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72 fun and easy

Birthday Party Games for Children!

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1. Back to back Balloon Pop

Arrange the children into teams of 2. All of the teams each stand back to back
while an adult places a balloon between each of their backs. On go the teams
try to break their balloons without dropping it. The first team to pop their balloon
is the winner.
2. Balloon Pop
Fill deflated balloons with slips of paper. On each paper should be written the
name of a prize. Blow up all the balloons and hang them around the party room.
The children are told to pick a balloon and pop it. What ever prize is written on
their slip of paper is the prize they win. This is a good game to do last just
before children go home.
3. Balloon Relay
Divide the children into 2 teams and stand each team in a line. Across the room
place a laundry basket filled with balloons (enough for each team member to
have one). The first child in each line must run across the room, take a balloon
out of the basket and sit or stomp on the balloon to pop it. Once the balloon
pops the child must run back and tag the second team member in line that in turn
runs over and pops his balloon. Continue until one team has popped all of their
balloons.
4. Balloon Mania
Make water balloons by filling balloons up with water. Give each child a balloon.
On the count of 3 the children must try to break the other childrens balloons
without getting theirs broken. The one left with an un-popped balloon wins.
5. Bean Bag Tic-Tac-Toe
This game is a variation of the game tic-tac-toe. Make a large tic-tac-toe board
on the floor using masking tape. Divide the children into 2 teams. Each team is
given beanbags that are marked with xs for one team and os for the second
team. The teams take turns tossing the beanbags into the squares. The first
team to get three in a row wins.

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6. Bean Bag Toss

Prepare different size boxes ahead of time by decorating them. Have children
stand behind a line and toss beanbags into the decorated boxes. Children can
be awarded points for tossing the beanbag into the box based on difficulty. For
example a small box that is farther away may be worth 5 points while a close box
that is large may only be worth 2 points.
7. Biggest Smile contest
Line the kids up sitting on the floor. One by one have the children smile as big as
they can. Measure the length of each childs smile with a ruler. The child with
the biggest smile is the winner.
8. Birthday Party Wish
Arrange children in a circle. The first child begins the game by saying, At my
birthday party I wish to get _____________. The child fills in the sentence with
a gift idea. The second child then says, At my birthday party I wish to get (the
child then repeats what the first child says then adds her own wish.) This
continues all around the circle in the same order adding a new wish each time. If
a child makes a mistake they are out. The last one to say the entire gift wishes in
the right order wins.
9. Blind mans bluff
Children need a lot of open clear space to play this game. One child is chosen to
be it. It is blindfolded and must count to 15. As it counts the other children
find a place to hide in the room. When it gets to 15 he then yells stop. The
other children must freeze where they are. It then says, BLIND MANS and
the other children must each say, BLUFF. The frozen children may not move
and it must try to find each of the other players blindfolded using only their
voices as direction to them.
10. Bobbing for Apples
Fill a large tub with water and float apples on the water. Children take turns
putting their face to the water trying to pick up an apple using just their teeth.
Have lots of dry towels handy the kids get really wet!
11. Cake Eating contest
Arrange all of the children in a circle on the floor kneeling. They must clasp their
hands behind their backs. Place in front of each child a paper plate with a piece
of birthday cake on it. Call go and the children must eat the piece of cake as
fast as possible. The first one to finish their cake is the winner!

