20+ Awesome Party Games For Kids Of All Ages To Have Fun

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Birthday party games for kids should be fun, innovative, and uber exciting. If you are throwing a party for your child’s upcoming birthday bash, you may need to plan well in advance and gear up. Start with invitations coupled with some entertaining activities, awesome prizes, and embellishing decorations to make it super-exciting.

Try some kid-friendly birthday party games listed in this post. These fun games are sure to leave your tiny guests with a big smile on their faces. We have categorized these games into three sets: games for girls, boys, and both.

Indoor Vs. Outdoor Party Games

Some important deciding factors when organizing games are space and the weather. For summer and winter birthday parties, you can arrange outdoor games, but in the rainy season, you will have to plan indoor games.

Each mode of play has its own charm. Indoor games can create a cozy and fun atmosphere and do not require much preparation. On the other hand, outdoor games allow more active play and have a different vibe to them.

20+ Fun-Filled Birthday Party Games For Children

Party Games For Girls And Boys

When you need to engage boys and girls from different age groups, these games we have listed for you can help.

1. Find your partner

Image: Shutterstock

Finding easy party games for kids can be difficult. Or is it?

We begin with this icebreaker game that will encourage the kids to interact with each other and have fun as well.

You will need:

• Post-its
• Pen

Number of players:

10-16

How to:

1. Create a list of famous duos – the kids must know them too. Here are some examples:

• Batman and Robin
• Mickey and Minnie Mouse
• Charlie Brown and Snoopy
• Humpty and Dumpty
• Popeye and Olive
• Prince and Princess
• King and Queen
• Asterix and Obelisk
• Laurel and Hardy
• Calvin and Hobbes

2. Write these names (separately) on post-its and pin each name to a kid. If the kids do not know the partners, then write the names of partners on a board or a chart for kids to see.
3. Ensure that everyone gets a partner.
4. If you have an odd number, make a triplet.
5. Ask the kids to go around the room and look for their partner.

Occasion:

Birthday parties, summer camps

2. Greetings, O’ Great One

Image: Shutterstock

This game makes it a must for kids to greet each other in a fun, dramatic way. We guarantee a lot of giggles from this one.

You will need:

• A scarf to cover eyes

Number of players:

10-16

How to:

1. Pick a child to be ‘It’ and cover his or her eyes with a scarf so they are unable to see anything. Let the other kids form a circle around It.
2. Turn them around three times or more and leave them there.
3. One of the kids from the circle should go to the player in the center and say “Greetings, O’ Great One’ in a masked voice.
4. If It recognizes the person correctly, the person will become It, and the game continues.

Occasion:

Birthday parties, school or class parties

3. Escape the Monster

Image: Shutterstock

Kids love it when their parents pretend to be scary creatures that are out to get them, don’t they? In this game, some of the kids pretend to be scary creatures that the others have to escape from!

You will need:

• Space for kids to form a circle and run

Number of players:

10-16

How to:

1. Line up all the children on one side of the room or garden.
2. Get two older kids to be the scary creatures and ask them to block the path of the huddled children.
3. One by one, the kids have to run across to the other side of the room or garden without being caught by the scary creatures.
4. If the scary creatures catch them, they become monsters too.
5. The game continues until all the children have escaped or turned into scary creatures.

Occasion:

Birthday parties, family parties or Christmas parties

4. Pin the tail on the donkey

Image: Shutterstock

One of the best birthday party games for kids, pin the tail on the donkey will never get boring. You will have fun watching the kids play this one.

You will need:

• A large cardboard box with a picture or drawing of a donkey without a tail.
• A tail for the donkey
• Blu-tack
• A scarf to cover eyes

An anonymous blogger shares a fun and interesting alternative game she came up with for her children’s birthday. She explains, “Its (pin the nose of Olaf) is a good game, just a variation of pin the tail of the donkey. I cut out noses and stuck the back with a strip of double-sided tape, so that it’s easy to stick on the picture, for kids (i).”

Number of players: 6-8

How to:

1. Place the cardboard at a height that the children can reach.
2. Attach the Blu-tack to the top end of the tail.
3. Pick a kid and cover their eyes with a scarf.
4. Give him the tail with the Blu-tack and ask him to attach the tail at the right place on the cardboard.
5. The others can guide the child. The kids who can pin the tail correctly get presents.

