Party game for boys: 50 Best Party Games for Kids

Опубликовано: December 5, 2022 в 10:12 am

Автор: alexxlab

Категории: Game

50 Best Party Games for Kids

Table of Contents

Party Games for Kids
1. Scavenger Hunt
2. Relay Race
3. Partners in Pen
4. Obstacle Course
5. Elephant March
6. Balloon Bust
7. Camera Game
8. Punch Box
9. Cup Stacking
10. Can Knock Down
11. Snowman Slam
12. Balloon Catch
13. Treasure Dig
14. Strip the Present
15. Ring Toss
16. Glowing Ring Toss
17. Musical Hearts
18. Guess the Number in the Jar
19. Balloon Pop
20. Opposites
21. Water Balloon Pinata
22. Fishing Game
23. Airplane Toss
24. Cracker
25. Toe Grab
26. Lego Spoon Race
27. Wacky Dice
28. Who/What am I?
29. Feather Blow
30. Who is it?
31. Fox and Hen
32. Face Cookie
33. Balloon Waddle Relay
34. Breakfast Scramble
35. Bean Bag Toss
37. Laughing Game
38. String Treasure Hunt
39. Dice Game
40. Spoons
41. Noodling Around
42. Pool Noodle Target
43. Sock ‘Em
44. Sleeping Lions (or Bunnies)
45. Ping Pong Blow
46. Flashlight Treasure Hunt
47. Hole in my Bucket
48. Bubble Gum
49. Blindman’s Swag
50. Bouncing Basketball
Don’t miss more great party game ideas for kids:
Recipes to Try!

Awesome decorations and birthday cakes on fine dessert tables will delight young party guests for a little while, but great kid’s party games will get everyone involved in playing together, laughing, and really having fun. This collection of 50 fun party game ideas lists a variety of activities for ages ranging from young kids to young adults. Some are strictly for outside, some are for inside, but all are sure to make for a good time. Since you can’t predict group dynamics, be sure to have more activities planned than you think you’ll have time for—that way you will keep the party energy stoked.

Party Games for Kids

If you’re looking for classic party games go here — and check out these Christmas games during the holidays and these Halloween games in October.

Who doesn’t enjoy a good hunt and discover contest? The idea for this outdoor game comes with a free printable, which makes it easy and fun for mom, too!

2.

Relay Race

What a fun game! Kids won’t mind if they win or lose with this one because there is a built-in reward for everyone.

3.

Partners in Pen

Guests work in pairs, back-to-back. Each team is given a paper bag with household items/toys. One team member draws what the other is describing to them, but the name of the item and what it is used for cannot be spoken. If the partner draws/figures out what the item is, the team makes a point. The team with the most points wins.

4. Obstacle Course

Everyone is familiar with an obstacle course but the balloon table, wagon slalom, and newspaper walk are novel ideas. Include these activities when you want to create lots of party ballyhoo.

5.

Elephant March

This game means you have got to wear pantyhose on your head…weighted with a tennis or baseball. While you’re in this elephant-like disguise, you knock over target bottles with your new trunk. This one is always good for lots of laughs!

6.

Balloon Bust

Pre-party, fill each balloon with a small prize or candy. Blow them up and tie them off. Each young guest chooses a balloon. The goal is to make the balloon break so they can retrieve the prize—but they can only break the balloon by sitting on it.

7.

Camera Game

Set a timer on an inexpensive point-and-shoot camera. The camera gets passed around the circle while each guest briefly holds the camera in a selfie pose. When the flash goes off you get some fun photos. Re-set the timer and begin again.

8.

Punch Box

Kids love surprises. Making a punch box assures that everyone gets to grab a prize.

9.

Cup Stacking

Go it alone or make it teamwork. Everyone holds their breath on this one!

10.

Can Knock Down

Decorate (or not!) empty cans for an economical stack ‘em, knock ‘em down game.

11.

Snowman Slam

Styrofoam cups and socks get a party-worthy makeover for game time.

12.

Balloon Catch

Balloons should always be invited to the party! There are so many things to do with them—like this simple and joyous balloon catch.

13.

Treasure Dig

Exciting at any party, but pirate, puppy, and dinosaur digs practically beg for this activity.

14.