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12. Caterpillar Relay

Divide the children into 2 teams. Decide on a start line and a finish line. The two
teams line up at the start line. When the adult says, go, the children must
wiggle their way to the finish line and back on their bellies. The first team to have
all members cross the finish line wins!
13. Copy Cat
Arrange the children sitting in a circle on the floor. One child begins the game by
doing a motion such as touching her nose. The person sitting to her right must
then copy her motion and add a new motion. The game continues with each child
copying the previous motions and adding one of their own.
14. Charades
Select an area to be the stage. Arrange the children sitting in front of the stage.
One at a time a child will come up and pick a slip of paper from a basket. These
papers are made up ahead of time and contain the name of a popular movie,
book, animal, character, etc. The child acts out whatever is written on the card
while the other children try to guess what it is. Variation for younger children:
Instead of writing the names on paper, an adult simply whispers an object or
animal to the child.
15. Clothespin in the bottle drop
Use a large mouth jar and a clothespin to play this game. Set the jar on the
ground. Each child stands in front of the jar and sees how many clothespins they
can drop into the jar without bending over. Whoever gets the most clothespins
in, wins.
16. Clothespin Tag
The children will need lots of running space for this game. Children are given a
clothespin to pin on the back of their shirt. On go the children must try to steal
each others clothespins without losing their own. The player to get the most
clothespins in a given amount of time is the winner.

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17. Doggy Doggy Wheres your Bone?

Arrange all of the children sitting in a circle. Choose one person to be the doggy
first. The doggy must go in the other room or sit where he cannot see the circle
of children. The adult gives a bone to one of the children sitting in the circle.
The child hides the bone in her lap. Then all of the children say together,
Doggy, doggy wheres your bone? Somebody stole it from your home. At this
cue, the doggy comes over to the circle and must choose who he thinks is hiding
his bone. He gets 3 guesses. The child who was hiding the bone then gets to be
the doggy. Continue the game until all children have had a turn being the doggy.
18. Duck duck goose
This game is best played outside since it requires space for the children to run.
Arrange children sitting in a circle. One person is it. He will go around the circle
tapping each child gently on the head. As he taps he calls the child duck. Then
on one childs tap he will say goose. The child who is the goose must get up
and chase the child who is it around the circle a full turn. The person who is it
tries to run around the circle and sit back down in the gooses spot without being
tagged. If the goose tags the child then that child is out. If the goose does not
tag the child then the goose then becomes it and the game begins again. You
may vary this game to use a word or phrase that goes with the theme of the
party.
19. Dramatized Chinese Whispers
Three people are taken out of the room. One is returned and must act out one of
the following: changing the diapers of twins, or bathing an elephant (or think up
your own ideas) Before they start, a second person is brought into the room and
told to watch. When the first demonstration has been completed, the first person
is allowed to retake their place and the second is told that they have to do what
they have just seen. Again, before they start, the third person is brought in to
see the demonstration. The games ends when the last person has done the
mime, and is asked what they have just done.
20. Egg and Spoon Race
Divide the children into 2 teams. Arrange a start and finish line 30 feet apart.
The first player on each team must carry an egg on a spoon from the start line to
the finish line and back again. They must then pass the egg to the second player
on their team without dropping the egg. The first team to successfully relay the
egg through all players wins.
Variation: Instead of using eggs try small potatoes or even ping pong balls.

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21. Four corners

Children love to play this game. This game must be played in a room that has 4
corners in which the children can stand. An adult must tell the children the
number of each corner from 1-4. One child is chosen to be it. She sits in a
chair in the middle of the room and is blindfolded. She then counts out loud to
20. The other children must run to one of the 4 corners. When it gets to 20,
she then calls out a number from 1-4. All the children that are standing in the
number corner that is called, are out. Once there are 4 or less children left, the
children are not allowed to go to the same corner they must all choose different
corners. The game continues until one child wins.
22. Fruit Pass
Divide the children into 2 teams and arrange them in a line, shoulder to shoulder.
Give the first child in each line a piece of fruit. (You may choose any type of fruitapple, orange, grapefruit for a real challenge). Have the first person in line hold
an apple between his chin and neck. The child then passes the apple to the
person standing next to him. The children may not use their hands but may only
pass the fruit as they hold it under their chin. The team who successfully passes
the apple all the way down the line without dropping it wins!
23. Candy Pick-up
Arrange children in a circle on the floor. Spread out within the circle pieces of
candy. Give each child 2 toothpicks and a bag. On go the children must fill their
bags with candy as fast as they can using only the toothpicks. The children get
to keep their bags of candy as a treat.
24. Guess how many
Fill a jar with candy, marbles, peanuts, jellybeans, pennies or any other type of
object. Give each child a turn as guessing the correct number of items in the jar.
The child who guesses the right number of items, or comes closest, wins.
25. Hats and Shoes
Begin by dividing the children into 2 teams. This game can be played with just
hats and shoes or a variety of clothes. Put an equal number of clothes, shoes &
hats into 2 bags. Each team is then given a bag. Children must, on go, put on
all the items in the bag, run to the finish line, run back and take off the items.
The next player in line repeats the same procedure. The team that gets all
members dressed, across the finish line and back first wins.

