puts on the clothes (hat, scarf & gloves) and tries to eat the chocolate bar from the plate, using the knife and fork. If another child throws a 6 any time during the first child is getting dressed or eating chocolate they now put the clothes on and attempt to eat the chocolate. Play this game until all children have had a turn or the chocolate is all gone.

Egg and Spoon Race

Age: 4 upwards. Players: 4 or more

A race of balance! Arrange all of the children at the start line with 1 egg and a teaspoon each. When you are ready to start the race, ask them to place the egg onto their spoon and then place the other arm behind their back. When you say go, the children will race as fast as they can without the egg rolling out of the spoon to the finish line. If the egg falls, that child goes out. Whoever crosses the finish line with their egg still balanced in their spoon and an arm behind their back wins. Alternatively, if the egg doesn’t break when dropped, let the child pick it up and go back to start line to start again.

Capture The Flag

Age: 8 upwards. Players: 6 or more

Start by dividing the children into 2 teams. Assign Team 1 to the front yard and Team 2 to the back yard, or split a field or park or another space between the 2 teams. The teams are given a limited time period, like 5 minutes to hide their flag in their part of the yard/field/park. To spice up this game, allow spies to be sent out to see where the flag is hidden as well as look-outs to catch the spies. Once the flag is hidden you call out that you are finished. Then you simply try to get the other teams flag. If you get caught and tagged by the opponent on their territory you go to jail and can only be freed by a teammate who grabs you when your opponent isn’t looking. The first team to capture the flag or all of their opponents wins.