Being a parent means being responsible for a ton of things where your children are concerned, including their parties. Naturally, you would want them, and their friends, to have the best time of their lives. If you are wondering how to do that, we will provide you with ten classic party games for kids that are bound to have them buzzing and ecstatic.
How do we know these games are fun? Because they’ve stood the test of time. They are classic games for a reason, and you’ve probably played some of them.
Let’s start!
Sack Race
For this game, you’ll need a large sack that the kids can stand inside. If you can’t find one, you can substitute it with a pillowcase.
To play this game, each participant stands in their respective sacks. Then, upon the judge’s order, they race other participants to a predetermined finish line. The first person to get there wins.
Simon Says
Simon Says is another classic kids’ game your guests will enjoy. Before you start, choose a leader, preferably an adult, to act as Simon. This leader will call out commands that the participants will follow if they’re valid. For a command to be valid, it has to start with “Simon says.” For example, the leader can say “Simon says put your hand on your head.”
However, the leader will call out some commands without this prefix. For example, “Jump up.” The kids that obey such commands are out. Repeat the steps until there’s one kid left.
Tug of war
Tug of war is one of the most popular games around. It is easily one of the most fun, too. It’s simple: two evenly matched groups attempt to drag the other over a line in the middle.
Musical chairs
Musical chairs is another classic, fun game you can play at a kids’ party.
To play, set up one fewer chair than the number of participants. Play a song for them while they dance around the chairs. Stop the song suddenly, at which point the participants should try and get a chair. Whoever is left behind is eliminated. Reduce the number of chairs by one and repeat the steps above until there’s only one person left.
Under Over
To play Under Over, you need a pair of balls or balloons.
– Split the participants into two groups of between 4 and 10.
– Line each group up in a straight line.
– Give them either a ball or a balloon.
– The players alternate passing the ball to the person behind them, either over their heads or under their legs until it gets to the last person.
– When the last person gets the ball, they move to the front and begin the process again.
This goes on until the person who was in front when the game began becomes the first person again. The first group to accomplish this goal wins.
Scavenger Hunt
Another fun game suitable for a kids’ party is Scavenger Hunt. It’s a lot of fun. And it’s suitable for both indoor and outdoor parties.
To play, provide the participants with a list of items to collect. Then, send them on their way to get them. The first person to get all the items wins.
Egg and Spoon Race
To play this game, have some spoons and eggs ready. Ideally, you should buy an egg and Spoon set – you can find them online. The alternative, using real eggs, will probably leave your floor messy.
The game is simple. There’s a finish line that the participants should race to reach. However, they have to do so with one hand behind their back and the other holding a spoon that has an egg balanced on it.
The first person to do this wins the game. By the way, if a participant’s egg falls along the way, they have to start over.
Duck, Duck, Goose
Unless you grew up on Mars, you probably played “Duck, Duck, Goose” or a version of it growing up.
Let me refresh your memory.
– The participants sit cross-legged in a circle.
– Choose one of them to be the “goose”.
– The chosen kid (the goose) walks around the seated participants and taps each in turn – on the head.
– Each time they tap someone, they say “duck”.
– When they decide on who should take her place, they say “goose” upon tapping the person.
– They run around the group while the person they tapped chases them.
– If the “goose” succeeds in making it to the space the tapped person vacated, after running around the circle, then they are no longer the goose and the person they tapped takes their place.
– If the tapped person catches up with the “goose,” then the goose sits in the middle of the circle and is out of the game.
Three-Legged Race
This game is played in pairs. It is simple: tie the two closest legs of each pair together. That way, they have three legs. Then, each pair of three-legged participants races against the others. The first to arrive at the finish line wins the race.
Sleeping Lion
If you need to turn things down a notch, try playing Sleeping Lion. Ask all of the kids to lie down and pretend they’re sleeping lions. As a rule, they must not laugh, shift, itch, wriggle, or move for the game’s duration. If they do, they’re out.
In the meantime, walk around the room and try to make them move. Talk to them, tell a few jokes, act humorous – anything to get them to fail. The last person standing wins the game.