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26. Hide and seek

This is a classic game for kids of all ages. One person is it and must hide their
eyes and count to 30. As the child is counting the other children go and hide.
When the person who is it is finished counting, he must go and seek all the
children who are hiding. Once the children are discovered, they are out. The
last child to be found wins.
27. High Jump
Have 2 adults each hold a side of a rope. Beginning a ground level allow the
children to jump over the rope. After each child has taken a turn raise the rope
higher a little bit. The one who can jump the highest wins.
28. Hot Potato
Arrange the children sitting in a circle. One person is the leader and must sit
outside of the circle with his back to the children. Begin by passing a potato (or
any other small object) around the circle. As the potato is passed each child
must take it and pass it but not hold it longer than a second or two. When the
leaders calls Hot Potato whoever is holding the potato at that time is out.
Continue to play until there is one winner!
Variation: Instead of having a leader, an adult can stand with her back to
the circle and turn the music on and off. When the music stops whoever is
holding the potato is out.
29. Ice Cube melt
Divide the children into 2 teams and arrange them in a row. The first player on
each team is given an ice cube. The child must rub the ice cubes in his hands
for as long as he can trying to melt the cube. He then passes it to the next child
on his team. This continues until one team melts their ice cube and they are the
winner.
30. Jump the Stream
Arrange 2 jump ropes parallel to each other on the grass a couple of inches
apart. The children each take a turn jumping over the stream. Once all children
have jumped, move the jump ropes apart a little more. Each child again jumps
over the steam. If a child misses and lands in the water, they are out.

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31. Limbo
Have 2 adults each hold a side of a rope. Beginning at childrens shoulder level,
allow the children to one at a time pass under the rope by bending backward.
After each child has taken a turn lower the rope. The one who can limbo the
lowest wins!
32. Memory Game
Place a variety of 15 - 20 objects on a tray. Cover the tray with a cloth. Have the
children all sit in a circle. Place the tray in the middle of the circle for all children
to see. Remove the cover. The children have 60 seconds to look at all objects
on the tray. Cover the tray and remove from circle. The children must write
down as many objects as they can remember that were on the tray. The winner
is the one who remembered the most items.
33. Mother may I (or Father may I, or whatever fits your party theme!)
Line all children up on a start line and put one child on the finish line who is
Mother. Mother will then tell each child, one at a time, to take one giant step
forward or do 3 spins forward or take 2 baby steps forward. That player must
then say Mother May I? Mother then gives permission to take the steps. If a
child forgets to say, mother may I? then that child must return to the start line.
The first child to cross the finish line wins and gets to be the Mother next.
34. Mummies
Divide the children into teams of 3 players. Give each a roll of toilet paper and a
roll of Scotch tape. Two of the children must wrap their third teammate, the
mummy, with the roll of toilet paper as fast as they can. The winning team is the
one who has the best-wrapped mummy. Remind the children to just wrap the
mummies bodies and not their faces.
35. Musical Chairs
Arrange chairs in a line with every chair facing a different direction than the one
next to it. There should be one less chair than children. As the music starts, the
children march around the chairs in a circle. When the music stops, each child
should quickly find a seat. Who ever is left without a seat is out. For the next
round another chair is removed. This continues with each round having one less
chair than child. The child who is left sitting at the end wins!
Variation: Tape an inflated balloon to the seat of each chair. As the
children sit, they must pop the balloon!

