CHILDREN'S PARTY GAMES
APPLE BOBBING
Fill a large bowl or tub with water, and place apples in it. The apples will float. The aim of the game is to catch an apple using your teeth. Use of hands is not allowed. There are variations: You can do it so the person that gets an apple wins / the shortest time to get an apple wins / the person that gets the most apples wins.
BALLOON CHALLENGE
Everyone loves to pop a balloon. Write fun tasks or challenges on pieces of paper, put them inside balloons before inflating them, and then have the children pop the balloons to reveal the tasks they need to complete.
BALLOON RACE
The game begins with the first person in a line passing the balloon under their legs to the person standing behind them. The balloon should go under the first person's legs and over the second person's head. The second person then passes the balloon under their legs to the third person, and so on. If the balloon falls to the ground, the game can either continue from where it left off or start from the beginning again. The winners are the first team to get the ball to the end of the line.
BALLOON UP
Keep the balloon in the air by batting it upwards for as long as you can without it touching the ground. The winner is the one who keeps it up the longest. This game can also be tweaked by adding in things such as tying one hand behind a player's back or playing with two balloons.
BEAN BAG TOSS
Create targets with different points awarded for the different targets. Everyone takes a turn throwing bean bags or small balls to score points. The winner is the one with the most points.
BINGO
Create bingo cards with pictures or words related to the party theme and call out the items. The children mark their cards when they match the called items. The winner is the one to complete their card first.
BRITISH BULLDOG
Mark two safe zones at opposite ends of the playing area.The aim of the game is for one or a few players - the 'Bulldogs' to catch the other players - the 'Runners' as they attempt to run from one safe zone to another. The Bulldogs stand in the middle of the playing area. The runners try to run from one safe zone to the other without getting tagged by the Bulldogs. Once a Runner is tagged by a Bulldog, they become a Bulldog themselves. The winner is the last runner remaining.
CHARADES
Players act out a word or phrase without speaking, and the other players must guess what is being portrayed. Points are gained for guessing the correct answer in a certain amount of time / guesses.
Fill a large bowl or tub with water, and place apples in it. The apples will float. The aim of the game is to catch an apple using your teeth. Use of hands is not allowed. There are variations: You can do it so the person that gets an apple wins / the shortest time to get an apple wins / the person that gets the most apples wins.
BALLOON CHALLENGE
Everyone loves to pop a balloon. Write fun tasks or challenges on pieces of paper, put them inside balloons before inflating them, and then have the children pop the balloons to reveal the tasks they need to complete.
BALLOON RACE
The game begins with the first person in a line passing the balloon under their legs to the person standing behind them. The balloon should go under the first person's legs and over the second person's head. The second person then passes the balloon under their legs to the third person, and so on. If the balloon falls to the ground, the game can either continue from where it left off or start from the beginning again. The winners are the first team to get the ball to the end of the line.
BALLOON UP
Keep the balloon in the air by batting it upwards for as long as you can without it touching the ground. The winner is the one who keeps it up the longest. This game can also be tweaked by adding in things such as tying one hand behind a player's back or playing with two balloons.
BEAN BAG TOSS
Create targets with different points awarded for the different targets. Everyone takes a turn throwing bean bags or small balls to score points. The winner is the one with the most points.
BINGO
Create bingo cards with pictures or words related to the party theme and call out the items. The children mark their cards when they match the called items. The winner is the one to complete their card first.
BRITISH BULLDOG
Mark two safe zones at opposite ends of the playing area.The aim of the game is for one or a few players - the 'Bulldogs' to catch the other players - the 'Runners' as they attempt to run from one safe zone to another. The Bulldogs stand in the middle of the playing area. The runners try to run from one safe zone to the other without getting tagged by the Bulldogs. Once a Runner is tagged by a Bulldog, they become a Bulldog themselves. The winner is the last runner remaining.
CHARADES
Players act out a word or phrase without speaking, and the other players must guess what is being portrayed. Points are gained for guessing the correct answer in a certain amount of time / guesses.
DUCK DUCK GOOSE
A picker is chosen. The Picker walks round the the circle, tapping players and saying "Duck" for each one. At any point, the Picker can choose a player by saying "Goose" instead of "Duck." When the word "Goose" is chosen, the player who was tapped as the "Goose" must quickly get up and chase the Picker around the circle. The Picker must run around the circle and try to reach the vacant spot where the Goose was sitting before being tagged by the Goose. If the Picker is tagged, they become the Goose for the next round, and the game continues. If the Picker is successful in taking the Goose's spot, the Goose must return to the outside of the circle and become the new Picker for the next round.
EGG AND SPOON RACE
Eggs (hard-boiled or raw, depending on your preference). Competitors line up at the starting line, each with an egg balanced on the spoon. On the signal to start (e.g., "On your marks, get set, go!"), the racers begin to walk or run from the starting line to the finish line while balancing the egg on the spoon.
