You have the cake, party packs, decorations, and balloons ready – all you need to plan for your child’s party are the party games!
There are so many party games for kids out there that will keep them busy and entertained, but trying to remember some can be tricky when you’ve got so much else to plan.
To make party planning a little easier for you, we’ve found the best kid’s party games for all ages, so take a read-through and pick out the games you think would be best for your kid’s party!
The best way to keep kids entertained is to have a large variety of games, from indoor to outdoor party games (space permitting), so they don’t get too bored with a particular one.
There are a lot of fun party games, but keeping kids entertained can feel like a full-time job!
So go through this list, pick out some of your favorites (at least three to five!), and have one of the most fun children’s parties imaginable!
Kids Party Games
Balloon Pop
Every kid’s party needs balloons! And why not get another use out of them with this classic birthday party game.
Popping balloons, while loud, is always such fun! You will likely have a few balloons left over that you can use after decorating.
Balloon Pop is a straightforward game, but it will definitely be a favorite for the kids. Before blowing balloons up, pop a small prize in there, such as a candy or a small toy, and then blow the balloon up and tie it securely.
When it is time to play, each child gets a balloon with a prize, and they need to try to pop the balloon open to get their prize, but they can only pop the balloon by sitting on it!
Try this one at your next birthday party and let us know how it goes!
Musical Statues
Musical Statues is a classic game that never goes out of fashion! It is also suitable for just about any age party, and the kids will have fun playing no matter how young or old they are.
For Musical Statues, you will need to have some way of playing music, such as a Bluetooth speaker, and someone controlling the music.
All the kids need to stand in the center of the room, and when the music is playing, they need to dance and move around as much as possible.
When the person controlling the music hits pause, everyone needs to stop and stand as still as a statue.
The person, or people, that move first, are out of the game. The remaining kids keep dancing and pausing until a winner is left!
Such a fun birthday party game that gets the kids moving and laughing nonstop!
My daughters always had a great time playing this game!
Scavenger Hunt
A scavenger hunt (or treasure hunt) does take some planning beforehand, but it will be worth it in the end as they are so much fun!
You will have to make the scavenger hunt age-appropriate for the kids, so consider whether they can read on their own yet, what clues they will understand, and how long to make the scavenger hunt.
Set up clues and treats around the house and yard; get the kids to work in teams or as one group. They need to find each clue until they get to the hidden treasure.
If you’re looking for outdoor party games, you absolutely have to include a treasure hunt.
Obstacle Course
As far as party games for kids go, this is one of my absolute favorites! I’ve even had adult party guests want to partake in this outdoor game.
Obstacle courses are a great idea for a kid’s party, as you can use items you have at home already, and it can keep the kids busy for quite some time.
You can make obstacle courses indoors, but they are best suited for outdoor parties where there is more space.
Set up hula-hoops to jump into, small climbing obstacles, and sack races, for kids to do as a team. It could either be competitive for older kids or just a fun obstacle challenge for younger ones.
There are many different obstacles you can set up, but just be sure to make them age appropriate.
This is a classic game for a reason! Everyone loves a good scavenger hunt.
Elephant March
Elephant March is one of those games that will have everyone in stitches from laughter! It is a super simple game to set up and you will most likely have everything you need sitting in the cupboard and recycling at home already.
To play Elephant March, kids place a pantyhose on their heads, with a tennis ball hanging at the bottom (where the foot goes.)
You then set up bottles on the floor and the kids need to move their heads around to knock the bottles over using the ball in the pantyhose.
You will need to shorten the pantyhose depending on the size of the kids, but it is a good game for kids aged five and up.
Donut Game
You won’t need to ask the kids twice to play the Donut Game!
For the Donut Game, you need as many donuts as there are kids playing, as well as some string, and somewhere to hang the donuts from where the kids have enough space to move around.
Tie the donut to a piece of string and hang it from a washing line or similar.
The kids need to keep their hands behind their backs and try to eat the hanging donut before the others, without the donut falling off the string and only using their mouths!
Toss The Water Balloon
If it is a sunny day outside and the kids have some spare clothes to change into – the Toss The Water Balloon is a great game!
Fill up a bunch of balloons with water, and divide the kids into two teams. Each team stands opposite each other, and they need to toss a water balloon back and forth to each other.
If the water balloon pops, the person it pops on needs to sit the game out. The team who lasts the longest without running out of players is the winning team!
Three-Legged Race
For parties that have a good outdoor area and for when the weather is good, a three-legged race is non-negotiable!