Strip the Present

Pre-party, a gift is wrapped and re-wrapped in layers of newsprint, foil, wax paper, plastic, paper, etc. All guests sit in a circle. Each one removes one layer of wrapping and passes the present on. The guest who removes the last wrap keeps the gift.

Construction cones and a ring and you’ve got a game. You can also ring tall cans or stakes in the ground.

16.

Glowing Ring Toss

Make this popular game even more of a thrill by using glow-ring necklaces.

17.

Musical Hearts

Kinda like musical chairs—without the chairs—and played with lots of construction paper hearts. Silly fun for a range of ages.

18.

Guess the Number in the Jar

Put a number of objects (LEGO pieces, beans, pennies, etc.) in a jar and let kids guess how many.

19.

Balloon Pop

Enjoy colorful stompin’ and rompin’ while everyone tries to break each other’s balloons.

20.

Opposites

The goal of this game is for guests to do the opposite of what they’re told. You say, “stick out your right foot” and they stick out their left. You say, “look up” and they look down. However, if they do what you say, they’re out of the game. The last one left wins…little rebel!

21.

Water Balloon Pinata

Definitely a hot-weather, outdoor game, but oh, the giggles!

22.

Fishing Game

There are lots of variations on kidlet-friendly fishing. Use cardstock fish with paper clips on their mouths so they can be caught with a magnet on a stick pole or make hooks with wire.

23.

Airplane Toss

A runway, hoola-hoop, and toy airplanes make a great, themed party game.

24.

Cracker

This is a game of observation. Everyone wears a party hat. Throughout the party, they all get taken off while no one is looking. You don’t want to be the last one still wearing the hat.

25.

Toe Grab

Play this game with or without water, but have one container filled with marbles and one empty container. See how many marbles kids can pick up and move from one container to the other, using just their toes.

26.

Lego Spoon Race

LEGO pieces, spoons, and kids that like to race are a winning combination.

27.

Wacky Dice

With a roll of the oversized cardboard dice, party guests discover if they must “walk like a dinosaur” or “slither like a snake” or whatever motion is written on the cube. Great fun, especially for the younger crowd.

28.

Who/What am I?

Each guest has a name of a person, animal or object taped to their forehead or back. Each person gets to ask 20 questions of various guests to figure out who he is.

29.

Feather Blow

Each guest is given a feather. The idea of the game is to see who can keep it up in the air the longest by only blowing.

30.

Who is it?

One blindfolded guest is led to the middle of the circle of guests. When the host shouts, “GO!” the center player must reach out and grab someone from the circle, asking, “Who is it?” That guest answers in a disguised voice. If the center player can guess who it is, the discovered person becomes the blindfolded player in the middle.

31.

Fox and Hen

Kids sit in a circle. Have two bean bags (or actual toy animals) to represent the fox and the hen. Give one of each item to kids on opposite sides of the circle. Pass the fox and hen around the circle, seeing if the fox can catch up with the hen.

32.

Face Cookie

A wafer cookie is placed on the forehead. The object is to get it into your own mouth, only using your face scrunches to move it there.

33.

Balloon Waddle Relay

Kids must run to the finish line with a balloon between their knees. Drop or pop the balloon=start over.

34.

Breakfast Scramble

Cut cardboard cereal box fronts into puzzle squares. Guests must put them together within a specified time.

35.

Bean Bag Toss

Here’s a stylish variation of the popular bean bag toss game. Use a circle of chairs. Each guest sits in one. The host asks a series of questions. If your answer is “yes”, move one seat to the left. If you cannot answer yes, stay seated. Get ready to share your seat! The first person that makes it back to their original chair wins.

37.

Laughing Game

All guests are seated in a circle. Go around the circle, with each one saying, “Ha”, “Ho” or “Hee”. Anyone who laughs is out, so the last one left in the circle wins.

38.

String Treasure Hunt

Place colored strings all over the party venue—inside and out, around furniture, etc. Use a variety of colored strings for the number of teams you have. Teams must wind up their string to get to their treasure at the hunt’s end.

39.

Dice Game

Each guest is given a craft stick to hold in their mouth. They must stack six dice on top of each other on the end of the stick and hold them for three seconds. It’s more difficult than it sounds!

40.

