Most children look forward to birthday parties with great anticipation. You can’t go wrong when you put together a party with a little sugar, a few presents and a lot of friends. Add some games into the mix, and you have a recipe for fun. Boys and girls like many of the same games. In particular, due to hormonal differences, boys enjoy games that have a lot of movement, according to Brainy Child. The best games are ones that match the theme of the party, are creative, and let everyone be a winner.
Ages and Stages
The first thing to consider when choosing birthday party games for boys is the ages and stages of the guests. Young children have very short attention spans, according to Louise McCauley’s article, “The Developmental Assessment of Young Children,” published in the web-based Priory Medical Journals. For that reason, birthday party games that involve children under the age of 7 should have rules that are easy to understand. In addition, the games should not involve long waiting periods. For example, any game that makes each child wait a long time for his turn is not a good idea for this age group.
Winners and Losers
Consider also the temperaments of your young guests. Some may not be mature enough to handle losing gracefully. Boys, in general, can be quite competitive. It might be a good idea to plan games that allow everyone to win, rather than having just one winner and a lot of depressed, sore losers. Of course, if the boys are older children or teens, you can probably go ahead and play more competitive games that feature a clear winner.
Creative Play
Boys love to play pretend and be creative. Instead of planning regimented games with complex sets of rules, try choosing games that can be changed or adapted by the boys themselves. Most boys love to make up games, and they might be thrilled to be able to create their own fun. Give them a box of water balloons, some grass chalk and a few balls and set them loose in the yard. Be sure to hang around and troubleshoot in case the kids can’t agree on their rules, however.
Match the Theme
One surefire way to make your birthday party games a success is to choose games that match the theme of the party. A pirate-themed party, for example, is not nearly as fun without a treasure hunt. Or, hand each guest a foam sword and have a “sword fight” competition. A sports-themed party should feature some fun sports games, such as beach ball volleyball, or a rousing game of whiffleball.
Ideas
Many games can be adapted to fit any boys’ birthday party theme. Scavenger hunts, for example, are a great way to get the boys out hunting for items. If the weather is bad, hold the scavenger hunt at a local shopping mall. Give each group of boys a digital camera so they can take pictures of the items on the list rather than having to collect each item. Obstacle courses and relays are also popular with boys, and the sillier, the better. Try setting up fun or messy obstacles on the course, such as a toddler pool filled with slime, and then make the boys crawl through it.
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