If a participant drops the egg, they must stop and retrieve it before continuing. The winner is the person who crosses the finish line first.
GRANDMOTHER'S FOOTSTEPS
The objective of the game is for the other players to sneak up on the Grandmother and touch her without being caught. The Grandmother starts the game by saying, "Grandmother's footsteps." At this point, the other players are allowed to move towards her, but they can only do so when her back is turned.
The Grandmother can randomly turn around at any moment - all the other players must immediately freeze and not move. If the Grandmother catches any of the other players moving when she turns around those players must return to the starting point. The winner is the person who manages to touch the Grandmother without being caught. That player then becomes the Grandmother for the next round.
HIDE AND SEEK
While the seeker counts, the hiders find hiding spots. After finishing the countdown, the seeker announces, "Ready or not, here I come!" and begins searching for the hidden players. The seeker tries to find the hiders by exploring the play area and finding their hiding spots. The game continues until all the hiders are found. The winner is the last person hiding found.
HOT POTATO
The game involves passing an object quickly around a circle of players while music plays. When the music stops, the player holding the "hot potato" is out. The winner is the last person left.
MEMORY
In this game, players are shown a collection of objects for a short period, and then they have to recall as many of those objects as possible. Give the players a set amount of time (typically 1-2 minutes) to observe and memorize the objects. The players then take turns naming or writing down as many of the objects as they can remember. The player with the most correct answers or the highest number of objects remembered wins.
MINUTE TO WIN IT
Complete a challenge in a minute to win. Challenge ideas:
A picker is chosen. The Picker walks round the the circle, tapping players and saying "Duck" for each one. At any point, the Picker can choose a player by saying "Goose" instead of "Duck." When the word "Goose" is chosen, the player who was tapped as the "Goose" must quickly get up and chase the Picker around the circle. The Picker must run around the circle and try to reach the vacant spot where the Goose was sitting before being tagged by the Goose. If the Picker is tagged, they become the Goose for the next round, and the game continues. If the Picker is successful in taking the Goose's spot, the Goose must return to the outside of the circle and become the new Picker for the next round.
EGG AND SPOON RACE
Eggs (hard-boiled or raw, depending on your preference). Competitors line up at the starting line, each with an egg balanced on the spoon. On the signal to start (e.g., "On your marks, get set, go!"), the racers begin to walk or run from the starting line to the finish line while balancing the egg on the spoon.
If a participant drops the egg, they must stop and retrieve it before continuing. The winner is the person who crosses the finish line first.
GRANDMOTHER'S FOOTSTEPS
The objective of the game is for the other players to sneak up on the Grandmother and touch her without being caught. The Grandmother starts the game by saying, "Grandmother's footsteps." At this point, the other players are allowed to move towards her, but they can only do so when her back is turned.
The Grandmother can randomly turn around at any moment - all the other players must immediately freeze and not move. If the Grandmother catches any of the other players moving when she turns around those players must return to the starting point. The winner is the person who manages to touch the Grandmother without being caught. That player then becomes the Grandmother for the next round.
HIDE AND SEEK
While the seeker counts, the hiders find hiding spots. After finishing the countdown, the seeker announces, "Ready or not, here I come!" and begins searching for the hidden players. The seeker tries to find the hiders by exploring the play area and finding their hiding spots. The game continues until all the hiders are found. The winner is the last person hiding found.
HOT POTATO
The game involves passing an object quickly around a circle of players while music plays. When the music stops, the player holding the "hot potato" is out. The winner is the last person left.
MEMORY
In this game, players are shown a collection of objects for a short period, and then they have to recall as many of those objects as possible. Give the players a set amount of time (typically 1-2 minutes) to observe and memorize the objects. The players then take turns naming or writing down as many of the objects as they can remember. The player with the most correct answers or the highest number of objects remembered wins.
MINUTE TO WIN IT
Complete a challenge in a minute to win. Challenge ideas:
- Cookie Face: Players place a cookie on their forehead and, without using their hands, must move it down to their mouth and eat it within one minute.
- Stack Challenge: Players must stack a set number of plastic cups into a pyramid and then carefully disassemble them back into a single stack in under a minute.
- Balloon Pop: Players must blow up and burst balloons using only their bodies (squeezing, sitting, or stomping) in a minute.
- Empty The Box: Players wear a tissue box filled with ping pong balls (or other small objects) around their waist and must shake, wiggle, or dance to empty the box within one minute.
- Paper Plane Challenge: Players must throw paper airplanes, attempting to get one of them to land inside a designated target area within a minute.
- Chopstick and Ping Pong Ball: Players use chopsticks to pick up and move ping pong balls from one location to another within a minute.
