Birthday Games for a Kid's Party

Whether you plan a grand affair with many guests or a small backyard event, the birthday party games make a kid’s party feel special. Before planning children’s party activities, consider the number of guests, their ages and the setting of the party. You want a variety of party games that will engage your guests and keep the mood festive.

Function

Kids’ party games tend to focus on fun rather than skills. In Guess Who, children wear papers taped to their backs that have the names of mystery animals or cartoon characters written on them. They must ask other guests questions about their identity to determine their mystery identity. In Statues, children dance to music and then freeze like statues when the music stops. In Baby I Love You, a leader engages in antics to get players to smile or laugh. Players must respond, “Baby, I love you, but you just can’t make me smile.”

Types

While many classic birthday party games, like Duck Duck Goose and Musical Chairs, are active, others are quieter. In Telephone, people whisper a secret message around the circle to hear how the message changes when it reaches the last person. Other mellower party games include charades and Doggy, Doggy Where’s Your Bone. Try a cooperative game, like Boola Boola, in which a leader tries to find a hidden object. The group sings “Boola Boola” louder as the leader gets closer to the object, and softer as the leader gets further away from the object.

Time Frame

Preschool and young primary grade children only stick with a party game for about 10 or 15 minutes, unless you throw in some variations. Older children and teens may stick with a game far longer, for up to a few hours if they share an interest in the game, such as a murder mystery dramatization.

Benefits

Children’s birthday party games make the event more festive. Give games a special twist, such as playing Simon Says at a rapid speed or playing catch with water balloons.

Warning

Younger children have a difficult time with competitive sports and games. Make everyone feel like a winner by awarding prizes to all players. Mix up competitive games with unstructured activities, such as arts and crafts, cooking projects, building sand castles, finger painting or dressing up in costumes and taking photographs.