This game can be played by most ages, from around 4 years old and up, and all age groups will enjoy it – even adults!
To play, divide the kids into pairs, and use a scarf or rope to tie the left leg of one child to the right leg of the other child. Once all the kids are ready and tied together in pairs, count down from the start line and let them race to the finish line!
Chocolate Eating Game
If you went to a good few parties as a kid, then chances are you have played the Chocolate-Eating Game.
Kids absolutely love this game because not only is it fun, but it is one of those rare times when they are encouraged to eat as much chocolate as they can!
To play this game, you will need a large bar of chocolate, a pair of gloves, a hat, and a scarf. The children all need to sit at a table, and the bar of chocolate needs to be placed on a plate in the center.
Each child takes a turn rolling a die, and if they roll a six, they have to quickly put the hat, scarf, and gloves on, and try to cut and eat the chocolate using a knife and fork.
The other children continue rolling the die, and when someone else rolls a six, the person eating the chocolate ends their turn and the other person takes over, starting again with the hat, scarf, gloves, etc.
This continues until the chocolate has been finished!
Hot Potato
Hot Potato is a wonderfully simple game, as all you need is a potato and some music!
Get the children to sit in a circle on the floor, and hand one of them a potato. When the music starts, they have to toss the potato around to each other. When the music stops, whoever has the potato gets a small prize and leaves the circle.
The game continues until everyone has had a chance to catch the potato when the music ends.
Popping Bubbles
Popping Bubbles is the perfect game for a toddler party, where they aren’t quite ready to sit down and play a game with rules, but for when they still want to run around and have fun.
A bubble machine is best to use for this, as it produces a lot of bubbles with no effort from you, but you can also blow the bubbles yourself.
You simply have to line the toddlers up outside and start blowing bubbles. When you shout “go!” they have to run and try to pop as many bubbles as possible.
Duck Duck Goose
Duck Duck Goose is another good game for younger kids, as the rules are simple, but it is still entertaining enough for them to love playing it.
All the children need to sit in a circle somewhere with a bit of space. One child is chosen to stand up and walk around the outside of the circle, saying “duck, duck, goose” as they pat someone on the head while walking past.
When they say “goose”, whoever’s head they have patted needs to jump up and chase the child around the circle.
If the child who tapped them on the head manages to run around the circle and sit in the new ‘gooses’ space without being caught, they get to stay. However, if they are caught, then they sit out for the rest of the game.
Simon Says
Almost all kids know the rules to Simon Says, so you won’t have to do much explaining with this game.
You as the host can play Simon, and you will need to get the kids standing in front of you. You will then give them instructions as Simon, but they need to listen for the catch.
If you start by saying “Simon says…” and then a task such as “wave your arms”, then the kids need to do this.
If you just say “wave your arms” then the kids should not do anything, as you did not start with “Simon says”.
If a child does the task when they were not supposed to, then they sit out the rest of the game.
Tug Of War
Tug Of War will make for great fun for older kids, from about 6 years and up. It is also a really easy game to set up, and they can play a few rounds which will take up quite a bit of time.
For Tug Of War, you need a fairly strong rope and a bandana. Tie the bandana in the middle of the rope, and divide the kids into two teams. Place the teams on either side of the rope, all with a good grip, and when you shout “go!” the kids will need to pull as hard as they can.
Whoever pulls the hardest and has the bandana move closest to them is the winning team!
Pass The Parcel
Pass The Parcel is a good way to get the kids sitting down and playing a calmer game, perfect to end off a wild party!
You will need to prepare the parcel beforehand. Choose a toy or treat and wrap it up in many, many layers of different wrapping paper.
Have the kids all sit in a circle on the floor, and play music. The kids need to pass the parcel along to each other, and when the music stops, whoever is holding the parcel gets to unwrap one layer. This continues until one child unwraps the last layer and gets to keep the gift.
A good idea is to put a sweet in each layer of wrapping so that each child gets something.
Musical Animals
Musical Animals is similar to Musical Statues, but a little more interesting! You play music as you would for Musical Statues, and the kids have to dance and move around as much as possible, but when you pause the music, instead of the kids standing still, you shout out an animal name, and the kids have to act like this animal.
If you want to give out rewards, you can pick out the best animal from each round and give them a treat. Otherwise, the kids just love the opportunity to act silly.
Parent Wrap
The kids will absolutely love this game, and it is a great way to get the parents involved in the party activities too.
Divide the kids into groups of around four, whatever works best for the number of kids you have at the party. Assign one parent to each group, and give each group a roll or two of toilet paper.