MUSICAL BUMPS
When the music begins, the children start dancing and moving around the space. When the music stops, the children must try to sit down on the ground as quickly as possible. The last person to sit will be out. The winner is the last one remaining.
MUSICAL CHAIRS
Arrange chairs in a circle, with one less chair than there are children. Play music, and when it stops, the children must find a chair to sit in. The child left standing is out, and one chair is removed for the next round. The last child remaining is the winner.
MUSICAL STATUES
Play music and have the children dance. When the music stops, they must freeze in place. Anyone who keeps moving is out. The winner is the last one remaining.
OBSTACLE COURSE
Set up a series of physical challenges or obstacles in your backyard or living room for the kids to navigate. This can include crawling through tunnels, jumping over hurdles, or balancing on a line.
PASS THE PARCEL
An all-time favourite. Multiple wrapped items in one big parcel. Each time the music stops you get to unwrap another layer.Wrap a small prize in layers of gift wrap, with a small prize in each layer. Sit the kids in a circle and play music. When the music stops, the child holding the parcel unwraps one layer. Continue until the final prize is revealed.
PICTIONARY
The game involves players trying to convey specific words or phrases to their team by drawing pictures. The player's team tries to guess what the word or phrase is while the drawer is drawing. They can shout out guesses at any time. The winning team are the ones with the most rounds won.
PIN THE TAIL ON THE DONKEY
Blindfold the child, spin them around, and have them try to pin a tail with a drawing pin / tack on a picture of a donkey. The winner is the on with the tail closest to the right spot.
When the music begins, the children start dancing and moving around the space. When the music stops, the children must try to sit down on the ground as quickly as possible. The last person to sit will be out. The winner is the last one remaining.
MUSICAL CHAIRS
Arrange chairs in a circle, with one less chair than there are children. Play music, and when it stops, the children must find a chair to sit in. The child left standing is out, and one chair is removed for the next round. The last child remaining is the winner.
MUSICAL STATUES
Play music and have the children dance. When the music stops, they must freeze in place. Anyone who keeps moving is out. The winner is the last one remaining.
OBSTACLE COURSE
Set up a series of physical challenges or obstacles in your backyard or living room for the kids to navigate. This can include crawling through tunnels, jumping over hurdles, or balancing on a line.
PASS THE PARCEL
An all-time favourite. Multiple wrapped items in one big parcel. Each time the music stops you get to unwrap another layer.Wrap a small prize in layers of gift wrap, with a small prize in each layer. Sit the kids in a circle and play music. When the music stops, the child holding the parcel unwraps one layer. Continue until the final prize is revealed.
PICTIONARY
The game involves players trying to convey specific words or phrases to their team by drawing pictures. The player's team tries to guess what the word or phrase is while the drawer is drawing. They can shout out guesses at any time. The winning team are the ones with the most rounds won.
PIN THE TAIL ON THE DONKEY
Blindfold the child, spin them around, and have them try to pin a tail with a drawing pin / tack on a picture of a donkey. The winner is the on with the tail closest to the right spot.
PINATA
Fill a piñata with sweets and treats and hang it up. Blindfold the kids one at a time, and let them take turns trying to break it open to release the treats.
SARDINES
In Sardines, one person hides, and the others try to find the hider. When a seeker finds the hider, they hide with the hider in the same hiding spot, creating a group of hiders. The game continues until only one seeker is left, who then becomes the hider in the next round.
SLEEPING LIONS / DEAD FISHES
The zookeepers stand in the play area, while the sleeping lions lie down on the floor or ground, close their eyes, and pretend to be asleep. The lions should remain as still as possible, with no noise or movement. The zookeepers' goal is to catch the lions moving. To do this, the zookeepers walk around and carefully observe the sleeping lions. If they see a lion move, that lion is out. The winner is the last lion left sleeping.
SIMON SAYS
Choose one child to be "Simon," and they give commands such as "Simon says touch your toes" or "Simon says hop on one foot." If Simon doesn't say "Simon says" before the command, anyone who follows the instruction is out. The winner is the last player left in.
SQUEAK PIGGY SQUEAK
A player is chosen as the 'farmer'. The other players are the 'piggies' and they sit in a circle. The farmer is blindfolded and stands in the middle with another player who spins them around to disorientate them. The spinner then leads the farmer to any of the seated players and helps them sit on the seated person’s lap. The blindfolded player when seated asks the player who they are sitting on to “Squeak Piggy, Squeak”. The player has to reply by squeaking or make a piggy sound but in a disguised voice. If the farmer guesses correctly the piggy becomes the farmer in the next round. If he does not guess correctly he gets spun again and has another go. Game variation:if the farmer guesses correctly the piggy is out and the farmer becomes a piggy. The eliminated piggy chooses another piggy to become farmer and the game continue until there are only the farmer and one piggy left. These two players are the winners.