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36. Musical Shapes

To prepare for the game, cut out of construction paper large shapes and place
around the floor. This game is played just like musical chairs but instead of
sitting on chairs the children must find a spot on a shape.
37. Noahs Ark
To play this game children are each given the name of an animal. For younger
children you can whisper the name of the animal and for older children you can
give a slip of paper with the animals name written down. Let the children know
that another child has the same animal as they do. They must ask each other
questions to determine who their matching animal friend is.
38. Obstacle course
This game is best played outside. Set up an obstacle course in your yard. You
can get very creative with the things you have on hand to design a course. Time
the children running through the course and give a prize to the child with the
fastest time.
39. Octopus
Designate 2 lines about 30 feet apart. Choose one child to be the octopus. She
stands in the middle of the 2 lines while the other children, the little fish, stand on
one of the lines. To begin the Octopus yells, Swim and all the little fish must
run across the ocean to the other line. The Octopus tries to tag the little fish as
they swim across the ocean. Any fish that are tagged become a tentacle of the
Octopus by holding hands. The game continues until the last little fish to be
caught is the winner.
40. Party guest
This game is played with 4 children at a time while the others watch. Three of
the children playing are given a piece of paper on which is written a description of
a person or a character from a book or movie. A fourth person is the host of the
party. As the guests enter the party they must act like the person described on
the paper. The host child must try to guess what each guest represents. Some
ideas might be: Peter Pan, a stunt man, a person who has just parachuted in

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41. Pass the Package

Wrap a gift (such as a chocolate bar) in a layer of newspaper. Continue
wrapping the gift over and over until you have about 15 layers. (or more if you
have a lot of children) To finish it off wrap the final layer in pretty gift paper.
Have the children sit in a circle and begin to play music. When the music stops,
the person holding the package removes one and only one layer of wrapping.
Continue until the last layer of wrapping paper has been removed. The winner
keeps the gift. For younger children, have a gift for everyone.
42. Pick up Quarters
Children are each given a bucket of various coins (or children may take turns
with one bucket). Then each child must put on a pair of mittens. The child then
has 30 seconds to reach into the bucket and take out as many coins, one at a
time, as they are able. Whoever picks out the most money wins.
43. Piata
Before the party, buy a piata and stuff it with candy or other goodies. The
children take turns hitting the piata with a stick or bat until the piata breaks.
Variations for older children: Blindfold the children so they arent able to see the
piata they are trying to hit. You can also tie the piata so that it can be raised or
lowered as the children attempt to hit it
44. Pin the tail on the donkey
A large picture of a donkey (who is missing a tail) is attached to a wall. Give
each child a tail with tape on one side. Blindfold the children, spin and let them
try to pin the tail on the donkey. Who ever pins the tail closest to the correct
place wins. You may vary this traditional and well-loved game to fit the theme of
your party. For example you may want to pin the spots on the Dalmatian, or pin
the nose on the clown.
45. Red light/ green light
All children all lined up on a starting line. One child who is chosen to be it
stands on the finish line. It shuts his eyes and calls out green light. At this
signal, the other children begin to run towards the finish line. Then it calls red
light and opens his eyes. The other players, when they hear red light must
freeze. The first child to reach the finish line wins and gets to be it next time.

