Not just for kids alone, birthday parties are meant to be fun for everyone, including the parents, the host, and all the participants. No birthday celebration is complete without birthday party games. Throwing a decent birthday party could increase your kid’s self-esteem and help him create some everlasting memories for life while not doing so might leave them in astonishment.
It’s not just about a single day, as the planning for celebrating the birthday begins many days before it actually comes. Ranging from unique party themes to theme-based games, there’s a lot more to be explored than just cakes and presents. It doesn’t matter what kind of game you go with; one thing is certain: it needs to have fun involved in it. To make it easy for you to make the right move and ensure that nobody is left out, we’ve compiled a list of the best fun games to try for your kids’ birthday party that will keep them engaged for hours.
1. Duck Duck Goose
The game requires all participants to sit down in a circle where they will be facing each other. Then a participant will be chosen as “it” that will continue to walk around outside the circle. As they do so, they will be tapping on every player’s head and will say either of the two things, i.e., “duck” or “goose.” Once a participant is called by the name “goose,” they need to get up and run after the one called “it.”.
The main aim that the participant chosen as a goose will have is to locate and catch the “it” before he sits in the “goose’s” spot. In case the goose isn’t able to do so, they will be converted into “it” for the next rounds that will continue in the game. But in case they successfully catch “it,” the person caught will need to sit in the centre of the circle. After this, the goose will get converted to “it” for the next round and will need to carry on the same procedure.
2. Strike a pose
It’s a great option to get your kids moving and laughing. Under it, the player combines dancing with some silly poses on the basis of their quick thinking. Before the game actually starts, there are four pre-decided poses, i.e., a hug, sleep, fight, and dance. The parent-child duo needs to strike a pose. The game isn’t limited to just a parent-child team, as one can opt for any other combination as well.
Now you can start playing some upbeat, energetic music, after which the participants need to dance freely until the music stops. Right after the music stops, the players need to freeze at their respective places. Now the chosen leader will choose and reveal a random chit, having mentioned the pre-decided poses on it. Those teams that will be carrying a pose mentioned in the chit would remain active in the game, as those not following that pose would be considered out of the game. All this continues until all other teams get eliminated by striking the wrong pose.
3. Bubble Wrap
This is a game that is most appropriate for all kids who are over 3 years of age. And what makes this game more interesting is that it only requires a bit of space to be played. Plus, this whole activity-based game is quite cheap and easy to play. For hours of fun and engagement, you just need a large roll of bubble wrap that you can either roll out in your backyard or in your hall.
After it, you need your kids’ participants to race across the laid-out bubble wrap. The challenge would be to let them race through the wrap without popping any of the bubbles. If there are older kids playing it, you can introduce some new rules to make it more fun and interesting. To elevate the overall fun and excitement, opt for adding some new rules.
4. Musical Chairs
Also called musical bumps, it is one of the oldest and fun-based games to be played at a kids birthday party. Either you can play this game in your hall or opt for setting up the whole thing in the backyard of your house. For it, you just need a music system and some chairs. And not just children; adults can also become a part of this mesmerising game. Either you can place the chairs in a circle or in a straight line. The total number of chairs must be one less than the total number of participants involved.
Start with playing some good music, and ask the participants to run around the circle or the line created. Whenever the music stops playing, each participant has to find a chair to sit on. One who isn’t able to find and sit on a chair gets eliminated from the game. This game should be continued until only a kid remains. Another way to make this game more interesting is to ask the children to dance as they walk around the chairs.
5. Balloon Burst
It’s another game that features music playing and dancing. You use a string to tie the inflated balloons to the ankles of each player. Now you need to start playing the music and allow the players to have fun in a dancing session. As soon as the music stops playing, every player will try to pop the balloon of the participant standing next to them by stomping on it. They have to do all this while keeping their own balloon safe and intact. The last person whose balloon remains intact and in good condition wins the game.
6. Treasure Hunt
Irrespective of the age group of the participants attending the event, Treasure Hunt is one of the best games to play at any sort of party with kids in it. In this game, you would be crafting out a map and handing it to the kids. On this map, all the treasures to be found will be marked in various ways. You also need to give them pictures of the treasures to make it convenient for the kids to locate the hidden treasure. For little ones, attach some clue linked to a small reward that will be given to the one who successfully finds it. For this game, you can choose from all the various themes available, such as a pirate-themed party, chocolate coins to be used as clues, and a treasure full of coins to be used as a prize at the end.
7. Grandmother’s Footsteps
From all the participants involved, an individual is chosen as a grandma or grandmother who stands aside from everyone. Other than that single participant, all others have to get lined up and turn their backs towards the back of the chosen grandma. Now, as long as the chosen grandma has her back turned towards everyone else, everyone else has to come near her without her noticing. What makes this game interesting is the fact that grandmother can turn around at any moment of her choice, and in case she catches someone moving while she is turned, that participant will have to start from the beginning chasing her. In the event that an individual successfully reaches the grandma and touches her, he or she will become the grandma for the next round.