Spoons

A family favorite for many, Spoons is simple enough for almost any age to play. All you need is a deck of cards and one less spoon than the number of players. Wild and crazy fun!

41.

Noodling Around

Using an uncooked spaghetti noodle in the mouth—and no hands—each contestant must pick up six pieces of penne.

42.

Pool Noodle Target

Joined pool noodles make great targets for all sorts of balls, discs, etc. Assign points to different colored targets.

43.

Sock ‘Em

Have at least six times the number of socks as party guests. Put them in a basket. Kids sit in a circle. They must try to put as many sock layers on as possible within a specified time period. The one with the most socks on wins. Repeat!

44.

Sleeping Lions (or Bunnies)

Need a quiet down game? This is it. Everyone must lie on their belly, being as still and quiet as possible. If they really stay quiet for five minutes, they receive stickers for a prize.

45.

Ping Pong Blow

All that’s needed is a table and several ping pong balls. And maybe breath mints! Two teams kneel, with hands behind their backs, as they attempt to blow their opponent’s balls off the table.

46.

Flashlight Treasure Hunt

Flashlights + the dark of night = excitement! Hide glow-in-the-dark items (stars, bugs, etc.) and let teams of kids discover the treasures.

47.

Hole in my Bucket

Each team has a bucket with holes in the bottom and a container of water, plus an intact bucket that sets several feet away. At “Go!” team members must fill the “hole-y” bucket with water, balance it on their head, run to the intact bucket, empty their water into it, and run back to their teammates who repeat the race. The team with the most water in the intact bucket wins.

48.

Bubble Gum

Each guest gets a paper plate with a piece of fresh bubble gum buried in whipped cream. Using only their mouths, guests must find their bubble gum and be the first to blow a bubble.

49.

Blindman’s Swag

This game is played in pairs. One member of the team wears a blindfold—no peeking! There is some desirable prize that the blindfolded member needs to get. The team member who can see guides him/her to the prize, but only using words. The first team to grab the swag wins.

50.

Bouncing Basketball

Start with colored ping-pong balls and a trash can. Party guests circle the trash can and see who can bounce the most balls into the can.

Plus, check out Outdoor Party Games

Don’t miss more great

party game ideas for kids:

Lego Party Games and Activities
DIY Board Games Kids Will Love
Circus Birthday Party Games and Activities

Recipes to Try!

Proudly Prepared by the Spaceships Kitchen

Stephanie Keeping
Publisher

Boys Party Games | Birthday party ideas 4 Kids

The best birthday party games for boys birthday’s. Only the best games have made it to the
list of favorite boy party games.

These games are suggested for boys ages 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 years old.

See our

party games for ages 2 and 3 for younger children.

For party games for boys and girls

see our
party games page.

Most of these games require no special items
– just everyday things you have around the house. If you have a
few cups, balls, and a big area to play in you have everything you need
to keep the boys happy and entertained for the entire party.

If
you have a specific birthday theme in mind take a look at our

party themes – all of them have additional games for boys to play
that reflect the birthday theme.

Wrapped Like a Mummy Game
Teams wrap each other in toilet paper. Teams of 3 will each get
two large rolls of paper. One of the team’s members will be
wrapped like a mummy and the others will wrap them in toilet paper. The
first team to have both players finish their rolls wins.

Water Balloon Games
Over 50 different water balloon games to play!
Have fun choosing from this long list of great water balloon games.

Water Balloon Games

Sponge / Water Relay Games
Run relays where the boys will try and fill up their milk jug first.
It’s harder then it looks because they only have a small sponge to
gather the water. Fill a big plastic tote with water for both teams.
Players race back and forth across a large area soaking up water with
their sponge from the big tub and then trying to get as much as they can back to their milk
jug.

Leaky Cups Relay
This relay is played just like the Sponge Relay above, however instead
of using sponges the boys use plastic cups with a few holes poked in the
bottom. This creates a slow leak which gets the boys wet and makes
them run faster to fill their team bucket.

Outdoor Party
Games
Our favorite

outdoor party games for boys – squirt gun games, water balloon
games, pool noodle games and many more! Great for outdoor parties in
the backyard, park or playing field. Over 120 great games to
choose from for your party.

