A Guide to Favorite Kids Party Games
Whether you're planning a simple play date; a birthday party; or a larger school, club, or corporate event with children, the simple "How To" description of the various games below should be helpful. We've also added some helpful hints on how to execute the games and some variations that can be made to help you fit a specific theme.
Balloon Catch – all of the kids stand in a circle and then count-off a number. The lowest number person (or the birthday child) can start off and be “IT”. The child who is “IT” throws a balloon up in the air while he/she also calls out a number. The child, who counted-off the number that was called, has to try and catch the balloon before it hits the floor. If the player catches the balloon, he/she becomes “IT”. Otherwise, the original person who was “IT” throws another balloon and the play continues. The balloons do pop, so it’s best to have a few extras on hand.
Duck, Duck, Goose - the kids all sit in a circle and one child will be “IT” (maybe start with the birthday child) and walks around the circle tapping the other kids on the head saying “Duck” , “Duck”, and then eventually “Goose.” The person who gets tapped with “Goose” has to get up and start chasing the person who was “IT” around the circle and try to tag them before they’re able to sit down in the space that the “Goose” person vacated. If he/she is able to tag the person, then the person who was “IT” has to sit in the circle until another person is tagged and replaces him/her. Then the “Goose” person becomes “IT” and continues the play. This game can be easily tailored to fit a theme party by changing to words to fit the theme, e.g. Knight, Knight Wizard or Scooby, Scooby, Doo or Princess, Princess, Queen, etc.
Freeze Tag - one or two children can be chosen to be “IT” and they run around trying to tag the other children. If tagged, the child has to “Freeze” in whatever position they were in when tagged and not move. The last person to be “frozen” becomes “IT” for the next game. There are lots of variations to this game, such as the person gets “frozen” with his/her legs apart and then can be “unfrozen” if one of the other children can crawl through his/her legs without being tagged. Or just the part of the body that was tagged becomes frozen, so if one leg is tagged, the child can still hop on the other leg, etc.
Hot Potato - all of the players form a circle (sitting works fine) and then they pass the “hot potato” [or whatever you want or have available such as a bean bag, small stuffed toy, etc.] From player to player while one of the players is “IT” or “the King/Queen Spud” and plays music while looking away from the group of other children. When he/she stops the music, the child with the potato moves into the center of the circle. The last one in the circle wins. This is best if you start and stop the music frequently so that the games moves along and no one is left in the center of the circle for too long.
Pin the Tail on the Donkey – this game requires a poster of a donkey hung on a wall or fence, a blindfold, and a tail for each player that has a number on it and double-rolled tape on the back. Each player gets blindfolded, possibly twirled around, and then with their numbered tail, they approach where they think the area where the tail should be and they stick it there. The player who gets the tail closest to the right area is the winner. This game can be modified to fit any type of party theme, such as pin the crown on the princess, the nose on the clown, the tail on the zebra for a jungle party, etc.
Memory Game or “I’m Going to a Birthday Party Game” – This is a great quiet game that tests the kids’ memories and creates a few laughs in the process. It can be tailored to birthday parties, picnics, the royal castle, or whatever fits your theme. The kids sit in a circle and the first player starts by saying, "I’m going to a birthday party and I’m going to bring a [item #1]. The next player must repeat "I’m going to a birthday party and I’m going to bring a [item #1] and then something else that they remember [item #2]." The third play has to bring [item #1], [item #2] and something of their choosing. This continues all the way around the circle with each player reciting the items in the exact order they have been given and then adding a new one. If a player makes a mistake they slide out of the circle and the game continues. The person left who can perfectly recite the list of items wins. NOTE – to aid memory, it’s often easier to have each item start with the next letter of the alphabet so that the first few items might be an arrow, balloon, confetti, doll, etc.
Musical Chairs - This is a simple game that requires that each player has a chair (or, something to approximate a chair) that is set-up in a circle. All of the players walk around the chairs while music is playing. Each round one of the chairs is removed and then the music (themed for your party theme) stops and everyone has to find a chair to sit in. The person without a chair leaves the game and the winner is the last person who has a chair at the end.
Parachute Games
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Cat and Mouse - Everyone holds the parachute stretched out at about waist height. One of the players is chosen or volunteers to become the “Mouse” and goes underneath the parachute while another player becomes the “Cat” and goes on top of the parachute. The other children are all stationed on the perimeter of the parachute and try to hide the mouse from the cat by moving the chute up and down. To keep everyone involved, choose a new cat and mouse each round.
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Mushroom - This is a game in which the kids all get under the parachute with the edges tucked under them so that it really does look like a mushroom. With a “ready, set, go” the kids lift their arms and raise the parachute so that it builds a big air loft and then when they sit on the edges it stays aloft. Once inside, the kids can sway side to side for added fun.
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Roller ball - E veryone holds the parachute taut while you place a ball (footballs make it interesting) near the edge. The kids try to make the ball roll around the edge of the chute, by lowering the edge as it ball comes near and then raising the edge to get the ball to go to the next person. With a little practice the kids can make it speed up and even change directions.
