Birthday party games for kids

Host safety first

Clear the floor of toys, cables, bags and anything breakable, and move furniture with sharp corners aside. Leave out balloons, since balloons and burst pieces can be a choking hazard for young children and pops can frighten some of them. Aim for about one helping grown-up for every four or five children. Keep hot food and drinks in a separate room, carried by grown-ups only, and never let children run with hot items. Before the party, check for allergies with parents. Walk, do not run, indoors and in the garden, and stop any game that turns rough. Age hints are only a guide, so you know your group best.

1. Musical statues

Group size: 6 to 12 children.

You need: a clear floor and a grown-up to sing, clap or tap a steady beat.

1. Everyone dances in their own space while the helper sings, claps or taps.
2. When the sound stops, everyone freezes like a statue.
3. A second helper looks for the stillest statues and names them kindly, without sending anyone out.
4. Change the style each round: slow like honey, tiny like an ant, wide like a banyan tree.

2. Pass-the-parcel

Group size: 6 to 12 children, sitting in a circle.

You need: a reusable cloth or a few scarves, a soft object to wrap, and a small non-food prize if you like.

1. Wrap the soft object in several layers of cloth, tied loosely. Hide the optional prize in the middle.
2. Pass the parcel round the circle while the helper sings or claps.
3. When the sound stops, the child holding the parcel unwraps one layer.
4. Keep going until the last layer is off. Make sure every child gets a turn to unwrap, and share the prize if you have one.

Host tip: The cloth can be reused at the next party.

3. Garden treasure hunt with picture clues

Group size: teams of 3 or 4 children.

You need: paper, a pencil, and a small box or basket for the treasure.

1. Before the party, draw five simple pictures, such as a gate, a pot, a tree, a bench and a tap. Each picture shows where the next clue is hidden.
2. Hide the clues low and in plain sight, away from thorny plants, steps, water and anything sharp.
3. Give each team its own first clue. Teams look at the picture, work out the place and fetch the next one together.
4. The last clue leads to the treasure box, where each team finds the same thing to share.

Host tip: Give each team a helper, and ask everyone to walk.

4. Cushion relay

Group size: two teams of 3 to 6 children.

You need: one cushion per team and a clear lane about as long as a room.

1. Each team lines up at one end with its cushion.
2. The first child balances the cushion on their head, or carries it between their knees, and walks to a marker and back.
3. They hand the cushion to the next child, and so on down the line.
4. If the cushion falls, pick it up and carry on. Cheer for both teams at the end.

Host tip: Use soft cushions only, and keep the lane clear.

5. Who am I?

Group size: 6 to 12 children, sitting in a circle.

You need: a stack of paper name cards with an animal or an everyday helper on each, such as an owl, a tailor or a bus driver.

1. One child sits facing away from the host, who holds up a card for everyone else to see.
2. The guesser asks yes-or-no questions, such as: Do I have wings?
3. The group answers together. After ten questions, or sooner if the guesser is ready, they say who they think they are.
4. The guesser then picks the next child, and the game goes round the circle.

Host tip: No stickers or tape are needed, because the card never touches anyone.

6. Closing story circle

Group size: everyone, sitting together.

You need: a rug or cushions and a calm voice.

1. Dim the noise, sit in a circle and take three slow breaths together.
2. The host starts a story with one sentence, such as: A small lantern woke up in the garden.
3. Each child adds one sentence, or says pass and lets the story move on.
4. The host finishes with a gentle ending, then everyone says thank you to the birthday child.

A simple 90-minute running order

• 0 to 10 minutes: Arrivals, name cards and a quick welcome.
• 10 to 20 minutes: Musical statues.
• 20 to 35 minutes: Garden treasure hunt.
• 35 to 50 minutes: Rest, water and the food break, run by grown-ups.
• 50 to 60 minutes: Cushion relay.
• 60 to 70 minutes: Pass-the-parcel.
• 70 to 80 minutes: Who am I?
• 80 to 90 minutes: Closing story circle, thank-yous and goodbyes.

More to do on Rangooo

Browse more stories and activities, plan a longer hunt with treasure hunt ideas, play outdoors with outdoor games for kids, find play and learn ideas, or see resources for teachers.

Questions

How many helpers do we need for 6 to 12 children?

Plan on one grown-up for every four or five children, plus the host who leads the games. Helpers can run the music, watch the garden, hand out prizes and sit with anyone who needs a quiet moment.

What if a child does not want to join in?

That is fine. Invite them to be the music keeper, the clue reader or the parcel unwrapper, or to watch for a while. Many children join in once they have seen how a game works.

Why leave out balloons?

Balloons and burst balloon pieces can be a choking hazard for young children, and sudden pops can frighten some of them. The cushion relay gives the same bouncy fun without them.

What should we do about food at the party?

Check for allergies with parents before the party, and ask a grown-up to look after the food break. The games on this page do not need any food.