Sword Relay Race
Use foam swords for this fun relay race. Divide boys into
teams. Give teams a container with 20 gold plastic coins. Set two
baskets or treasure chests at one side of the room.
Give the sword to the first boy in line on each team and have them
balance gold coins on their swords while running to the treasure chest.

After
they deposit the coin they run back and give the sword to the next
pirate in line. First team with all of their coins in the treasure chest
wins. If a coin is dropped they must go back and
place their coin back in their teams container. Then the next person in
line grabs a coin and begins.
This game is great for a
Pirate and also a Treasure Hunt or
Prince birthday party.

Race Relay Games for Boys
Divide the boys into teams for these games. Lay out a playing
field with an orange cone or chair at one end of the field so the kids
will have to run around it before heading back to the starting line.

Have the boys race by:
Bouncing a basketball
Crawling on all fours
Balancing a Frisbee, bean bag or water balloon on their heads
Holding a ball or Frisbee on the top of their feet
Wheelbarrow race
If they master the races throw them a curve and have them do all the
races while walking backwards.

Obstacle Course

An obstacle course is a great boys party
game. Set up one in the backyard with hoses, elevated boards, a
trampoline, slides, gyms, large boxes, etc.
A fun idea for a boys obstacle course is make a mud pit they have they
have to wade through . .. then when they are almost finished have a water
balloon station where the other boys can throw water balloons at them to
clean them off – or instead of water balloons give the boys squirt guns.
They can compete individually against a stopwatch or as teams against
each other.

Boys Tag Games

An easy game that boys love (and that will tire them out!) is the game
of tag. Here are fun variations to the game.

Freeze Tag

When a boy is
tagged he has to freeze and not move. They can be unfrozen when
another boy (who is not “it”) tags them. “It” tries to get
everyone frozen at once and then they get to pick who is “it”.

Character
Tag Game
Boys have to call out TV or Movie character names when they are tagged
or they become “it”.

Super Tag
“It” gets help whenever he tags another boy.
When someone is tagged switch teams and become an “it”. Then they
start tagging boys along with the original “it”. The last person
tagged becomes the new Super “It”.

Flashlight Tag
Play outside when it is dark. This is a cross
between tag and hide and seek. Boys hide while “it” counts to 100
– then takes a flashlight and tries to find the other players.
When “it” finds a hidden player they trade places with them and give the
new “it” the flashlight.

Traditional Neighborhood
Scavenger Hunt
Played by teams of boys going door to door in a neighborhood and
asking for items from their list. A sample list on a neighborhood
scavenger hunt could be: an old shoe, teaspoon of flour, green
crayon, popsicle stick, band-aid, etc. (Make sure you send adults
out with each team.)

Once the items are collected the first team
back to the house within a certain time limit wins. Those who get
back late are given a penalty – 1 item for every 5 minutes they are
late. Free scavenger hunt lists
– 2 different scavenger hunt lists that are free to print out.

Video
Scavenger Hunt
Make up a list of crazy things the boys must do to collect points and
win the game. Send out an adult with each group and a video camera
(most cell phones have this feature now) Some fun ideas for the
boys to do are taking a video while standing on one foot in front of a yellow car, making a human pyramid on
someone’s front lawn including the owner of the house, walking a
dog around the park etc. Use video cameras to record the silly
things on their list. When all the groups get back sit down and
watch the tapes together.

Picture
Scavenger Hunt
Boys use
digital cameras to photograph the crazy things on their scavenger hunt
party list. Since you are using pictures instead of collecting the
items the list can be really crazy!

Bigger Better Hunt
The object of this scavenger type hunt
is to be the team that returns with the biggest or the best item.
Start by making two teams and giving each team 1 small inexpensive item
… a paperclip, penny or rubber band. Then boys take opposite
sides of the street and go door to door asking if to trade their item
for an item that is bigger or maybe better.

Here’s an example a
team chooses to start with a paperclip and they take it to a house on
their side of the street and ask to trade the item for something that is
better or bigger. The neighbor trades the paper clip for a
quarter. Then the boys then take the quarter to the next house and
asks to trade it. The neighbor might give them a coffee cup.
Continue on until time runs out or teams are happy with their trades and
feel they have the biggest or best item. (Some friends
played this one time and one team carried home a color TV!)

