Birthday Party Games

Young children have a very limited attention span, and anyone planning a get-together for children younger than school age needs to have a variety of activities on hand to be able to maintain interest. These activities need to be inclusive and promote participation from all members. The following is a list of party games that can be enjoyed using things from around the house, or items that are very inexpensive.

Fashion Show (2-8)
Gather a variety of old clothes and props (thrift stores are great sources). Allow the kids to use them for free play, or use minimal directions (for example: "everyone find something red" or "dress like a movie star").

Get the Wiggles Out (3-8)
Have all the kids gather together. Tell them it's a game and only certain people get to wiggle. Choose groups of kids based on a common attribute (blue eyes, wearing red, white shoes, etc) and an action (jump on one foot, stretch for the sky, etc). This works well for kids who have some patience, but still have a need to move.

Bubbles (2-8)
Younger kids will enjoy looking at and chasing the bubbles. Older kids will enjoy blowing their own bubbles. Older kids will especially enjoy have bubble blowers of different sizes and shapes.

Pin the ___ on the ____ (3-8)
This is an activity that only requires a blindfold and a piece of posterboard. Tape can be used instead of a pin for younger kids. It is easily adaptable to any theme.

Ball Games (2-8)
Ball games are adaptable to any age. Bean bag tosses are popular. Younger kids can chase a rolling exercise ball. Older kids can toss soft balls at various targets (hula hoops, cutouts in boxes, etc).

Parachute (4-8)
Use a large blanket and have kids each grab on to it. See how long you can keep bouncing a ball on the blanket without launching it too far. See how high you can bounce the blanket. Other parachute game ideas can be found here: www.preschooleducation.com/gparachute.shtml