Trivia

Pin the nose on the snowman, pin the star on Captain America’s shield, pin the scar on Harry Potter, pin the beard on Santa, and pin the horn on the unicorn are some newer variations to this game.

5. Boomer whitz

Boomer whitz is a fun treasure hunting game, except that the treasure chest is hidden in plain sight. This is also one of the most popular birthday party games for kids.

You will need:

An object to hide, preferably a small one – you could pick a little dino toy, a ring or crown of a doll, or just anything that can be hidden.

Number of players: 8-10

How to:

1. Show the object you are going to hide to the group of kids.
2. Send the kids out of the room and hide the object in plain sight. Don’t make it too difficult or too easy for the kids to find the object.
3. The child who finds it first screams out Boomer whitz – and gets a gift!

Occasion:

Themed birthday parties

6. Walking with binoculars

Image: IStock

What do you do with binoculars? See something near or far. But what happens when you walk while using the binoculars? Get the kids to play this to find out.

You will need:

• A pair of binoculars
• Space to walk

Number of players:

8-10

How to:

1. Clear the room of objects and make space for the kids to walk.
2. Draw a straight line using tape or string.
3. Get each child to walk on the straight line while looking through the wrong end of the binoculars.
4. The kid who stays longest on the line gets the prize!

Occasion:

Picnics, summer parties

7. Sardines

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If you have seen a box of sardines, you know how they are packed tightly inside the box. In this hide-and-seek game, the kids are like sardines, except they will be hiding together somewhere inside the house, and not in a box!

You will need:

• Space to play – safe hiding places for the kids

Number of players:

6-10

How to:

1. Pick a child to be the first sardine.
2. While the other children count from one to 100 or any other convenient number. The first sardine hides somewhere in or outside the house.
3. The other kids will have to search for the sardine. If they find him or her, they join the first sardine in the hiding place.
4. The last child to find the kids becomes the first sardine for the next round!

Occasion:

Birthdays, casual get-together, ideal for small groups of up to 5 or 6.

8. Shadow bluff

Image: Shutterstock

Can your kids recognize a person by his shadow? Find out with this entertaining party game for kids.

You will need:

• A white curtain
• A strong light or battery-operated torch
• Space win the room – preferably an empty wall to cast the shadows on

Number of players:

6-8

How to:

1. Choose one child to be “It”.
2. Set up the curtain between the wall and the doorway. Let It sit near the wall, behind the curtain.
3. While It watches the curtain – the other kids will come and stand silently between the light and the curtain.
4. It has to guess who the child is, based on the shadow.
5. If It guesses right, the other kid becomes It, and the game continues!

Occasion:

Slumber parties, summer parties, birthday parties

Party Games For Girls

No, these games for kids parties are not ‘girly’. They just demand less physical force and more use of the girls’ gray cells.

9. Who has the button?

Image: Shutterstock

This is a simple game that requires only a simple button from a shirt, coat, or skirt. And it also needs all the attention from the girls. It can be played with younger kids too.

You will need:

• A regular-sized button

Number of players:

10-12

How to:

1. Gather the girls in a circle, and ask them to hold their hands together such that their palms touch their fingers.
2. Choose one person to be It and ask her to stand in the center of the circle. It should also hold her hands together like the others.
3. It takes the button and goes around the circle, putting her hands between the palms of each girl, and secretly drops the button with one of the other players (the other player must not reveal that she received the button).
4. Once the circle is complete, It comes back to her position, and the girls say “Button, button, who has the button?”
5. Anyone in the circle can guess who has the button – if they guess right, they become It and start the next round!

Occasion:

Birthdays, girls slumber party

10. What’s in the bag?

Image: L Shutterstock

That’s the question the girls have to answer, but they cannot look into the bag! This is a fun indoor game for kids that you can organize for your daughter and her friends.

You will need:

• A bag, preferably a satchel
• Objects to put in the bag

Number of players:

8-10

How to:

1. Select a few objects such as cotton wool, a vegetable, a piece of jewelry, a toy or anything else that can go into the bag.
2. Let the girls sit in another room, while you put something in the bag.
3. Ask one of the girls to figure out what is in the bag without peeking into it.
4. Pass the bag until one of the girls gets it right!
5. The one with the most guesses gets a gift!