Island Scurry

Cut out five (or more) large shapes out of poster board –
about 12“ x 14“. Decorate them to look like small
islands. Divide boys into two teams. Teams get one more
island then the number of boys playing. Tell them they must use only these five islands to
move across the room and back (or if
playing outside make the space at least 25
feet).

They must take the five pieces and move their team by having
everyone stand on the pieces together, taking the back piece … moving it
to the front and so on. If they step in the “water” then they must start
at the beginning. No one can be left behind – they must all move
together. This is a great game for teamwork! The more boys
in each team the more fun!

Treasure Dig
Fill two small plastic pools with sand. In each pool place 40 – 50
pennies then mix them into the sand so they are hidden. Divide
guests into two teams and have the stand behind one another in a line.

On “go” the first person from each team will run to the pool
and search to
find a penny. When they have found a penny they will run back to
their line and place it in a dish or piggy bank for their team. Set a
limit of 5 – 10 minutes for each round. The team with the most
pennies in their container after the time is up wins.

Cops and Robbers
Divide guests into two teams – cops and robbers. Set up a “jail” on one
side of the yard and a “bank” at the other
side of the yard. In the bank
place a bowl or basket of 10 water balloons. Also set up a spot to be
the robbers hide-out – no cops are allowed in the hide-out. The object
is for the cops to protect the water balloons.

The robbers must take as
many of the water balloons to their hide-out (without breaking them) as
possible without being caught by the police. The police may catch a
robber by tagging him and then taking him to jail. The police must
actually take him to the jail. Once in jail the robber can only be freed
if another robber tags him. After one game switch it up and let the cops
and robbers trade places.

Jousting

Place two blocks of wood or low step stools about 2
feet apart. Two at a time give the
Prince and his guests
a pool noodle and step up
onto the platform. They have to try and knock each other off their
platform with the pool noodle within 1 minute. Let everyone have a turn.

Sword Fight with Bubbles
Give each boy a foam sword. Have several adults blow bubbles (or
use a bubble machine) and the princes pop the bubbles with their
swords.

Horseshoes

Horseshoes is a fun game and one that is easy for
everyone to play.
How to play horseshoes.

Wheelbarrow Race

A fun relay type race to play with two teams. Players
choose partners and the first child gets on their hands and knees while
the second player grabs their feet and lifts their feet off the ground.
They run wheelbarrow style around a marker (a hay bale would be fun …
use a real one or spray paint a box yellow to look like one) or a cone
at the opposite side of the play area and then back to their team so the
next pair can go.

Cow Patty Toss

You will need brown Frisbees and several hula hoops or large baskets for
this game. Divide boys into teams and have them line
up behind one another at one side of the play area. At the other
side of the play area place hula hoops or large baskets in a pyramid
shape – these are the targets that they will be throwing their “cow
patty” into to score points.

Tag each target with a different
point value. Give each player three tries to make as many points
as they can. This game can be played individually too. * You
can use brown bean bags instead of the Frisbees.
This is fun for a
Western or

Cowboy birthday party.

Party games for boys 7, 8 and 9 years old

Games for boys 5 and 6 year olds

Games for ages 10, 11, 12

Boys Sleepover Ideas –
No girls allowed! –
Boys Slumber Party Ideas

Safari
Party

Big Bird
Party

25 kids party games ideas for indoor and outdoor parties

(Image credit: Getty / Future)

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Kids party games are a great way to get everyone involved – we’ve found some of the best games to play both indoors and outdoors.

Kids party game trends come and go, but if you ask us, the traditional party games for children never go out of style. Whether it’s running around outside playing sardines, bashing a piñata to reveal the stash of sweets hidden inside, or dressing up in costumes and singing their heart out on a couple of plastic microphones. We defy you to find any kids that won’t get on board with at least a handful of these entertaining activities!

All of these game ideas require minimal set up. Plus, they’re cheap and easy to organise. We’ve specifically picked them to help you throw an affordable kids’ party – no matter what your child’s birthday party theme is.

Here are the best cheap, easy and fun kids party game options we know. The only decision left will be whittling it down to your favourites.

1. Pass the balloon

As kids party games go this is a simple and great choice. Balloons don’t have to be just for decoration at a party – you can use them to play a fun game like this.