When the timer and music start, the kids have to wrap the parent up in as much toilet paper as possible, turning them into a living mummy.
Once the timer stops, all kids put the toilet paper down and have a look at their creations! You could give out a prize for the best mummy but it is a fun game to play without prizes too.
Cornhole Game
Cornhole is a party game that everyone loves, and if you have enough space, then it is definitely a game to include in your party planning.
If you have a Cornhole game at home ready to use, then set this up as usual, allowing enough distance for the kids to throw the bean bags, but not making it too difficult for them.
If you do not have a Cornhole game, there is no point spending the money for one party – you can simply use a bucket and some bean bags or tennis balls.
The kids can be placed in teams and take turns throwing the balls or bean bags into the hole – and whoever gets the most points wins!
Guess The Number
Guess The Number is not a game that the kids will sit down and play, but it is a fun game to set up as an extra at a party.
To play this game, choose sweets, Lego, or other small objects, and count out as many as needed. Place these in a jar, and get the kids to each guess how many items there are. Write down their names and guesses.
At the end of the party, announce who guessed the closest to the actual number, and give them a prize as a reward!
Egg And Spoon Race
A egg and spoon race will be a hit with kids of all ages and you can make it more competitive with obstacles for older kids too.
Put kids into teams and give each team a (you guessed it) spoon and an egg.
One person from each team needs to run or walk as fast as possible with the egg in the spoon, to the halfway line, and back, without dropping the egg.
They then hand the spoon to the next teammate, who does the same. The team who finishes first without breaking the egg is the winner!
As far as party games are concerned, this is one of the easiest to set up and get going.
This game can (and will!) get messy, so it’s a great outdoor party game! Definitely not for indoor birthday parties.
Would You Rather?
Would You Rather? Is a great game that you can adapt to different ages, asking different questions to kids to get them thinking and laughing!
Plus it’s on of the best indoor party games as there’s no mess or running around. The children sit for the game and go in turns.
The best way to do this is to write down a whole lot of questions on pieces of paper, fold them up and place them in a jar.
When it is time, have the kids sit in a circle and pass the jar around the circle. Whoever has the jar has to pick out a piece of paper and read the question.
The kids can then all answer the question before moving on to the next person.
Some fun Would You Rather Questions? Are:
- Would you rather be really fast or really strong?
- Would you rather have really small feet or really big hands?
- Would you rather eat a whole lemon or a raw potato?
- Would you rather be able to read minds or turn invisible?
You could even give the kids the opportunity to come up with their own ideas too.
Pin The Tail On The Donkey
One of the classic party games – Pin The Tail On The Donkey, will never fall short! You can choose to stick to the original donkey, or you can choose a person or animal of choice and adjust from there.
Stick a picture of a donkey on the wall, and have a tail ready with some blue tack to be put in place.
Whoever’s turn it is needs to wear a blindfold, and you can spin them around three times before they try to pin the tail in the right place.
Grandmother’s Footsteps
Grandmother’s Footsteps works well if you have quite a large area of space for the kids, and is best suited for kids 6 years old and up, as they can make a strategy together to beat the game.
To play this, one child stands at the end of the garden or room with their back to everyone.
The other kids line up on the other side of the room or garden and slowly and quietly creep forwards towards the person on the other side, who is the ‘grandmother.’
The ‘grandmother’ can turn around at any time, and when they do, the other children have to stop moving. If the ‘grandmother’ spots anyone moving, they go back to the start line. The children have to creep up on ‘grandmother’ without being caught!
Sack Race
Having an old-fashioned sack race might be just what your child’s party needs!
For the sack, you can either purchase some cheap sacks from the store or use some old pillowcases you have at home.
Each child gets inside of their sack, and needs to hop across to the finish line once you shout, “go!”
The first one to the finish line wins – but the best part of the game is seeing everyone hopping along and falling over trying to get to the end!
What’s The Time Mr. Wolf?
What’s The Time Mr. Wolf? Is a great game to play with younger kids, and you as the host can be Mr. Wolf to make the game a little easier.
Mr. Wolf stands at one end of the room, and the children line up at the other. The children shout out “What’s the time Mr. Wolf?”, and Mr. Wolf chooses a time to shout out.
If Mr. Wolf says “ it’s 5 o’clock”, then the kids take 5 steps forward. This continues until the kids reach Mr. Wolf, but at any point, Mr. Wolf can reply with “ it’s dinner time!”, and then Mr. Wolf turns around and chases all the children back to the start line, catching whoever he can in the process.