Occasion:

Slumber party, girls night out

11. Grandmother’s footsteps

Image: Shutterstock

‘Grandmother’s Footsteps’ is a pretend game where one of the girls pretends to be the grandma. But what’s grandma’s role in a party game? Find out below.

You will need:

• Space, preferably a large corridor with a lot of space

Number of players:

10-12

How to:

1. One girl becomes the grandmother and stands to face the wall on one end.
2. The other girls line up behind the ‘grandmother.’
3. The girls have to creep up slowly to the grandmother behind her back and become statues when she turns around.
4. Granny is allowed to turn around whenever she wants to – if she catches anyone in the act (of creeping up on her), that person becomes the grandmother, and the game continues.

Occasion:

Birthday parties, school party games

12. Name game

Image: IStock

This is similar to the game called Twenty Questions. However, the roles are reversed. Confused? Read on, and you will know.

You will need:

• Post-its
• Pen

Number of players:

6-10

How to:

1. Write the name of a famous person on the post-it. Prepare as many post-its as you want.
2. Get the girls to sit in a group. You can also make teams if you want. One of them will be It.
3. Stick one of the post-its on Its forehead. Make sure that It does not see what’s written on the forehead.
4. It has to ask a series of questions to the girls to guess who she is or what’s written on the post-it!

Occasion:

Birthday parties, picnics

13. Feather

Image: Shutterstock

A feather is all it is going to take to test the physical strength of the girls. The game needs the girls to sit down, but it does not need them to stay quiet!

You will need:

• A feather
• A white tablecloth or sheet preferably round
• Music player

Number of players:

8-10

How to:

1. Ask the children to sit cross-legged on the floor, and form a circle.
2. Ask them to hold the sheet of cloth in the center – get them to hold the edges tightly so that it becomes a flat, bumpy surface.
3. Put the feather in the middle of the sheet and play music.
4. While the music is playing, the children have to blow the feather away from themselves.
5. Whoever is closest to the feather when the music stops gets a penalty letter (pick animals such as monkey, duck or donkey).
6. When one child completes the entire word, game over.

Quick tip

For music lovers, passing the parcel, musical chairs, and freeze dance are some of the most-loved classic games to consider.

Party Games For Boys

Boys, boys – they like to run around and show off their physical strength. Engaging the little men such that their energy is put to good use is what you will be doing with these fun party activities for kids.

14. Red rover

Image: Shutterstock

Outdoor party games for kids, such as the Red rover, can also be played indoors if you have enough space at your place.

You will need:

• Space to play – indoors or outdoors

Number of players:

10-16

How to:

1. Divide the boys into two groups.
2. Ask them to form a chain or line by joining hands.
3. A team picks one member by saying “Red Rover, Red Rover, send (name) over”.
4. The person called has to try and break the other team’s chain by ramming into it.
5. If he succeeds, he challenges a member of the opposing team to break his team’s chain.

Occasion:

Outdoor picnics, barbecue birthday parties

15. Sand treasure hunt

Image: IStock

Sand treasure hunt is a classic toddler birthday party game. It is a fun party game for younger kids, but if you are having a beach party, then older children and adults can join too.

You will need:

• A sandpit at home or near the beach

Number of players:

8-12

How to:

1. Select a few items that you can bury in the pit – make sure that they are neither too big nor too small.
2. Hide them in different places and make a list of where an item is.
3. Once the kids are ready, give them a list of things they need to find in the sand.
4. The kid who finds most of the items gets a prize!

The game is fun, but get ready to greet muddy, dirty boys back home.

Occasion: Beach birthday parties, picnics

Quick tip

If you are playing the game indoors, try beach kinetic sand instead of the regular beach sand for more fun and less mess.

16. Cross the river

Image: IStock

This is also called “cross the lava”. The objective of the game is to cross the lava or river using bridges and other platforms. This game is fun when played with eight players or more.

You will need:

• Platforms such as tires, milk crates, pillows or cushions (indoors)
• Space to play

Number of players:

6-10

How to:

1. The game is simple – the kids start at one end of the river and cross it to the other side. But, they cannot set foot in the river.
2. Any kid who touches the river (floor or ground) is out!

Try this to see how many of your little guests have the resolve to get to the other end.

Occasion: Picnics, summer camp parties

17. Chopsticks

Image: Shutterstock

Chopsticks are for eating your favorite snacks. So what are we talking about here? Keep reading to know.