All you need to do to get started is select a balloon to play with. The kids must then place the balloon under their chin and pass it to each other using only their necks

Top tip: Use two balloons and line up the kids in two lines and get them to race to add a competitive element.

You’ll also need plenty of balloons for this game so be sure to stock up on balloons from Amazon before the party, with next-day delivery available in many parts of the UK.

2. What’s the time Mr Wolf?

What’s the time Mr Wolf? is a classic kids’ game that gets everyone excited for the festivities by adding a bit of suspense.

Credit: Getty

Choose one child to be Mr Wolf. They stand with their back to the rest of the kids, who should “What’s the time Mr Wolf?” and then quickly creep towards Mr Wolf. The child playing Mr Wolf answers each question with a different time.

The aim of the game is to reach Mr Wolf before they respond with “dinner time!”, which signals the chase. Mr Wolf runs around, chases the rest of the kids and whoever they catch first is the new Mr Wolf.

Top tip: Make Mr Wolf wear a wolf mask to make the game more fun – guaranteed shrieks from all the children!

3. Bingo

Bingo isn’t just for adults, test the kids’ number skills with a simple game.

You can buy a pre-made set , which is the easiest and quickest option, or make your own. Each kid has a card with a selection of numbers on. You call out numbers and the child marks their card if the number appears. The first child with all numbers crossed out in a row wins.

Bingo is great as one of the kids party games, Credit: Getty.

Top tip: You don’t have to just use numbers, you can make your own cartoon character or animal bingo.

4. Find your partner

As party games go ‘find your partner’ is a great way of breaking the ice at the start of the party, as it gets nervous kids talking to one another.

Write down the names of famous pairs (Mickey & Minnie Mouse, Tom & Jerry etc) on individual stickers and hand them out the the children. Then instruct them to find their ‘other half’ whoever finds their partner fastest is the winner.

Top tip: To make it more interesting, stick the stickers to the kids’ backs and get others to describe their character to them. They then have to guess who their character is.

5. Squeal piggy, squeal

Squeal piggy, squeal is a fun-filled game for all ages.

Get the kids in a circle and pick one child to play. The child is then blindfolded and placed within the middle of the circle. They then must sit on another kid’s lap and say “Squeal piggy, squeal”, that kid must then make a pig’s squealing sound. If the blindfolded kid can guess who they are sitting on, that person replaces them, if not they must continue.

Top tip: You can use any animal and sound effect for this game.

6. Treasure hunt

Put your kids’ problem-solving skills to the test with a mysterious treasure hunt.

Credit: Getty

(Image credit: Getty Images/Image Source)

Hide presents or treats around the house and write clues for the kids to find them. They don’t have to be big gifts, a multipack of chocolates should do perfectly.

Choose a location for your treasure hunt: home/garden/street etc.
Choose a theme: pirates/detectives/dinosaurs etc.
Decide where to hide your treasure and work backward.
When creating your clues remember kids will get bored if they’re too hard.
Do a dry-run, cut it down where necessary and make sure you have adults on hand to help.
Go treasure hunting!

Top tip: Get inventive with your clues, use rhymes or riddles to make the clues more fun. If you’re not feeling too imaginative, you can also buy pre-made clues online from Etsy .

7. Simon says

As party games go, Simon Says is a simple game that needs no preparation.

Select one child to be the leader – or ‘Simon’ – and get them to stand in front of the rest of the children. The child must then call out actions (raise your hand, sit down etc) for the children to copy, saying ‘Simon says…’ before hand. Once they say an action without saying ‘Simon says…’ first, the children must not copy the action, anyone who does is out.

Top tip: Change the game from ‘Simon says’ and replace with the birthday girl or boys’ name – it’ll make them feel extra special!

8.

Egg and spoon race

It’s not just for sports days, egg and spoon races are easy to do at home.

You could even buy plastic eggs online if you don’t want to waste real eggs, Credit: Getty

Get a large spoon and a pack of eggs (make sure the eggs rest comfortably on the spoons). Then get the children to race while holding the egg on the spoon. The first child to make it over the finish line without dropping their egg is the winner.

Top top: Hard boil the eggs first to save on mess and get the kids to decorate them with felt tips before the race.

9. Three-legged race

A three-legged race is a great way of getting kids to understand teamwork.