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46. Red Rover

Divide the children into 2 teams. Each teams makes a line by holding hands and
stretching the line out. The two teams are arranged facing each other about 20
feet apart. One team begins by saying, Red Rover, Red Rover, send (childs
name on other team) over. The child whose name was called runs from his line
and tries to break through the hands of the children on the other team. If he
successfully breaks through he then chooses one opponent to take back to his
team with him. If he does not break through he must stay on the opposing team.
The team to get the most players wins.
47. Ring Toss
Younger children: Prepare by decorating 2 big boxes. Divide children into 2
teams and line them up a short distance from the boxes. Using a hula hoop the
children toss the hoop around the box. Allow each child three tries to toss the
hoop around the box. The team that gets the most hoops around the boxes wins!
Older children: Make a rings by cutting the center our of paper plates. Fill
2 liter soda bottles with water. Divide the children into 2 teams and have
each child take turns ringing the bottles. The team that gets the most
rings wins!
48. Sack Race
For this race, use kitchen trash bags. Line up the children with each standing in
a trash bag. Make a finish line about 20-25 feet away. When the kids are ready,
yell go and have the children jump in their bags towards the finish line. The first
child to cross the finish line wins.
49. Scavenger Hunt
Divide the kids into teams. You can vary the amount of teams and players on a
team according to how many kids you have. Make a list of 25 30 items. The
teams must go and collect all the items on the list and report back in one hour.
The winning team is the one that returns with everything on the list.
50. Scoop Game
Prior to the party you must prepare your scoops by cutting the bottom out of
gallon milk containers. To play the game, pair the children up and each pair
stands facing each other about a foot apart. Using the scoop, the child tosses
the bean bag to his partner. The partner must catch it with her scoop. All teams
that successfully catch the beanbag must then take a step backward to separate
themselves farther apart. The game continues until you have one team that
hasnt missed!

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51. Shoe game

This is a great game for toddlers and preschoolers. The children each remove
one of their shoes and put them in a big pile. The children are then taken to
another room and told to sit quietly. An adult then hides each of the shoes
around the room. The children then come in the room and find their own shoe.
52. Simon Says
This is a classic game that children love. One person is chosen to be Simon.
Simon stands in front of the children and gives directions. When Simon says,
Simon says (jump up and down), the children must do what Simon says. But
when Simon just says, Jump up and down (without saying Simon Says) the
children should not do it. Whoever makes a mistake is out. The winner is the
last one left.
53. Sleeping Bear
Arrange the children on the floor sitting in a circle. Choose one child to be the
bear. The bear sits in the middle of the circle. A small cup is placed in front of
the bear and the bear is blindfolded. One child is selected to sneak up and steal
the bears honey pot. The child must then hide the cup in her lap. The bear gets
3 guesses to figure out which child stole her honey. The children then change
places and the honey stealer becomes the bear. Repeat until all children have a
turn to be the bear.
54. Stations
Arrange children sitting in chairs in a circle. Give each child a card with a station
name on it. One child, the conductor, stands in the middle of the circle with a list
of all the stations. The conductor then calls off two station names from the list.
The children who are the called out stations have to change places quickly,
before the conductor can get to one of their chairs. Who ever is left without a
chair is the conductor for the next game.
55. Statues
Begin by having the children dance to music. When the music stops the children
must freeze like statues. Anyone who moves is out. The last statue left is the
winner.

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56. Switch
Divide the children into 2 teams. Team 1 stands in front of team 2 for 1 minute
so that team 2 can carefully look at how team 1 is dressed. Team 1 then goes
into a different room and each person on the team switches various articles of
clothing or accessories with each other. Team 1 then returns to team 2 and team
2 must guess all of the switches, which have been made. The game is repeated
with team 2. The team that guessed the most switches is the winner.
57. Telephone
Sit the children down in a circle. To begin, whisper a long phrase to one person.
They, in turn, whisper what they heard to the next person, and so on. The last
person announces what they heard.
Variation: The first player draws an object on a piece of paper. The
second player is allowed to view it for 10 seconds, and then draws the
similar object on his sheet of paper, shows it to the third etc. The players
then compare the first drawing with the last.
58. Three legged race
Divide the children into teams. Arrange each team side by side on the
starting line and designate a finishing line 25 feet or so away. As the
teams stand side by side holding hands, their adjacent ankles are tied
together. When the whistle blows, the teams make their way to the finish
line. The first to cross wins!
59. Treasure Hunt
Children love to collect things making this game a favorite at parties. Give
children their own bag or basket. A scavenger hunt works much like an Easter
egg hunt. The children go in search of the hidden treasures. Some ideas are:
coins, candy, or prizes.
60. Tunnel Tag
One child is it. They must try to tag the other children. If a child is tagged, they
must freeze, standing up, with their feet apart. The only way that they can
become free is if someone crawls through their legs. The game is over when all
of the children have been tagged and there is no one left to tunnel through. The
first person tagged is then it.