The kids who are caught can take turns as Mr. Wolf, or you can keep it simple and have a parent be ‘it’.
Cookie Face
There are quite a few variations of this game, so you can adjust it however you want for the kids at the party.
To play the game with older children, you can set a minute timer. To start, you place a cookie on their forehead, and the objective is for them to move the cookie from their forehead to their mouth in a minute, and eat the cookie, without using their hands.
For younger children, you do not need to set a timer, but it is a fun game that they will enjoy, and they get to eat a cookie at the end!
Balloon Waddle
This is a game that is sure to get a good few laughs from the kids, and the parents!
Blow up a number of balloons, and hand one to each child. Depending on how many children there are, they can either take turns at the race or all go together.
They start by placing the balloons between their knees and then waddling across to the finish line to beat the other competitors. The first at the finish line, who still has the balloon between their knees, wins!
Bubble Gum
This is a game suited for older children, as it involves them chewing on gum.
To play this game, set out as many paper plates as there are children playing. Place a fresh piece of gum in the middle of the plate, and cover it with a good amount of whipped cream.
When you shout “go!”, each player, only using their mouth, must make their way through the whipped cream and find the piece of gum. Once they have found the piece of gum, they need to chew it and blow a bubble. The first to blow a bubble wins.
Fox And Hen
Fox And Hen is a fun fast-paced game that will last a few rounds, and keep the kids busy and occupied for some time.
For this game, you will need two items. If you have a teddy fox and a teddy hen, then perfect; however, if you don’t, you can use two bean bags or two other teddies. Have the kids sit on the floor in a circle.
Give the two teddies to kids sitting opposite each other in the circle, clearly stating which one is the fox and which one is the hen. When you shout “go!”, the kids have to pass the teddies to the next person, and the fox needs to try and catch up with the hen.
Feather Game
The Feather Game works well for parties indoors, where you want something a little active but not too crazy to play inside.
It is a simple game too – you give each child a feather, and when the game starts, they have to keep the feather in the air as long as they can, just by blowing at it. They aren’t allowed to use their hands or any other part of their body.
Whoever keeps it up in the air long enough is the winner!
What Am I?
What Am I? Can be played by most age groups, you will just need to adjust the questions according to the age of the kids that are playing.
Print out pictures, or write out words, of various objects, or famous people, and place these in a bag. Each child chooses one out of the bag, and without reading it, has it stuck to their head with some tape.
They then need to work out what they are. Sit them in a circle, and each child gets to ask up to 20 questions to guess what the picture or word is on their head.
Paper Airplane
This can be a two-part game, which is great for when you have some time to fill at the party.
To start, set up a paper airplane-making station, where you have clean sheets of paper and some decorations for kids to fold and make paper airplanes. You can either set instructions or help the kids make their own planes and then let them decorate them.
After this, set up hula-hoops, or other targets, and set a distance for kids to stand at. They then need to test their airplanes by trying to throw them through the hoops!
Litter Box
This game is a little on the gross side, but it can be really entertaining for the right group of kids, and especially if you are hosting a fear-factor party.
To make the Litter Box game, place brown cookies into a food processor, and blend until they form crumbs. Place these crumbs in a flat box or container and spread them out. Next, use some modeling chocolate and roll up pieces of chocolate in a sausage shape.
These sausage-shaped pieces of chocolate will be the cat poop and should be placed into the container of biscuit crumbs. The kids then take turns picking out a cat poop chocolate using their mouths alone!
One-Sentence Story
One-Sentence Story is a perfect game to get the kids sitting down and doing something a little more relaxing.
For this game, sit the kids in a circle on the floor. The first child starts telling a story, but they can only use one sentence.
The child next to them has to add a sentence to the story, and so on. By the end of it, each kid would have added their own sentence to a likely colorful story!
Kim’s Game
Everyone has likely played Kim’s Game before, and it is just as fun as it used to be!
Set up the game by placing a few different items on a table or tray, such as a spoon, a toy, a pot, a sock, and so on. Give the children a minute to look at these items, and then cover them up once the minute has finished.
They then need to quickly write down (or have someone write down for them) as many of the items as they can remember. Whoever remembers the most wins!
All these party games for kids are a great time and enjoyable for all!
Whether you want a simple kids party game or something more elaborate and adventurous, there’s something here that for all the kids and party guests.
Which of these party games for kids is your favorite?! Is there one you love that isn’t on the list? Make sure to reach out if so! We’d love to feature it.