Pair up the kids and tie one leg of one to one leg of the other child. To do this, you could use pieces of ribbon or string. Then get the kids to race from a start to a finish point. Their legs that are tied must stay together the whole way throughout the race.

Top tip: Always use soft material to tie the legs together and make sure you don’t tie it too tight. Always race on soft ground as they may fall over during the race.

10. Musical chairs

Musical chairs is a great way to keep overactive kids happy.

Credit: Getty

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Set up chairs in a circle and play music. While the music is playing get the children to circle the chairs, as soon as you stop the music the children must find a chair to sit on. Each time you stop the music remove one chair. If a child is not on a chair when the music stops, that child is out.

Top tip: Create two circles of chairs so the kids have to do a figure of eight round them. The added dimension (and possibility for collision) will up the excitement levels!

11. Karaoke

Kids love performing and what better way than karaoke?

There are many karaoke consoles on the market from Singstar to iSing. For a simple machine that’s going to do the job, we recommend the R ockJam RJSC01-BK Singcube. At just under £40 and with two microphones, it’s a relatively inexpensive way to give hours of fun to kids at the party. It’s an additional treat for your child too as they can use it when everyone has gone home. Hook it up to your TV and get singing.

Karaoke is a great activity to do at a kids’ party, Credit: Getty

Top tip: You don’t have to splash out to do karaoke. Print off the lyrics to your favourite songs and sing along to the CD.

12. Sardines

Sardines is like hide and seek – with an added twist!

Get one child to hide. The others then must go find them. If they find the person hiding they must join them in their hiding place. The aim is to get as many kids as possible in the space leaving one or two children looking.

Top tip: Play in one large room and turn the lights off to make the game harder – make sure any obstacles are removed and hard edges covered.

13. Bobbing for apples

Bobbing for apples doesn’t have to be restricted to Halloween, although it is one of the most popular Halloween party games .

Credit: Getty

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Get a large bucket and fill it with water then add apples – simple! Blindfold the kids and get them to try to pick up the apples using only their mouths.

Top tip: Add other (large) objects to the bucket of water to make it more challenging.

14. Row the boat

While you may not think of this as one of the more conventional kids party games, row the boat really tests kids’ imaginations.

Get children into pairs and sit them on the floor facing each other, with legs outstretched, holding hands. Get them to rock back and forth while you play the song Row The Boat.

Top tip: Get inventive with the scenario and add props to make the scene more interesting e.g. stuffed toys and toy boats.

15. Skittles

Skittles is small scale bowling – perfect for at-home fun.

Credit: Getty

(Image credit: James Pauls / eyecrave LLC www.eyecrave.com)

You can pick up colourful skittle sets in most kids’ stores or online with next-day delivery from Amazon . Set up a bowling alley-style space and get playing!

Top tip: Make your own skittles using old plastic drink bottles.

16. Pin the tail on the donkey

Pin the tail on the donkey is a simple game that will keep the kids entertained for hours.

You can buy a ready made pin the tail on the donkey set or get creative and make your own. You blindfold one child at a time and get them to place a cut-out tail onto a picture of a (tail-less) donkey. After every child goes, the closest tail wins.

Top tip: Who said it has to be a donkey? Use any picture of an animal or even choose your child’s favourite cartoon character and remove its prize possession – like Woody’s hat from Toy Story.

Credit: Getty

(Image credit: Getty Images/Westend61)

Also, if you doing a seasonal party for Christmas or Halloween, you can buy a matching seasonal set. For example, Etsy has a cute Halloween-inspired pin the nose on the wicked witch set and a pin the nose on Rudolph set for Christmas .

17. Duck, duck, goose

Duck, duck, goose is a school-playground favourite and a sure-fire winner for kids party games.

Get the kids to sit in a circle and pick one child to start. They then walk round the circle tapping every kids’ head saying ‘Duck’. When they tap a child’s head and say ‘Goose’ the chosen child must chase the other round the circle and back to their spare space in the circle. Whoever doesn’t make it to the space must then continue with the tapping.

Top tip: You don’t have to stick to ducks and geese, mix it up with some new characters and include sound effects to get everyone giggling – how about oink, oink moo?

18. Piñata

Piñata is a Mexican treat that includes kids’ two favourite things: chocolate and games.