You will need:

Chopsticks – as many pairs as there are kids

Number of players: 5-8

How to:

1. Get the children to sit at the table.
2. Give them a pair of chopsticks.
3. Place a hand towel in front of them and put around ten raisins on it.
4. Set another cup or plate in front of them and ask them to transfer the raisins from the towel to the cup.
5. See who manages to transfer most or all of the raisins to the cup.

Occasion:

Birthday parties, lunch or dinner parties

18. Sleeping lions

Image: Shutterstock

This makes a great game for a slumber party. It can also be played on other occasions when things get out of control and kids need to be calmed.

You will need:

• Floor space for the kids to sleep

Number of players:

6-8

How to:

1. Get the kids to lie down on the floor, and pretend to be sleeping like the lions.
2. An adult or a child can be chosen to walk around the sleeping lions and try to disturb them by tickling them, shaking them, etc. (no violent or aggressive methods).
3. The objective is to get the lions to move, while the lions try to not move or be disturbed by the person.

Occasion:

Birthday parties or pajama parties

19. Wipe that silly smile off your face

Image: Shutterstock

Yeah? Well, good luck to you. Because we are going to talk about a silly game that boys will love! Without a doubt, this is one of the many funny party games for kids.

You will need:

• Space to sit around, you could use a dining table as well

Number of players:

5-8

How to:

1. Make the children sit in a circle.
2. Start with the youngest boy in the group. You can also follow the alphabetical order.
3. The first person starts off with his silliest, wildest, and weirdest smile.
4. The rest of them try to keep a straight face, while the one smiling tries to make them smile or laugh.
5. After a while, the kid uses his hand to wipe off his smile and pass it onto the next person!

Occasion:

Birthday Party games, dinner table game

20. Charades

Image: Shutterstock

Charades is an engaging and easy-to-play game that kids love.

You will need:

• Word/Phrase Cards
• Timer
• Bowl

Number of players:

10-12

How to:

1. Create cards with age-appropriate words or phrases suitable for the children’s age group.
2. Place the prepared charade cards in a bowl.
3. Divide the kids into two teams.
4. A player from the first team selects a card and acts out the word or phrase without speaking, using gestures and body movements.
5. The team endeavors to guess the word or phrase within the time limit, earning a point for correct answers.
6. Players take turns acting and guessing, alternating between teams. Set a time limit (1 minute) for each turn.
7. Keep track of each team’s score. The team with the maximum points at the end of the game wins.

Occasion:

Birthday parties, school party games, picnics

Educational Party Games

These games bring you the best of both worlds by blending learning and fun.

21. Spelling bee

This is a classic game that never goes out of style.

You will need:

• Seating area
• Cards with printed words

Number of players:

2 or more

How to:

1. Print or write words on individual cards. Keep the complexity of the words according to the age group of the children.
2. Make the children sit in a semicircle facing you.
3. When you call out a word, they have to stand up and spell it out.
4. The child who manages to spell the most words correctly is the winner.

Occasion:

Birthday parties, school party games, picnics

22. Science trivia quiz

Quiz competitions are an instant hit with children.

You will need:

• A set of questions

Number of players:

4 or more

How to:

1. Divide the players into teams.
2. Ask the trivia questions.
3. The team that claps first gets to answer the question.
4. Give points for correct answers.
5. The team with the most points wins.

Occasion:

School party games, picnics

23. Math treasure hunt

This is a fun twist on the regular treasure hunt game.

You will need:

• Math puzzles or riddles written on cards
• Small treasures

Number of players:

2 or more

How to:

1. Hide the clues around the house. Every card can be accompanied by a small prize.
2. The players have to find each clue and solve the math problem to find the next clue.
3. The final clue leads to the “treasure.”

Occasion:

Birthday parties, school party games, picnics

Infographic: Fun Party Games For Children

Along with decorations and food, including fun games is critical when planning a party for children. These games will ensure the children are engaged in the party and have loads of fun. Check out the infographic below for some fun and cool party game ideas every child will love playing.

Illustration: Momjunction Design Team

Illustration: Awesome Party Games For Kids Of All Ages To Have Fun

Image: Stable Diffusion/MomJunction Design Team

A children’s party is incomplete without some fun and exciting games! From Minute to Win It challenges to classic party games, this video will help make your party memorable with these games.

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