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61. Tug of War

This is a classic game. Divide the children into 2 evenly matched teams. Using
a rope the children grab hold and must as a team try to pull the other team
across a designated line.
62. Twenty questions
One child is chosen to be it. It must think of an animal, vegetable, mineral,
etc. and write it down on a piece of paper. The children then one at a time can
ask 20 questions to find out what it wrote down. The children are only allowed
to ask yes or no questions. Whoever correctly guesses the answer gets to be
it.
63. Unwrap the gum
Give each child a pair of mittens and a piece of individually wrapped Bazooka
bubble gum. At go the children must unwrap their piece of gum while wearing
the mittens and chew it quickly. The first child to blow a bubble wins.
64. Water Balloon Toss
Have water balloons prepared ahead of time. Pair the children up. If you have an
uneven number of children then an adult will have to stand in. To begin, the
children stand facing their partner with one of them holding a balloon. They all
toss their balloons to their partner. If they catch the balloon then they each must
take one step backwards making the distance between them greater. If the
balloon pops the team is out. The game continues until there is a winning team.
65. Water Relay Race #1
The object of this game is to fill a glass of water. Line up children in two even
rows (four players on each side). The first child in line dips a cup in the bucket of
water and then carefully runs to an empty bucket 10 feet away. He then runs
back and gives the empty cup to the next child in line. This child then dips the
cup in the bucket of water and then carefully runs to the bucket. The first team
who finishes with the most water in the bucket wins!
Variation for older children: Instead of using a cup, use a spoon.

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66. Water Relay Race #2

Divide the children into 2 teams and arrange them in a line. Place a bucket of
water in front of the first child in line on each team and a bucket in front of the last
child on each team. Give each child in line a small cup. The object is to transfer
the water from the first bucket to the last bucket by passing from cup to cup. The
first player in line dips his cup into the water bucket then pours the water from his
cup into the next child in lines cup. The last child in line then dumps his water
into the last bucket. The first team to finish emptying the first bucket into the last
bucket with the most water wins!
Variation for older children: Instead of giving each child a cup to transfer water,
give each child a spoon.
67. Whats my line
One child is chosen to leave the room while all other children sit on the floor in a
circle. While the one child is away the other children must decide what she
should be when she returns. Then when the child returns she will ask of the
group, what do I have to buy for myself For example, if they decide that she
should be a ballerina the first person may answer, ballet shoes or a tutu. This
continues all the way around the circle with each child naming something
different the ballerina should buy. When all children have had a turn, she must
then try to guess who she is.
68. What is it??
Arrange the children in a circle. Put several small items into a brown paper sack.
Pass the sack around the circle and let each child take turns feeling the objects.
Once all children have felt the objects they must either write down or whisper to
the leader what the objects were. Whoever gets the most objects right, wins.
69. Whats that smell
Fill paper bags with various smelly items. Some ideas are coffee beans,
oranges, cheese, etc. Pass the bags around the circle and let the kids smell
without looking inside the bag. Whoever gets the most smells right, wins.
70. Wheelbarrow
Pair up the children and line the pairs up at the starting line. The goal is to race
the wheelbarrow to the finish line which is designated 30 feet or so away. To
make a wheelbarrow, one child gets down on all fours while her partner stands in
back of her and carefully lifts up her legs while the first child supports herself with
her hands.

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71. Whistling Crackers

Give each child 3 saltine crackers. When you say go, the children must eat the
crackers as fast as they can. The first one who is able to whistle wins!

72. Who am I
This is a good game to play as children arrive to a party. A piece of paper is
pinned to the back of each child. On the paper is the name of a character or
famous person. The child will then go around to other guests and ask them
questions to find out the name of their character or person. The questions must
only be questions that can be answered with a yes or no answer. At the end of
the allotted time, the children must each guess who they are.
Variation with younger children: Instead of using the name of a character
or person, tape the picture of a farm animal or object.

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