8. DIY Photo Booth
Not just for a kid’s birthday party, but for all kinds of celebrations, a DIY photo booth is all the rage. You don’t need to spend a lot of money to make it fun and entertaining. You can craft a simple backdrop using paper streamers or other kinds of party decorations to create a wonderful ambience for all. You can always opt to decorate the background based on the likings of your children or go with any other better option as well. For capturing everything, go with a digital camera, or you can also choose to click every bit of detail using your own phone camera.
9. Limbo
It would be a bit of an adventure-based game in which a bar is placed at a certain height. For it, you can either grab a stick or just use your regular household broom and see how low someone can go. In this game, the participant has to bend backwards while maintaining proper body balance, making sure no part of their body touches the placed bar. For older kids, you can opt for asking them to follow all the official rules, while for younger ones, just letting them have a blast under the limbo pole would do the job. As the game continues, members will continue to get eliminated, and the height of the bar will also keep decreasing.
10. Hide And Seek
You can’t afford to go wrong with the classics, especially when it comes to hide and seek. For choosing the hiding spots, you can either go with your house, your backyard, or even choose a designated area for them. Now you also need to mark some specific boundaries in order to make it easy for the seeker to find and locate the hidden participants. Right after the hiding team is up, the seeker then announces loudly, “Ready or not, here I come!”. After getting a favourable response, the seeker then starts reaching out to locate the hidden team members. As soon as the seeker locates a hidden member, he becomes the seeker for the next round as soon as all the hidden team members are found.
11. Pass the Parcel
Also known as “pass the present ” in many nations, there is a game called “Pass the Parcel,” in which a parcel is passed from one person to another. This is an old classic that works best in the middle of the party. To get started, a prize or gift is wrapped in a large number of layers using either wrapping paper or reusable fabric of various sizes. Generally, the layers used are of different designs so as to make them easily distinguishable. In between some layers, small prizes might be placed while wrapping the whole gift. The music keeps on playing, and whenever it stops, the person with the box will unwrap a layer of the box. This act is continued until the main prize is received by an individual.
12. Egg and Spoon Race
Don’t just take the Egg and Spoon Race game as a game to be played on Easter only, as it can be played all year around. To play this game, you just need some hard-boiled eggs and some tablespoons. Give each child an egg and a spoon, and ask them to place an egg on their given spoon. Now they need to finish the race while keeping the egg stable without dropping it. If a child’s eggs fall over, he or she would be considered out of the game and might have to start it over again. Being a game filled with fun and laughter, it will test your kids skills of balance and coordination.
Wrapping Up
You can’t afford to go wrong when it comes to your kid’s birthday. It’s that time of the year when you get a real opportunity to showcase your love and affection for your little one. Don’t just go with the popular selections that normally all parents go with, as it’s about making your youngster happy and adored. All the games mentioned above require minimal prep and stress, making it easier for you to make a move in the right direction. So, what are you waiting for? Start planning for your son or daughter’s birthday before it actually comes.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are multiple ways in which you can keep all the kids at the party entertained for hours. You can plan to organise some fun activities that your kids and other participants will enjoy throughout the birthday celebration. To make it more memorable, either prepare it on your own or order your kid’s favourite food, such as cake, cookies, etc., that he or she craves. When it comes to celebrating your kids’ most special day, i.e., their birthday, you can even imagine going wrong with the decoration part. Other great options worth considering are setting up a movie corner or calling upon a magician to show his wonderful magic skills.
There are a lot of options worth considering to be played at a birthday party. To curate a list of the best games to be played, consider taking into account the likings and dislikings of your kid and seeing what he admires the most. While deciding which game to play, try to include those options that not only help them have some moments of fun but also help them in their learning. The most common options worth considering are bubble wrap races, musical chairs, balloon bursts, treasure hunts, egg and spoon races, grandmother’s footsteps, and duck, duck, goose.
In general, just organising a party seems enough to keep the kids busy at their birthday party. Still, some circumstances might arise wherein they might face boredom and might need some moments of entertainment. For this, you can set up an arts and crafts table, plan a movie corner for all the participants, or hire a professional to look after all the activities going on at the party.
In order to properly host a kids party, ensure to plan everything in advance so that you don’t fall short at last. Plus, try to keep your main focus on doing everything in terms of quality and not just the quantity part. Try to make sure that all of your kid’s best-known friends are invited to keep the invitations as fair as possible. Don’t miss out on the food and snacks that will be served to the guests. Make sure to include everything that they would like and love. Another thing worth considering is opening the gifts after the party is over instead of opening them at the time of the party.
When it comes to planning a kid’s birthday party, budgeting is something that we can’t afford to ignore. After all, your kid is the one who needs to feel special and joyful. For it, you can keep in mind certain things. When it comes to the food stuff, try keeping everything as simple as possible. Another thing worth following is keeping your guest list small, too, based on invitations created by you only. For the decorations, you can go with free printables that are available at multiple online stores. Plus, for the whole theme of the party, you can go with anything that resides in your kids tastes and interests.