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Colors - Place the parachute on the ground and have the kids all be stationed around the perimeter of the chute. Then call out a color that’s in the parachute, count 3-2-1 and by the time you get to “1”, all the kids need to be on the color that you called out. There’s no need for a real winner or loser, just play the game over again.
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Merry go Round - The object of this game is to make the parachute look like a merry-go-round! Each child holds the edge of the parachute with one hand and then walks or skips in a circle so that the colors on the parachute really do spin!
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Popcorn – T his game gets it name from the “popping” movement that bean bags make when placed on the parachute and the kids, located around the perimeter of the chute, shake the chute so that the bean bags bounce up and down. 
Pinata -This is a very popular game with lots of commercial options available for piñatas to almost fit every party theme. This is also a game that should have supervision as the kids are blindfolded and swinging a stick in the air as they try to break the suspended piñata to have all of the candies/prizes fall out for them to gather. Hanging the piñata from a tree branch or other object that provides for a clear, unobstructed area is preferable. If you don’t want to have the kids hit the piñata with a stick, many of the new versions of the commercial piñatas has a “pull string” so that the kids pull the strings to get their prizes.
Red Light Green Light - This old-time favorite game is played by having one child [e.g. the birthday child] is the “Stoplight” while the other kids line up across the yard. The person who is the “Stoplight” yells out “Green Light” to indicate that all the kids should start to run toward him/her. The “Stoplight” can also yell out “Red Light” to get them to stop. If the kids have any movement after the “Red Light” is called, they’re sent back to the starting line. If “Yellow Light” is called out, that means the kids have to move very slowly. The person who is the “Stoplight” tries to fake-out the other players by using body language when calling the different colors. {E.g. raise the hands for green light multiple times, then mix it up and raise the hands for red light) The first child to make it to the Stop Light is the winner.
Relay Races 
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Obstacle Course Races - these outdoor games are great fun and can be varied in so many ways to fit your group size, age, and interests. You can set-up obstacles from lawn chairs, tables, trees, garden hoses – or whatever you have around the yard. Just make it so the kids have to climb over/under some and around or through others. To really mix it up, have them maneuver the obstacle while hopping or walking backwards --- or add a rotating sprinkler in the middle so they have to time when they run through the area….. Let your imagination go!
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Sack Race – you’ll need some old pillow case, burlap sacks, or the specialty sacks available commercially. Each team gets a sack and then each player on the team, one-by-one, gets both feet into the sack, pulls it high enough up to hold it with his/her hands, then jumps to the cone and back. The next person in line then gets in the sack and does the same thing, until one team has all of its players finish and is the winner. It’s best to have the kids practice their hopping before you start the race so that they get used to some of the awkward movement.
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Three-Legged Race - This is a great activity to build team work and is perfect for larger gathering with a big grassy area. To get started, you’ll need something to use for tying the left leg of one player to the right leg of his/her partner. This can be a 3-foot rag, scarf, or even small bungee cords. Have the players practice walking together before you have them start their running during the race from point to point. Each team starts by sending the first two players to the race point (little orange cones work great), and then return so the next two in line can complete the race until everyone has gone. The first team to finish wins!
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Wheel-Barrel Race– this is good for kid’s ages 4 to 12 year olds. Each team pairs their players into teams of two and one person on the team is on the ground, moving with their hands while the other player holds their legs. The first team to have all of its players complete the race, wins!
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Water Relay – the object of this game is to be the first team to fill a jug with water by getting the water from a distant bucket and then transporting it in a sponge or turkey baster. A player from each team runs to the bucket with the sponge or baster, gets the water, runs to the jug and empties their water into the jug, and then runs back and gives the sponge/baster to the next person on their team who does the same thing. It’s works best to put a definite line on the jug so that it’s clear to see when it is filled up and/or to use some food coloring in the water.
Simon Says – this game can be tailored to fit your theme with “Tarzan Says” or “Cinderella Says”. One child is the leader or “Simon” and gives the other kids some instructions that they have to follow. So, “Simon says hands up” or “Simon says bend over”, etc. If the leader or “Simon” just says do something without including the words “Simon says” then the other kids shouldn’t do it, just stand still. If any of the children do the action, then they’re out of the game. The person who remains in the game the longest is the winner.
Treasure Hunt - This game takes a bit of advanced planning, but it is a fun game that can be played by the kids as individuals, or even better, group them into teams so they have to work together. Give the kids a clue to a location that they need to get to (e.g. I have legs, but I can’t walk – means you hid the clue under the lawn chair or patio table), then at the location you have another clue to go to the next station in the treasure hunt. {e.g. I get lots of correspondence, but no females – means the mail box). You keep these clues going until you give the clue for the final treasure. You can make it so the teams all race to the same treasure, or so that they each have a treasure to find.
Who Am I? [What’s My Line?] – this game can be played in many different ways, but one that seems to work well is to have a pictures of animals or objects and tape one to each child’s back so that he or she doesn’t see it, but everyone else can. The goal is for the child to guess his/her object by one at a time, asking various questions and the other kids providing clues. The first person to guess who they are wins! But – keep playing until everyone has guessed because it’s still fun for all involved.
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