You can make your own for the party or buy one online, Credit: Getty.

You can buy fun pre-made piñatas very easily or if you’re feeling particularly crafty and have lots of time on your hands, make your own. They are traditionally filled with sweets and chocolates. The children are then blindfolded (one by one) and take turns hitting the piñata with a stick. When it breaks the kids are showered in sweet treats.

Top tip: If you’re making your own piñata make sure you fill it with small soft things as they may hit the kids on the head on their way down.

19. Red, blue, green

Red, blue, green is a great way to get the kids moving and is one of our favourite kids party games.

Red means fast, blue is normal speed and green is slow motion. Call out actions for the kids to copy (skipping, jumping etc) then call out a colour to dictate the speed. Anyone doing the wrong speed is eliminated.

Top tip: The colours don’t have to equal speeds, you can mix it up and make the colours different actions.

20. British bulldog

British bulldog gets the kids exercising.

Credit: Getty

(Image credit: Getty Images/Onoky)

Choose one kid to be the bulldog. Find a large open space and get the kids to stand at one end. They the must take it in turns to cross the space to the other side without being tagged (touched) by the bulldog. If they are tagged, they join the bulldog in trying to tag the remaining kids. The winner is the last kid to be tagged.

Top tip: Tuck strips of material onto the kids’ waists to be removed by the bulldog instead of tagging to avoid the risk of things getting too rough!

21. Musical statues

All you need is a clear space and some music to make musical statues work.

Get all the kids onto your makeshift dance floor. Turn on the music to get the kids dancing. As soon as you stop the music the kids must freeze into a statue position. Each time you stop the music the last child to finish moving is out.

Top tip: Make it trickier by shouting out different actions for the kids to do to the music before freezing. Trying to stay still mid-hop will create hours of fun!

22. Dressing up

Dressing up is a hilarious and fun thing to do for kids at parties – providing you’ve got the props.

Credit: Getty

(Image credit: Getty Images)

If you’re running a little low, check out the dressing up clothes on Amazon for girls and for boys . Then, create a pile of dressing up clothes and get the kids to rummage to create their own outfit. Give prizes for the best costume.

Top tip: Charity shops and jumble sales are a great place to pick up clothes for a dressing up selection.

23. Musical bumps

Another musical treat – this time with a little added bump.

This game follows the same principles as the other musical games. Once the music stops they must fall to the floor and curl up in a ball. The last to make it to the floor is out.

Top tip: Bring your mattresses downstairs to make the bumps a little more comfortable.

24. Score a goal

Score a goal is a house-friendly game of football or rounders.

Credit: Getty

(Image credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Get one balloon to act as a ball and use either your foot/hand or another balloon as a bat to get the balloon into a designated goal. You can even buy cool football-coloured balloons !

Top tip: Make sure the balloons aren’t filled with helium as they will float away.

25. Pass-the-parcel

Pass the parcel is a classic and an old kids party games favourite.

Wrap a present in several layers, sit the kids in a circle, play some music and get the kids to pass the parcel. When you stop the music, the child holding the package removes one layer. Repeat until the present is revealed.

To gather the presents to go in the parcel, you could speed round your local supermarket or shop online. Amazon even has a whole section dedicated to kids’ pass the parcel presents so you can get what you need for the game without spending an arm and a leg.

Top tip: Tape mini presents, such as sweets or chocolate, to each layer so every child is a winner and shout out rules throughout the game like ‘change direction’ or ‘across the circle’ to mix things up a bit.

You might also like:

Best kids board games

Easter games and activities

Indoor activities to do with the kids

35 crafts for kids that are fun

Video of the Week:

Stephanie Lowe is Family Editor at GoodTo covering all things parenting, pregnancy and more. She has over 13 years’ experience as a digital journalist with a wealth of knowledge and experience when it comes to all things family and lifestyle. Stephanie lives in Kent with her husband and son, Ted. With his love of choo-choos, Hey Duggee and finger painting he keeps her on her toes.

25 kids party games ideas for indoor and outdoor parties

(Image credit: Getty / Future)

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Kids party games are a great way to get everyone involved – we’ve found some of the best games to play both indoors and outdoors.

Here are the best cheap, easy and fun kids party game options we know. The only decision left will be whittling it down to your favourites.