THREE-LEGGED RACE
The objective is for each pair to run or walk together while keeping their inside legs tied together. The first pair to cross the finish line is the winner.
TREASURE HUNT
Create a treasure map with clues that lead to a hidden treasure or prizes. The children follow the clues to find the treasure.
WHAT'S THE TIME MR / MRS WOLF
A player is chosen to be Mr. Wolf. Mr. Wolf stands at one end of the playing area with his back to the other players. The players say "What's the time, Mr. Wolf?" and Mr Wolf will say a time, such as "It's four o'clock!" After giving this time, the other players will then take that many steps, counting them aloud as they go ("One, two, three, four"). Then they ask the question again. When Mr Wolf is ready (usually when the other players are getting close), he changes his answer to the question, “What’s the time, Mr Wolf?” to “It's Dinnertime!”. When Mr/Mrs Wolf says this, all of the players must turn around and race back to the starting position with Mr Wolf chasing after them to try and catch his dinner. The player who is caught becomes the next Mr Wolf and the game continues.
Fill a piñata with sweets and treats and hang it up. Blindfold the kids one at a time, and let them take turns trying to break it open to release the treats.
SARDINES
In Sardines, one person hides, and the others try to find the hider. When a seeker finds the hider, they hide with the hider in the same hiding spot, creating a group of hiders. The game continues until only one seeker is left, who then becomes the hider in the next round.
SLEEPING LIONS / DEAD FISHES
The zookeepers stand in the play area, while the sleeping lions lie down on the floor or ground, close their eyes, and pretend to be asleep. The lions should remain as still as possible, with no noise or movement. The zookeepers' goal is to catch the lions moving. To do this, the zookeepers walk around and carefully observe the sleeping lions. If they see a lion move, that lion is out. The winner is the last lion left sleeping.
SIMON SAYS
Choose one child to be "Simon," and they give commands such as "Simon says touch your toes" or "Simon says hop on one foot." If Simon doesn't say "Simon says" before the command, anyone who follows the instruction is out. The winner is the last player left in.
SQUEAK PIGGY SQUEAK
A player is chosen as the 'farmer'. The other players are the 'piggies' and they sit in a circle. The farmer is blindfolded and stands in the middle with another player who spins them around to disorientate them. The spinner then leads the farmer to any of the seated players and helps them sit on the seated person’s lap. The blindfolded player when seated asks the player who they are sitting on to “Squeak Piggy, Squeak”. The player has to reply by squeaking or make a piggy sound but in a disguised voice. If the farmer guesses correctly the piggy becomes the farmer in the next round. If he does not guess correctly he gets spun again and has another go. Game variation:if the farmer guesses correctly the piggy is out and the farmer becomes a piggy. The eliminated piggy chooses another piggy to become farmer and the game continue until there are only the farmer and one piggy left. These two players are the winners.
THREE-LEGGED RACE
The objective is for each pair to run or walk together while keeping their inside legs tied together. The first pair to cross the finish line is the winner.
TREASURE HUNT
Create a treasure map with clues that lead to a hidden treasure or prizes. The children follow the clues to find the treasure.
WHAT'S THE TIME MR / MRS WOLF
A player is chosen to be Mr. Wolf. Mr. Wolf stands at one end of the playing area with his back to the other players. The players say "What's the time, Mr. Wolf?" and Mr Wolf will say a time, such as "It's four o'clock!" After giving this time, the other players will then take that many steps, counting them aloud as they go ("One, two, three, four"). Then they ask the question again. When Mr Wolf is ready (usually when the other players are getting close), he changes his answer to the question, “What’s the time, Mr Wolf?” to “It's Dinnertime!”. When Mr/Mrs Wolf says this, all of the players must turn around and race back to the starting position with Mr Wolf chasing after them to try and catch his dinner. The player who is caught becomes the next Mr Wolf and the game continues.
CRAFTING IDEAS
Bear Making Kits
Crystal Mosaic Bangles
Design a Denim Shoulder Bag
Make A Friendship Bracelet
Make A Mosaic
Make A Necklace
Pom Pom Birds
Sand Art Bottles
Snap Bracelet Kits
Sun Print Paper
Teddy Making Kit
Wand Craft Kit
GAME IDEAS
Giant Jenga
Bear Making Kits
Crystal Mosaic Bangles
Design a Denim Shoulder Bag
Make A Friendship Bracelet
Make A Mosaic
Make A Necklace
Pom Pom Birds
Sand Art Bottles
Snap Bracelet Kits
Sun Print Paper
Teddy Making Kit
Wand Craft Kit
GAME IDEAS
Giant Jenga