Do your kids have a birthday coming up soon? Make your child’s party extra special this year with any of these fun birthday party games for kids!
What sticks out to you the most when you look back on your childhood birthday parties? Maybe it’s a delicious cake or a treasured birthday present. For me, there’s no question of what my favorite part of a party is… the games! I had the best time playing with my friends, getting competitive, and having fun and of course, winning prizes!
It always felt like a carnival that was specially made just for me.
Now that I’m a mom, I’m always hoping to give my kids that extra special feeling. It’s my goal to plan the best party games and over the years I’ve come up with a list of some really fun ones that I can’t wait to share with you!
In my opinion, fun birthday party games for kids are what make a great party. So if you’re ready for the best kid’s birthday ever, you’re in the right place so grab your birthday party planner and let’s get started planning some awesome games!
How to Choose the Best Birthday Party Games For Kids
The first thing I do when planning my kids’ parties is grab your party planner printable and start brainstorming.
Once you know your theme (if you have one), how many kids are coming, etc. the games will fall into place so much easier!
And don’t be afraid to ask the birthday girl or boy because they always have some ideas too! If you have young kids you could try making a list of your favorite games and have them choose a few that they think would be fun.
Bonus. They’ll be even more excited for the party knowing that they helped plan some super fun party games!
Tips for Success Planning Party Games for Kids
To make sure all your games are a hit, try these helpful hints!
- Enlist some other parents to help you with your games! Parties can be stressful to set up and host and an extra few helping hands can really make a difference.
- Don’t stress too much about prizes. Most kids love playing games just for the fun of it. If you do want to have prizes, I highly recommend these cute medals that the kids can wear with pride.
- Don’t over plan. I always find myself spending time planning tons of birthday party games for kids and end up realizing they take longer than I think! Instead, plan a few great games and have some no-prep backups in case you need something else to fill time.
Birthday Party Games for Kids
Here are the best birthday party games for kids!
Donut On a String
Kids and donuts? Or anyone and donuts for that matter! You can’t go wrong with this one.
All you need is enough donuts for the kids and a long string. Have two adults hold each end of the string with the donuts spread out on it and get ready for some delicious fun.
The kids will reach up with their mouths and race to eat their donuts. Whoever finishes the donut first wins!
Guess My Choice
This game may be a little easier for older kids, but could be adapted for younger kids too! Have the birthday girl or boy make choices between 2 things. Think “chocolate vs vanilla”, “movie vs board game”, etc.
When they’re done with the choices, make some quiz sheets to hand out to each of the guests. During the party, pass out the quizzes and see which guest knows the special birthday kid best!
Scavenger Hunt
One of my very favorite birthday parties was a princess theme and I’ll never forget the royal scavenger hunt that my parents made for us. I felt like I was on a magical adventure with all my best friends!
Even better, scavenger hunts are so easy to prepare! Just hide a few items around your home or wherever you are hosting the party and print out a list or pictures of the items for your guests. The kids will have so much fun searching around for the items.
If the weather is nice, try doing an outdoor scavenger hunt!
For some extra fun, grab this set of colorful binoculars to pass out to each kid as they explore.
Pinata
You can’t go wrong with a classic like this! You can find pinatas at just about any party store or even order them online. They also come in a huge variety so you can find exactly what you need to fit in with your theme. How cute would this rocket ship pinata be for a space-themed party?
For a cool summer spin on pinatas, fill up a few large water balloons and hang them up outside. Have the kids take turns hitting the water balloons until the water splashes out and watch everyone scream with excitement as they get soaked.
Musical Chairs
I love playing musical chairs with kids because it always gets so competitive and fun! It’s a great way to let out all that energy after downing a slice of birthday cake. Plus, all you need is a few chairs and some good music. Low or no preparation is definitely a mom-win in my book!
If you have younger children and you’re worried about the rowdiness, try putting colored spots on the floor instead of using chairs. They can find a spot to sit on instead of dealing with the chairs!
Jumbo Twister
The kids will be begging to play this one over and over. Jumbo twister is all the fun of this 2-player game but allows for the whole group to play together.
Cut out some colored circles, or other fun shapes, and lay them out around the party floor. Grab a twister spinner, or if you don’t have one you can put colored pieces of paper in one jar and body parts in another jar. Pick a paper from each jar and have the kids twist around to complete the move without falling.
If you’re having an outdoor party, try making your colored circles with chalk!
Sardines
For a game with no preparation, try sardines!
It’s essentially the opposite of hide and seek. One child finds a hiding spot somewhere in the party zone and the rest of the kids count down and go to try and find the ‘hider’.
If you find the child who’s hiding, you hide with them until everyone is packed together like sardines!
Make sure you make boundaries clear and you know where the child is hiding to keep everyone safe.
Punchboard
Another simple game to play is a punchboard game! It’s especially great for young kids because all they need to do is punch through some paper to grab a prize.
To make a punch board, just grab a piece of cardboard or thick poster and cut some holes in it the size of plastic cups. Add a little prize into the cup and tape some tissue paper to the top. Attach the cups to the poster and you are all set!
If you don’t want to deal with prizes, you could put little activities like ‘hop on one foot’, ‘spin in a circle’, etc. in each of the cups instead.
Pin the BLANK on the BLANK
This game is another traditional party activity and it’s great for any age! Get creative and look at your theme for options that will fit in perfectly. Just look how darling this Pin the Tail on the Mermaid set is!
If you don’t have a theme for your party, just go with the classic “pin the tail on the donkey”.
Grab some blindfolds or make-shift blindfolds and have the kids take turns trying to get as close as they can to right spot for the tail.
Freeze Dance
This game is always a huge hit! Just turn on some fun music and have the kids freeze whenever it’s paused. If a kid moves, they are out. Keep playing until on child is left playing!
Trust me, you’ll be playing this one more than once. So if you need some great kid-friendly music that you won’t mind listening to over and over check out this great list!
And that’s it! The very best birthday party games for kids. Share your favorite party game in the comments!
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